After a trip round the course with one, though, we were converted. This is a club aimed at high-handicap golfers. Odyssey would like players who view approaches of 20 yards or less with the same trepidation they do a 175-yard shot over water to carry one of these wedges. The club is designed with three kinds of shot in mind, a pitch from short range, a bump and run, and a chip. The first two is where the X-Act excelled.

From 15 to 20 yards, a gentle swing of the 37-degree club got the ball airborne, but once it was on the deck it rolled only a short distance. We were able to be aggressive in our play without too much fear of seeing the ball roll to the back of the green and beyond.

This needed a bit of getting used to - the club is light - but after a few swings we were able to get the hang of it, and achieve very good results. We were a little concerned that the kind of golfer this is aimed at might not have the consistency of swing to totally eradicate the occasional top or blade.

The Marxman X-Act provides a more consistent solution to the usual 7-Iron bump and run, with some excellent features. Again, we took a little time to get used to the club but were soon knocking the ball very close indeed. With a gentle swing, the ball had a skip off the club, minimising the effect of any bumps toward the front of the green, and the less grooved club face reduced spin and got the ball rolling to the hole. A real plus point was the sole design, which would not be out of place on a hybrid. It reduced snagging on the turf and went through very smoothly indeed.

The Marxman X-Act comes with a polymer insert designed to give a putter-like feel to the really short-range stuff. It is slightly softer than the normal face, to offer more control. But we could not really get to grips with it, concluding we would rather use a putter from such a short distance.

The truth is that there are solutions for all the shots the club is designed for. An advanced golfer might view it as a waste of a space in the bag, but for those among us who see shots disappear around the green, it is definitely worth a look.

What The Web is Saying

"With more practice I would seriously be prepared to swallow my pride and keep the putting wedge in my bag for a little while longer until Odyssey demand its return. I fear, however, that I would come to rely on it too heavily"  - golfmagic.com

"For those of a nervous chipping disposition it is perfect as you just need to make you normal putting stroke and the ball pops up and onto to the green. Perfect if you play a lot links golf" - golfalot.com