This is a question I get asked all the time, and the answer is much more complex than it might appear.  That's because the engineers behind the design of modern irons keep pushing the envelope, while wedge designs pretty much stay the same from year to year and model to model.  Whether it's because you purchased a new set of irons, or that age is taking away some of your clubhead speed, for most golfers our distance “charts” are constantly changing for one reason or another.

When it comes to “how many wedges”, the answer really hasn’t changed – however many it takes to give you the distance precision you need to optimize your scoring range performance.  The number of wedges that is “right”, and the lofts of those wedges can be very different from one golfer to another.  And that formula probably changes for you with each purchase of a new set of irons.

              Getting this right is so important, regardless of your skill level, because your scores are more heavily influenced by your play from wedge range into the green and your shotmaking around the greens than by any other factor.  The right “set” of wedges in your bag can make all the difference in the world.

Understand that taking your guidance from the PGA and LPGA Tour players might not help you achieve your goals.  These guys and ladies spend hundreds of hours each year perfecting their wedge play, and you simply cannot do that.  The good news is that you can add some science to your wedge set make-up that can help you have more shot choices when you are in scoring range or trying to save par from a missed green.  Let me suggest this multi-step process to arrive at your answer the question – “How many wedges do I need?” – in a scientific manner:

1.       Begin by knowing the loft of the 9-iron and “P-club” that came with your set of irons, as optimum gapping begins there.  The industry challenge of producing longer-hitting irons has led most OEMs to strengthen lofts throughout the set.  Along the way, it became "normal" to widen the gaps between the short irons to 5 degrees from the traditional 4 degrees that was the standard for decades.  This naturally increases the distance differential between your 9-iron and “P-club” from what is likely optimum.  For golfers of slower swing speeds, that 5* gap might well deliver a 10 to 12 yard differential, but my bet is that most of you are getting a difference closer to 15 yards, or even more.   That just will not let you get the distance control precision you want in prime scoring range.

2.      The second step is to be honest with your distances.  I am a big proponent of getting on the golf course or range with a laser or GPS and really knowing how far you carry each of your short irons and wedges.  Hit a number of shots from known yardages and see where they land (not including roll out).  My bet is that you will find that your distances are different from what you thought they were, and that the differentials between clubs are not consistent.

3.      Figure out where to start.  If your actual and real distance gap between your 9-iron and “P-club” is over 12 to 13 yards, the place to start could be with a stronger P-club.  You can either have your loft strengthened a bit or make the shaft ¼ to ½” longer to add a few yards to that club if you need them.

4.      Figure out what lofts your wedges should have.  From there, I suggest selecting lofts of your wedges to build a constant yardage difference of 10 to 12 yards between clubs.  Depending on your strength profile, that may require wedges at 4* intervals, or it might be 5 – each golfer is different.  Those with very slow swing speeds might even find that 6* gaps deliver that distance progression.

5.      Challenge the traditional 52-56-60 set up.  Those lofts became the “standard” when set-match pitching wedges were 48* of loft, which hasn’t been the case in over 30 years.  Most of today’s P-clubs are 45* or even stronger, which leaves a very large distance differential between that club and a 52* gap wedge.  Some enlightened golfers have evolved to carry a wedge set of 50-54-58, which is a step in the right direction.  But you can get whatever loft precision you want, and you should do that. 

What many of you will find with this exercise is that it suggests that you should be carrying more wedges, as more options in prime scoring range will usually improve your scores.  After all, long or short by 25 to 30 feet is great at long range, but not very good when you have a wedge in your hands.

If you have more clubs at the long end of your bag (longer than a 5- or 6-iron) than you do at the short end (9-iron and up) then you should consider an honest self-appraisal of how often you use each club between your driver and putter.  My bet is that it will be an enlightening analysis.