Sub 70 JB Full Groove Wedge Review

Sub 70 JB Full Groove Wedge

Following the success of the original JB wedge, Sub 70 Golf has launched an updated version making it even more versatile. The new Sub 70 JB Full Groove wedge has the same Tour-inspired profile of the original and now features grooves that cover the full face. This design is intended to give the player more confidence around the green while allowing them to be more aggressive with more control. Starting at $119, the JB Full Groove wedge is available in both right and left handed, three different finishes, four different lofts, and mid or low bounce soles.

The Looks

Like the original JB wedge, the Sub 70 JB Full Groove wedge has a tear drop/pear player’s-preferred shape. This shape is generally preferred by better players that seek shot diversity with their wedges and like a compact profile. Of course, the big difference that you can’t miss from address is the use of full-face grooves. We’ll get more into the function later in this review, but it does create a different look. Personally, I have always liked this as I feel like it sets up a little cleaner regardless of how you set the face behind the ball.

There are currently three different finish options: Tour satin (satin chrome), black, and raw (pictured here). While the raw finish will look like a matte silver when you receive it from Sub 70, the bare carbon steel is susceptible to rusting just like the pros! The amount of rust will depend on how you take care of your clubs, but this is a highly-desired finish by many players. That raw/rust finish, as well as the black, will also help prevent glare from the sun when you’re standing over the ball.

I would be remiss to not point out the new JB “FG” logo on the back as well. A nice little touch to differentiate it from the standard version.

How Does it Feel?

Generally speaking, the new Sub 70 JB Full Groove wedge has the same smooth, forged feeling of the original wedge. The sole can slip smoothly through the turf but also allows for a strong thump that gives me confidence to let the club do the work and just throw the head at the ball. By using a soft 1020 carbon steel, impact is responsive yet soft in the hands. It sounds a little silly, but the best way I can describe the feeling at impact is ‘delightful’.

Helping that delightful experience, a lot, is the Full Groove face. By extending the grooves, those shots where you’d normally go “yeesh, that’s a little toey” still feel fine. I felt like I could play with a more open face and/or toward the toe without sacrificing “friction” against the ball or control. You can really feel the “bite” from the grooves grabbing the ball across the entire face and it gives you a lot of confidence in controlling shots around the green.

How Does it Sound?

Sound will generally vary a bit depending on the type of shot you hit with a wedge. As such, the Sub 70 JB Full Groove has a crisp, though slightly muted tone off of the face. Think of a very light “click” with a clean sweep on a small pitch or chip. A slightly fuller chip or pitch where you take a slight bit of ground with it has a muted forged “pop”. If you’ve hit a good forged carbon steel wedge before, you know the exact sound I’m talking about. A full swing with pure contact results in a classic forged “whap” (pronounce the ‘H’ in “whap”).

On-Course Performance

I loved my original Sub 70 JB wedges because of how much bite I could get from them. As I mentioned in the “Feel” section, I could feel the face grabbing the ball, and the effortless checking I experienced on the greens validated that for me. By stretching the grooves across the entire face, I was able to achieve the same level of spin with shots more toward the toe. While this helps with those big open-face shots, it also allows me to be a little less precise in finding the dead center sweet spot. That’s a huge advantage I will gladly accept with my wedges.

Jeff Bushnell, Sub 70’s Master Club Builder and former professional golfer, designed this wedge to allow players to open or close the face as necessary to achieve desired levels of trajectory, spin, and distance. With a “C-shaped” sole grind, you can just as easily play a squared-nippy pitch, a hooded runner, or a wide open flop from almost any lie. This massive shot versatility from 120 yards in is the main reason this will be the second season in a row I’ll have JB wedges firmly in my bag.

Final Thoughts – Sub 70 JB Full Groove Wedge

Sub 70’s Jeff Bushnell (JB) designed these wedges to be versatile for better wedge players that want to maximize their creativity in their wedge game. The standard JB wedges accomplished this goal and the addition of the full-face grooves only make the wedge that much more versatile. While I’m far from an artist with my wedges, the JB Full Groove wedges give me a lot of confidence to play a lot of different shots. With the new full-groove face, the 60º (low bounce sole for those wondering) has specifically become a Swiss Army Knife for me. These wedges really do everything well and hold up against any of the big names you’ll put them up against – especially at their killer price point.

If you’re looking to get an in-person fitting at The Seventy with Kevin or Jason, you can book appointments here. Speaking from my own fitting, as well as a few friends who have also gone in, this experience is worth every second. If you can’t make it out to The Seventy, check out the Sub 70 online fitting tool here. Sub 70 also has a handful of fitting carts across the US as well as some international distributors that can be found on their website.