Nothing portrays the artistic nature of the game of golf more than a perfectly played pitch to the hole using a wedge. The wedges are true scoring clubs, and those shots that combine ideal control of trajectory, spin and roll produce some of golf's most exciting moments for players and spectators alike.

Wedge play is also one of the most challenging aspects of the game, as the player must not only strike the ball solidly, but project the shot with such control that the landing area and final resting position is precisely controlled.

Interestingly, the early professional golfers of this century, such as 1916 and 1919 PGA Champion Jim Barnes, had not a wedge in the bag. The Pitching Mashie and the Mashie Niblick were the most lofted clubs they carried and were used for most shots around the greens, which were played much like the chip shots of today.

The lofts of the Pitching Mashie and Mashie Niblick were similar to those of our 8- and 9-irons, so shots went low and rolled out to the target. These shots matched the conditions and layouts of the courses: There were no watered fairways and greens, so dry conditions often left the ground very hard and fast, allowing players to keep the ball low and run it up to the green.

Changes in course conditions, as well as clubs and balls, have changed the set make up for today's golfer. Modern golf courses are conditioned and maintained to standards that allow for high trajectory shots with lots of spin to allow for roll control on the green, and golfers have responded by carrying up to four wedges in their bags. The average wedge set has four degrees of difference in loft between each wedge, which allows each player to choose the club that creates the ball flight and spin that fits their level of skill and the shot that they are trying to play.

When choosing a wedge set there are a number of fitting factors to consider, starting with the number of wedges you will carry. Remember you can only carry 14 clubs total, so carrying four wedges may mean having to take an iron or a wood out of your bag.

Other considerations when choosing a set are the loft and bounce angle of each wedge. The bounce angle is the angle of the leading edge of the wedge back to the trail edge and plays a role in club to ground contact. In addition, the flex and length of each shaft, the type of groves on each club, the style and size of the soles, the lie angle of the wedge, the type and size of the grip and the style of the head design are all important considerations.

In other words, lots of choices and we have not even hit a shot yet! To help you with these choices, you are going to need to consult an expert, and luckily, that expert can be found at your local PGA Professional-staffed facility. PGA Professionals are trained to help fit you with the right equipment for your game, and this weekend, you can still get in on PGA Free Fitting & Trade Up Month, which runs through the end of April.

Next week we will discuss techniques for playing those wedge shots, which gives me the opportunity to remind you that May is PGA Free Lesson Month, when PGA Professionals nationwide are offering 10-minute free lessons to promote their expert teaching skills. You can locate all the PGA Professionals participating in PGA Free Fitting & Trade Up Month and PGA Free Lesson Month by visiting www.PlayGolfAmerica.com and using the zip code search.

Until next time, here's to better golf!

Rick Martino is Director of Instruction for The PGA of America. He teaches at the PGA Learning Center in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and is ranked among the Top 50 instructors by Golf Digest Magazine. The author of the PGA Manual of Golf (Warner Books/$34.95), Martino can be reached at (800) 800-GOLF or by email at pgalearningcenter@pgahq.com.