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what is the difference between golf wedges

by Ms. Liliane Hudson I Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Difference and Usage Between Golf Wedges Explained

Wedge Loft Bounce Use
Pitching Wedge 47° to 53° 2° to 5° for pitch and chip shots
Gap Wedge 50°° to 53° 5° to 10° for mid and chip shots
Sand Wedge 54° to 58° 10° to 14° To escape the ball through the sand
Lob Wedge 60° to 62° 0° to 10° To get a high flight and to rescue the b ...
Apr 23 2022

The primary differentiating factor between wedges is the degree of loft each wedge club has. The trajectory of the ball when correctly struck is determined by the loft of the golf club. The higher the degree of loft, the faster the golf ball travels into the air.

Full Answer

What are the types of wedges in golf?

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 …

What wedge should you use and when?

What are the Differences in Golf Wedges? Overview. Golfers are faced with a variety of options when they’re within 125 yards of the green. From that distance,... Pitching Wedge. The most common wedge, the pitching wedge, is used for a variety of full shots, pitches and chips. Sand Wedge. If a golfer ...

What are the degrees of golf wedges?

Feb 05, 2019 · The primary differentiating factor between wedges is the degree of loft each wedge club has. The trajectory of the ball when correctly struck is determined by the loft of the golf club. The higher the degree of loft, the faster the golf ball travels into the …

What is the distance of a 56 degree wedge?

May 24, 2019 · 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. Lob wedge: Usually the highest-lofted club a golfer will carry. The lob wedge creates a very steep angle of ascent and descent, for shots that must get up very quickly (perhaps, for example, to get over a tree) and …

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What are different golf wedges used for?

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.May 24, 2019

How do I know what wedge to use?

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.Feb 23, 2018

What is the difference between a 52 degree wedge and a 60 degree wedge?

52 DEGREE WEDGE VS 60 DEGREE WEDGE A 60 degree is a much higher lofted club than a 52 with its eight degrees of difference. If you're hitting a shot or chipping and think you need to clear a tree or have to land the ball with little green to work with, then a 60 is a much better club to hit.Aug 28, 2020

Should I get a 56 or 58 degree wedge?

For the average golfer, having a 56-degree wedge in your bag will be much more beneficial than having a 60-degree wedge. Sand wedges (54-56 degrees) are the most versatile wedge you can have while lob wedges (58+ degrees) should only be used by better golfers.

Which wedge is best 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 wedge is 60 degrees?

lob wedgeA 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.

Is a 52 or 56 wedge better?

The 56- or 60-degree wedge will be a better choice than the 52 when you need something to fly high and land softly. Learning which loft is best for a shot takes a bit of time and what golfers call feel. The higher lofted wedges typically land more softly, and they will not roll as far.

How far should I hit a 60 degree wedge?

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.

Do you need a 56 and 60 wedge?

A 60-degree wedge has four more degrees of loft than a 56-degree wedge. This extra loft can make a big difference when it comes to getting the ball up in the air and then stopping it on the green. Sixty-degree wedges work well for greenside bunker shots, and they tend to spin quite a bit.

What is 52-degree wedge used for?

A 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 the rule of 12 in golf chipping?

The Rule of 12 In Golf Chipping. The rule of 12 is a golf chipping technique that explains the exact relationship between the loft on a golf club and the amount of roll you will get on a chip shot. We use 12 yards as the total distance we want the ball to carry on the chip.Aug 25, 2021

What is 54 degree wedge used for?

bunkersA 54-degree wedge is considered a sand wedge and is used around the green and out of bunkers. A 54-degree wedge is ideal for golfers who have a 58-degree lob wedge and another wedge close to 50 degrees. Pretty much all golfers have a pitching wedge and a wedge between 56 and 58 degrees.

Which is the most commonly used wedge?

The pitching wedge is the most commonly used wedge.

What is 60 degrees wedge?

The lob wedge is the 60-degree wedge

Which is the best wedge?

The PING Glide 3.0, the Cleveland RTX4, and Taylormade Milled Grind 2.0 are the best wedges. Visit www.golferarena.com to find the best wedges acco...

The best selling wedge on the Amazon.com in 2020?

Pinnemeadow wedge 52° is the best selling wedge on amazon in 2020

Which wedge Tiger Woods use?

TaylorMade Milled Grind 56- and 60-degree wedges were used by Tiger Woods.

Which Wedges Do Beginners Need?

The one big question that hit your mind is, what next what wedges should I carry? Remember, When you buy a new set, there will be a pitching wedge included in it. As a beginner in the golf, you won’t need all these wedges except pitching wedge. You can also take a sand wedge in your bag if you want, but it isn’t necessary to have one.

Characteristics of Wedges

Wedges are the most lofted clubs in your bag. Sometimes we identify wedge by their loft rather than by their name. The loft is the angle of the clubface to an imaginary vertical surface. Loft affects the trajectory of the ball, and the distance it will travel after stroke.

Use of a Wedge

In general, wedges used when you are near the green and want to hit a very high arching shot. For example, if you need to get over a tree or a massive bunker, then a golf wedge comes in handy. The golf wedges have a high trajectory and backspin that it tends to roll very little once it hit the ground.

Summary

Golf around the green plays a vital role in your game. Wedges are the type of clubs that help you most around the green. Remember, don’t go with all wedges if you started playing your game and you must understand the Difference in Golf Wedges before buying one. Start with pitching wedge, and as you improve your game, get your hands in other wedges.

What is a pitching wedge?

Pitching Wedge. The most common wedge, the pitching wedge, is used for a variety of full shots, pitches and chips. Pitching wedges generally have a loft between 47 and 53 degrees depending on the club manufacturer. The clubfaces on pitching wedges have little bounce, which allows the clubface to slide under the ball, ...

What is a gap wedge?

The club is generally lofted between 50 and 54 degrees and is meant to bridge the distance gap between a pitching wedge and sand wedge. A gap wedge can be used from the fairway, rough or on chips shots if a bit more loft is needed. Gap wedges are often not sold ...

How far away from the green should you use a wedge?

Golfers have many wedge options to use around the green. Golfers are faced with a variety of options when they’re within 125 yards of the green. From that distance, most golfers will reach for a wedge.

What degree is a sand wedge?

Sand Wedge. If a golfer hits into a sand trap, he will reach for a sand wedge. The loft on sand wedges falls between 54 and 58 degrees. The clubface also features a large amount of bounce on its rounded bottom, which keeps it from digging into the sand on shots. While the sand wedge can be used in the fairway, the added bounce in ...

Who is David Green?

Writer Bio. A former sports and lifestyle reporter at the "Daily Nebraskan," David Green is a writer who has covered a variety of topics for daily newspapers. He was selected by the "Los Angeles Times" to participate in the Jim Murray Sports Writing Workshop.

What is a pitching wedge?

The pitching wedge is the default wedge included in virtually every set of golf clubs. This wedge has a loft of between 44 and 49 degrees and is designed to be able to get under the golf ball on contact. They’re ideally used to hit shots from distances of between 100 and 115 meters (110 and 125 yards). When being used the player is usually looking to get the ball high into the air and have it head toward the putting green, landing it as near to the hole as possible. Having an accurate understanding of how far one can hit the ball with the pitching wedge is important as this will enable the golfer to know when to use this wedge as opposed to the others below.

What is a gap wedge?

The gap wedge basically fills the gap between the pitching wedge and the sand wedge. It falls in between the two due to its loft of between 50 and 54 degrees. This club is used to hit the ball between 80 and 100 meters (90 and 110 yards). This means that, rather than having to use a pitching wedge softly, or using a sand wedge with extra force, one can opt for the gap wedge, which can accomplish the task with a relaxed and full swing.

How far can you hit a lob wedge?

Due to the higher degree of loft, a player can take a full swing and still only hit a lob wedge between 55 and 65 meters (60 and 70 yards), having the ball rise rapidly and come down on the putting surface. This wedge must be bought separately as it’s not included in any club sets.

What is a PNP RAKE wedge?

The PNP RAKE Wedges stand out from the traditional Sand, Gap and Lob wedges due to a number of important factors. Their patented Rail design, undercut cavity, zero heel bounce, and their advanced on-set leading edge, all contribute toward giving the golfer an advantage out on the course. The single blunt bounce found in traditional wedges has now been broken up into two bounces, i.e. the rail bounce, and a secondary ‘between rail’ sole bounce.

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 are the different types of wedges?

In the late 20th century, as more specialization entered golf, golf companies began making additional wedges. Today, the other two wedges that are common are: 1 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. 2 Lob wedge: Usually the highest-lofted club a golfer will carry. The lob wedge creates a very steep angle of ascent and descent, for shots that must get up very quickly (perhaps, for example, to get over a tree) and for shots that you want to hit the green with a minimum of roll.

How many degrees are sand wedges?

Typically, sand wedges have lots from 52 to 56 degrees. As lofts on irons have decreased over time (e.g., a 5-iron today might be lofted at 26 degrees, whereas 30 years ago a 5-iron would have been lofted at 32 degrees), it has become more popular to carry additional wedges.

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.

What is a sand wedge?

Sand wedges are sometimes included in a basic set of irons, but it is unusual for a gap or lob wedges to be included in a packaged iron set. Because the focus with wedges is on accuracy—trying to hit a short shot as close as possible to the flagstick —wedges are often referred to as the "scoring clubs.".

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 a wedge in golf?

Wedges are used to hit the ball within a green golf course ranging from 100 to 125 yards. Wedges are particularly used for smashing chips, pitch, and bunker shots. Wedges can give you the maximum flight more than any other club kept in your golf bag.

Why is the bottom of a golf wedge rounded?

The rounded bottom of the same wedge prevents the clubhead from digging into the sand or long grass providing a significant b ounce due to which the sand wedge makes it easier to rescue the ball from the sand or bunker.

What is the loft of a golf wedge?

Wedges come with different lofts and bounce and length of the shaft. The loft of a wedge varies from 45 to 64 degrees depending upon the golf equipment brand.

What degree is a pitching wedge?

Pitching wedge degrees range from 47 to 53 degrees. The pitching wedge also has the most elongated shaft among all the other wedges. The face of the pitching wedge has a steep slope and the bounce is minimum.

How far does a gap wedge cover?

The gap wedge is used to hit mid-shots to cover the distance of about 60 to 60 yards. That is neither a full-swing nor a chip shot. Sometimes the players also use it to get a flight and roll the ball across the grass to cover nearly the same distance as covered with the pitching wedge.

What is a gap wedge?

The gap wedge is a wedge built to bridge the difference between the pitching and the sand wedge. This is why the club is called ‘a gap wedge’. The gap wedge loft degrees could be anywhere between 50 to 53 degrees. The bounce of a gap wedge is more or less 8 degrees. When it comes to the shaft, the gap wedge’s shaft is slightly smaller ...

Why is the bounce important in golf?

The bounce is important because it allows the club to bounce through the surface that makes the shot a lot easier. Hence, to become a pro golfer you should have the understanding of a variety of bounces and their impact.

Why are wedges important in golf?

With the short game accounting for more than 50% of shots you play in a round, improving your wedge play is the first step to shooting a lower score.

What finishes are used on wedges?

Finishes now include black nickel, chrome, rusty or raw (unchromed), beryllium copper, nickel-coated and oil can. The different the finish makes on most wedges is mainly cosmetic – a case of which one do you most like the look of.

What is a PW golf club?

The pitching wedge (PW) - the next most lofted club after the nine iron - will usually come with any set of irons you purchase. The loft of the pitching wedge is typically between 45 and 48 degrees and it is mainly used for shots outside of 100 yards – the average club golfer hits a pitching wedge around 105 yards, ...

What is the loft of a lob wedge?

The lob wedge has a loft anywhere between 60 and 64 degrees. It is useful for throwing the ball up very high from short distances, also known as the "flop shot" - Phil Mickelson is the expert at this. ROGER CLEVELAND: A 60-DEGREE WEDGE IS USELESS IF YOU'RE OLD.

How many degrees are sand wedges?

"In the old days that was okay because most pitching wedges were around 51 degrees. But now they're 45 to 47 degrees while the sand wedge has stayed at 56. That's a two-plus club difference because now the pitching wedge is essentially the loft of a 9-iron.".

What is the bounce on a wedge?

The bounce is what you see when you place the wedge flat on the floor and the lead edge is slightly off the ground. "The higher the lead edge is off the floor, the more bounce on the wedge. The importance of finding the correct bounce is related to your own personal swing and style of play.".

What is sole grind?

The sole grind refers to the additional shaping of the sole of the wedge, usually around the heel or the toe. Companies offer a range of sole grinds in addition to the standard wedge sole, grinding the soles with a machine to suit specific turf conditions or shots.

How Far Do Wedges Go?

Different wedges go up to different distances, depending on the loft and the player’s abilities.

Golf Wedge Distance Chart

The golf wedge distance for each wedge is not a single figure. It fluctuates across genders and various skill levels.

48 Degree Wedge Distance

Although a 48-degree wedge is ideal for covering long distances, it can hit both long and short distances.

50 Degree Wedge Distance

A 50-degree wedge is also known as a gap wedge. It is a relatively new entry to the wedge series and It essentially bridges the gap between pitching and a sand wedge, which is how it got the name gap wedge.

52 Degree Wedge Distance

52-degree wedges, like the Cleveland Golf CBX 2 Wedg e, are ideal for hitting the golf ball higher in the air at a relatively shorter distance.

54 Degree Wedge Distance

The average 54-degree wedge distance falls between 80 to 110 yards. The golfer’s capabilities and gender influence the distance.

56 Degree Wedge Distance

56 degrees wedges, such as the Wilson Staff Model Golf Wedge, are quite handy. They cover a vast distance and are suited for short-game play.

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Which Wedges Do Beginners Need?

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The one big question that hit your mind is, what next what wedges should I carry? Remember, When you buy a new set, there will be a pitching wedge included in it. As a beginner in the golf, you won’t need all these wedges except pitching wedge. You can also take a sand wedge in your bag if you want, but it isn’t necessary to h…
See more on golfassured.com

Characteristics of Wedges

  • Loft
    Wedges are the most lofted clubs in your bag. Sometimes we identify wedge by their loftrather than by their name. The loft is the angle of the clubface to an imaginary vertical surface. Loft affects the trajectory of the ball, and the distance it will travel after stroke. If a club comes with …
  • Bounce
    The bounce is the area that hits the ground as you hit the ball. Hence, it bounces the club through the surface when you hit the ball. Bounce is the angle from the leading edge to the point where the club’s sole meets the turf.
See more on golfassured.com

Use of A Wedge

  • In general, wedges used when you are near the green and want to hit a very high arching shot. For example, if you need to get over a tree or a massive bunker, then a golf wedge comes in handy. The golf wedges have a high trajectory and backspin that it tends to roll very little once it hit the ground. All four wedges made to use in particular condi...
See more on golfassured.com

Summary

  • Golf around the green plays a vital role in your game. Wedges are the type of clubs that help you most around the green. Remember, don’t go with all wedges if you started playing your game and you must understand the Difference in Golf Wedges before buying one. Start with pitching wedge, and as you improve your game, get your hands in other wedges. So, master your wedge game an…
See more on golfassured.com

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