50 Words or Less
The Mizuno S23 wedge has a centered sweet spot to help golfers produce more spin and consistency. Four sole grinds. All soles are helpful at keeping the club from digging.
Introduction
Do you know where your sweet spot is? If you’re playing a traditional wedge, the answer might surprise you. Most traditional wedges have a center of gravity that’s not in the center of the face. The Mizuno S23 wedge does, which may help players of all ability levels get more spin and more consistent distance.
Prefer a traditional wedge? Check out the Mizuno T-22 HERE
Looks
As the loft increases, the shape of the S23 wedge changes. In the stronger lofts (52 degrees, above), the face is more iron-like with a straighter leading edge. In the higher lofts, such as the 60 degree wedge (below), the face and leading edge are rounded. This wedge is fairly compact from heel to toe, and the top line is beveled to make it look very thin.
In the bag, the S23 begs you to come in for a closer look. The deep cavity in the heel is something I haven’t seen in a wedge before, making it the obvious focal point of the club. With so much geometric interest, Mizuno didn’t need to add any splashy colors, and the branding is moderate.
The Mizuno S23 comes in two finishes: white satin (shown here) and copper cobalt. Per Mizuno, both finishes are “durable” and the only difference is aesthetic.
Sound & Feel
The Mizuno S23 wedge has a soft, pleasant feel on center. It’s not life altering, but it does nothing to undermine the Mizuno reputation for great feel. Feedback through the hands is precise and demanding. As soon as you leave the exact center of the face, the feel gets firm.
Interestingly, the audio feedback is quite different. Every reasonably good strike creates a very quiet, low-pitched thud. It takes a pretty bad miss to activate the louder, unpleasant “clack.”
Together, the sound and feel feedback are a really nice pair. If you’re not paying close attention, the sound will tell you when you’ve made a big mistake. If you want to get really dialed in, listen to your hands.
Performance
The primary talking point around the Mizuno S23 wedge is the centered sweet spot. Many golfers don’t realize it, but the sweet spot on most traditional wedges is on the heel-side of center because of the hosel. Mizuno uses a shorter hosel and “partial heel cavity” to move the sweet spot to the geometric center of the face.
Want a Tour-style wedge? Check out the new Mizuno T24 wedges HERE
This is beneficial because if a golfer aligns the ball to the center of the face (and most do), and they deliver the club back to that position, they get the reward of optimal smash factor, launch, and spin. It also keeps golfers from having to move their strike toward the hosel and bringing the dread “S” word into play.
In my testing, I found the Mizuno S23 wedge to produce consistent ball speed and distance. This isn’t advertising as a forgiving, cavity back wedge, but I did see better results from mishits than I would normally expect. Spin is good, about average, but not in the elite range. This wedge is made from a Boron-infused carbon steel, so the grooves should last longer than average.
Finally, Mizuno offers four grinds in the S23. Above, from left to right, you can see the S, D, and X Grinds. Not pictured is the C Grind. Mizuno describes the S Grind as “minimal,” best for full shots. The other three grinds add heel and toe relief. The D Grind has moderate relief with the C Grind having “heavy” relief. Mizuno’s X Grind has “extreme relief” on the heel, toe, and trailing edge and is recommended for “short game artists.”
The S Grind is offered in the most lofts – 44 to 58. D is available from 54 to 58, C from 56 to 60, and X from 58 to 62. As you can see in the spec chart below, Mizuno makes the S23 at every degree of loft from 44 to 62 degrees, so you can build the exact set you want.
As you can see in the pictures, all of the soles – even the X Grind – are on the wider side. This made them all fairly resistant to digging in my testing. There is a noticeable difference from the S to the D to the X grinds, but none of them are inclined to bite into the turf. For players who tend to get a little steep and those who play in softer conditions, this added insurance allows you to be aggressive instead of swinging tentatively.
Conclusion
The Mizuno S23 wedge is a short game tool that golfers should take a look at regardless of their skill level. Any kind of player can benefit from the centered sweet spot, and the variety of sole grinds allows you to design your wedge set to meet your needs.
Visit Mizuno Golf HERE
Mizuno S23 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.
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14 Comments
Did you notice these as launching higher, lower, or about the same as average wedges?
Jeff,
About average, maybe slightly on the high side.
Best,
Matt
Still. loving my T22. wedges, so not sure I would drop them for these, but the centered sweet spot is an interesting offering…will give these a whirl at the Mizuno fitting day at my club later in the month.
The Edison wedges, with which I am very intrigued, from your reviews are lower flight, higher spin, tight dispersion, forgiving wedges that retain distance on mishits. These Mizuno wedges are reviewed as higher flight, average spinning, somewhat forgiving wedges. Could I discern from your review that the Mizuno wedges are a move in the direction of forgiveness for those who prefer a higher ball flight but will not retain as much distance on mishits or as tight a dispersion as the Edison’s? Not disparaging the Mizunos just contemplating different club preferences for different players. Thanks Matt, your reviews are the best.
Mark,
Thank you.
Yes, I think most golfers will see something pretty close to what you described in comparing these two wedges.
Best,
Matt
Just bought a set of JPX 923 Forged and would like to add the wedges to complete the set. I do not know which grind to get. I currently use the vokey wedges 48, 54, and 58
The first question is what grinds are on the Vokeys? If you like them, just match them up with the Mizuno. Grinds are confusing, but Matt has a great article HERE. Also know that Saternus and I both play Edison wedges which take specific grinds out of the equation.
– Meeks
Hi, which wedge would be best for bunker shots, should i be looking for the highest bounce? I dont usually like to open the face much and tend to play with a square club face. Thanks
Greg,
It depends on the condition of the bunkers but generally I would advise a bit more bounce, especially if you’re playing with a square face.
Best,
Matt
They look remarkably like the old Nike Engage wedges, which is intriguing as those are the wedges I am looking to replace. Wonder if they play similar.
I bought the 50 (S) ,54 (D) and 58 (X) after a couple of reviews. I think Matt is spot on with his remark on the soles. The low bounce numbers could put you off on ‘risk for digging’ but the soles compensate, especially if open the loft a bit. I have a pretty good short game, but don’t regard myself as an ‘artist’ so the X grind was a bit of a gamble… But it’s wonderful. Being a bit shallow with my AoA in general it is sooo good in greenside bunkers with little green to work with, and ‘all open’ flop shots: with the wide sole the trailing edge still bounces nicely if needed.
I bought a 52 10s a 56 12 s and a 60 10 c. For me as a 9 index they have been a revelation around the green. I find the spin as good as anything I have had before my last set was callaway md5. The only place I am struggling is with full shots with the 56 and 60. They do seem to fly very high and shorter than I am used to. However I am such a fan I have ordered a 60 6 x for around the green in firmer Conditions.
Nice Review. That copper color is awesome. I am considering a 54 and a 62 on this or the new ping wedges. I am still confused on the mizuno grinds. I don’t manipulate the face. Just three quarter swings. I am a sweeper and I play mostly on firm turf. Which grind is ideal for that?
Joshua,
I always recommend a fitting. That said, if you’re shallow and play on firm turf, low bounce is the normal go to, so you might look at the X.
Best,
Matt