Wedges are incredibly important in the game of golf. They are the clubs that you approach the green with in most cases, and how accurately you manage to do this has a massive impact on the number of putting strokes you need to finish a hole. As a result, getting the right wedge for you is extremely important.

Now, there is a lot that you can cover in a custom fitting to make any wedge suit your game better. Things like shaft material/flex, grip size, and lie angle can all be adjusted at a professional golf fitting, so they won’t be deciding factors when choosing a wedge.

In this guide on how to choose golf wedges, we are going to cover:

• Clubhead features
• Bounce and grind
• Loft selection

Let’s dive into each, and figure out what to look for when choosing a golf wedge.

Clubhead Features

Much of the distinction between the different wedge offerings on the market is in the clubhead. The material, weight, groove pattern, and other features in the clubhead tend to heavily impact how the club interacts with the turf and the ball.

Clubhead Size	A larger clubhead usually makes getting clean contact on the ball easier, whereas smaller clubheads make it easier to make fine adjustments to your shot shape. If you’re newer to golf or struggle specifically with wedges, a larger clubhead will work out better for you. If you already get clean contact, consider a slightly smaller clubhead.
Groove Pattern	Groove patterns are designed to maximize spin, making the ball fly higher and stop faster. This improves accuracy, and deeper groove patterns will usually make a club last longer. Some clubs spread the groove pattern across the whole face (full-face grinds) and others only have grooves on the main striking surface.
Clubhead Material	Clubhead material provides a mix of aesthetic value and resiliency. Aesthetics are subjective, but some clubhead materials will be more resistant to rusting, which can impact the spin production of a club over time. Softer face materials can also improve the feel of a club slightly.

While these features can be seen in an image on an online store page, they can’t truly be analyzed without swinging the club. This is why a professional golf fitting is so important, as you’ll see which wedges provide a groove pattern that produces the most spin with your specific golf swing. This can also help you dial in the right clubhead size and material, as both depend primarily on feel.

One more club feature is extremely important when selecting a wedge, and it will be getting its own category: Bounce and grind.

Bounce and Grind

Bounce and grind refer to different aspects of the clubhead shape. They are arguably two of the most important aspects of a golf club, and cannot be altered in a golf fitting– they must be considered when buying the club.

Bounce

Bounce is measured in degrees, and it is the angle between the leading edge of the club and the lowest point of its sole. The purpose of bounce is to create space between the turf and the leading edge of your club, allowing the sole to glide across the turf while keeping the leading edge suspended enough to get solid contact on the ball without digging into the ground.

Low-bounce wedges (4-6 degrees) are great for firmer turf or more densely-packed bunkers, as the sole will not need to be much lower than the ball in most cases. This makes them better suited for shots close to the green where max precision is the primary goal, and the turf is short. They also work well for golfers who don’t often create deep divots with their wedges.

Mid-bounce wedges (7-10 degrees) are best played on regular fairway turf, and they are the most versatile. They work well in most conditions and are best for golfers who make small-to-moderate divots with their wedges.

High-bounce wedges (11 degrees+) are best suited for soft, fluffy turf and dry, soft bunkers. These are the best wedges for golfing in wetter areas with longer grass around the edges of the fairway, and they are great for hitting out of the rough. Golfers with steeper attack angles that create deeper divots will benefit most from a high-bounce wedge.

Loft Selection

Loft is the angle of the clubface relative to the turf. Higher loft will shorten the distance of your shot, and provide more height, making the ball stop faster when it hits the turf. 

When choosing which wedge lofts to buy, it is crucial to consider the gaps in your set. Most irons sets will provide a pitching wedge of 43-48 degrees. So, the way you want to select your wedges is to get a professional golf fitting, and decide what you want your highest-lofted wedge to be– this is usually a wedge between 56-60 degrees for most golfers. To select the lofts of your other wedges, you want to create fairly even intervals between your pitching wedge and your most lofted wedge.

So, if you have a 44-degree pitching wedge and a 60-degree wedge and want one additional wedge to fill the gap, you’d grab a 52-degree wedge. You can grab two instead for a smaller interval between your wedges. Since the difference between these two wedges can’t be evenly divided three ways, you can opt for either a 50/56 pair of wedges or a 48/54 pair. The goal is to have 4-degree gaps between all your wedges. 

The Importance of a Professional Golf Fitting

It has been mentioned several times throughout this article, but the best way to find the right wedge is to get a professional golf fitting. Wedges are essential and need to be precise, so getting the perfect club and configuration should only be done by swinging with a few of them in the presence of an expert who can analyze your swing and help you get the perfect result.

Learn How to Choose Wedges at Worldwide Golf Shops

Worldwide Golf Shops provides next-level service to customers of all experience levels, with the best-trained staff in the industry. We pride ourselves on our ability to provide guidance to beginners and to share pro tips with even our most experienced clientele, making us one of the best places to learn how to choose golf wedges.

Check out our online store to see our industry-standard variety of wedges and all of the following:

• Golf clubs 
• Golf carts
• Footwear
• Golf apparel
• Golf accessories 
• GPS and tech

At Worldwide Golf Shops, we take pride in offering brands that we guarantee will provide the highest level of value to our diverse range of golfers. Our knowledgeable staff is ready to assist you in finding the perfect golf gear. Find a store near you today!