Sub 70 TAIII Wedge

Sub 70 Golf and Tommy Armour III have had a close and prosperous relationship for quite a few years now. The Sub 70 TAIII irons were an instant hit and became a favorite to many players (including this golf writer). All while those TAIII irons were under development, I know for a fact there was also a wedge in the works. In fact, Tommy Armour III himself gave us an unexpected early look of a prototype during an episode of That Range Life – A Show Sometimes About Golf. Well, the Sub 70 TAIII wedge is finally here and it’s a good one. Designed to provide both reliability and versatility, the TAIII wedge will appeal to a wide range of players looking to be creative around the greens.

The Looks

First and foremost, the Sub 70 TAIII wedge is available in three different finishes. Pictured in this review are the raw and black DLC finishes, but there’s also a chrome satin finish if that’s more your style. The raw finish will rust over time depending on how you maintain the club while the satin chrome is designed to keep its color over its lifetime. The black DLC, short for “diamond like carbon”, finish is more durable and will hold up better than most traditional black finishes that I’m aware of. It’s also worth noting that the black finish will also prevent that dreaded sun glare.

Tommy Armour III prefers a more classic shape with a slightly stubbier nose to the club. I feel like you can definitely see this influence in the TAIII wedge at address. It doesn’t square off completely, but the leading edge is straight-ish and the nose is a bit more blunt than Sub 70’s JB and 286 wedges. If you know your classic clubs, I feel like you can definitely see it.

When you flip the club over, Sub 70’s more modern aesthetic comes through. The back of the club features two “windows” or “ports” (which actually helps with weight management) and the signature mill marks. I know it doesn’t serve a functional purpose, but the visible milling on the sole looks nothing short of amazing.

How Does it Feel?

The first impression I got in testing the Sub 70 TAIII wedge was that it felt pretty sleek. I know that sounds like an odd way to describe a feel, but this feeling really jumped out at me right away. The club slipped under the ball really smoothly with a soft pop from impact. There’s enough bounce to keep the club from digging, but it’s not so much that the club feels clunky through the ground. Speaking of bounce, depending on your preference and abilities, the TAIII wedge is also available in a low bounce option in the 54º, 56º, 58º, and 60º lofts.

If you’re gaming the TAIII wedge in the raw finish, the feel will naturally be a bit more precise with a touch of click to it. Should you go with black or satin, the plating will provide just a hint of dampening to the feedback. Additionally, the TAIII wedges feature micro grooves in between the main grooves which provide more friction on the ball. I can’t honestly tell you if it was a placebo effect, but I felt like the club had a really aggressive grip on the ball and I was able to generate bite fairly easily.

How Does it Sound?

As expected, the Sub 70 TAIII wedge’s sound matches up pretty well with the feel. The raw finish has a little firmer tone to it, but the overall sound is a pretty clean “tap” on short pitches and chips. Full swings produce a nice “whoosh” through the turf while a heavier shot might give you more of a “bump”, or a “thwap” if it’s not too deep.

On-Course Performance

When I was first introduced to the Sub 70 TAIII wedge, it was explained to me as falling in between their JB and 286 wedge models. The former being Sub 70’s “Tour-inspired” or “player’s” option designed for better ball strikers that seek a lot of creativity from 100 yards and in. Then Sub 70’s 286 model is the more forgiving wedge option of the family. Following my testing, I feel the assessment that the TAIII wedge falls comfortably in between the two to be accurate. There’s plenty of versatility to hit any and all wedge shots, but they aren’t as demanding a typical Tour-preferred wedge. That said, they’re also far from being a thick super forgiving cavity back wedge. I feel the TAIII wedge sits right in a sweet spot of total shot versatility and creativity around the greens with a more relaxed vibe.

Final Thoughts – Sub 70 TAIII Wedge

I’m a really big fan of the Sub 70 JB wedges. In fact, they have comfortably held the gamer spot for my gap and sand wedges over the past two seasons. Then I tested out the TAIII wedges and all of the sudden, things weren’t so clear to me anymore. I felt like I had all of the shots I asked of the JBs, but with the TAIII wedges, they were just…easier. Of course, players are pretty picky about their wedges and I’m sure subjectivity will play a major role for many, but these sure caught my attention for all the reasons I mentioned. Will they play a role in my bag this season? I can’t say for sure at this point, but I’m definitely going to be giving them a chance and I feel like the Sub 70 guys and Tommy Armour III really got it right with this one.

Stock Sub 70 TAIII Wedge Specs

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