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what is the lob wedge club in golf

by Maureen Rolfson Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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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.

Full Answer

Are Lob wedges worth it?

The thing is, the lob wedge can be one of the most forgiving wedges in your bag as soon as you learn to use it properly. Lob wedges will give you quick loft and increased spin. For shots where you short-side yourself or bunker shots with a high lip in front of you, the lob wedge can be a great option.

Should I get a lob wedge?

What Is a Lob Wedge Used for?

  1. 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.
  2. Practice hitting your lob wedge before you take it with you to the golf course. ...
  3. Use your lob wedge only when you have a shot that requires a high trajectory and a soft landing. ...

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How much bounce should you have in a lob wedge?

Sand wedge: 56 degrees loft, 12 degrees bounce (notated as 56:12 on the wedge) Lob wedge: 60 degrees loft, 4 degrees bounce (notated as 60:04 on the wedge) Before reading further, check your wedges so you can understand how to use each one to your advantage. Here are the main types of bounce you will find in your wedges.

What Golf Club wedge to use?

Which Types of Golf Clubs to Choose

  • Woods. The driver falls into the category of woods and is an indispensable part of golf. ...
  • Irons. When you are looking for more control, irons should be your absolute choice. ...
  • Wedges. The pitching wedge is used near the greens and 130 yards around it. ...
  • Hybrids. Hybrids have been developed to replace long irons. ...
  • Putters. ...

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Which club is lob wedge?

A lob wedge is the golf club with the highest degree of loft. Most golfers would classify a lob wedge (LW) as a wedge between 58 to 64 degrees of loft, with 60 degrees being most common. Compared to a sand wedge, lob wedges are even more specifically used for shorter shots around the green and bunker shots.

When should I use a lob wedge?

When should I use my lob wedge?You have to get the ball over an obstacle. Since the lob wedge can send the ball into the air easily and quickly, it is particularly useful when you're hitting over a tree or hill. ... Your ball is just off the green, in the rough. ... You want to decrease roll and have the ball stop quickly.

What is the difference between a wedge and a lob wedge?

The main difference between a lob wedge and sand wedge is the degree of loft. A typical lob wedge is anywhere from 58 to 60 degrees according to Golfweek. Even though they are typically in that 58-60 range, there are certainly anomalies. Actually, lob wedges can go up to 64 degrees of loft.

Is a lob wedge the same as a pitching wedge?

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.

Does a beginner need a lob wedge?

Generally, lob wedges carry 60-degrees of loft and are used to recover from difficult positions near the green. However, in my opinion, a beginner should shy away from a lob wedge, as it is a finesse club and requires skill and many, many hours of practice, to hit with confidence.

Which wedge is best 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.

Should high handicappers use a lob wedge?

The Lob Wedge Lob, or high, shots can save high handicappers strokes. High handicappers who have difficulty playing from tight, or bare, lies and who have a propensity for taking large divots should consider carrying a lob wedge in their bags. The lob wedge should have no more than 60 degrees of loft.

Can I use a lob wedge in the sand?

Can I Use A Lob Wedge From The Sand? Most of the time, yes. Unless you specifically purchase a low bounce lob wedge, you might find that a decent number of LWs and SWs have a pretty comparable amount of bounce out of a sand trap (my SW and LW, for example, have identical bounce numbers).

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 degree wedges does Tiger Woods use?

He's still using his TaylorMade MG2 TW grind wedges (56 and 60 degrees) and the Scotty Cameron GSS Newport 2 prototype putter that he's used to win 14 of his 15 majors, as well. He'll also continue using the Bridgestone Tour B XS 2022 prototype golf ball that he debuted at the 2021 PNC Championship.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

How to Hit a Lob Wedge

Here is a quick video form Chris Ryan where he talks about how to hit a high lob shot onto the green. I really like this video because he explains the importance of opening up the clubface to add more loft to your golf shots

My Quick Tips to Focus On Using a Lob Wedge

Keep your weight on your front leg to keep your weight over the golf ball and avoid hitting behind the ball

Where Do You Get a Lob Wedge?

You can purchase a lob wedge at your local sporting goods store or golf course (if the sell clubs). Here are a few tips to consider before purchasing:

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 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 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:

What is the loft of a pitching wedge?

Pitching Wedge (Loft: 43°-48°) Pitching wedges come stock in most iron sets with standard lofts of 43°-48°. More and more golf club manufacturers are decreasing the loft on standard pitching wedges. Years ago, 47°-48° was pretty standard, but now 43°-46° is much more common. This means that golfers are hitting pitching wedges much farther ...

How to choose lofts for pitching wedges?

To choose the right lofts for your wedges, you first need to know how far you hit all clubs in your bag, particularly your pitching wedge. It’s important that you know precisely how far you hit each club, not how far you think you do.

What is the highest lofted club?

Lob wedges are the highest lofted club for most players, usually between 58°-60°. Some manufacturers are making higher lofted lob wedges (as much as 64°). I wouldn’t advise playing anything more than 60 unless you really know what you’re doing.

How to determine wedge loft?

In determining your ideal wedge lofts, what you’re trying to do is gap your distances evenly inside your pitching wedge. Once you know your distances, then you’ll be able to determine your wedge loft needs. There are a few ways to do this: Schedule an appointment with a club-fitter to perform a proper gap test.

How many different wedges are there?

There are four different golf wedges (Pitching Wedge, Gap Wedge, Sand Wedge, and Lob Wedge), each with different lofts and a unique purpose. Wedges come with different loft options, grind, and bounce, all of which are important; however, this article will focus specifically on wedge loft.

What is gap wedge?

Gap Wedge (Loft: 48°-52°) Gap wedges, well, fill the gap in between the sand wedge and pitching wedge. Some iron sets come with approach wedges (A-wedge), which is the same as a gap wedge. With the lofts of pitching wedges going down over the years, this has created an even larger distance spread from pitching wedge to the sand wedge.

How to get better at wedge golf?

If you want to play better golf, then you have to get good with your wedge game. It all starts with understanding what wedges you need in your bag and what wedge loft you should be playing with each one. Knowing the distance you hit each club, and understanding the gaps you need to fill, is a critical factor in determining your wedge loft needs. ...

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.

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