I tested hundreds of wedges over the years, from $400 tour-issued Vokeys to box store specials that cost less than a sleeve of Pro V1s. But when Performance Golf sent me their One Wedge with claims that it could eliminate chunked pitch shots "automatically," I rolled my eyes so hard I nearly pulled something. Come on, we've all heard this song before, right? Another game improvement wedge promising to fix our short game without any practice required.
Well, after three months and roughly 200 rounds of testing (yes, I play too much golf), I'm eating crow. This thing actually works, and not in the way you'd expect. The One Wedge isn't just another chunky cavity-back wedge with a wide sole – it's truly different from anything I've gamed before, and that's saying something considering my garage looks like a golf shop exploded in it. The wedge was actually invented by Martin Chuck, a highly respected golf instructor who understands what regular golfers need to improve their short game. What really sets this apart is the Pitch Control Weighting technology that provides exceptional forgiveness even when you make contact toward the toe or heel of the club face.
The Performance Golf One Wedge is revolutionizing amateur short games with its innovative Pitch Control technology and forgiving design. Engineered for consistency and simplicity, it adapts easily across lies to help golfers confidently master every pitch shot and bunker escape
The first time I took the One Wedge to my practice area, I intentionally tried to chunk it. I'm talking ball sitting down in wet rough, weight on my back foot, decelerating through impact, the whole disaster scenario. The club just... didn't chunk. Instead, the 4-Way Auto-React Sole did exactly what Performance Golf claimed: it reacted to the lie and kept the leading edge from digging.
Here's what's actually happening: unlike traditional wedges, where you need to manipulate the face angle based on your lie, this sole design automatically adjusts the bounce angle as it enters the turf. Think of it like having four different wedges in one, except you don't have to think about which one to use. The sole is considerably wider than my 56-degree Vokey (almost double the width at the trailing edge), but it doesn't feel clunky because of how the weight is distributed.
I spent an entire afternoon hitting shots from every terrible lie I could find on my home course. Hardpan beside the cart path? No problem. Ball sitting down in thick Bermuda rough? The club glided through. Wet, muddy lie after an overnight rain? Still solid contact. After 50 shots from genuinely awful lies, I hadn't chunked a single one. That's when I knew this wasn't marketing fluff; there's legitimate engineering here that works.
The only adjustment period was trusting it. My brain kept wanting to help the club by opening the face or adjusting my angle of attack, but that actually made things worse. Once I committed to just making my normal swing regardless of the lie, the results were extraordinarily consistent.
I'm generally skeptical of shaft technology claims (how many times have we heard about "breakthrough" shaft designs?), but the ONE-Tempo Shaft in this wedge fundamentally changed how I swing from 30-70 yards. The counterbalancing isn't subtle; you can feel the weight in the grip end immediately when you pick it up.
What this does is pretty clever: it naturally accelerates the clubhead through impact without you having to consciously add speed. For someone like me who's fought deceleration on pitch shots my entire golfing life (ask my regular foursome about my infamous chunked chip on 18 last summer), this was a revelation. The weighted grip end creates momentum that pulls the clubhead through the ball, almost like the club is finishing the swing for you.
During testing, I noticed my tempo became incredibly consistent, whether I was hitting a 30-yard pitch or a 70-yard approach. The shaft fundamentally forces you into a smooth, rhythmic swing because fighting against the counterbalance feels awful. It's like the shaft is training you to have better tempo without you realizing it. My playing partners started commenting on how much smoother my wedge swings looked after about two weeks with this club.
The feel took some adjustment, though. If you're used to traditional wedge shafts, this will feel different, not bad, just different. It's heavier in the hands at address, but lighter through the swing if that makes sense. After a month, I couldn't imagine going back to a standard shaft for pitch shots.
Let me be clear about something: I'm not a spin wizard. I'm the guy who occasionally backs up a wedge shot and acts like I meant to do it while internally celebrating like I just won the Masters. But the Control Spin Grooves on the One Wedge gave me more consistent spin rates than I've ever achieved with any wedge, including my freshly grooved Vokeys.
The grooves extend across the entire face, not just the center, which means even my toe and heel mishits were generating decent spin. In my launch monitor testing (yes, I'm that nerd), I was averaging about 6,800 RPM on 50-yard shots with the 56-degree model, which is actually higher than my gamer wedges. More importantly, the standard deviation was incredibly tight; we're talking maybe 400 RPM variance compared to 1,000+ RPM with my traditional wedges.
What really impressed me was the spin from the rough. Usually, when I'm hitting from thick lies, I'm just hoping to get the ball on the green because controlling spin is nearly impossible. With the One Wedge, I was getting predictable check and release even from gnarly lies. Not tour-level zip-back spin, but enough to control runout and actually plan where the ball would end up.
The groove pattern also provides fantastic feedback. You can feel exactly where you made contact on the face through the different friction points. It's not the pure, buttery feel of a forged blade wedge, but it's informative in a way that actually helps you improve. After mishitting a few shots, I started naturally adjusting my setup to find the center more consistently.
This might be the most underrated feature of the entire club. The Point 'N' Shoot Leading Edge uses a square design instead of the rounded edge you see on most wedges, and it completely changed how I aim pitch shots. It's like having alignment sticks built into your wedge.
With traditional wedges, I've always struggled with alignment on partial shots. The rounded leading edge makes it hard to visualize exactly where the club is aimed, especially from awkward lies. The square edge on the One Wedge acts like a sight line; you can see exactly where the club is pointing and adjust accordingly. It sounds simple, but it made a massive difference in my accuracy from 40-60 yards.
I tested this by setting up an alignment station at my practice area with two sticks creating a gate about 10 feet in front of me. With my regular wedges, I was hitting through the gate about 60% of the time. With the One Wedge, it jumped to over 80%. The square edge also helps with clubface awareness through the swing. You can better feel if the face is open or closed because the visual reference is so clear.
One unexpected benefit: the square edge made me way better at hitting intentional cut and draw shots with my wedges. Because I could see the leading edge so clearly, manipulating the face angle for specialty shots became much more intuitive. I'm now hitting controlled cut pitches over bunkers that I never would have attempted before.
Over three months, I tested this wedge in every condition imaginable. Firm fairways in drought conditions, soupy rough after three days of rain, fluffy sand, packed sand, pine straw, hardpan, you name it, I hit shots from it. The consistency across all these conditions was extraordinary.
From bunkers, the wide sole absolutely shines. Even in wet, heavy sand (my nemesis), the club didn't dig. I could make the same swing whether the sand was fluffy or firm and get predictable results. The escape sole is probably twice as wide as a traditional wedge, but it doesn't bounce off firm sand like you might expect. Instead, it seems to find the right amount of interaction with the sand automatically.
The rough performance is where this wedge really separated itself from my gamers. From lies where I'd normally have to hack and hope, I was hitting controlled shots that actually spun. The sole design prevents the hosel from getting caught in thick grass, which is usually what causes those embarrassing chunks we all hate. Even from those nasty lies where the ball is sitting down below the grass line, the One Wedge found a way to make clean(ish) contact. The wedge features an IP67 rating level of consistency that rivals the waterproofing standards of premium rangefinders, delivering reliable performance in wet conditions round after round.
My only minor complaint came on very tight lies from firm fairways. While the wedge still performed well, I felt less confident than with my traditional wedges. The wide sole occasionally felt like it might bounce into the ball, though this never actually happened in testing. It's more of a visual thing at address that took some getting used to.
The Performance Golf One Wedge is revolutionizing amateur short games with its innovative Pitch Control technology and forgiving design. Engineered for consistency and simplicity, it adapts easily across lies to help golfers confidently master every pitch shot and bunker escape
You can purchase the Performance Golf ONE Wedge directly from performancegolf.com, where you'll get free U.S. shipping, a 365-day money-back guarantee, and orders ship within 48 hours. It's also available on eBay for $55-$79, though you won't get official warranties there. The official site offers occasional sales dropping the $199 price to $119. For questions about ordering or international shipping, contact [email protected]. Local pro shops might carry it, too.
You'll get a 365-day (1-year) warranty when you purchase the ONE Wedge from Performance Golf. This warranty doubles as a money-back guarantee, letting you test the club risk-free for an entire year. If you're not satisfied with its performance or encounter any defects, you can return it within this period. Just make sure the wedge stays in resalable condition with minimal wear to qualify for a refund or replacement.
Yes, you can definitely use the Performance Golf One Wedge if you're left-handed. They offer left-handed models in 50°, 56°, and 60° lofts with all the same technology benefits. You'll get the identical 4-way auto-react sole, pitch control weighting, and ONE-tempo shaft that right-handed players enjoy. While availability might be more limited than right-handed versions, you can order directly from Performance Golf or find them through select retailers and secondary markets.
You'll typically pay $149 for the Performance Golf One Wedge, which is the regular sale price representing a $50 discount from the $199 retail price. Sometimes you'll find promotions dropping it to $119. If you want additional wedges in different lofts, you can add them for $99 each when purchasing your main wedge. The price includes free US shipping and comes with a 365-day money-back guarantee for risk-free testing.
Yes, you can legally use the Performance Golf One Wedge in tournament play. It's USGA-approved and conforms to all equipment regulations, including the 2010 groove rules. The manufacturer confirms it's legal for any USGA-sanctioned competition, not classified as a training aid but as a conforming golf club. You'll find multiple users have successfully used it in amateur and league tournaments without any issues. Just verify with your specific tournament committee if needed.
The Performance Golf One Wedge isn't for everyone. If you're a scratch golfer with perfect wedge technique who loves the feel of a blade, this isn't your club. But if you're like me and the vast majority of amateur golfers who lose multiple strokes per round due to chunked or bladed pitch shots, this wedge could legitimately change your short game.
After three months of testing, the One Wedge has earned a permanent spot in my bag, replacing my 56-degree Vokey for all shots inside 70 yards. Yes, I'm giving up some feel and workability, but I'm gaining consistency and confidence that's worth far more strokes. For mid to high handicappers who struggle with wedge play, or even better players who want insurance on those pressure pitch shots, I can't recommend this club highly enough. It's not magic, but it's the closest thing to it I've found in 30 years of playing this stupid, wonderful game.
