Home > Learning Center > Golf Wedge

Golf Wedge

Although technically irons, golf wedges are usually put in their own category. Wedges have a high loft (club face angle) and are usually used close to the green. There are four main types of wedge, and all four are useful in different situations:

• A pitching golf wedge usually has the least loft of the four wedges and is used for shots with a little more distance to them. Most players carry a pitching wedge.

• The sand golf wedge has a moderately high loft but it is distinguished by what is called ‘bounce’ – the angle of the leading edge of the club relative to the ground. Sand wedges generally have a high bounce angle and thus are ideal for shots from deep rough or bunkers.

• Lob wedges have the most amount of loft – often up to 60 degrees. They are used for short, very high shots with a lot of backspin. One of their benefits is allowing the golfer to use a full or nearly full swing on a shorter shot.

• Gap wedges are so named because of the large gap in loft between a sand wedge and pitching wedges – over time the loft of pitching wedges has increased enough to warrant a club between the two.

Traditionally one carries a pitching wedge and a sand wedge, with the occasional addition of either a lob or gap wedge. However, some golfers find it beneficial to carry other combinations or even all four types of golf wedge.

Golf Balls | Clubs | Learning Center | Site Map | Links | Contact | Home

©