Callaway Jaws Raw wedge review: Absolute control in your short golf game


I never thought I would speak so much about forgiveness during my golf game. No, I’m not golfing with my Pastor or close friend. I’m not even golfing with my wife (definitely me asking for forgiveness in this case). I’m golfing with Callaway’s newest club, the Jaws Raw wedge. Callaway gave me the wonderful opportunity to test and review two of these clubs: a 54-degree 12 W Grind and 60-degree 12 X Grind. Not only are these clubs gorgeous, but they also play with ease and help shore up my short game. Yes, with plenty of control, spin, and forgiveness. 

The Jaws Raw clubs feel premium (as expected from a top name brand). The club heads are simply beautiful, and the raw face is apparent. I’m immediately excited to see how my ball spins once I get these out on the course. Callaway also introduces “tungsten technology” in the head to give better balance and control. The grips feel solid, and tight and feature a small Callaway symbol engraved near the base. In short – the Jaws Raw clubs (in chrome or black plasma) are absolutely gorgeous aesthetically. I hope they hit as good as they look. 

Testing begins with a quick trip to the local range. I begin hits from the fairway with the chrome Jaws Raw 54 degree loft club. A nice two foot gong sits roughly 100 yards from my ball, and I immediately make it my goal to make that sucker sing. I find I am most accurate hitting this club at about 80 yards, but with some power I can get it to nail just past the 100 yard mark. This is spot on for a wedge. It’s accurate. There is no question I am a novice golfer, but I haven’t been this excited to swing away in my short game. 

Each of my initial 70-75 hits come literally within 10 to 15 (give or take) yards of my target destination. Okay, if I’m honest I did hit 3 of them over the top of the ball. User error for sure, but once I finish some choice words and refocus I’m hitting dead on with near perfect loft and spin control. In chip shots, the ball doesn’t roll six miles past my destination. It rolls just enough to aim the ball just in front of my target and gives a feeling of control. Callaway will attribute this to the milled micro grooves in the clubhead. I attribute it to my stellar game (but Callaway is right – it’s the club). 

At this point I decide to switch it up and test the 60 degree loft club. Naturally, this club should hit  with a little less zip at a higher angle and hopefully a bit of backspin. I start plopping lob shot balls nearly dead on the 50 yard gong. Sure enough, the spin control is excellent here as balls sit or roll back when I get enough loft beneath them. I find I really enjoy choking up and hitting balls with this wedge when the lie is tight. I test a few hits out of the sand (which I’m admittedly terrible at). On great contact shots, I see the ball loft ~20-35 yards again with great backspin to sit down where it lands (unfortunately not quite where I was hoping – due to experience). 

In fact, the 12 degrees of bounce on each club make them perfect for tight lies. I’ll admit, I’m not a technically advanced enough golfer to fully comprehend what the different grind styles help me with, but  I do know this. Whether using the X or W grind, I find myself easily getting under the ball with each sweeping lob shot. I find the distance on each shot to be insanely consistent. I literally surprise myself with my accurate shots. The loft on each club is felt. I swing and think, I’m in control of this shot and I can nail the green on this next shot – each and every time. I want to golf more, and I’m excited to get back out there. Most people get this way about a driver. Get me near the green – I want to lob a perfect shot with my Jaws Raw wedge. 

So far the clubs sound perfect – and to a large extent, they are. The only issue I find in using them is the grips. Callaway put their icon as a deep cut groove right where I place my right thumb. Perhaps this is an intentional guide for where to put the thumb, but after hundreds of hits, my thumb is raw. Granted, I won’t be using the wedge this many times in a day of golfing, but I wish the grips didn’t have this indention. 

Summary:
I’ve always been a Callaway fan. My first driver was a Big Bertha, and I loved going to the range with my cousin to crush balls and work on my stupid slice. With the Jaws Raw wedges, I find it more fun to work on some more technical aspects of the game. These beautiful clubs make me feel like I can actually do that. I feel in control. Mistakes feel like my own, but the forgiveness in the clubs and spin control make me feel more whole. Simply put, I love the Jaws Raw wedges.

Note: Our reviews are always 100% independent but Gearadical receives a small affiliate amount if you purchase the product on Amazon.