Specialty Wedge or Iron Set Wedge?

A common question for golfers at every skill level is when in their set they should break off from the irons and into dedicated wedges. Some players will only play their set down to the 9 iron and then break off into dedicated wedges from there, while other players are playing all the way down to a sand wedge from their set before deciding to put a dedicated lob wedge in the bag. How this decision is made relies 100% on individual player performance and preferences, and there are several factors at play to help you make this decision. With help from our sponsor at Edel Golf we’re going to dive in and help you figure out which one might be best for your game.

First we need to talk about the differences between the two clubs. For this topic we’ve got an Edel SMS Pro pitching wedge from the iron set and an Edel SMS 48* Wedge, which would be a great pitching wedge alternative. The first thing you’ll notice however is that there is already a 3 degree difference in loft when comparing these two options, and this is a trend that you’ll notice across the industry. While pitching wedges used to lay in the 46 - 50 degree window, modern pitching wedges are being made stronger to accommodate for the faster player that produces more spin and needs a lower loft to make the ball travel the correct distance. The SMS wedge on the other hand obviously has more loft on it and will generate more spin and launch due to its lower CG design properties.