Wilson Profile XLS Wedge Review

The Wedge or the Set?

Their XLS sets come in all shapes and lengths, and with more than approachable price tags, at that. Of course, if you’re a more than a recreational player, you might get better value for money handpicking your clubs for a custom set, especially if you need only wedges, specifically.

On the other hand, though, pretty much all manufacturers make sure their wedges fit into the sets to the tee (no pun intended), so you’re basically guaranteed to have the optimal yardage gap in the bag.

With that caveat out of the way, we’ll be looking at the Wilson Profile XLS wedges that come with their men’s and women’s sets respectively, and make a brief mention of their seniors’ and teen sets and wedges, as well. Of course, you’ll see some overlap here, but that’s to be expected, seeing as any sane manufacturer would be looking to streamline any range of club sets.

Granted, Wilson Profile is a manufacturer known for their hybrids, but their wedge department is nothing to sneeze at, either. As for the XLS wedges specifically, they are fairly usable even without the kit, but you should keep in mind that it’s tailored to be sold and used as a whole. In other words, if you’re doing it just for the wedges, you might want to try elsewhere and be ready to shell out a bit extra.

Wilson Profile XLS

If you’ve ever had any experience with golf, you’re probably aware of the fact that it’s mostly about technique, but physical differences between players are also important. There’s a reason why men hit longer shots than women, and golfers in peak years hit farther than teens or seniors.

As you might’ve already guessed, it has something to do with height and upper body strength. It stands to reason these various types of players could use clubs specific to their physique, doesn’t it? Luckily, manufacturers are increasingly catching on to this fact, and Wilson Profile definitely fits the bill – they have men-specific as well as women-specific clubs and sets, as well as sets aimed at seniors and teenagers.

Men’s Set

First thing’s first, just because it says Wilson Profile XLS Men’s set, it doesn’t mean it’s strictly designed for men or that all men will profit from using it. Taller female players or folks in their late teens could use the wedges to great effect.

So, now that we’ve covered what this set isn’t, let’s get to what it is – it’s a great beginner’s kit, as it comes with pretty much everything to get you started. The set includes eleven clubs, which allows you to customize it further, as well as a nice looking bag with a built-in stand and three headcovers – for the driver, hybrid, and the 3-wood (it would be a good idea to use the remaining slots for two more wedges and another putter).

What You Get

Here’s what’s in the bag: a driver (460cc, forged), 3-wood, 4-hybrid, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 irons, pitching wedge, sand wedge, and a putter. It’s also important to note that there’s an updated version of this set – the Wilson Profile XD Men’s Package Set, the difference being that the XD is available in two lengths, Standard and Tall, rather than just Standard.

The Wedges

As for the wedges, you’ve got only two – the pitching and the sand wedge. The former is a 46, and blends into the irons quite well. It’s got plenty of teeth on the face, so it should impart a decent amount of spin at impact. Of course, you won’t get the same amount of check as you would with a more expensive wedge, but the control is there.

The sand wedge comes with a 54-degree loft, which is unfortunate as it leaves you with an 8-degree gap between it and its pitching counterpart (if you’ve ever wondered why gap wedges were called that, this is the answer).

On the flipside, the sand wedge has a quite low CG (center of gravity) and a nice, wide sole that increases effective bounce, giving you a really nice performance on bunker shots. On that note, the lowered CG also makes the club a bit head-heavy, which should go a long way to helping your swing faster.

Fits High Handicappers

The wedges (and the whole set, for that matter), come with stainless steel shafts, which give you a pretty nice feedback, enhancing the control a bit. Also, they make the clubs even cheaper, which is always a welcome factor. This, coupled with the fairly easy to hit sweet spot, should appeal to both mid and high cappers, though it’ll hardly attract scratch players.

On a similar note, there’s also a graphite-shaft option, though that one’s more aimed at senior players. The clubs feature fairly wide grips throughout the set, which, again, is good news for those seeking to improve their game.

Women’s Set

The nice thing about the Wilson Profile XLS Women’s Set is that it’s even more versatile than the men’s. The key selling point with this is the shaft selection – you can get it in three lengths, petite, standard, and tall, which should appeal to quite a wide range of players, men and women alike (if you’re a short guy with a somewhat slow swing, you might benefit more from using this set than a men-specific one).

What You Get

It’s a 10-piece kit, coming with basically everything to get you started on the right foot, as well as some room for developing and customizing the bag. Here’s what’s on the table in the way of clubs: a driver, 3-wood, 4-hybrid, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 irons, pitching wedge, sand wedge, and a putter (pretty much the same as the one above).

Tailored for Women

The grooves are just as aggressive as those on their men-specific counterparts, and should give you a decent amount of distance control. Coupled with the relatively low CG, it’ll make the sweet spot all the easier to hit, as well as add to the forgiveness on off-center hits. The XLS wedges play beautifully on pitch shots, though chips aren’t bad, either.

Essentially, the only difference you’ll find is in the shaft selection and flex – the stock option here is graphite (save on the putter), and the flex is better suited for the ladies. Also, the grips are a bit softer and wider, which should suit smaller hands better. As mentioned above, there are three lengths available, which should more or less suit players of a particular height – Petite (4'11'' to 5'3''), Standard (5'3'' to 5'9''), and Tall (5'9'' to 6'1'').

Other Sets

There are two other sets from Wilson, one intended for senior players and another for teens - one set for females and one set for males. We’re still looking at the same clubs forged of stainless steel, same aggressive grooves, same wide sole in the sand wedge, and straight leading edge in the pitching one, same slightly head-biased balance.

The only real differences here are shaft selections, the ones suited for senior coming in graphite with a senior flex (still standard length), while the ones designed for teens are slightly shorter, to accommodate the physique of young adolescents. Neither is gender-specific, though that can be argued even for those that are.

The Final Verdict

To sum up – the Wilson Profile XLS wedges are decent enough on their own, pretty good for players looking to improve their game (on account of the forgiveness), particularly aggressive ones (because of the grooves). The sand wedge is definitely up to game even compared to some of the higher-end wedges, though not as versatile as some of them.

Speaking of which, the wedges are available with full sets, which is good if you aren’t up to researching and building your own bag. On the flipside, if you’re expecting to find a gap and a lob wedge here, you’ll be sorely disappointed. Be that as it may, the Wilson Profile XLS sets are definitely great value for the money, especially if you’re a novice just getting your bearings on the course.