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.
What is an a wedge golf club?
An A Wedge is a golf club that is used for short-distance wedge shots. It is designed with a loft angle of between 46 and 54 degrees giving it a loft range in between a sand wedge and a loft wedge. A Wedges are also called approach or attack wedges. They can be useful and advantageous when you are looking for a shorter shot to the green.
What is a pitching wedge used for?
The modern pitching wedge is typically used from the fairway or rough for "approach" or "lay-up" shots requiring a distance of between 100 and 125 yards (exact distance will vary, as with any golf club's distance, on a number of variables such as exact club design, player skill and swing speed, and course conditions).
What is an attack wedge golf club?
An attack wedge is a fantastic club for chipping, pitching, and even putting from the edge of the green. It really is a go-to golf club if you’re struggling with those types of shots. Often these clubs are described as miracle clubs for players who are struggling with their short game.
What is a sand wedge in golf?
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 does E on golf club mean?
The E stands for "Equalizer" which is the Hogan name for pitching wedge. If your 9 iron is 44 degrees it would be safe to assume the E wedge is 48 degrees.
What is the loft of an e wedge?
Product DetailsSKU:00671008DEXTERITY:RIGHT-HANDEDLOFT:E Pitching WedgeCondition:ParLENGTH:35.25"7 more rows
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.
Is a wedge the same as a pitching wedge?
Pitching Wedge. The pitching wedge is designed to hit the ball further than an approach wedge and with a little less spin, it is one club stronger than an approach wedge. It is slightly longer in length with less loft, around four degrees if you are set-up properly.
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 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.
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 angle wedge should I buy?
To make it easy, a good rule of thumb is to have about four-degrees of loft between your wedges. So, if your 48-degree pitching wedge flies on average 110 yards, and your 56-degree sand wedge goes about 80 yards, you probably need a 52-degree wedge that carries around 95 yards to fill an important hole in your setup.
What wedges are best for me?
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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. Sand wedges are great out of the bunker, and they provide a ton of spin even on shots out of the rough.
What club should I use for chipping?
For a basic chip, use a 52- to 56-degree wedge. Play the ball center, and get your weight forward so your left shoulder is over your left foot.
Do I need a sand wedge if I have a gap wedge?
They have a loft of between 50º – 52º and most players will get around 80 to 100 yards. A gap wedge is not essential but if you are having difficulty around the greens it might be worth considering.
What is a 52 degree wedge called?
gap wedgeA 52-degree wedge is considered a gap wedge and is used to fill the gap between your pitching wedge and your sand wedge. Golfers who have a 52-degree wedge in their bag typically have a pitching wedge that's between 47-48 degrees.
What is a 56-degree wedge called?
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.
What is a 58-degree wedge called?
A 58-degree wedge is considered a lob wedge and is mostly used for lobbing the ball high up in the air. This wedge can also be used out of the bunker and for chips on a downhill lie. For most golfers, a 58-degree wedge is the highest lofted club they should use.
What is a 48 degree wedge called?
Pitching Wedge 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.
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 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 wedge in golf?
An A Wedge is a golf club that is used for short-distance wedge shots. It is designed with a loft angle of between 46 and 54 degrees giving it a loft range in between a sand wedge and a loft wedge. A Wedges are also called approach or attack wedges.
Why use a wedge?
An A Wedge might come in handy at times because they usually have less loft than sand wedges which means they will get better distance control plus increased spin.
Do I Need A Wedge Golf Club?
Although golf is a complicated game, the trick for more consistent chip/bunker shots is to simplify swing mechanics.
What is the difference between wedges and gap wedges?
For some golf experts, the difference is that A wedges are designed with a loft angle between 46-54 degrees whereas Gap Wedges range from 54-60 degrees.
How far is an A wedge?
The distance range of an A-Wedge golf club is anywhere from 55 yards to 118 yards. Factors affecting your approach wedge yardage include club loft, clubhead speed at impact, the weight of the ball you’re using, and wind.
What is the benefit of using a wedge?
Another benefit of using an A wedge is that it will give you a little more distance than the sand wedge, but still be much easier to control.
Why is it easier to hit an A wedge than a traditional wedge?
It’s easier to hit an A-wedge than a traditional wedge because of its shape.
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.
What is the best club for short shots?
Prior to the 1930s, the best club for short "approach" shots was the " niblick ", roughly equivalent to today's 9-iron or pitching wedge in loft; however the design of this club, with a flat, angled face and virtually no "sole", made it difficult to use in sand and other soft lies as it was prone to dig into soft turf. The club most often used for bunker shots was called the "jigger"; it was used similarly to today's pitching wedge, and had a similar short shaft, but its loft was closer to the "mashie" of the day (equivalent to today's 4-iron). The lower loft prevented the club "digging in" to soft lies, but the low launch angle and relatively high resistance to the club moving through the sand to "dig out" a buried ball made recovery from a bunker with this club very difficult. The club was also not ideal for approach shots from a bunker near the green, as a chip shot made with this club tended to roll for most of its distance.
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 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).
How many degrees of difference between wedges?
The rule of thumb is that a player should have four degrees of difference between wedges. For instance, a golfer with a pitching wedge lofted at 46 degrees should have a gap wedge of 50 degrees, a sand wedge at 54 degrees and a lob wedge of no less than 58 degrees.
How many different types of wedges are there?
The individual first taking up golf can become very confused by the different kinds of wedges and what these golf clubs are used for. This is because there are four different types of wedges, each with a different degree of loft, which is the key characteristic that separates one wedge from another.
What is the difference between a gap wedge and a sand wedge?
This means that it has a loft somewhere between 50 and 54 degrees, putting it in the middle of the pitching and sand wedges in terms of loft.
How many degrees of loft does a golf club have?
Virtually every set of golf clubs come with a pitching wedge, which is a club with between 44 and 49 degrees of loft to the clubface. The pitching wedge is designed to be able to get under a golf ball on contact, and these clubs are used to hit shots from distances of between 110 and 125 yards. While a professional golfer may hit his pitching wedge ...
What is the loft of a lob wedge?
Lob wedges have a loft of between 59 and 65 degrees and are designed to lift a golf ball quickly, then land it with lots of spin. The individual first taking up golf can become very confused by the different kinds of wedges and what these golf clubs are used for.
How does a sand wedge work?
The height a sand wedge can make a golf ball go when it is properly played translates into the ball usually stopping quickly after it descends onto the green. Some sets of golf clubs come with a sand wedge, while others do not.
How far can you hit a gap wedge?
The gap wedge is used to hit the ball between 90 and 110 yards, which fills the gap between the optimum distances for pitching and sand wedges. Rather than having to choose between swinging a pitching wedge easy or a sand wedge very hard to make the ball go these distances, a golfer can opt for the gap wedge, which can accomplish ...
What is Texas wedge?
In golf, the term "Texas wedge" is a colloquial term for a putter.
Why putter off the green?
Using a putter off the green also makes sense if there is a very small landing area on the putting surface between the start of the green and the intended target. Putting the ball makes it more likely the ball will get closer to the target than using a wedge.
Why did Ben Hogan and Lee Trevino use putters?
Since they both came from Texas, as well as a number of other players who grew up playing golf in windy conditions in the Lone Star state, that's why using the putter off the green came to be known as using the Texas wedge.
Is a putter better than a wedge?
If a player is just a few feet or yards off the green, with shorter grass on the path to the target, then the putter makes sense for many players. They are able to control the ball perhaps better than with a wedge and they can take other variables out of play.
Overview
History
The class of wedges grew out of the need for a better club for playing soft lies and short shots. Prior to the 1930s, the best club for short "approach" shots was the "niblick", roughly equivalent to today's 9-iron or pitching wedge in loft; however the design of this club, with a flat, angled face and virtually no "sole", made it difficult to use in sand and other soft lies as it was prone to dig into soft turf. The club most often used for bunker shots was called the "jigger"; it was used similarly to to…
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).
The pitching wedge is descended from the "niblick", an obsolete blade-style club with a high loft. As the older naming system gave way to numbered sets in the mid- to late 1930s, the standardiz…
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.
The concept of the gap wedge originated when the loft angles of irons were reduced as a result …
Sand wedge
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".
Gene Sarazen won the 1932 British and US Open tournaments with a new club he had invented that was specialized for sand play. He is hailed as the inventor of the modern sand wedge, which he developed by taking a niblick (9-iron), soldering additional metal underneath the leading edge …
Lob wedge
The lob wedge is a club with a loft of around 60°, typically the highest in a player's bag. It is used for specialized shots requiring either extreme launch angle, short carry distance and/or no rolling distance after impact.
Dave Pelz, a former NASA physicist and golf short-game coach, envisioned the lob wedge in the 1980s as an answer to modern greens, which are designed to be more difficult to approach to a…
See also
• Golf glossary