Edel SLS-01 (single length)

[kgk]

My set of Edel SLS-01s arrived on Thursday, and I got my first range time & 9 holes in with them on Friday.

 

I was fit for these clubs at Edel's Liberty Hill, TX facility by Scott Warman, Edel's VP of Sales. The experience was awesome; I would recommend it to anyone. David Edel and his staff showed us great hospitality. We hung out, got a tour and shot the bull with them for quite a while after I was done.

 

I'm not going to go into the club features. Edel can do a much better job than I could.

 

I've played +1/2" long, 2* up irons for a long time. We started out at 37.5" and 64* lie; these were my AP2 7 iron specs, and that's where we ended. We tried different combos, but settled on those specs pretty quickly. We also played with different clubhead weights & shaft profiles in each club, especially the 8 iron. I hit it pretty high & we tried the short iron profile in the 8. Results weren't as good so I stayed with mid profile. The other interesting thing is that there were measurable launch & spin differences when we changed the weights in the club. I wouldn't have believed this until I saw it with my own eyes. Spin increased as we increased the weight.

 

I ended up ordering 4-SW, Paderson 110 stiff, 37.5", 64* lie, 10 gram weights. 4-6 long iron profile, 7-8 mid profile, 9-SW short profile. It took about 2 weeks for the clubs to arrive at my house, and that includes the awesome custom lob wedge they did for me.

 

Yesterday I hit a bag of balls, and played 9 holes. The short version is that the clubs blew me away, in every regard. I picked them up and immediately started striping them. Same ball position and same swing on all clubs yielded great results. The 4 iron flies high enough, and incredibly goes as far as the 4 iron in my AP2 set. The wedges fly incredibly high on full swings, but don't go too far at all. Gapping is very good so far. I plan on getting on the BestGrips QCQuad to do a gapping study soon; I'll post the results here after I do.

 

On course results were very good. I hit the best long iron shots of year, I think. 180 yards? Make my 7 iron swing with the 6 and watch it go. It's really fun! 205 yard par 3? Cut the 4 with my 7 iron swing, and it's perfect! Oh was that fun. Sub full-swing shots with the sand wedge took a little time to get comfortable with; that's the only place I felt awkward with these clubs. It's not bad, just different and you have to commit to kind of chipping your 7-iron-length sand wedge.

 

Around the green, standing a little taller with the wedges is very comfortable & there was basically no soak time needed. It just worked for me. 60-90 yard swings with the sand wedge are the only place I felt really uncomfortable, and that passed pretty quickly with a little range time.

 

The 4 iron is remarkable. It kind of feels like a big boy version of a Cleveland chipper when you look down at it. It's short and upright with 4 iron loft. It's incredibly fun to hit punch shots with, and it's easy to hit on a full swing. It doesn't go as high as my AP2 did, but it's high enough and has enough spin to hold on the small Von Hagge-Devlin greens at my home course.

 

It's possible this is just a wham-bam honeymoon thing, but so far, I'm in love and ready for full-time committed relationship.

 

Oh, and they built me a really sweet 36.5" 60* lob wedge with a Steelfiber 110. I just told them my initials & that I wanted them to surprise me, and this is what I got. It's an Edel Driver grind, and is amazingly easy to open up around the green when I get short sided for a wedge with a decent amount of bounce.

 

Click on the pics for a bigger version. Pics are of the 4 iron, SW, and of course the lob wedge.

Edited November 21, 2020 by kgk

[SwingMan]

Thanks! Looking good.

 

Enjoy.

[Milfordlefty]

Nice irons, great looking bag, what is under the headcovers?

[kgk]

Epic driver with a Fuji pro green, xr16 4 and 7 woods with Diamana Ilima. And a murdered Scotty NP2.

[Badshaft]

Thanks for posting this...Next time we visit my Mother in Law I plan on trying to get a fitting there at Liberty Hill. That is the first picture I have seen of the top line and it doesn't look to wide; a little, but not bad at all. More like the Mizuno 825 forged pro's.

 

Keep us posted on the progress...

 

Nice clubs - This seems like a really good system Edel has set up...

[pbr2121]

Very cool and thanks for the pics. Hope you keep us posted and take more pics too!

[kgk]

Still happy with the irons. I'm getting more comfortable, for sure. Great first round, shaky second, good third and fourth. Not playing tomorrow, but we'll see how it goes on Sunday.

[MountainGoat]

I love success stories like this. Congratulations!

[oso96]

How are you hitting these? Any issues with lob wedge?

[SadTrombone]

Any reason you went with a shorter 60° wedge? Definitely following this with interest.

[kgk]

How are you hitting these? Any issues with lob wedge?

 

I am hitting them well. I've shot a 75 and 73 my last two rounds, and I hadn't broken 80 in a couple months before that. I'm ecstatic. If I could drive it in bounds, I'd be under par. :)

 

The lob wedge is awesome. I haven't had so much confidence in a lob wedge in a long time. The grind fits me perfectly. Definitely get fit for one - I would have chosen the Trapper if left to my own devices, and I would have been demonstrably wrong. Driver is working like a champ.

[kgk]

Any reason you went with a shorter 60° wedge? Definitely following this with interest.

 

That's the length Scott recommended. I think at 37.5" it may be really unwieldy & heavy; they don't make a LW in the SLS clubs.

It's nearly the length I was playing my lob wedge before anyway, and I find it really comfortable. I hardly ever make a full LW swing, and around the green it feels like a precision scalpel.

[oso96]

How are you hitting these? Any issues with lob wedge?

 

I am hitting them well. I've shot a 75 and 73 my last two rounds, and I hadn't broken 80 in a couple months before that. I'm ecstatic. If I could drive it in bounds, I'd be under par. :)

 

The lob wedge is awesome. I haven't had so much confidence in a lob wedge in a long time. The grind fits me perfectly. Definitely get fit for one - I would have chosen the Trapper if left to my own devices, and I would have been demonstrably wrong. Driver is working like a champ.

 

Thanks for the update. I am thinking about getting a set just haven't pulled the trigger yet.

 

Have you tried going shorter on your driver? I cut mine down an inch and hitting in the sweet spot more often.

[kgk]

Have you tried going shorter on your driver? I cut mine down an inch and hitting in the sweet spot more often.

 

I haven't touched the driver yet. I may in the future. It's quite likely, actually.

[Kingcat990]

Thats a pretty good story. They look great. Love the head covers too.

[kgk]

Thats a pretty good story. They look great. Love the head covers too.

 

Thanks!

Headcovers are made by BestGrips in Conroe, TX. Check Zach's stuff out! I put some Classics grips on my irons as well. I really disliked the Tour Velvets... once you go leather grips, rubber really blows.

[kgk]

Iron set was great during a trip to the Nebraska Sand Hills. I hit stellar iron shots all week.

I drove it like an a******, though. I don't know why. I have some Optifit shafts, going to experiment with a shorter driver I suppose...

[BestGrips]

Iron set was great during a trip to the Nebraska Sand Hills. I hit stellar iron shots all week.

I drove it like an a******, though. I don't know why. I have some Optifit shafts, going to experiment with a shorter driver I suppose...

 

You need to come up and try out different lengths. I'm still wanting to try 44". I think 43" is too short unless you're getting a head off the tour van like Fowler uses.

[bladed]

Awesome review. Thanks!

[puresurfr]

I bought a set from BST and took it to a indoor trackman session and could not hit them for crap, shafts were wrong and single length plain sucked.......i immediately put them on BST and at a significant discount.....Best offer i could get for a full set was $550 ....haha so i knew i was stuck with them. I took them to Spyglass and Poppy Hills trip and decided to bag them for giggles. Oh man, these irons hate practice but they can flat out play golf......the heads feel great and are super forgiving but they hate thin shots, conversely, they are great on slightly fat shots as well as heel and toe forgiveness. They feel like a mix between Apex CF16 and Mizuno 900 forged. Distance is very good and launch height is less than ideal but i only have 2 rounds on them......I have a ton of irons and this is definitely my favorite set now......this iron is sooooooo interesting and the key word is FUN !!!! These are fun to play and make the game enjoyable.....it might not be good for a +5 handicap but if you are anywhere from 1-15 handicap, i think you will love these. the heads are small and compact, so u do need some skills.

[puresurfr]

Iron set was great during a trip to the Nebraska Sand Hills. I hit stellar iron shots all week.

I drove it like an a******, though. I don't know why. I have some Optifit shafts, going to experiment with a shorter driver I suppose...

 

You need to come up and try out different lengths. I'm still wanting to try 44". I think 43" is too short unless you're getting a head off the tour van like Fowler uses.

 

 

The Cobra heads are so darn heavy that u can easily go 44" and still have good swing weight. probably need some hotmelt if u want to go 43". And if you are playing Callaway just pop in either a extra weight to your epic or get heavier weights for your SZ, or just hutment the sucker.

[BestGrips]

Iron set was great during a trip to the Nebraska Sand Hills. I hit stellar iron shots all week.

I drove it like an a******, though. I don't know why. I have some Optifit shafts, going to experiment with a shorter driver I suppose...

 

You need to come up and try out different lengths. I'm still wanting to try 44". I think 43" is too short unless you're getting a head off the tour van like Fowler uses.

 

 

The Cobra heads are so darn heavy that u can easily go 44" and still have good swing weight. probably need some hotmelt if u want to go 43". And if you are playing Callaway just pop in either a extra weight to your epic or get heavier weights for your SZ, or just hutment the sucker.

 

I've tried 43" in callaway and tmag and the heads just didn't have the pop. Shaft was frequencied for length. I think the key is not be obsessed with low forward weighting with the shorter shaft.

[kgk]

..the heads feel great and are super forgiving but the hate thin shots, conversely, they are great on slightly fat shots as well as heel and toe forgiveness. They feel like a mix between Apex CF16 and Mizuno 900 forged. Distance is very good and launch height is less than ideal but i only have 2 rounds on them......I have a ton of irons and this is definitely my favorite set now......this iron is sooooooo interesting and the key word is FUN !!!! These are fun to play and make the game enjoyable.....it might not be good for a +5 handicap but if you are anywhere from 1-15 handicap, i think you will love these. the heads are small and compact, so u do need some skills.

 

The thin PW that goes as far as a thin 7 iron is fun, eh? Luckily I don't hit many thin, fat is my miss. They definitely cut through the turf well.

I agree with your "fun" assessment. I had so much fun in the windy Sand Hills with these clubs. 1/2 shots with the long irons into a big wind is a shot that can't be described, it has to be experienced. Effortless & so much FUN.

[puresurfr]

..the heads feel great and are super forgiving but the hate thin shots, conversely, they are great on slightly fat shots as well as heel and toe forgiveness. They feel like a mix between Apex CF16 and Mizuno 900 forged. Distance is very good and launch height is less than ideal but i only have 2 rounds on them......I have a ton of irons and this is definitely my favorite set now......this iron is sooooooo interesting and the key word is FUN !!!! These are fun to play and make the game enjoyable.....it might not be good for a +5 handicap but if you are anywhere from 1-15 handicap, i think you will love these. the heads are small and compact, so u do need some skills.

 

The thin PW that goes as far as a thin 7 iron is fun, eh? Luckily I don't hit many thin, fat is my miss. They definitely cut through the turf well.

I agree with your "fun" assessment. I had so much fun in the windy Sand Hills with these clubs. 1/2 shots with the long irons into a big wind is a shot that can't be described, it has to be experienced. Effortless & so much FUN.

 

 

These clubs are stellar in the wind !!!!! It was blowing 25 and i didnt notice it one bit ! It was so effortless on a windy day that i forgot it was windy !

[puresurfr]

If anybody wants to sell a set that they can't hit, please PM me...i can use a backup set or even 2 backups.

 

*Weird part is i tried to sell this set last week and now I'm trying to buy 2 backup sets !

[grantc79]

I got my 3-sw set in about a month ago.

 

I can honestly say my scores drop tremendous WHEN I use my 3 iron off the tee.

 

I shot 81 the other day shooting par on one side and 45 on the other.

 

The par side I just hit my 3 iron off the box and left the driver in the bag for most of the typical driver holes. I was getting 1.5 smash with that 3 iron on track man believe it or not and able to carry it around 215 witch a little roll out to 230.

 

Can't beat it.

[ottrad1]

how does the SW play in the bunkers as opposed to the regular Edel wedges?

[kgk]

how does the SW play in the bunkers as opposed to the regular Edel wedges?

 

I use my lob wedge in greenside bunkers; not sure I've tried it out of a greenside.

Feels great out of fairway bunkers.

[BestGrips]

Green side bunkers take some practice. I think the club length is more noticeable in the sand than from the fringe.

[kgk]

Thanks for posting this...Next time we visit my Mother in Law I plan on trying to get a fitting there at Liberty Hill. That is the first picture I have seen of the top line and it doesn't look to wide; a little, but not bad at all. More like the Mizuno 825 forged pro's.

 

Keep us posted on the progress...

 

Nice clubs - This seems like a really good system Edel has set up...

 

I feel I should comment on this. I played 825 Pros.

The Edel definitely have a thicker top line. They also have a shorter blade length. Offset is pretty similar.

I also like the sole on the Edel better. The sole isn't as sharp, and it's less diggy.