In the sport of golf, a wedge is a subset of the iron family of golf clubs designed for special use situations. Wedges are designed with modified soles designed to aid in shots through the rough or sand. Wedges have the greatest loft of all of the golf clubs, enabling the ability to produce spin on the ball. Wedges are easier to control than the other clubs due to the short shaft. The combination of the high loft and short shaft make the wedge family of clubs ideal for short shots. Wedges come in a variety of configurations, and are generally grouped into four categories; pitching wedges, sand wedges, gap/approach wedges and lob wedges.