What was the first wedge on the golf course?
Before the early 1930s, golfers had only one wedge in their bag: a pitching wedge, commonly called a “jigger.” Golfers had been building homemade prototypes to help get themselves out of the sand long before this, but most didn’t conform to golfing regulations and were banned due to concave or deeply grooved faces.
Who invented the lob wedge?
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 add extra challenge to the game.
What is the origin of the pitching wedge?
The pitching wedge is descended from the "niblick", an obsolete blade-style club with a high loft.
Who invented the sand wedge?
The modern sand wedge, the first of the clubs to be called a wedge, was developed by Gene Sarazen after flying in Howard Hughes ' private plane.
Who invented the golf sand wedge?
Gene SarazenSand wedge / InventorGene Sarazen was an American professional golfer, one of the world's top players in the 1920s and 1930s, and the winner of seven major championships. Wikipedia
Did Gene Sarazen invent the sand wedge?
According to the World Golf Hall of Fame, Sarazen invented the modern sand wedge. His idea came in 1931 after he noticed how an airplane's tail adjusted during flight while receiving flying instruction from Howard Hughes. Sarazen used the sand wedge for the first time to capture the 1932 British Open.
Who invented the golf club?
The first record of commissioned golf clubs was by King James IV of Scotland, who hired William Mayne, a bow-maker, to craft him a set of clubs and made him the Royal Club Maker.
Why is sand wedge called sand wedge?
A sand wedge, or sand iron, is a type of golf club, an open-faced wedge primarily designed for getting out of sand bunkers. It has the widest sole of any wedge, which provides the greatest amount of bounce, allowing the club head to glide through sand and avoid digging in.
Are sand wedges still used?
It is also very handy for approach shots around 70 to 100 yards. It will allow you to play a full swing and take the guesswork out of the distance. For shorter shots, you would have to either consider a lob wedge or play your shot at less than a full swing. Most golfers agree that a sand wedge is essential in your bag.
Who was the first golfer to win over 1 million in a single year?
Curtis StrangeBy Golf Channel Digital On this day in 1988, Curtis Strange won the Tour Championship at Pebble Beach to become the first player in PGA Tour history to earn $1 million in a season.
What is the oldest golf club in the world?
Musselburgh Old Links The Old Links at Musselburgh has been officially recognised by Guinness as the oldest golf course in the world; a fact that should immediately place Musselburgh atop any avid golfers wishlist.
What is the oldest golf brand?
Andrews Golf Co.Andrews Golf Co. is the oldest golf manufacturer in the world and the only remaining manufacturer in Scotland. While they don't have the big name of other brands such as Titleist or Callaway, they have found a way to stay in business since 1881.
What did golf stand for?
The word 'golf' is not an acronym for anything. Rather, it derives linguistically from the Dutch word 'kolf' or 'kolve,' meaning quite simply 'club.
What does G mean on a golf club?
0:432:04Golf Tips : How to Use a Golf Gap Wedge - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt's a shot that you hit similarly to a stand full sand wedge or a pitching wedge. Your hands are inMoreIt's a shot that you hit similarly to a stand full sand wedge or a pitching wedge. Your hands are in front of the ball. The ball is towards the back of your stance.
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.
What does golf club w mean?
Many golfers wonder what the letters stand for. While a little unconventional in terms of wedge markings, it's actually simple to understand. W, U, S is an abbreviation for Pitching Wedge, Utility Wedge, Sand Wedge, found on PING's labeling of their golf clubs. W stands for Pitching Wedge.
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 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 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 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.
A Bouncing Idea: The Story of the Sand Wedge
If you’re like me, it’s painful to watch the golf ball tumble into a bunker, or as you Americans like to call them, “traps.” Fear and trepidation soon follow while surveying the next shot from the sandy grave.
Tour Report: Fowler switches to a TaylorMade putter, JT makes a wedge change
Tucked within the mansion-laden hills in Pacific Palisades, California, rests a beautiful and historic golf course – named The Riviera Country Club – where Tiger Woods hosts a yearly PGA Tour golf event.
How good do you need to be to play T100S irons? – GolfWRXers discuss
In our forums, our members have been discussing Titleist’s T100S irons. WRXer ‘Vater’ is considering purchasing the clubs but is concerned that he may not be at the right level to play them, saying:
What was the golfer required to do before the invention of the lob wedge?
Before the invention of the lob wedge, or to create a shot similar to the lob wedge, the golfer was required to perform the shot with a sand wedge or pitching wedge and to modify the shot by cutting across the ball making a glancing blow, a much riskier shot.
When did golfers use lob wedges?
Before 1931, golfers used a single wedge, known as a "jigger", similar to the modern day pitching wedge. After 1931, additional wedges entered the golf bag starting with the sand wedge. The lob wedge was first envisioned by Dave Pelz, a former physicist for NASA, who recognized the need for higher loft wedges (at the time 60 degrees) ...
Who invented the lob wedge?
The mainstream lob wedge was invented by Karsten Solheim, the founder of the PING line of golf products, possibly after experimenting by gluing a potato chip to a straw. Solheim was also responsible for naming the club the "L Wedge" or the "Lob Wedge", as it is currently known today.
Why use a lob wedge?
By utilizing a lob wedge for these short shots, the ball is carried much higher in the air than with a standard iron causing significantly less roll on the landing surface. This is most often important for short shots into difficult pin placements. Before the invention of the lob wedge, or to create a shot similar to the lob wedge, ...
Why is the golf club called the "driver"?
Now to the “big stick.”. The term “driver” comes from the idea that the longest club was meant to be driven as far as possible from the teeing area and hence the name stuck. The club heads were made of persimmon, because of the strong dense nature of the wood.
When was the steel shaft invented?
For the sake of this piece were going to stick with the modern evolution of the game’s equipment starting off with the invention of the steel shaft in the early 1900s. Some of the first steel shafts came from a fishing rod producer in Britain by the name of Apollo and we’re developed in the early 1920s. The shafts were much more consistent ...
Overview
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 …
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 …
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