Do you really need a lob wedge?
Do I need to carry a lob wedge? The short answer to this is no. You don't need a lob wedge in your bag if you learn how to properly use your sand wedge to achieve the desired loft. Yet, many players feel uncomfortable opening their sand wedge to hit soft, high shots as this decreases versatility.
When should you use a lob wedge?
A lob wedge is a scoring club that is useful for chipping and pitching around the green, as well as for distance wedge situations where you take fairly full swings. This golf tip is as simple as getting to know one of the shortest clubs in the game.Jul 25, 2016
What is the difference between a wedge and a lob wedge?
Loft Degree The typical pitching wedge has between about 44 and 50 degrees of loft, while the typical lob wedge has between 60 and 65 degrees of loft. As a result, all things being equal, a golf ball struck by a pitching wedge travels farther and lower to the ground than a ball struck by a lob wedge.
Do pro golfers use lob wedges?
For professional golfers, a 60-degree lob wedge around the green could be classified as a surgical scalpel. Many pros—most notably Phil Mickelson—have built their reputations on the ability to hit miraculous recovery shots with these higher-lofted clubs.Jul 17, 2020
Is lob wedge same as sand wedge?
The main difference between a lob wedge and a sand wedge is the loft. A lob wedge is typically between 58 and 64 degrees of loft and a sand wedge is typically between 54 and 57 degrees of loft.Feb 20, 2020
Can a lob wedge be used as a sand wedge?
0:535:27LOB WEDGE vs SAND WEDGE Which One do you Really Need - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo currently my wedge makeup is four wedges a pitching wedge 46 degree a 50 degree gap wedge a 54MoreSo currently my wedge makeup is four wedges a pitching wedge 46 degree a 50 degree gap wedge a 54 degree sand wedge and a 60 degree lob wedge i'm either using the voki sm7s or the sm8. Usually the 7s
What degree wedge is best for chipping?
between 52° and 56°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.Feb 16, 2022
Is a 60 degree wedge necessary?
For the average golfer, having both a 56-degree sand wedge and a 60-degree lob wedge is completely unnecessary. A 56 or 58-degree wedge should be a lot more versatile for most and is the highest wedge loft that should be in most bags.
Which wedge to use for chipping?
The sand wedge is the wedge that is the best for chipping. With a sand wedge, you can fly the ball reasonably close to the pin, and expect it only to roll a few feet.
What 3 wedges should I carry?
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. These are general guidelines, make sure you're working with your fitter to get the gapping that works best for you. 3.Feb 23, 2018
How far should a 60 degree wedge go?
On average, a professional golfer will hit a 60-degree wedge about 100 yards. A mid-handicap golfer will probably hit their 60-degree wedge about 50-60 yards. A higher handicap golfer will probably hit their 60-degree wedge about 30-40 yards.
What do you use a 60 degree wedge for?
A 60-degree wedge is considered a lob wedge and is mostly used to launch the ball high up in the air and land softly on the green. Examples could be hitting the ball over water or sand and quickly stopping it on the green. I used to have a 60 degree in my bag and it did come in handy in certain situations.
What angle should a lob wedge be?
Pick a lob wedge that has a loft of no more than 60 degrees. If it has more loft, it will be very difficult for you to use. Also, you'll find that having a bounce angle of more than 8 degrees will make your shots easier because you will be less likely to take too large a divot with your shots.
How high does a lob wedge fly?
Lob wedges can help to accomplish this. They are usually are about 60 degrees--or more--which makes a golf ball fly about 15 percent higher than a normal wedge. The ball doesn't go as far and stops quickly.
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 ...
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.
What is a gap 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 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.
What is the difference between a pitching wedge and a sand wedge?
Pitching wedge: The lowest-lofted of the wedges (the one that hits the ball the farthest), pitching wedges (abbreviated PW) are usually included in a set of irons. The PW is considered one of the basic clubs every golfer carries. Sand wedge: Designed specifically to make hitting shots out of bunkers easier. Abbreviated SW.
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.
How many yards is a lob wedge?
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. And these clubs will, when properly struck, produce a very high, arching shot. So if you need to get over a tree, for example, a wedge comes in handy.
Step 4
Make your back swing steeper than you would for a normal chip or pitch shot. Keep your wrists cocked just before impact and pull the club down to the ball with your arms and body weight.
Step 5
Transfer your weight smoothly to your left side with your feet, legs and hips, keeping your head steady. The club head should still be extended from the shoulders.
The Differences Between Lob Wedge Vs Sand Wedge
There is one huge feature that is different between a sand wedge and a lob wedge. This difference is going to be in the loft degree of the club. Lob wedges will have a loft ranging from 58 to 64 degrees and sand will have a loft ranging from 54 to 57.
Sand Wedge
The sand wedge was first introduced during the 1930s by Gene Sarazen. It was designed to help golfers get their golf balls out of sand traps and bunkers. With a loft ranging from 54 to 57 degrees, the sand wedge makes it easier to increase the height of your shot and allows the ball to make it out of the sand.
Lob Wedge
The lob wedge is newer to the golf community than the sand wedge. It was first introduced during the mid-1980s. The release came with the increasingly difficult designs of greens during the time. There is some debate over who actually invented this iron, but it is most commonly said to be invented by Dave Pelz.
How to Decide What Wedge to Add
It can be tricky to determine whether you should add a sand wedge or a lob wedge to your golf set, but luckily there is a way to make it easier. While there is no right number of how many wedges you should have available to you in your golf bag, there is a recommended gap between them that will help your game.
Conclusion
It can be difficult to tell what the differences are between a sand wedge and a lob wedge, especially if you are new to the sport of golf. At first glance, you might think that there isn’t a difference between the two irons, and that’s because there isn’t very much difference between them at all.
Why do you use a lob wedge?
Being able to effectively use a lob wedge can save a lot of shots around the green, especially when faced with a short-sided up and down or a difficult buried lie, but the hardest part of an open-faced lob wedge shot is repeatability. It’s why you can feel like a hero on one hole, and a complete failure on the next—because the ball ended up exactly where it started…or it ends up on the other side of the green…
How many degrees of loft do wedges have?
Wedges with 60 degrees of loft (and even 56 in some cases) look easy to hit since they have large faces which in turn equals greater surface area to make contact but face area versus effective face area to make contact are two completely different things.
What is a 60 degree wedge?
For professional golfers, a 60-degree lob wedge around the green could be classified as a surgical scalpel. Many pros—most notably Phil Mickelson—have built their reputations on the ability to hit miraculous recovery shots with these higher-lofted clubs.
What is the difference between a baseball hitter and a golf swing?
He has to rely on quick eye-hand coordination. In contrast, the golf swing is just that – a swing of the club.
How wide is a golf ball?
The ball is 1.68 inches in diameter, and the functional striking area on a golf club is about 1.5-inches wide. If you vary in your setup by even 3/4 inch, you have imposed a serious obstacle to success. If you do nothing else to improve your golf game, learn how to set up the same way every time.
What is a sound golf swing?
A sound golf swing is built like a house. First the foundation, then the framing, roof, exterior walls, interior, paint, and trim. You can’t do one before the other. In golf, it all starts with the grip. If you do not hold the club properly, you’ll never accomplish a sound golf swing.
Do you need a driving range to learn golf?
And you can take your time to make sure the ball will be precisely in the way of that swing. Learning the golf swing doesn’t require a driving range at all. In fact, your backyard presents a much better learning environment because the ball is not in the way to give you false feedback.
What is a wedge in golf?
Wedges are the club that can provide you with the maximum flight and backspin keeping the ball within the green. A golf club set consist of the following wedges: Pitching wedge: The most common wedge. Gap wedge: The bridging wedge. Sand Wedge: The rescuer 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.
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 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.
What is the bounce of a pitching wedge?
The Pitching wedge has a bounce between 2 to 5 degrees. The Gap wedge has a bounce between 5 to 10 degrees. The Sand wedge has a bounce of between 10 to 14 degrees. The Lob wedge has a bounce between 0 to 10 degrees.
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:
How far can you hit a shot with a wedge?
You can even hit a shot up to a distance of 125m using wedges. Wedges come with the highest loft and the shortest shaft. They also have the heaviest clubhead. A pro golfer always uses the appropriate wedge matching the purpose of his shot that allows him to roll up on the scoreboard.
Key considerations
The type of lob wedge that best fits your swing depends, in large part, on your expertise in the game. Lob wedges generate significant height on the shot, greater than nearly any other kind of wedge, as well as plenty of backspin on the ball.
Features
When selecting a lob wedge for an experienced golfer, you will want to pay attention to a few other design aspects of the golf club, including bounce and grind.
Lob wedge prices
Inexpensive: The least-expensive lob wedges do not contain advanced technology in the club face, like varying bounces or grinds. Therefore, it will not be possible to generate a highly controlled spin on the ball with a less-costly lob wedge. Expect to pay $30 to $50 for a product like this.
Tips
Here are the different loft angles you can select for your wedges. These are the most typical angles in the club face, although some wedges may have loft angles outside of these numbers.
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.
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.
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.
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.