In golf, the wedges from pitching to lob are your scoring clubs. During a round of golf you will hit nearly 3/4 of your shots from about 120 yards. This is the scoring zone and the golfer who can consistently use a wedge will have huge advantage over his or her playing partners. Knowing the best golf wedges for your game will assist you to choose the correct one or two or four. Most pro golfers now carry 4 wedges at least and US golfer Phil Mickleson carries five! often leaving his driver out of the bag because he realises the influence these clubs have on your scorecard.

Read on to find the best wedges for your golf.

 

 

Pitching Wedge The least lofted of the wedges a pitching wedge will commonly come in at around 46-50 degrees. It will be used from 120 yards out with a full swing to give a high trajectory to the green. The high flight causes the ball to land and roll very little. Perfect for giving yourself those birdie oppurtunities.

 

Gap Wedge;A fairly recent inovation the gap wedge gets it's name because it fills the gap between the pitching wedge and the sand wedge.It is a mark of the refinement good golfers are looking for in their wedge play, for the rest of us it eliminates the need for opening the pitching wedge to vary the flight and distance and the inherent risks.Lofts range from 51-55 degrees.

 

 

Sand Wedge; As it's name suggests the sand wedge is for playing out of the sand or bunkers as we call them. Loft is commonly 56 degrees. Another consideration with the sand wedge is the degree of 'bounce' which is the design of the sole. Bounce refers to the angle of the underside of the club head and it is this feature that allows the club to slide through the sand without digging in. All wedges have a degree of bounce.

 

Lob Wedge;A further refinement in the wedge armoury, the lob wedge has a loft of around 60 degrees and allows a very high, very soft landing shot from close range. Ideal for the firmer greens the lob shot will drop and stop.

 

What degree of bounce do I need? Strictly speaking it depends on your personal swing, indeed many pros will have the bounce angle adjusted to the particular conditions of a course but for the rest of us a the standard bounce of about 16 degrees will perform better on a softer course whilst the low bounce clubs, 12 degrees, are more suited to the firmer turf of a links course. Most but not all wedges come with a steel shaft with a wedge flex, i.e. stiff, this is to give better feel whilst striking the ball.

 

Club heads come in a variety of finishes and it really down to personal preference however wedges with a raw or 'rusty' finish will give better backspin due to the grippier finish. An old trick with these clubs was to leave them in the rain to rust and then give a quick wire brush for maximum spin rates. Balls will quickly split or tear with these clubs.

 

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