In this Mizuno ES21 wedge review we take a look at some very exciting clubs for mid to high handicappers. These hollow bodied wedges are packed with new technology – from moisture wicking grooves to a new center of gravity. I decided to take them for a spin and give these new Mizuno ES21 wedges a proper review.

I took a number of swings with the Mizuno ES21s and I can tell you, they have great feel. Contact feels pure and digging into the ball was a relatively easy task. I can definitely see how this would make a mid to high handicappers life much easier as you’ll get it up in the air with much less effort. So with that said, let’s dive deeper into the technology.

Mizuno’s New Grooves

In an indoor setting like this it’s tough to judge the spin, but from what I could tell as well as what the numbers showed me on the simulator, it was doing a great job of grabbing at the ball. Mizuno claims these wedges offer more predictable spin and the numbers bore that out on the simulator as well. 

This sweet spin has a lot to do with Mizuno’s new “quad cut groove” technology –  which features Ultra precise Milled grooves cut into durable Grain Flow Forged Boron infused steel. It’s that same grain flow forging that has made Mizuno famous for its buttery smooth feel.

Now the coolest part about these grooves are they are actually moisture wicking! That would definitely come in handy on my rainy Florida afternoons. The Hydroflow Micro Grooves are laser etched to wick moisture and create even more spin.

Mizuno ES21 Wedge Options Reviewed

The ES21s come in a variety of lofts and bounces. For my testing I chose the 56 degree wedge with 10 degrees of bounce. But Mizuno offers bounce options all the way up to 16 degrees. That added bounce is going to help give you a lot of confidence from various lies and help you get the ball up in the air a bit easier. 

The finish of these wedges is a beautiful black with a steel gray face. They aren’t available in any other finishes, which I must admit would have been nice to see. None the less, the black is pretty sharp. 

The face and the top line of these clubs are larger than what I’m using but for players who are struggling around the greens as well as those 100 yards and in shots, you’re going to feel much more confident standing over these wedges.

The ES21s are what I would call a Game Improvement Wedge. They’re Definitely aimed at higher handicaps which historically hasn’t been Mizuno’s focus. So it’s nice to see them beginning to offer options for this segment of golfer. 

Center of Gravity Shift

So by now you might be thinking, “What’s the BMW logo doing on these clubs?” Well that’s actually the symbol for COG and it’s placed exactly where it sits on the club. (Show photo with tee here). You could literally balance the club on this point. 

Mizuno says this perfectly centered sweet spot helps ensure a squarer strike of the ball, creates longer contact and more spin. In practice, I can definitely say they feel extremely balanced at address and throughout the swing. It just seemed easy to pick it cleanly and get nice solid center contact.

Hollow Body Design

Now, if you were to cut these wedges in half, you’d see they are actually hollow body designs – something we’re starting to see in a lot of in irons, but rarely in wedges until now. Mizuno says doing this will help create a higher and deeper center of gravity and better heel / toe balance – basically ensuring more center feeling strikes that are more consistent. Like I mentioned before, it definitely felt like I was making solid contact, even with less than perfect swings.

Final Verdict – Mizuno ES21 Wedge Review

So would I game these new Mizuno ES21 wedges? Yes, if I was around a 15 – 25 handicap I think these would offer much more forgiveness and give me the  necessary confidence that I could get my chips closer more consistently. I found them to be nice and long too, probably a few yards longer than my current wedges when hitting full shots.

But as we all know, it’s the short game where you score and getting more consistent spin with the forgiveness the hollow bodied design brings, as well as the larger face, I think amateurs could definitely find themselves shaving a couple of strokes off the scorecard with these.

If you’re looking to give these clubs a spin for yourself, I highly recommend you get fit for them at my friends, Edwin Watts in Tampa. If you’re not in Tampa, make sure to check out the website links I’ll list below in the description.