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why use a sand wedge in golf

by Linnie Moore Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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The typical sand wedge is lofted about 56 degrees, so it may be useful for playing short, high pitch shots. The club's bounce plate makes it a poor choice on hard ground, so make sure the turf is reasonably soft before using your sand wedge from the fairway.

Full Answer

What is the easiest sand wedge to use?

Wilson Harmonized SG Chrome Wedge

  • Classic looking
  • Easy to manipulate
  • It Will help players stop the ball on the greens

What is the best degree for a sand wedge?

What Sort Of Bounce Is Use In Various Course Situations?

  1. Softer Sand. A high bounce SW with a bounce angle of ten to fourteen degrees (10-14) is the best to use in courses with soft sand.
  2. Medium-Hard Sand. A wedge with a bounce of 8-10 degrees is the best to use in golf courses with medium to hard sand. ...
  3. Heavy Rough. ...
  4. Tight Lies Off the Fairway Green. ...

What is the best sand wedge golf club?

Top 5 wedges of all time

  • Original Gene Sarazen Wedge. An early Gene Sarazen wedge. ...
  • Wilson R90. The next evolution of the original Sarazen Design, the Wilson R90 was the very first mass-marketed sand wedge.
  • Cleveland 588. ...
  • Titleist Vokey Spin Milled. ...
  • Ping Eye 2 Plus. ...
  • Honorable mention: The Alien wedge. ...

What is the best loft for a sand wedge?

What is the Correct Loft

  • Sand Wedge Degrees. So, how many lofts are there for sand wedges? ...
  • Club Setup. With a possible total of fourteen clubs allowed in your club set, you have a lot of freedom in what types of clubs you take to the green.
  • 58-Degree Sand Wedge. ...
  • Skill Level. ...
  • Bunker Tips. ...
  • Pitching Tips. ...

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Do you really need a sand wedge?

Most golfers agree that a sand wedge is essential in your bag. As your experience and skills grow you can look at other wedges but to start with one should have at least a pitching wedge and a sand wedge. The Cleveland CBX 2 Sand Wedge is an example of a quality sand wedge that will work well for most golfers.

What is the purpose of a 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.

Do golfers still use sand wedges?

Gap wedges and lob wedges are common in the bags of better players, and sand wedges are fairly common for all players. But beginners should not feel obligated to pick up a sand wedge right off the bat. These are specialized clubs for specialized uses, remember, and you'll want to learn how to use the basic clubs first.

Do I need a sand wedge if I have a 56 degree?

Absolutely, every golfer should have a 56-degree sand wedge in their golf bag. Though you can, in theory, chip out of bunkers with a pitching wedge, it is much more difficult because of the lesser amount of loft and bounce.

Is a sand wedge good 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.

Can I use my sand wedge on the fairway?

0:503:46GOLF: When You SHOULD Be Using Your Sand Wedge - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd only two paces of green. So three times as much fairway as green I'm not going to bump. And runMoreAnd only two paces of green. So three times as much fairway as green I'm not going to bump. And run this. I could bump and run this but. I'm going to play a sand wedge shot because.

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.

What degree is best for sand wedge?

54-56 degreesSand wedges (54-56 degrees) are the most versatile wedge you can have while lob wedges (58+ degrees) should only be used by better golfers.

Do I need a sand wedge and a lob wedge?

0:445:27LOB WEDGE vs SAND WEDGE Which One do you Really Need - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipOut. So currently my wedge makeup is four wedges a pitching wedge 46 degree a 50 degree gap wedge aMoreOut. So currently my wedge makeup is four wedges a pitching wedge 46 degree a 50 degree gap wedge a 54 degree sand wedge and a 60 degree lob wedge i'm either using the voki sm7s or the sm8.

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.

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 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.

What is a sand wedge?

A sand wedge is designed to offer the best help out of those daunting sand traps and greenside bunkers. It is also extremely useful for closer approach shots. You would be doing yourself a disservice by not carrying a decent sand wedge in your bag.

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

This refers to the angle between the front of the sole and the ground. A sand wedge has a much higher angle which produces more bounce.

How many yards does a pitching wedge hit?

The pitching wedge is the one most golfers are familiar with. The average golfer will hit it roughly 100 to 130 yards at full swing. What is important to note is that the loft of the pitching wedge has changed over the years and it is not a lot closer to the older 9 irons. Most pitching wedges have a loft of 44º – 48º.

How many yards does a sand wedge get?

The sand wedge, on the other hand, has not changed much at all. The average loft is 54º – 58º and at full swing one can expect to get around 70 to 100 yards. As the name suggests, its main function is to get you out of the dreaded bunkers or sand traps. Apart from that, it is used for shorter approach shots.

How much bounce is needed in soft sand?

In soft sand, the more bounce the better. It is also handy to have a lot of bounce in longer grass. Bounce measurements range from a mere 2 up to about 16, most fall between 4 and 14. This video explains the concept of bounce quite well: While we all hope never to find the bunkers, most golf courses make this unlikely.

Is a gap wedge necessary?

A gap wedge is not essential but if you are having difficulty around the greens it might be worth considering. Bob Vokey is somewhat of a guru on wedges having been a master craftsman at Titleist for many years. If you want to know more about wedges, particularly the gap wedge, take a look at his comments.

Do you find bunkers in golf?

While we all hope never to find the bunkers, most golf courses make this unlikely. You are bound to find a few on most rounds. Unless you know for sure that the sand is very firm in all of them, you will be grateful for a sand wedge. The loft and bounce are specifically designed to make it a bit easier.

When To Use the Sand Wedge: The Full Shot

Every golfer will have a distance that they carry their sand wedge. For me, this distance is 105 yards with a full swing. Now I could hit it further, but with a simple, well balanced swing with a sand wedge, I can expect the ball to fly 105 yards.

When To Use the Sand Wedge: The Less Than Full Shot

The reality of playing golf is that you frequently do not land on the perfect number. I do not always land on the 105 yard distance for my perfect sand wedge. This is where the golfer needs to be able to take a less than full shot.

When To Use the Sand Wedge: The Pitch Shot

The pitch shot with the sand wedge is from around 10 yards to 40 yards. It is more than a chip, where the ball will be a combination of spending time in the air and rolling out a certain distance as well.

When To Use the Sand Wedge: The Chip Shot

This is similar to the pitch shot, but shorter in overall distance with the ball rolling out more than flying towards the hole. I would recommend creating a system like the one above with the 9 different shots. Being able to substitute different clubs will give you the greatest versatility for scoring opportunities on the course.

When To Use the Sand Wedge: The Sand Shot

Many amateur golfers seem to struggle with the green side bunker shot. The sand wedge can be used on the longer green side bunker shot and I would recommend a lob wedge for the shorter greenside bunker shots.

Next Steps

Get out and pracitce! This is the quickest way to improve your score. Work on these 5 different shots, so you can play with confidence and be able to pull them off when you encounter these shots on the course.

Why use a sand wedge?

As the name suggests, the primary use of the sand wedge is to help golfers escape the sand but it’s heavier weight and large bounce are useful for a variety of different shots. Personally, I like to use the sand wedge when I take most of my chips, especially those around the green.

How far can you swing a gap wedge?

Personally, the most important thing I get from a gap wedge as a golfer is the ability to take a full swing at around 100 yards from the hole which is arguably one of the most common and important scoring ranges any golfer.

What is the best club for bump and run chipping?

The pitching wedge is also a great club for bump and run chipping because the low amount of loft allows the ball to fly lower and roll further once it lands on the green.

Do you use woods or irons in golf?

This is standard in golf, whether you’re using woods or irons except when it comes to wedges. Unfortunately, for a novice golfer or even an advanced one, it’s not always obvious what each different type of wedge is used for, and that can be frustrating.

When was the Wilson R90 sand wedge invented?

5 easy steps to get up-and-down from the bunker like a pro. In 1933 the Wilson Sporting Goods Company mass produced the Wilson R90 sand wedge, changing bunker play in golf. As an instructor, I’ve always found it valuable to understand why things are built the way they are and their purpose.

Who sponsored the golfer who hit his ball into a bunker?

Then, Sarazen had an idea. He was sponsored by the Wilson Sporting goods company, so he called and asked if they could send him a dozen pitching wedges.

The Differences Between Lob Wedge Vs Sand Wedge

There is one huge feature that is different between a sand wedge and a lob wedge. This difference is going to be in the loft degree of the club. Lob wedges will have a loft ranging from 58 to 64 degrees and sand will have a loft ranging from 54 to 57.

Sand Wedge

The sand wedge was first introduced during the 1930s by Gene Sarazen. It was designed to help golfers get their golf balls out of sand traps and bunkers. With a loft ranging from 54 to 57 degrees, the sand wedge makes it easier to increase the height of your shot and allows the ball to make it out of the sand.

Lob Wedge

The lob wedge is newer to the golf community than the sand wedge. It was first introduced during the mid-1980s. The release came with the increasingly difficult designs of greens during the time. There is some debate over who actually invented this iron, but it is most commonly said to be invented by Dave Pelz.

How to Decide What Wedge to Add

It can be tricky to determine whether you should add a sand wedge or a lob wedge to your golf set, but luckily there is a way to make it easier. While there is no right number of how many wedges you should have available to you in your golf bag, there is a recommended gap between them that will help your game.

Conclusion

It can be difficult to tell what the differences are between a sand wedge and a lob wedge, especially if you are new to the sport of golf. At first glance, you might think that there isn’t a difference between the two irons, and that’s because there isn’t very much difference between them at all.

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