Choosing wedges.

What the rules say

Wedges count towards 14

Rule 4.1b of the 2023 Rules of Golf, in effect from 1 January 2023, limits you to 14 clubs, so if you already carry 14, each wedge you add is a club you leave out somewhere else. Short-game teacher Dave Pelz argued that golfers carried too many long clubs and too few short ones, and suggested swapping 2- and 3-irons for gap and lob wedges, according to Australian Golf Digest. The R&A says the next edition of the Rules is due on 1 January 2028.

The groove rule and Model Local Rule G-2

Part 2 of the Equipment Rules carries tighter groove and punch-mark specifications that apply to new club models made on or after 1 January 2010, and to clubs whose face markings are purposely altered, for example by re-grooving. Among them: grooves no wider than 0.035 inch and no deeper than 0.020 inch, and, on clubs of 25 degrees loft or more, a plain cross-section with a rounded edge. GolfMagic says the rule limits groove volume and edge sharpness on wedges, which it says reduces backspin and raises launch.

Who it binds is a separate question. Model Local Rule G-2 lets a Committee require clubs to meet the 2010 specifications, and is recommended only for competitions of highly skilled players. On 25 January 2024 the R&A said the 2010 specifications would stay in effect only through G-2, and that any future decision to apply them to all golfers would not take effect until at least four years after it is announced. Like every Model Local Rule, G-2 applies only when a Committee adopts it.

During a round

Wear from normal use does not make a conforming club non-conforming, but under Rule 4.1a you must not deliberately change a club's performance during the round, and tape or similar material on the face is not allowed for any purpose. Nothing on this page says a particular wedge conforms; check before competing, especially with older or re-grooved clubs.

Our picks by category

How to choose

Gapping

GolfMagic says most instructors recommend about 4 degrees of loft between wedges, and reports Vokey's view that many players do not know their wedge lofts. Start with the loft of the pitching wedge in your iron set, then add wedges in roughly even steps. As Vokey's point about pitching wedges shows, the same name can carry different lofts, so read the specification rather than the name. Our beginner set guide covers how many clubs a new player needs.

Bounce

GolfMagic defines bounce as the sole feature that stops the club digging, measured by how far the leading edge sits off the ground with the wedge soled. It describes three bands:

Technique interacts with bounce. Phil Mickelson told GOLF.com that if the hands fall back in a chip and the clubhead passes them, the leading edge rises and the bounce hits the ground first. Teacher Matt McLean, in Australian Golf Digest, exposes bounce in bunkers by leaning the handle away from the target. Those are two teachers' methods; see chipping and pitching and bunker play.

Grinds

GolfMagic says sole grinds reshape the heel or toe to suit turf and shot types, for example a heel grind that makes it easier to open the face, and that grinds change effective bounce.

Face finish

GolfMagic describes raw finishes that rust and laser-etched faces aimed at maximising spin, and calls finish mostly cosmetic.

Get fitted

GolfMagic recommends a certified club fitter for choosing wedge lofts, bounce and grind. A fitter who sees your swing and the turf you play on can match bounce to both. See club fitting.

For distance control once you have them, Pelz's clock system, where you record how far each backswing length sends each wedge, is covered on our chipping and pitching page.