Picture the scenario.
You’ve got an approach shot of 115 yards and a green light for the flag.
You’ve computed everything you need, and now it’s time to pull a club from the bag. But what are you selecting? Is it a pitching wedge or a gap wedge?
When you look at what golf wedge you’ve selected, is it the same as the rest of your irons, or is it a speciality wedge from a different manufacturer?
These days, we have so many choices in the wedge department that we can sometimes get lost in deciding what will work best for us to help us execute the shot we’ve just described.
In recent years, we’ve seen a trend towards speciality pitching and gap wedges. It’s another example of why, if the pros do it, I should, too.
However, we now see many golfers opting to use the pitching wedge or even a gap wedge from their iron set instead of the speciality wedge alternative.
Opting for either golf wedge type is fine. There is no right or wrong answer here. As always, it comes down to what’s best for your game, and our guide will help you make that decision easier.
To help you along the way, we’ll take a deeper dive into the following areas:
- Performance Drivers Behind the Shift
- Set Vs Speciality: Pros and Cons
- What Works Best For Your Game?
Performance Drivers Behind the Shift
Speciality golf wedges were developed because tour professionals wanted more flexibility in their approach shots and more options when pitching and chipping.
With many players already using wedges from specialists such as Bob Vokey and Cleveland, engineers could create stronger-lofted wedges that mirror the loft of the player’s pitching wedge.
These new specialist wedges now gave tour professionals the flexibility they needed, and they provided an opportunity for wedge specialists and mainstream manufacturers to introduce pitching wedge equivalent wedges into their ranges.
While specialist pitching wedges remain popular, many players are sticking with or switching back to their iron set pitching wedge. There are three main reasons why, for some, this is a better option:
- Set Continuity
- More Forgiveness
- Course Use
Set Continuity
For golfers with higher handicaps, a good iron set will deliver distance with the proper launch and spin conditions. This type of iron set features stronger lofts to provide the distance and multi-material, hollow-body construction to provide the ideal launch and spin to set off the stronger lofts.
Employing a specialist wedge creates an obvious difference compared to the remaining irons. Specialist pitching wedges are crafted more towards precision and control. They look more traditional in their appearance, and they don’t offer much help on off-centre hits.
To give you an example, Ping’s G730 golf irons perfectly fit into the golf iron that will help higher handicap golfers. The pitching wedge in that set is 40 degrees, which can be up to 8 degrees stronger than a more traditional pitching wedge.
The closest equivalent, the lowest-lofted Titleist Vokey SM10 wedges, have a loft of 46 degrees. The difference in loft can create a substantial gapping problem, as the G730 9-iron only has 36 degrees.
Distance gapping is one issue. The second is the fundamental differences in how the two clubs would look at the address. The G730 looks friendly behind the ball compared to the Vokey.
The G730 has a longer blade length and a thicker top line. The Vokey has a traditional-styled blade look behind the ball with a smaller head profile and thinner top line to look down on.
Feel will also be completely different between the two clubs. PING has created its PurFlex badge, which sits behind the stainless steel face to enhance feel and feedback. Vokey’s wedges are not forged wedges, but they are crafted to maximise feel, which is enhanced by a choice of finishes.
Ping’s G730 irons are an interesting choice because PING provides additional flexibility in the wedges that are available to complement the set. Along with the standard pitching wedge, there is a utility wedge (45 degrees) and a 50-degree wedge.
This builds continuity for the golfer by offering three wedges that can perfectly fill any distance gap while maintaining the same looks and feel as the remaining G730 irons.
Better players can face similar problems.
Forged golf irons offer better players enhanced feel and feedback, helping them engineer the shots they need on the course.
As mentioned, Vokey wedges aren’t forged, and not all Cleveland golf wedges are forged. The problem is a lack of consistency in the feel and feedback the player will experience from their forged 9-iron to a specialised pitching wedge alternative.
Better players are also sensitive to the difference in bounce and grind in a specialist wedge compared to their iron set. While there are many different bounce and grind options for Vokey or Cleveland, getting an exact match to the iron set might be difficult.
When it comes to quality forged irons like Mizuno’s Pro 241s, better players can easily manipulate the shots they are looking for from the pitching wedge of the same set.
Better players also might like the continuity, even if they use a player’s cavity back iron, such as a Srixon ZXi7 or TaylorMade P7CB iron. Both golf irons are still forged from premium steel to produce a considerable feel and feedback for better players.
Now that we’ve considered why golfers of all levels might consider opting for the pitching wedge that goes with their iron set, is there anything else we should be aware of that can help the decision-making process?
Set Vs Speciality: Pros and Cons
Pitching wedges from the same golf iron set can provide more consistency in feel and performance compared to a speciality wedge. However, there are some additional things we should be aware of before we make a decision.
Speciality golf wedges can offer the following compared to their pitching wedge set equivalents:
- Micro Grooves and Face Treatments
- Bounce and Grind Options
- Variety of Finishes
Micro Grooves and Face Treatments
Specialist wedges can offer different groove designs compared to standard pitching wedges. Grooves are cut differently to channel moisture away from the ball and clubface, such as TaylorMade’s Spin Groove technology.
Wedges such as Callaway’s Opus range feature Spin Gen Face Technology, which features an aggressive face blasting technique to roughen the face surface to help aid ball control and produce more spin.
Bounce and Grind Options
Vokey, along with specialist wedge ranges from Mizuno, PXG, and TaylorMade, can provide a plethora of different grinds and bounce angles for any type of golfer playing on any type of golf course. The difficulty can be understanding precisely what the right combination is.
Variety of Finishes
We all like something cool in the golf bag, and a specialist pitching wedge can provide some interesting talking points with your playing partners. Mizuno has its striking Blue Ion finish, and PXG’s Sugar Daddy 3 Xtreme Dark option will certainly get playing partners taking a closer look. More subtle satin finishes help reduce the sun’s glare.
When players opt to go with a blended set of golf irons, a key role the set should play is consistently looking and playing as irons blend from one set to the next. The same theory rings true for choosing the pitching wedge from the iron set: consistency of look, consistency of feel, and consistency of performance.
What Works Best For Your Game?
This is best answered by the type of shots you like to play. Are you a player who uses the pitching wedge solely from the fairway and uses more lofted wedges for chipping and pitching, or do you like to be more creative and use your pitching wedge for a variety of shots?
If you fall into the first camp, you're better served by the pitching wedge from your golf iron set.
If you fall into the second camp, you might want to strongly consider a speciality pitching wedge.
Let us explain.
If you rely on your pitching wedge for a variety of shots, the different bounce and grind options offered on speciality wedges will give you the flexibility you need to ensure consistently good ball striking, regardless of the shot you’re playing.
One key element of being custom-fitted for your wedges is that the fitter will ask you questions like:
- What type of courses do you play regularly?
- Do you take deep divots, or do you barely mark the turf?
- What clubs do you like to use for pitching and chipping?
If you are a golfer who falls into the first camp, your ball-striking might not be as accurate. Therefore, you may benefit more from the same technology offered in the rest of your irons to help you.
If consistency in look and feel is paramount in your selection, you’ll likely feel more comfortable with the pitching wedge from your set.
Lastly, you are the player who only plays full-out pitching wedge shots and has no other use for the pitching wedge.
One final thought is budget. Manufacturers can offer iron sets up to 9-iron, allowing you the freedom to choose a speciality pitching wedge of your choice.
Speciality wedges can be a premium purchase—expect around £160 ($220) per club. Choosing three extra wedges from the same brand could total over £600 ($850), especially with custom shafts or grips. For many, sticking with the set’s pitching wedge helps balance the golf bag and budget.
The Argument For Custom Fitting
The best solution to help you make the correct choice of pitching wedge is to be custom-fitted for your irons and wedges.
The process of custom-fitting starts by assessing your current setup and identifying areas for improvement. Important ball data, such as carry distances and spin rates, is recorded via a launch monitor, and an experienced fitter is on hand to help uncover details such as personal preferences, how your current wedge set-up works in relation to your irons, and how you use your pitching wedge.
Sample golf wedges can then be tested, and the results measured to see where improvements are being made.
At the end of the session, your fitter will be able to demonstrate what option works best and the supporting data to prove it, giving you a clear direction on the choice to make.
Your wedges and irons are then custom-built to tour-level standard, which you’ll notice most where it counts: on the course.
At Nine By Nine Golf, we have helped players of all standards make wise decisions, such as what type of pitching wedge will work best for their game.
Book a bespoke custom-fitting session for your wedges and irons today if you want to knock out the flag more with your wedge play.
