Opinion & Analysis

The Wedge Guy: What happened to the pitching wedge?

Published

3 years ago

Dec 14, 2022

Today’s post will hopefully get most of you thinking a bit more deeply about what you really get when you purchase a new set of irons. While every set – regardless of design, make, or model – has a club at the short end of the set marked with a “P,” do not let yourself be fooled: No set of irons has included a true “pitching wedge” for decades now.

In a recent review of the specifications of current iron models, the highest lofted “P-club” I could find was 46 degrees, and that was in a very traditional forged blade model. The vast majority of “P-clubs” are now at 45 degrees, with a rapidly growing number of game improvement models reducing that to as low as 42 degrees.

The basis for this “argument” is that solid technique for hitting true “pitch shots” was perfected decades ago, when Hogan, Nelson, Snead and their peers were dominating the game. In those days, their true pitching wedges were all some kind of one-piece blade design with about 50-52 degrees of loft and were used to hit pitch shots of all descriptions — high, soft-landing shots, penetrating “one hop and stop” shots, and a myriad of creative approaches in between. Those old pros learned how to use their pitching wedges to great effect and “wrote the book(s)” on effective pitching technique. In fact, Ben Hogan was so proficient with his that fellow pros dubbed it “the equalizer,” which the Ben Hogan Company adopted as the official name of its highest lofted club in a set of irons.

It’s also interesting to note that in his 1949 book, Power Golf, Hogan wrote that the sand wedge could be effective for certain greenside recoveries but listed his maximum distance with that club as 50 yards! This was written by arguably the best player in the history of the game, who listed his maximum distance with a driver at 300 yards! My bet is that every one of you routinely calls on your sand wedge for shots of 50-100 yards, so you must be better than Ben Hogan!

But back to the topic at hand, the simple fact of golf ball physics is that true pitch shots cannot be hit with an iron of only 42-45 degrees of loft, which is why those old pros didn’t try to hit pitch shots with their 8-irons, which were about that same loft back then. And you can’t either.

I’ve written before about how loft-strengthening has taken away critical scoring clubs from the modern golfer. And how these jacked-up lofts require you to be a bit more creative in putting your set of irons together to give you proper distance gaps between irons, from your highest-lofted wedge all the way down through your set.

But when it comes to those score-making or score-saving shots inside full swing range, you simply must have one or two clubs with which you can execute a variety of true “pitch shots,” and that means giving special attention to your clubs of lofts over 45-47 degrees. Do you even have the right clubs there?

I can tell you that a 50- to 52-degree set-matching club – which has come to be named the “approach wedge” or something – probably isn’t the best option, especially if you are playing a thin-faced game improvement iron design. Realize that club is as far in loft from the 6-iron as is your 3-wood, and while that design might make for an effective 27- to 30-degree iron, it doesn’t work nearly as well when you add twenty more degrees of loft, no more than it would if you cranked it down to 15 degrees and put a 3-wood shaft in it.

In today’s parlance, that true “pitching wedge” of 50-52 degrees of loft is likely thought of as a “gap wedge,” but don’t think of that club as simply the next full swing club after the one with a “P” on the bottom. It should probably be your “go-to” club for almost all your shots inside full-swing range, as your distance consistency and impact efficiency will likely be much better than it will be with a higher-lofted sand wedge or lob wedge, as impact with the ball isn’t as much of a glancing blow as with the higher lofts.

If you really want to improve your performance inside full swing “P-club” range, don’t automatically go to your sand wedge for all those partial swing shots. Instead, consider spending at least as much time testing and playing true “pitching wedges” of various designs as you do selecting a driver, putter, or set of irons.

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Terry Koehler

Terry Koehler is a fourth generation Texan and a graduate of Texas A&M University. Over his 40-year career in the golf industry, he has created over 100 putter designs and dozens of wedges. In 2014, he put together the team that reintroduced the Ben Hogan brand to the golf equipment industry with his TK 15 wedges and Ft. Worth 15 iron designs. Since receiving a U.S. Patent for his “Koehler Sole” in the early 1990s, he has been challenging “conventional wisdom” in the wedge category. In addition to inspiring multiple companies to emulate this sole technology, the performance of his wedge designs have stimulated all other companies to reposition some mass toward the top of the blade in their wedges. Terry is retired from his role as Chairman and Director of Innovation for Edison Golf, and remains active in the industry as an independent designer and consultant. But his most compelling work is in the wedge category. Since he first patented his “Koehler Sole” in the early 1990s, he has been challenging “conventional wisdom” reflected in ‘tour design’ wedges. The performance of his wedge designs have stimulated other companies to move slightly more mass toward the top of the blade in their wedges, but none approach the dramatic design of his Edison Forged wedges, which have been robotically proven to significantly raise the bar for wedge performance. Terry serves as Chairman and Director of Innovation for Edison Golf – check it out at www.EdisonWedges.com.

9 Comments

Bjorn

Jun 17, 2024 at 11:58 pm

Since I’m not a racist… Many people might see me as better than people in the past.

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- Sid Storch
  
  Jul 25, 2024 at 2:16 pm
  
  In what sense are you not a racist? Do you have your money with a black investment guy? Do you have a black guy doing your taxes? Have you used a black contractor ro remodel your kitchen? Have you hired anyone black to tutor your kid for the SAT/ACT? Does a black guy even do your brakes? Is your answer to all these questions, “Uh, well … no.”? What I thought.
  
  Reply Report comment
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Bob Pegram

Dec 16, 2022 at 4:32 pm

I use irons from 2011 which have older/higher lofts (Callaway RAZR X Forged). I have 3 hybrid, 5-A wedge, SW, LW. I omit the 4 iron to stay within the 14 club limit. The PW is 47 degrees and the AW is 51 degrees. If I were to buy a new set it would be 3 hybrid and still 5-A, SW, LW which would amount to the same thing if I bought another wedge between the PW and AW. However, I would still have to omit the 5 iron or another iron from that to stay within the 14 club limit. I would gain nothing. The current irons are in good condition (from Callaway pre-owned, best condition rating). I cover every distance with the short irons. They are the iron model Jim Furyk used to shoot 58 in a PGA Tour tournament (I didn’t know that when I bought them).

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Kourt

Dec 16, 2022 at 1:58 pm

Sorry but I disagree. Golf has changed dramatically since Hogan’s time. Balls aren’t as soft and don’t spin as much, groove rules have changed, greens are much faster etc etc. It’s not as easy to stop a ball with a short shot as it was in Hogan’s time. Most courses you need to be proficient with a sand and lob wedge to produce enough height and spin to stop the ball. It’s much more difficult to stop a modern ball on modern greens with a 50 degree wedge partial swing. Sand and lob wedges are crucial for most golfers today. Many tour pros are starting to switch to a matching iron set gap wedge for this very reason. They are using GW for significantly more full shots than they are partial shots so it makes sense to ditch the old theory.

Reply Report comment
- Ezekial Brunos
  
  Dec 21, 2022 at 1:41 pm
  
  lol, modern balls spin twice as much as balls from the 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s.
  ‘groove rules ‘ have changed…back to 50s standards. lol
  And, It’s MUCH easier to stop a ‘modern ball ‘ on ‘ modern greens ‘
  lol
  
  Reply Report comment
Bob Jones

Dec 16, 2022 at 10:22 am

The E-wedge from my 1998 Hogan Apex irons is 48 degrees. I use that, my 52, 56, and 60 to pitch with, per Dave Pelz. Works great. I’ve even used my 9-iron from that Hogan set, 44 degrees, to pitch with all day from distance. Worked just fine.

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Opinion & Analysis

5 Things We Learned: Thursday at the PGA Championship

Published

2 weeks ago

May 15, 2026

Ronald Montesano

Aronimink is not a storied club, but when Donald Ross himself proclaimed it to be as good as he can design and build, one had to take notice. Jay Sigel was the pre-eminent male amateur golfer from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s. He might have called any number of Philadelphia clubs home, but he chose Aronimink. It served him well. Gary Player won a PGA Championship here in 1962, and was followed by the 1993 winner … nobody. Aronimink gave that event away to Inverness, for reasons of which it is certainly not proud. So be it. We had to wait sixty-four years for the PGA to return to Newtown Square, but here we are. Aronimink has been neo-restored by Gil Hanse and team, to return Ross features with an eye toward defense against the dark arts, errrr, high-tech equipment.

Day one saw Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau dig big holes, to the tune of plus-four and plus-six, respectively. Since the first-round lead will be minus-three at worst, many shots will need to be made up for the power couple to reach contention. By nightfall, seven golfers held the day-one lead at three-under par 67. Shots and sticks caught our attention, and we are proud to present Five Things We Learned on Tech Thursday at the 2026 PGA Championship. Thanks to InsideTourGolfer, Today’s Golfer, and GolfWRX for initial equipment research.

First, meet Min Woo Lee

Min Woo Lee, aka Dr. Chipinski, has once again thrust himself into the conversation of Can he, will he, when will he? Lee has so much talent, wins not nearly as often as we believe that he should, and has no major near-misses (much less titles) on his wiki. The young Aussie is getting older and wiser, but is he able to avoid the scarring that holds the older and wiser back from breaking through? Philadelphia offers another opportunity. Min Woo signed for five birdies and two bogeys on day one, and grabbed a share of the opening-day lead at Aronimink. Winners transcend history and the moment, and Lee will need that sort of ascent to lift the Wannamaker on Sunday.

Second, meet Aldrich Potgeiter

The young South African golfer can rip driver with the best of them. Aronimink tips out at nearly 7400 yards, but beyond the fairway bunkers that ensnare only the mortals, Potgeiter can take his chances with wedge from the rough. On Thursday, he spent plenty of time in the spinach. Like Popeye, he used his muscles to gouge and thrash and dig his way out. Six birdies against three bogeys on the card brought AP in a three deep.

Third, meet Martin Kaymer

Not a major event takes place without a where’s he been throwback moment. We know that Martin Kaymer left the PGA and DP World tours for LIV golf, but the two-time (US Open and PGA) major winner has a lifetime exemption into at least one major event, and he seizes the opportunity each May. Kaymer joined the six-seven brigade with four birdies and a solitary bogey on day one. Kaymer was never a long hitter, and the years are kind to no golfer. The German champion will need to uncork every bottle of guile and strategy in his cabinet to remain in contention. For today, though, he occupies a rung on the ladder of Tour Tech.

Fourth, meet Scottie Scheffler

Let’s see, he’s the defending champion at the PGA, and he found his way back to the top tier with five birdies against two bogeys. To be a favorite and then play up to that stature and expectation is quite difficult. Just ask Rory, Bryson, and some of the other pre-tournament heartthrobs. Scheffler’s game is complete, and to knock him off the OWGR #1 pedestal, one needs to defeat him at the majors. Aronimink is the sort of course that fits Scheffler’s game. Better yet, it unfits the game of many of his challengers. Don’t expect Scheffler to go away anytime soon. Come Sunday, he’ll be around.

Fifth, meet Stephan Jaeger

Clocking in for the unheralded players shift are Ryo Hisatsune and Stephan Jaeger. Hisatsune logged seven birdies on day one, but gave most of them back with four bogeys. Still, he’s tied at the top for a time. Jaeger pitched five birdies against two bogeys, including a run of three consecutive, from holes four through six. Odds are that one of the two will hang around through 36 holes. Odds also suggest that both will be gone by Saturday evening. Still, the PGA Championship has historically been the major most likely to be won by an under-known. Both Hisatsune and Jaeger feature on that list, so good luck, lads!

Club Junkie

Club Junkie’s Titleist GTS driver fitting results!

Published

2 weeks ago

May 14, 2026

Brian Knudson

On this episode of the Club Junkie Podcast, I head to the Titleist Performance Institute for a full driver fitting with the new Titleist GTS lineup. We dive into the fitting process, talk about what made the biggest difference in performance, and break down how the different GTS heads and shaft combinations compare on the launch monitor. If you are thinking about a new driver setup for this season, there is a lot to take away from this one.

I also get into Brooks Koepka and the gear setup he brought to the PGA Championship, including the putters that caught my eye during the week. There are some interesting equipment trends showing up at the highest level right now and we break down what stands out.

To wrap things up, I talk about reshafting a few wedges, what I learned during the process, and swapping an adaptor onto a new shaft for another build project in the shop. A gear packed episode from start to finish for anyone who loves golf equipment and club building.

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Club Junkie

Club Junkie WITB, week 16: New Titleist GTS woods!

Published

2 weeks ago

May 14, 2026

Brian Knudson

Excited for this week’s WITB as we get to add the new Titleist GTS woods to the bag! I was fit at Titleist’s TPI facility in Oceanside California a few weeks ago and my new clubs just showed up. I am also adding a cool set of irons that I built last year some wild custom wedges into a new golf bag. Speaking of the bag I have a new Ghost Anyday Black Ops stand bag that I will be using on my Motocaddy Remote M7 electric cart.

Driver: Titleist GTS3 (11 degrees @ 10.25)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 6s

3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD CQ-7s

5-wood: Titleist GTS (18 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 7s

9-wood: Titleist GT1 (24 degress)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 7s

Irons: Bettinardi CB24 (5-PW)
Shafts: KBS C-Taper Lite 110 stiff

Wedge: TaylorMade MG5 (50-09 SB)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT 125 Stiff

Wedge: TaylorMade MG5 (56-12 SB)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT 125 Stiff

Wedge: TaylorMade MG5 (60-08 LB)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT 125 Stiff

Putter: Dan Carraher ZT Proto

Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour

Bag: Ghost Anyday Black Ops Stand Bag