What is a sand wedge golf club?
A sand wedge is a type of golf club with a specialized design intended to help the player play the ball from soft lies such as sand bunkers. It has a loft of about 56°, and about 10° of "bounce".
What are wedges used for in golf?
Wedges are the clubs used for the shorter and more accurate shots in golf. Approach shots, chip shots, pitch shots, bunker shots, lob shots to mention just a few. There are different types of wedges generally defined by the lofts they have. This is measured in degrees and each one is designed to do a certain job.
What is the difference between gap wedges and sand wedges?
However, gap wedges are available from 48–56° loft and with 0° to 12° of bounce, allowing a player to select the club with the exact characteristics they feel they'll need. A sand wedge is a type of golf club with a specialized design intended to help the player play the ball from soft lies such as sand bunkers.
What is a lob wedge in golf?
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 the "gap" in loft between the pitching wedge and sand wedge.
What does SW mean on a golf club?
The sand wedge is more lofted than a pitching wedge, generally between 54 and 58 degrees. As the name suggests, one of its main functions is to hit from the sand in bunkers.
What degree is an SW wedge?
A 56-degree wedge is considered a sand wedge and is mainly used for hitting out of the sand and chipping around the green. A 56-degree wedge is one of the most used clubs and is the highest loft an average golfer should carry.
Whats the difference between a PW and a SW?
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. A standard Pitching Wedge loft is around 46 degrees, while an Approach Wedge/Gap Wedge has a loft closer to 51 degrees.
What are the 4 types of golf 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.
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 degree wedge is best for sand?
56-degreeA 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.
Which wedge to use for chipping?
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 wedges should a high handicapper carry?
What Loft Wedges Should A High Handicapper Carry? High handicappers should carry at least a 56-degree wedge. In addition, it makes sense to have a 52-degree wedge and a 60-degree wedge to have a variety of shots. The thing that you have to pay attention to is the loft gapping in the set.
What is an A-wedge used for?
"It is a club that is designed for accurate—or aggressive—approach shots. Whether you're in the fairway or the rough or attempting a long bunker shot, an A-wedge is a very versatile golf club that can be used in a lot of different situations."
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.
How do I pick the right wedge?
The key in choosing a set of wedges is to make sure that there are no big gaps in loft between the lowest lofted iron in your set and the first wedge and then also between edge wedge. Try to keep the lofts gaps to around 4 degrees between each club.
What is a LW golf club?
A lob wedge, also known as a lofted wedge or an L-Wedge, is a wedge used in the sport of golf, known for being one of the shortest-hitting clubs and providing the most loft on a shot. Lob wedges are used to produce shots with a very high arc, and are most often used for shots over hazards and other obstructions.
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 in golf?
A wedge is a part of the golf club with special uses in various situations. Its differing designs makes it come in different shapes and sizes. Wedges can be termed as irons though, some golfers and golf enthusiast regard it as a subset of irons in golf clubs. From high-handicaps to professionals, wedges are an important part ...
When Do I Need to Use a Specific Golf Wedge?
The wedge being used during play is dependent on the individual, the terrain and the distance to be covered.
What Loft Angle Should I Pick for a Golf Wedge?
Below are the usual loft angles for the four wedge types that you can pick from:
How Many Golf Wedges Should I Carry?
Usually, professional golfer carry a minimum of three wedges in their club set during play. This method is adopted so that they can have a variation to choose from on the course.
What are the different types of wedges?
Due to their special uses and configuration, wedges are divided into four types namely, Pitching Wedge, Gap Wedge, Sand Wedge and Lob Wedge. As a result, wedges have different weight, degrees of loft and shaft length.
Why do golfers use sand wedges?
Before the advent of lob wedges, sand wedges have been used for making chip shots and strategic bunker shots because it was the highest lofted wedge available at that time . Golfers sometimes use it in the stead of lob wedges if none is available.
How far can a pitching wedge hit a chip shot?
In relation to low trajectory, the pitching wedge hits the ball the farthest when a chip shot swing is made accurately and is able to send the ball up in the air as far as 100 to 150 yards.
What is wedge golf?
Wedges are the clubs used for the shorter and more accurate shots in golf. Approach shots, chip shots, pitch shots, bunker shots, lob shots to mention just a few. There are different types of wedges generally defined by the lofts they have.
What is a pitching wedge?
Pitching Wedge. The pitching wedge is often the final and most lofted club in most modern iron sets. Pitching wedges are generally in the range of 44 to 48 degrees loft and used for hitting the longest wedge shots into a green. Pitching wedges are also quite handy for short pitch and run shots around the green. Example of a Wilson Staff wedge.
What is the difference between a sand wedge and a pitching wedge?
The sand wedge is more lofted than a pitching wedge, generally between 54 and 58 degrees. As the name suggests, one of its main functions is to hit from the sand in bunkers.
What is the gap between a pitching wedge and a sand wedge?
The next wedge is called a Gap Wedge. If your pitching wedge is 46- degrees and your sand wedge 54-degrees there will be a distance gap of about 30 yards between these clubs. A gap wedge is designed to bridge that 30 yard "gap". Your gap wedge will have more loft than your pitching wedge and less loft than your sand wedge.
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 many wedges are in a golf club?
A typical Golf Club Wedge Set has four kinds of wedges each differ from the other based on the loft, shaft length, bounce, and the purpose of the shot. 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:
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.
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 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.
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.
What wedges are used in golf clubs?
A variety of different wedges exist to help golfers on the course. The most common is the pitching wedge, which is sold with nearly all standard golf club sets. Golfers can hit the pitching wedge the farthest because it is the least lofted wedge.
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 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.
What is the difference between a PW and an AW?
It's helpful to think of your PW as a 10-iron and an AW as an 11-iron. Unlike Sand Wedges and Lob Wedges that are frequently used for shorter unique shots around the green, the two lesser lofted wedges will primarily be used for full or fuller partial shots (50%, 75%, 90%, etc. swings).
What is a wedge in golf?
In the sport of golf, a wedge is a subset of the iron family of golf clubs designed for special use situations. As a class, wedges have the highest lofts, the shortest shafts, and the heaviest clubheads of the irons. These features generally aid the player in making accurate short-distance "lob" shots, to get the ball onto the green or out ...
What is a pitching wedge?
Pitching wedge. A pitching wedge is the lowest-lofted of the named wedges, used to hit a variety of short-range shots. The modern pitching wedge has a loft of around 48° (exact lofts vary by clubmaker and player preference) and little or no "bounce" (angle of the sole to the ground).
What is the bounce of a wedge?
The wedge typically has low to moderate bounce (0–4°) for fairway and other firm lies, but because of its high loft even 2–3° of bounce will counterbalance the downward force of the wedge's striking face, making a club with this configuration useful in sand as well.
How many wedges are there in golf?
As a result, since the mid-80s the number of wedges available to players has grown from 2 (pitching and sand) to 5 (adding gap, lob and ultra lob), most of which are now available in a wide array of lofts and bounces to allow a player to "fine-tune" their short game with the wedges that best meet their needs. In some cases, with the high degree of customization, companies have done away with the traditional names for each club, and instead simply label each club with its loft and bounce angles. A 52-8 wedge, for example, would have 52 degrees of loft and 8 degrees of bounce, generally placing it in the "gap wedge" class. Most players carry three or four wedges on the course, and sometimes more, usually sacrificing one or two of their long irons and/or higher-lofted fairway woods to meet the 14-club limit.
How many wedges are needed for a 52-8?
A 52-8 wedge, for example, would have 52 degrees of loft and 8 degrees of bounce, generally placing it in the "gap wedge" class. Most players carry three or four wedges on the course, and sometimes more, usually sacrificing one or two of their long irons and/or higher-lofted fairway woods to meet the 14-club limit.
How much weight does a sand wedge weigh?
The modern sand wedge still uses the ideas of high mass, high loft, and bounce angle, but the modern sand wedge clubhead has much higher mass than earlier designs, up to 40oz (2.5 lb, 1.13 kg), to drive the clubhead through the firmer sand found in many courses.
What is a gap wedge?
Gap wedge. A gap wedge is the next higher-lofted wedge after the pitching wedge, and is usually used in a similar manner. It is a newer wedge and so is one of the least standardized as to its purpose and thus its design, but lofts for gap wedges are centered on 52° and have a moderate amount of bounce.
What is wedge grind?
Andrew Tursky, Senior Equipment Editor: A wedge grind refers to the shaping of the bottom part of the wedge. It’s the part of the club that actually impacts the ground, so the particular shape of the grind has a huge impact on how your club interacts with the turf. The most common would be a “C grind” which has the toe and heel sections of the sole shaved off a bit to make the sole more rounded. This allows the wedge to play a bit more versatile from different lies and face orientations (open face, shut face, etc.). The only thing you really need to know, though, is that you probably need more bounce on your wedge. More bounce makes the wedge more forgiving and will keep you from hitting those embarrassing chunks and skulls around the greens. Just know that it’s basically impossible to pick out a wedge from a retail store and have it be the perfect wedge grind for you. That’s why I highly, highly recommend a wedge fitting. You need to try different grinds and bounces to figure out what’s best for you.
Can you pick out a wedge from a retail store?
Just know that it’s basically impossible to pick out a wedge from a retail store and have it be the perfect wedge grind for you. That’s why I highly, highly recommend a wedge fitting. You need to try different grinds and bounces to figure out what’s best for you. 2. It helps off different kinds of turf.
