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how is a hand wedge used in golf

by Lyla Heidenreich Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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Because "hand wedge" is a golf slang expression that refers to picking up one's golf ball and putting it in a better spot. Hand wedge is in the same vein of lingo as mouth wedge and foot wedge. Some golfers prefer the term "hand mashie" to hand wedge.

The hand wedge is one of the most powerful tools in a golfer's bag. Alas, it is almost one of the most illegal tools. Because "hand wedge" is a golf slang expression that refers to picking up one's golf ball and putting it in a better spot. Hand wedge is in the same vein of lingo as mouth wedge and foot wedge.

Full Answer

What wedge should you use and when?

You can learn more about how I used hit a 60 degree wedge here. If you do not have good hand eye coordination you should use your pitching wedge or an approach wedge with a cavity to simply chip around the greens. If you have a bunker to carry you should likely err on the side of caution and just chip to one side or the other.

How far should you hit a 60-degree wedge?

Depending on the golfer's clubhead speed and ball position in their golf stance, the average distance of a golf ball struck with a 60-degree wedge is about 50-75 yards . Professional golfers can hit their 60-degree wedge around 100 yards while beginning golfers hit their 60-degree an average of about 30 yards .

When to use a 60 degree wedge?

Where you can use a 60 degree wedge

  • Fairway
  • Rough
  • Sand
  • Good lie
  • Bad lie

What are the degrees of golf wedges?

What Are The Golf Wedge Loft Degrees?

  • Pitching Wedge Degree Loft. A pitching wedge degree loft is between 46 and 50 degrees. ...
  • Gap Wedge Degree Loft. The gap wedge degree loft is between 51 and 53 degrees. ...
  • Sand Wedge Degree Loft. The sand wedge degree loft is between 54 to 58 degrees. ...
  • Lob Wedge Degree Loft. ...

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What is a hand wedge in golf?

hand wedge (plural hand wedges) (golf, slang, humorous) A golf player's hand, when used to cheat by surreptitiously moving the ball to a more advantageous position.

How do you use a golf wedge?

4:009:36WHAT WEDGE SHOULD YOU USE? Simple Golf Tips - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo ball in the middle of my stance. A little bit weight forwards. And i just pop it. Out. Off we goMoreSo ball in the middle of my stance. A little bit weight forwards. And i just pop it. Out. Off we go there it goes running and that is my 54. With a nice little chip as we've gone through.

Which wedge to use out of sand?

A 56-degree sand wedge is suited for hitting out of the sand or for a golfer who hits behind the golf ball a lot. The higher degree of bounce helps the club glide through the sand or dirt, which makes it the most versatile wedge in the bag.

What are 3 types of wedges?

TYPES OF WEDGES There are four styles in the wedge family: the pitching wedge, the gap wedge, the sand wedge and the lob wedge. Each club has a specific loft that makes it more suitable for certain shots. The Pitching Wedge (46-48 degrees) is the least lofted of all the wedges.

When would you use a wedge?

Wedges are the highest-lofted clubs in a set of golf clubs, designed for short approach shots (for most golfers, 120 yards and in), strokes played out of sand, chip shots and pitch shots, and generally any shot for which the golfer wants the ball to ascend and descend sharply.

What wedge should you chip with?

What degree wedge is best for chipping? For most golfers, a gap wedge or a sand wedge with loft of between 52° and 56° will produce the most consistent outcome when chipping. This is because you'll be able to play most short-game shots you're likely to come across out on the course.

What is the easiest wedge to hit?

The easiest wedges to hit are cavity-back wedges like the Cleveland CBX 2 and the Callaway Mack Daddy CB. This style of wedge makes it easier for players to get the ball up in the air quickly, even without making perfect contact.

Which wedge to use around the green?

For the average golfer, chipping with a pitching or gap wedge will produce the most consistent shots around the green. Using a gap wedge will be the best place to start for standard chips, but a pitching wedge could work better if the ball is sitting up in the rough.

What 3 wedges should I carry?

Know your pitching wedge loft. If it's 45 degrees or less, add three more wedges that are spaced apart by no more than 4-5 degrees each. So generally think about putting in a gap wedge that's 48 or 50 degrees, a sand wedge that's between 54 and 56 degrees, and a lob wedge that's between 58 and 60 degrees.

What is the order of golf wedges?

The four types of wedges in golf are pitching wedge (PW), sand wedge (SW), lob wedge (LW), and gap wedge (GW). If you're looking to improve your handicap - and let's be honest, you are - your wedge game is one of the best places to start.

Should wedges match irons?

“Always have wedges that match the spec and set up for your iron set,” Sherburne says. “Now this assumes your irons are fitted correctly, but usually you want the same shaft, length and lie angle in your wedges as the irons to allow proper gapping.

What is a gap wedge used for in golf?

In golf, a gap wedge, also known as an approach wedge, is a wedge used to hit a shot with higher and shorter trajectory than a pitching wedge and lower and longer trajectory than a sand wedge. The name derives from the club's design to fill the "gap" between sand and pitching wedges.

What is a Golf wedge used for?

Golf wedge used to hit chip, pitch, and bunker shots.

Is an approach wedge is the same as the gap wedge?

Yes, approach wedge and gap wedge are the same wedges.

Should my wedges be the same length?

No, each wedge has a different length according to your handicap.

What is wedge golf?

Wedges are the clubs which are built to play the attacking game. They could be a very handful in playing pitch, chip, and bunker shots. You can even hit a shot up to a distance of 125m using wedges.

How long should a golf wedge be?

Like the other Golf Clubs wedges also differ from each other based on the shaft length. Ideally, the length of a pitching wedge should be 0.25m shorter than the 9-Iron; the gap wedge should be a half-inch shorter than the pitching wedge; the sand wedge should be shorter by 0.75 inches than the gap wedge and the lob wedge should be 1-inch shorter than the sand wedge.

What is the maximum loft of a lob wedge?

A lob wedge has the maximum loft that ranges from 60 to 64 degrees. The bounce of a lob wedge could be anywhere between 0 to degrees. You should not hit the full-swing shots with a lob wedge since it will raise the ball too high ad you will not get the desired distance.

What is the loft of a pitching wedge?

Generally, the loft of wedges varies from 47 to 64 degrees.

What is the angle between the clubhead and the shaft called?

The angle which the clubhead makes with the vertical plane of the shaft is known as the loft of a golf club. In other words, the angle between the clubhead and the shaft is called the loft. The broader loft allows you to gain more height in your shots but at the same time, this will give you the minimum distance.

What is a gap wedge?

Gap Wedge. A gap wedge act as a bridging wedge between the pitching wedge and sand wedge. The gap wedge’s loft ranges from 50 to 53 degrees and the bounce is between 5 to 10 degrees. The major use of a gap wedge is to hit mid-chip shots. You can reach a distance of up to 65m.

How much bounce does a golf club wedge have?

Apart from this the bounce also helps you to get a higher flight of the ball. The bounce of golf club wedge varies between 2 to 14 degrees. The standard bounce of different wedges are as follows:

What is a wedge in golf?

Wedges are the highest-lofted clubs in a set of golf clubs, designed for short approach shots (for most golfers, 120 yards and in), strokes played out of sand, chip shots and pitch shots, and generally any shot for which the golfer wants the ball to ascend and descend sharply.

Why do golfers use wedges?

Because wedge shots have such a high trajectory, they tend to roll very little once they hit the green. More accomplished players can produce a great deal of backspin with a wedge, causing the ball to back up (or "bite") once it hits the green. Any wedge can also be used for chipping around the green.

What degree is a pitching wedge?

With pitching wedges typically lofted from 42 to 46 degrees, the gap wedge is so-called because it closes the "gap" in loft between the pitching wedge and sand wedge. A typical gap wedge might might be lofted from 48 to 54 degrees. The gap wedge also goes by the names A-wedge, attack wedge and approach wedge.

What is the loft of a lob wedge?

A typical lob wedge might have a loft of 60 degrees to 64 degrees. As its name implies, a lob wedge allows a player to "lob" the ball high into the air, from where it will drop steeply down onto the green, with little or no roll. With pitching wedges typically lofted from 42 to 46 degrees, the gap wedge is so-called because it closes ...

How far should a lob wedge be?

A lob wedge would be 40-50 yards for men, 25-40 for women. A gap wedge would fall in between your pitching wedge and sand wedge yardages.

What is a 60 degree wedge?

Wedges feature the shortest shafts and highest lofts of any golf clubs. In fact, wedges are often identified by their loft rather than their name. A lob wedge might instead be called a "60-degree wedge," for example. Sand wedges were invented (generally credited to Gene Sarazen) to make shots out of sand bunkers easier.

Why are gap wedges called wedges?

Today, the other two wedges that are common are: Gap wedge: So-named because it falls in-between the pitching wedge and sand wedge in loft. The gap wedge has more loft than a PW, less loft than a SW.

What is a golf wedge used for?

Sand wedges, one of several types of wedges, usually have a loft of 54 to 58 degrees and are commonly used for getting the ball out of bunkers. When golfers buy a new set of golf clubs, it is likely that only one of the four types of wedges–the pitching wedge–will be included.

What type of wedges do you need for a new golf club?

Overview. When golfers buy a new set of golf clubs, it is likely that only one of the four types of wedges–the pitching wedge–will be included. Still, golfers who want even more precision for the short game often choose to buy one or all of the other three types of wedges–the sand wedge, lob wedge and gap wedge.

What wedges are used to hit 100 yards?

So golfers who want to hit the ball 100 yards either have to swing a pitching wedge lighter than they otherwise would, or a sand wedge harder than they otherwise would. Or, they could use a gap wedge, which was designed specifically to be a club to bridge the gap between pitching and sand wedges. Gap wedges have lofts between about 46 and 54 degrees.

How high do lob wedges go?

Lob wedges have the highest degree of loft of any of the wedges–57 degrees or more–and are best used in situations when golfers have to get the ball into the air quickly and have it land softly so it does not roll. Golf balls travel about 60 to 65 yards, high in the air, with a full swing.

Why does a sand wedge stop a ball?

Due to the way sand wedges are made, they propel the ball quickly into the air and cause it to spin. As a result, a ball struck by a sand wedge generally stops more quickly than if it were struck by another club.

How far can you hit a sand wedge?

These wedges have between about 54 and 58 degrees of loft, which helps golfers get the ball in the air quickly. The maximum distance golfers hit sand wedges is between about 80 and 90 yards.

Which wedge has the least bounce?

Pitching wedges have the least amount of bounce–generally between about 2 and 5 degrees–of any of the wedges (except, sometimes, for lob wedges). This allows golfers to get the front edge of the club underneath the ball and still make solid contact.

What type of wedges are used in golf clubs?

The Type of Golf Club Wedges and Their Uses. Included in just about every set of store-bought golf clubs is a pitching wedge. It's the most common type of wedge and one that almost all golfers have in their bag. But the three other types of wedges--gap, lob and sand--give the golfers who use them even more options in their short games.

What are the different types of wedges?

But the three other types of wedges--gap, lob and sand-- give the golfers who use them even more options in their short games. Each type of wedge is designed differently and used to play different shots.

How far can a golf wedge travel?

The average pitching wedge shot is between 110 yards and 140 yards.

How far can a lob wedge go?

Since they have between 60 degrees and 65 degrees of loft, the maximum distance for a lob wedge is about 70 yards.

How many yards is a wedge shot?

The average pitching wedge shot is between 110 yards and 140 yards. As a result, it is a good club for an approach shot from the fairway or rough.

How far can you hit a sand wedge?

While these wedges, which have between 54 degrees and 58 degrees of loft, are good for hitting out of the sand, they can be used anywhere. The maximum distance for a sand wedge shot is about 90 yards.

When to use gap wedges?

As a result, they are useful when the shot is too short for a pitching wedge but too long for a sand wedge. Check the loft of a gap wedge; it should have a loft higher than your pitching wedge and lower than your sand wedge.

What is a wedge in golf?

By David Green. The wedge is a high lofted club that is typically used as a part of the short game, inside 125 yards, and includes the pitching wedge, gap wedge, sand wedge and lob wedge. When golfers get within 125 yards of the green, they’ll likely consider reaching for a wedge. Golfers have a variety of different wedges to choose from, ...

What does a wedge do on a golf course?

When used with a full swing, a wedge will cause the ball to fly higher in the air than other clubs and will usually set the ball down quickly on the green with little forward spin. When used to chip the ball, wedges can be used to stop the ball quickly or roll the ball to the hole with topspin.

What is the loft of a golf wedge?

Wedge lofts generally fall between 46 and 62 degrees depending on the wedge. Each club maker designs wedges differently, with most choosing a softer metal for the club head. This allows golfers to have more touch around the greens.

Why is the pitching wedge the farthest?

Golfers can hit the pitching wedge the farthest because it is the least lofted wedge. The sand wedge features a rounded sole to help the club “bounce” through the sand. The gap wedge bridges the distance difference between the sand wedge and pitching wedge, while also being a good option for chipping around the green.

When were sand wedges invented?

As golf has evolved, so too has the selection of wedges available. Pitching wedges were the first to be used, with sand wedges following in 1931. Legendary golfer Gene Sarazen invented the sand wedge, taking a pitching wedge and giving it more loft and bounce to help get through the sand. Short-game teacher Dave Pelz is credited with conceiving ...

Who invented the lob wedge?

Short-game teacher Dave Pelz is credited with conceiving the first lob wedge, with the first mass-market lob wedge created by Ping founder Karsten Solheim. Gap wedges became more popular in the 1960s and 1970s as golfers added more loft to pitching wedges.

What are the characteristics of a golf club head?

Characteristics. The club heads on wedges resemble irons, but they have more bounce, which is created by the angle of the metal on the sole of the club. Bounce should be tailored to the course's conditions. So if hitting from short grass, a golfer would want less bounce--using a pitching wedge as opposed to a sand wedge.

What is wedge golf?

Wedges are high lofted clubs for use around the green and fairway which specialize in hitting the ball high and giving the golfer the ability to spin the ball once it lands . Although the specific loft, bounce, etc. of each individual club can change depending on the club producer, wedges come in four main classes and each one has their own strengths and weaknesses.

Why use a sand wedge?

As the name suggests, the primary use of the sand wedge is to help golfers escape the sand but it’s heavier weight and large bounce are useful for a variety of different shots. Personally, I like to use the sand wedge when I take most of my chips, especially those around the green.

What is the best club for bump and run chipping?

The pitching wedge is also a great club for bump and run chipping because the low amount of loft allows the ball to fly lower and roll further once it lands on the green.

How far can you swing a gap wedge?

Personally, the most important thing I get from a gap wedge as a golfer is the ability to take a full swing at around 100 yards from the hole which is arguably one of the most common and important scoring ranges any golfer.

Do you use woods or irons in golf?

This is standard in golf, whether you’re using woods or irons except when it comes to wedges. Unfortunately, for a novice golfer or even an advanced one, it’s not always obvious what each different type of wedge is used for, and that can be frustrating.

What is an "A-Wedge" Golf Club?

The "A" or "AW" stamped on certain golf clubs stands for "Approach" or "Approach Wedge."

What is a gap wedge?

Clubs labeled as an Approach Wedge (AW) or Gap Wedge (GW) have more degrees of loft than a Pitching Wedge (PW). A full swing shot with an AW/GW should travel shorter than a PW, but further than a SW.

How much loft do approach wedges have?

As we've covered in our golf club lofts and wedge lofts guides, Approach Wedges designed for low-handicap golfers usually have 50 to 52 degrees of loft. Game-improvement A-Wedges can have as little as 48 degrees of loft.

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