50 Words or Less
The JP Camber wedge by JP Golf is a joy to hit. Three soles – High, Mid, and Low Bounce – make selecting the right one easy. Huge difference between soles. Lower launch with high spin.
Introduction
A few years ago, James Patrick Harrington launched his own company, JP Golf, with the standout JP Premier wedges. With exceptional performance and an unparalleled style, they were a huge hit. The only problem is that they were unaffordable for many players.
For 2024, JP is bringing his unique take on wedges to more golfers with the JP Camber wedge. I tested a set to see how this more affordable version stacks up to the original.
Listen to the story on the JP Camber wedges from the man himself HERE
Looks
In the address position, the JP Camber wedges are about average in size. That’s the only time I’d use that word to describe these wedges. The leading edge is gently rounded, and the overall shape is more round than teardrop. The face has a satin finish to reduce glare and keep your focus on the ball.
In the bag, these wedges maintain JP’s reputation for making playable art. The mill marks on the sole are unlike anything else in the game. JP’s signature style of loft stamping sits just outside this milling on the heel. The cavity is largely blank, putting the focus on the “JP” near the heel. These wedges are offered in three finishes – Chrome (seen here), Black, and Raw – with seventeen paint fill options. I’m enjoying the stealthy, unfilled look I currently have, but I will be playing with some colors in the future.
Sound & Feel
Each JP Camber wedge is one solid piece of forged 1025 carbon steel. This creates an extremely soft feel when striking a urethane-covered golf ball. It provides a sense of uninterrupted connection from my hands all the way to the ball.
Starting with chips and short pitches, the JP Camber wedges are very quiet. As I moved toward longer shots, the sound became more crisp and staccato. The feedback became a little clearer on longer shots, but even mishits never lost the soft feeling.
Performance
While the look of the JP Camber wedge is unique, what really sets it apart is the sole. The sole of a JP wedge has more curvature from heel to toe than anything else you’re going to find. Where most wedges are fairly flat across the sole – leading to those classic dollar-bill divots – JP’s sole curves up aggressively in the heel and toe, leading to divots that are more oblong. This allows the JP Camber wedge to move through the ground more easily and gives it a feel through the turf that’s unlike anything else.
The other thing that separates the JP Camber sole from most other OEMs is the lack of different, potentially confusing, grinds. JP makes wedge selection simpler with Low, Mid, and High bounce soles. The difference, as you can see above, is enormous. I’ve never tested wedges where the gap between each sole was this big. The leading edge sits higher as you add bounce, and the resistance to digging goes up substantially. JP denotes the level of bounce with the rings on the hosel – more rings, more bounce (below).
It’s also worth noting that the sole of the JP Camber wedge is milled. This gives JP’s wedges more of that magical word: consistency. If you try my JP wedge then order one of your own, the sole will be exactly the same. If you wear out your JP wedge, you can order another one knowing that the sole will be identical. This isn’t true of wedges that are hand finished because humans simply aren’t capable of the same level of precision as a CNC mill.
Though the JP Camber wedge’s sole is the highlight, the wedge doesn’t lack in other areas of performance. The center of gravity in the JP Camber is the same as the JP Premier [review HERE], which means that these wedges launch on a lower, controlled trajectory with above average spin. They have excellent ball speed, and the cavity back design helps them to achieve a tight dispersion.
I want to close this section by returning to the sole, because it’s truly what sets these wedges apart from everything else and makes them such a joy to play. If you’re someone who doesn’t think that the sole matters or doesn’t notice turf interaction, hit these wedges. You’ll feel things at impact that you’ve never felt before. I’ve played every wedge under the sun – I should be bored with wedge play – but the JP Camber wedges kept me on the range trying different approaches with each different sole, seeing what shots I could create. “Fun to hit” is one of the highest compliments I can give to a golf club, and the JP Camber earns that in spades.
Conclusion
At half the price of the JP Premier wedge, most would expect that the JP Camber requires a compromise on performance. They’d be wrong. From the sole to the CG, the JP Camber wedge mirrors the elite performance that JP’s wedges are known for, but at a price that more golfers can afford. You can try them and get fit for a set at your local Club Champion.
Buy JP Golf JP Camber Wedges HERE
JP Camber Wedge Price & Specs
He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
- Secrets of a Master Club Builder - October 10, 2024
- Mustard Golf App Review - October 9, 2024
- Podcast Episode 228 – In Depth with Titleist on the New GT Line - October 9, 2024
24 Comments
Matt,
Are these going to dethrone the Edisons you’ve been gaming for years and show up in the next updated WitB?
Seth,
Not immediately, but they’re definitely going to hang around. I love the turf interaction and some of the shots they allow, but the Edison wedges have never let me down since I put them in the bag, whether I practice or not.
Best,
Matt
Are these replacing your Edison wedges?
Not immediately, but they’re definitely going to hang around. I love the turf interaction and some of the shots they allow, but the Edison wedges have never let me down since I put them in the bag, whether I practice or not.
Best,
Matt
Are they worth a hundred dollars more than a Vokey wedge?
Rob,
I never spend other people’s money, but for me and for a variety of reasons, yes.
Best,
Matt
Hi Matt,
Just curious how you’d do a 3 wedge set with the
Low/Medium/High bounce options?
Thanks!
Kevin,
My standard wedge set up is a medium bounce 50, high bounce 54-56, and low bounce 60.
That said, the gap between low, mid, and high bounce is so big with these wedges, I would recommend that most people get fit and play all three wedges at the same bounce. At most, add a second sole for a low bounce lob wedge or a high bounce sand wedge.
Best,
Matt
I’ve followed JP on Instagram for quite a while now drooling over the wedges. I think he was considered by Titleist to replace Vokey at one point? I’ve always wondered if the wedges were just beautiful or if they were actually functional so thank you for reviewing them!
Kevin,
JP talks about that in our first podcast – https://pluggedingolf.com/podcast-episode-157-james-patrick-harrington-jp-golf/
Best,
Matt
I’ve been playing the mid bounce 58* for the past month. Having grown up with more camber and bounce than most of todays wedges have, my wedge play has suffered with todays wedge grinds with no camber and lower bounce. With these wedges JP showcases his knowledge having worked with so many golfers or different abilities. The turf interaction is amazing and I’m no longer fighting the ground and the sand, but letting the wedge design work to my advantage.
I was fortunate many, many years ago to learn from Claude Harmon how to properly utilize bounce and have a variety of shots to pick from across the fairway, rough and sand. I’d lost that ability in recent decades. With the JP Camber my short game is quickly coming back to how I played when I was young, and I have JP’s innovation Camber design to thank for that. I’m already planning to add more JP wedges!
Plus, this is honestly the nicest looking, sexiest wedge grind I’ve ever seen. It just instills confidence at address!
Matt,
what shaft do you have in these? I have a few wedges from JP and he is super helpful and friendly in helping. I have a SW that is like a chamber wedge like you reviewed here. it is probably the best feeling wedge that i’ve ever had. it’s extremely forgiving and yet I can also work the ball well with it. I actually prefer it over the other 2 JP wedges that are the more expensive ones. so much so that I recently order a GW and LW to make a set for gaming. I have the BGT wedge zone shafts and I like them (original 115g style), however, I have issues with 2 of those shafts bending right were the shaft and ferrule connect. so I’m leaning towards some KBS with the new ones.
Michael,
I have the Nippon Modus 115 in mine.
-Matt
As someone who is left handed it is always irritating to look up details of clubs that look interesting, like these wedges, only to discover that they’re only available right handed.
The Edison’s are similarly leftist.
It would be useful if you could point this out in your reviews and maybe even mention it to the providers
Great, enthusiastic review, Matt. Once again, you shine a light on “boutique” club makers and tweak our interest. I will check out their website as JP is in the “Miura level” of pricing, so figuring out a way to get fitted will be critical to avoid throwing good money away. All that aside, my only concern about these gorgeous wedges is the milled sole…..from the context that most or all of us, whether we like it or not, are forced to practice off of mats more than we would like to. So my concern is, how these milled soles will hold up to the abuse that even the best, cushioned mats will exact on the soles of all clubs, but especially irons. I know the snarky response will be …..”don’t hit off of mats.” I wish I had that option, but it would easily cut out 60-70% of my practice time. Any thoughts from those who have gamed these JPs?
Steve,
I can’t think of any reason why these soles would be less durable on mats than any other sole.
Best,
Matt
Is there anywhere you know of that has these for fittings? Maybe club champion ?
Laban,
Yes, it’s stated in the Conclusion that these are available for fittings at Club Champion.
-Matt
Matt,
Did you find the forgiveness on the JP cambers were close to or equal to the Edison 2.0 wedges? I’m considering both of these wedges and wondering if striking the ball higher on the face on the JP provided similar consistency to the Edison? Great review and loved the interview as well, these wedges are like pieces of art, it’s almost a shame to get them dirty lol
Brian,
Forgiveness is very close overall. To your question about high face strikes, it’s hard for me to say because I don’t know that I hit a single ball high on the face because of the JP Camber’s sole. My trademark thin strikes were still available, but the top of the face would have required real effort from me.
Best,
Matt
It seems based on your reviews that the JP Camber (or Edison 2.0) wedges could be used by high handicap players due to the cavity back design. Is this correct? Thanks.
George,
Yes, I think both of those are good choices for players at all levels.
Best,
Matt
Finally got to try these out at Club Champion and I ordered a 48 and a 54 (bent to 53). They feel tremendous off the face and offer gobs of forgiveness and lots of spin. I did not get to hit them on turf which gave me a bit of pause, but off the mat they were checking all the boxes for me so YOLO (early 50th bday present to myself). I have a 49/53 Edison 2.0 in the bag currently and am evaluating those too. So far they are very forgiving (i have gotten away with murder with them twice on terrible strikes) and do spin very well. What I can say is that they don’t feel quite as nice (soft) as the JPs. I’m on the fence so far with the Koehler sole but I think it’s too soon to call. Overall both of these wedges seem to offer more performance than the RTX-6 wedges I have in the bag now (which are in their own right quite good). I also looked into the BGT REDZNE shafts after your review and ordered those after hitting them, REALLY REALLY nice, lived up to the description in your review for sure. I know some people would say spending this much money on wedges is insane, but I play a lot of golf and don’t hit nearly enough GIRs ;). Once I have more time with everything I’ll report back, but thanks for the info I doubt I would have even looked at products like these without your reviews.
Brian,
That all sounds great! Very happy to hear you were fit for your wedges!
Best,
Matt