Edel SMS Wedge

I’ll admit it. This Edel SMS wedge review has taken me quite longer to write than I’d hope. Not because I can’t convey the experience I had with the equipment, but because there’s just so much to say. So much I WANT to say. You see, I played Edel wedges back in the day and really liked them. They served me well and I had a lot of strong feelings about them at the time. However, time would pass, different wedges came into my life, and I hadn’t played an Edel wedge for years.

Then sometime in March of 2021 I caught up with an old friend from “the biz”, Chris Koske, who had recently became the new VP of Sales and Marketing at Edel. I hadn’t spoken much with Chris in awhile as he left the golf industry to pursue other opportunities, but something brought him back. Well, when he told me he was PUMPED about about the new adventure, I knew I should listen. And I’m glad I did.

SMS stands for “Swing Match System” and the concept is to fit the wedge to your specific swing utilizing interchangeable weights. 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 your ideal location for your optimal wedge performance. Sound interesting? Ok, let’s see if we can do the whole story justice…

The Looks

Longtime Edel loyalists, I’m sorry to tell you, but the brand has evolved and the days of big round pancake wedge heads are in the past. And you know what? That’s ok! The new SMS wedge has a more compact profile and traditional pear look from address. Frankly, I personally find it to be a more appealing look behind the ball. 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 the 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 just asking to be customized. I’m just sayin’…

Also, quick shout out to the stock ferrules Edel went with. These are really slick in person. GREAT added touch.

How Does it Feel?

In my opinion, feel is where the real story is in the Edel SMS wedges. There’s a LOT to cover here (like two sections worth), so buckle up…

Edel’s new 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 through their wedges, and found that only 20% of players had optimum performance with the heavier weight in the center position.

So given all of that, I wasn’t sure what to expect and was pretty curious how noticeable the weight swaps would be. Let me tell you, the SMS wedge felt like three totally different clubs to me depending on where I had the heavier weight. In my case, I didn’t even need launch monitor data or to see a ball flight to tell you which weight setting was right for me. With the weight in the center position, I had much more control of the club and could consistently find my spots throughout the swing. Moving the weight toward the heel, I felt like the club was playable but would sort of get stuck in my down swing. When I tried the weight in the toe, the wedge felt noticeably off balance throughout my swing and I couldn’t control it. The center position was clearly the ideal weight location for me. I guess that makes me part of the 20%!

For what it’s worth, I also tested with another player who had the same experience. The only difference was they had their optimal feel and performance with the weight toward the toe.

BONUS Feel Content

Like I said, there’s a lot of “Feel talk” to unpack, so here’s a bonus section of the usual Feel basics. The SMS wedges are as soft as they look. Edel forged these wedges out of Japanese 1025 carbon steel which has very precise and clean feedback. The soles are then machined to maintain tighter tolerances for consistency from wedge to wedge.

Speaking of the soles, one of the hallmarks of the original Edel wedges was their unique sole configurations/grinds and how they interacted with the turf. Though the new sole designs are a bit different, they capture that same Edel spirit. They’re definitely extreme and they’re effective. There are four different sole grinds to choose from depending on your personal needs, but the two I went with are very generous and efficient through the turf which promotes a lot of confidence.

If you’re by chance wondering, the T Grind is a triple surface ideal for players with a moderate to steep angle of attack with a normal divot. The V Grind is designed for a similar angle of attack, but maybe leaning more toward steep. If you were a DVR player back in the day, this is inspired by that grind. Both are designed to have a higher bounce closer to the leading edge and are very versatile.

How Does it Sound?

Let me start out by apologizing that, for some reason, I keep finding myself comparing the new Edel SMS wedge to the original Edel wedges. It’s relatable if you’ve had the experience in the past, but hopefully I’m keeping it informative for those that have not. Anyway, the OG Edels sounded soft but had a little more “openness” to their sound. The new SMS wedges sound extremely soft as well, but the sound is a bit more assertive. I’d classify it as a calm “cluhck” (that “h” is intentional) that’s very forward and direct. It’s confident in what it’s trying to tell you, but isn’t screaming for attention.

Generally speaking, both the T and V grind soles I went with make a nice smooth “swish” through the grass. Take a shallow divot with a controlled swing and you get a tight “rip” through the turf. Sometimes you have to dig into the ground a bit more and you get a really nice “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.) As mentioned in the Feel section, 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 wedge was practically automatic and I just had to make the right swing for the type of shot I wanted to hit.

Speaking of fitting, I strongly suggest going through this process to make sure you get the correct sole grinds for your game. Like I said, they are a little more extreme than other brands so you want to make sure you get it right. Trust me, it’s worth it because they’re really nice when you have the perfect match. It’s also likely you’ll use a different grind depending on the club. I went with the T and V grinds and they are extremely versatile. Both have allowed me to hit any shot I needed to with the respective wedge, and fit great for how I swing the club. But again, I can’t stress enough how crucial having the right grind for your game really is, so go get fit!

Final Thoughts – Edel SMS Wedge

There’s just something about the SMS wedge release that feels like the arrival of Edel 2.0. I’m not sure it’s fair to say this because, technically, they never left, but I really felt like this was a triumphant “return” of Edel wedges. And I’m totally here for it. Though there’s a lot to talk about with the SMS wedges, at the end of the day they’re really nice clubs that do their job very well. Will your experience be just like mine? Hard to say, but from my perspective, Edel’s adjustable SMS weight design really works.

To wrap up this review, I’ll share a small anecdote with you. I took my new SMS wedges out to the practice facilities multiple times prior to ever stepping on a course. My first round with these wedges ended up being on a crisp Sunday morning alongside my guys Kris McEwen and Jon Heise at Chicago’s own Harborside International. A somewhat sloppy track often accented by a very complicated and sticky rough. So on the third hole, my second shot came up just short and right of the green with a middle-left hole. With no other real option, I took out the 60º T Grind wedge, opened the face, and did my best to chop it out of the thick rough. The ball pops up and carries just enough and proceeds to confidently track to the hole. Jarred it. Birdie. Not a bad first shot out with the new Edels…

Stock Edel SMS Wedge Specs

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