Edel SMS P Grind Wedge Review

Edel SMS P Grind Wedge

When Edel Golf originally launched the SMS wedges, I almost immediately put a 60º T Grind into my bag. The “Swing Match System” weighting concept allows for players to locate the center of gravity (CG) into the optimal place for their particular swing. Through extensive studies alongside an actual doctor in Biomechanics, Edel found that placing heavier weight in different locations of the club head directly impacted how well players “grooved” their swing and improved their overall accuracy and control. As such, Edel designed a wedge with three weight ports which allow you to swap the weights around to find the ideal CG location for your optimal wedge performance. The new Edel SMS P Grind wedge adds a new player’s grind, low bounce option to the family.

The Looks

The new Edel SMS P Grind wedge has a more compact profile and traditional pear look from address. Though the shape is a departure from the past, you can see that Edel stuck with the full-face grooves. This was somewhat of a signature characteristic of their original wedges, but they do serve a functional purpose. With the grooves covering more space, the wedge becomes more versatile. Whether you lay the face wide open or keep it square, you can still get the spin you need on the ball.

Branding is kept to a minimum and it’s tastefully executed leaving a lot of space on the club for customization. (If that’s your thing.) You might recall that Edel was responsible for some of the craziest custom wedges in the market back in the day. Well, if you go to their product page here, it looks like there’s a personalization option for an additional $25. That soft “Cream Chrome” finish is the perfect customization canvas.

How Does it Feel?

Edel’s SMS weighting system has performance benefits, but it very specifically impacts the feel. Well, at least that’s how I experienced it. Through extensive Biomechanics research, Edel found that players often “slotted” their swings based on the location of weight in their clubs. So Edel tested moving heavier weight to different locations in their wedges, and found that only 20% of players had optimum performance with the heavier weight in the center position.

The big difference with the Edel SMS P Grind wedge is the lower-bounce sole grind. All of the other wedges in the family have more “geometric” and exaggerated sole grinds. The P Grind has a smoother/rounder sole with more width to it. This sole grind is designed to provide even more versatility from any spot, but the P Grind excels in tight, nippy lies. The feel through the turf is very smooth and very clean assuming your wedge game fits the profile. That said, this isn’t your typical low bounce that easily digs into the ground like a shovel. Players with a nice soft, clean sweep will really appreciate the P Grind’s turf interaction.

How Does it Sound?

Forged from a pure Japanese 1025 carbon steel, the Edel SMS P Grind wedge has a great sound. A crisp shot off of the sweet spot has a modest “tack” to it. (I feel like that’s somewhere between a “tap” and a “whack”.) That sound is fairly consistent across the face. The sole has a very clean and slippery “swoosh” to it through most lies. Shots that produce a divot have more of a “tear” sound to them than a “thump”.

On-Course Performance

The impact from the adjustable weights in the Edel SMS wedge is the real deal. This is easily proved on a launch monitor and working through a thorough fitting process, however, in my opinion, it’s barely even necessary. The results were that obvious to me. (To be clear, I still strongly encourage a proper fitting for dialing in shafts, grinds, distance gaps, etc.) I had much better control of the ball and was way more comfortable with the weight in a specific location. By a mile. With the weight in the correct position, the SMS P Grind wedge was practically automatic and I just had to make the right swing for the type of shot I wanted to hit.

Playing a lower bounce in a wedge can be scary, but if you have the game for it, you can do some damage. I felt like hitting those little nippy shots around the green was almost effortless. Don’t get me wrong, “Bill 3 years ago” would have had a nightmare with this setup, but I was able to really do some cool things with Edel’s P Grind. I could open and close the club to hit all sort of different shots with different trajectories. I could make a 15-foot pitch rip back, thump nice and high out of a bunker, or float anything from a flop to a 80-yard wedge shot softly into the green. Should you have the game for it, the SMS P Grind really is as versatile as advertised.

Final Thoughts – Edel SMS P Grind Wedge

I’ve played an Edel SMS wedge for over a full season now and I’ve fully bought into the SMS technology. When you get the weight in the correct spot for you, the wedges have a certain familiarity that makes them super reliable every time you pick them up. I almost can’t explain it. They just feel right for lack of a better term. In regards to the new P Grind available in the 58º and 60º lofts of the SMS wedge, it really is great for being crafty around the greens. It’s a bit more traditional than you might typically expect from Edel, but it will give a better wedge player a lot of options to get close to the cup.