We have many people reaching out wanting to know if there is a wedge club that is good for both beginners and experienced golfers. In this article, we review the Callaway Sure Out Wedge – one of the most popular wedges on the market today.
Do you lose sleep thinking about your iron shots ending up in the sand or does it sometimes take you 2 or 3 swings to get your ball out of the bunker and on to the green?
Do you ever resort to the “hand-wedge” when your friends aren’t looking? This is called “bunkerphopia” !
There is nowhere else on the course that you can tell the difference between a Professional golfer and a weekend warrior more than the sand trap.
Elite players will tell you that the greenside bunker shot is one of the easiest in golf, but for the average player, it can be the hardest.
Being able to successfully get out of a trap on a consistent basis can be the difference between shooting your career round or leaving the course frustrated, with sand in your socks. Don’t worry, help is on the way and our Callaway sure out wedge review guide will put you in good stead.
The Callaway Sure Out 2 wedge was designed to help golfers start to enjoy a short trip to the beach. Instead of just trying to survive a bunker shot, look at it as a chance to get up-and-down and save par. Keep your round moving in a positive direction.
Overview
The engineers at Callaway have added new bells and whistles to the original design for the Sure Out to not only help you get out of the bunker but to also make you better on all shots around the green.
The club takes its name from the original Ben Hogan Sure Out wedge created 50 years ago, but Callaway has upgraded the technology and design to produce a better all-around wedge.
Make no mistake, the Callaway Sure Out 2 is a game improvement club. Its target customer is the player that has short-game struggles.
The goal is to help the average player or high handicapper enjoy the game more by hitting consistent shots from the sand or from the rough near the putting surface.
If you find that you get near the green in 2, but end up putting a 5, 6, or 7 on the card, the Callaway Sure Out 2 may be the answer to your prayers.
On to the tech….
Technology: Design & Performance
The Callaway Sure Out 2 has several unique components in the design that make it stand out from other wedge offerings on the market.
Callaway has added new features to assist the average player with their short game. The first goal was to Make Bunker Shots Easy.
They have enhanced the sole to refine the bounce angle, creating more room for error in the sand. The mistake many golfers make is their wedge decelerates when it hits the sand, causing fat shots or the club bounces into the ball and it is skulled over the green.
This enhancement enables the club to easily cut through the sand and help you get your ball on the putting surface.
Next, the engineers wanted to better Playability from all Lies. Identifying that many amateurs hit chips in the heel of the club, they provided more heel relief to help with this specific mishit that plagues many players.
A unique addition to this club is the Full-face Grooves for more spin and fast-stopping shots. If you look at most wedges, the toe of the club is smooth (no grooves), but the Callaway Sure Out 2 literally has grooves everywhere.
If you hit the club, you hit grooves, and this produces spin on all shots. The face contains 17 groove lines to help you get up and down from the bunker or a bad lie in the rough.
Another unique piece is the Lamkin Step Down Grip. Callaway partnered with the grip manufacturer to build a grip with 3 step down markings. The markings allow you to consistently hold the club in different places depending on the shot you are trying to play.
If you want to take a little off on a pitch shot, grip the club on marking #2. If you are hitting a shot from the rough very close to the green, try marking #3. Consistency in your short game is critical to shooting the lowest score possible.
A key new feature compared to the original Sure Out, is that the Sure Out 2 has more options for loft. The original release of this game-improvement club was only made in two different lofts, but you can now select from 56 degree, 58 degree, 60 degree, and/or 64 degree.
Breaking it down further for the ladies and gentlemen…
Tech Specs for Men and Women
Callaway offers several different versions of its Sure Out 2 wedges. Men can choose from the following:
- 56 degrees of loft: length 35 inches
- 58 degrees of loft: length 35 inches
- 60 degrees of loft: length 35 inches
- 64 degrees of loft: length 35 inches
The men’s club gives you the option of a steel or graphite shaft:
- Steel Shaft: KBS Wedge 90: shaft weight of 92
- Graphite Shaft: UST 65 Wedge Graphite: shaft weight of 65
Callaway does offer a women’s Sure Out 2 as well in the following setups:
- 56 degrees of loft – length 34 inches
- 58 degrees of loft – length 34 inches
- 60 degrees of loft – length 34 inches
- 64 degrees of loft – length 34 inches
The women’s club comes with a Fujikura Wedge Graphite Womens shaft that has a weight of 50.
All of the men’s wedges are available in both right-handed and left-handed. The women’s version is offered in right-handed only.
The Good and Bad..
Pros:
- This line of wedges is famous for helping you escape the bunker, but the Callaway Sure Out 2 is an all-around wedge – can be used from the fairway or rough as well.
- The Full-face grooves provide spin on mishit shots that would roll across the green with other wedge models.
- New sole and bounce design will help you recover from the sand – avoid fat shots and skulls.
- Economically priced compared to other options in this category.
- New step-down grip is a helpful reminder of your hand position and leads to more consistent short game setup and execution.
Cons:
- Not designed for the elite player.
- The Callaway Sure Out 2 has some unique components to help the average player – with this comes a different look than some wedges – some people may not like the aesthetics.
FAQs:
Question: Is the stock shaft a Fujikura?
Answer: The men’s club if offered with a Steel shaft (KBS) or a graphite shaft (UST). The women’s version of the Callaway Sure Out 2 does come with a Fujikura graphite shaft.
Question: Is this club guaranteed to improve my bunker game? (I am tired of being stuck in the sand.)
Answer: There are no guarantees, but this wedge is specifically designed to help players that struggle from the sand. The #1 mistake made by amateurs is a lack of speed through the sand. The sole of the Sure Out 2 is designed to cut through the sand and our Callaway Sure Out wedge review covers this feature.
Question: Do I need to select the bounce from the Sure Out 2 wedge?
Answer: No. The club only comes with the bounce that the Callaway engineers determined was the most effective for all players.
Question: Why would the Lamkin Step Down grip help my short game and would it make me more consistent?
Answer: Where you position your hands on the club will impact the shot that you hit. Choking down on the club reduces distance. The markings on the Step Down grip allow you to consistently choose how far you want to choke down on the club for different shot types.
Question: I am a beginner – just started playing the game and I really struggle around the greens – is this club for me?
Answer: Yes. This game-improvement wedge was specifically designed for you. Callaway wants to make it easier to score around the green and help more players enjoy the game of golf.
Question: How do I choose the loft I need?
Answer: The loft determines how high the ball will fly – higher loft, higher shots. Your choice will depend on the types of shots you want to hit with the club. Many players use more than one wedge. They might select a 58 degree and a 64 degree, giving themselves more options around the green.
Question: I am looking for a left-handed, ladies wedge – does Callaway offer this in the Sure Out 2?
Answer: Unfortunately, the women’s version of the wedge does not have a left-handed option. If you still want to try a Sure Out 2, you may want to consider purchasing the men’s version with a graphite shaft (graphite shaft is lighter than steel).
Question: Should I choose a steel or graphite shaft?
Answer: It is all about your preference. A graphite shaft is lighter and can produce more speed but will be more expensive. Typically, the best choice it to be consistent with the rest of your irons. If you have steel in your 8-iron, 9-iron, etc., go with steel in your wedges.
Question: Do I need to alter my setup or swing to get value from this club?
Answer: No. You shouldn’t need to change anything to see benefits.
Focus on normal bunker technique (open stance, open face of club, hit 1-inch behind the ball, accelerate through the sand) and let the club design do the rest.
Question: Is this new wedge offering really any different from the original Sure Out?
Answer: Yes. Callaway listened to feedback and made several significant changes to make the Sure Out 2 even easier to use than the original.
Quick examples include the new sole, improved visual design, and new Lamkin step down grip. The original Sure Out helped a lot of players, but the Sure Out 2 provides even more support to the player.
What About Alternative Clubs?
If you are looking for alternative clubs to check out before you settle on the Callaway Sure Out 2, other options do exist in the game improvement wedge category.
There have been several infomercial wedges released over the last few years that make similar claims related to escaping the bunker. The C3i wedge is an example. The Alien wedge is another one.
If you want to stick to traditional golf companies, the Cleveland Smart Sole line of wedges might be worth a look. Cleveland also offers the CBX 2 wedges, which are designed to help you improve your greenside scoring.
None of these clubs are a magic wand but do have components to make tricky bunker and chip shots easier for you to execute.
Conclusion
Should you expect to turn on the TV and see Phil Mickelson using the Callaway Sure Out 2 to hit one of his famous flop shots? No. This club is not for him. That was never the intent.
Callaway designed this club for you – the weekend warrior golfer who loves to play but doesn’t have hours to spend perfecting his or her short game.
Let’s be honest – this club wasn’t designed for elite amateur players either. Do you have a single-digit handicap? Do you break par more than you shoot over 80? If so, the Callaway Sure Out 2 isn’t for you. We don’t want to hurt your feelings, but Callaway didn’t care about your problems when building this wedge.
The Sure Out 2 was designed and built with one thing in mind. How can we help the player that gets stuck in the sand and doesn’t get out for several swings? How can we improve the golfer that sees a bad lie in the rough and thinks ” I might as well just pick up “?
The average player gets tentative when playing from the sand or chipping from the rough. This lack of speed causes all sorts of shots that we hate: duff, chilly-dip, flub, blade.
The Sure Out 2 solves this with a unique sole that cuts through the turf (or sand) even if you decelerate a little. This produces more consistent short-game shots that will reduce your score.
If you are looking to improve your score by reducing mistakes around the green, take note of our Callaway Sure Out wedge review and give this club a chance.
Instead of yelling “FORE” after a bladed bunker shot, start getting up and down for par. You don’t have to be perfect with your drives and approach shots when you can rely on your short game.
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