The Pitching Wedge: The Original Wedge

For most golfers, the pitching wedge is “just another wedge”. It has, however, come a very long way since it was first introduced, under going some changes, and was eventually complemented by other wedges.

Originally, a golf set was made up from mostly “longer” clubs, until it was realized that the most shots were actually played from within a hundred yards, all of which falls within the ranges of the wedges, and the putter. Since this realization, a lot more thought and effort were put into their development, allowing many players to vastly improve their game as a result.

Back in 1931, there was only one wedge: the pitching wedge. It was classified as a number ten iron back then, although it was commonly known as a “jigger”. Originally it had a loft of about fifty degrees, but thanks to being complemented by other wedges, the average is currently around forty six degrees. Another contributing factor to the lower loft is the introduction of cavity-back designs on club heads. It raises the launch trajectory for any given loft, and by adapting the loft angle, greater distance was achieved. The current pitching wedge has a loft similar to the old number eight irons, if that’s any indication of the advancements made.

Because of its classification as an iron before, and the natural progression, many standard iron sets still include the pitching wedge, even though it’s the only wedge included. Being on the border between the wedges and the irons, it is a most versatile club. Depending on the design and the swing, it can be used for shots of eighty to a hundred and twenty yards from a full swing. With a “chipping” motion, it can be used for short approach shots of thirty to fifty yards, and a “putting” motion will take the ball ten to twenty yards with a small lift to get it over the fringe, close to the pin.

The most common use for the pitching wedge, however, is full swing approach shots that require a good lift, for instance having to pass over trees. It is commonly used to recover from bad situations, playing towards a better lie for the next shot. Regardless of how you use yours, you will not be able to get around without it.