Golf Wedges: How To Choose Them

The golfers game around the green can make up for many deficiencies in their long game. So even if you are not the greatest driver or long ball hitter, you can do well in many cases if you have a good short game around the greens .

The golf clubs that you’ll be using when you get within 100 yards or so of the green are called wedges, and there are four general configurations of wedges that all golfers should be concerned with, depending on the skill level and the shot . Let’s take a look at each type of wedge and see how they are used . Remember that all the wedges can be purchased at any supplier of discount golf clubs and golf equipment.

One of the most common wedges that can be seen in any golf bag is the pitching wedge or PW . These are great irons to use for approaching a green from 100 yards . Usually they have a club loft of between 45 to 49 degrees.

The next wedge to consider is the gap wedge which is more suitable for shots that are 80 to 90 yards away from the flag or your intended target . The loft on this club is usually between 49 to 54 degrees.

The sand wedge is a must for all golfers . A sand wedge has a loft of between 53 to 57 degrees, and so is required from about 60 – 70 yards away from your target . Of course, the sand wedge also doubles as the weapon needed for hitting out of a sand trap. The clubhead includes a flange on the bottom to preventing the club to dig into the sand as the shot is made, assisting yo to hit the ball out of the sand trap instead.

And other type of wedge that has become increasingly popular in recent years is the lob wedge . This club head has typically 60 degrees of loft, making it only useful for shots that are very near to the green, perhaps around 40 yards or less. They are intended for short high shots where you need to go over obstacles and stop quickly .

It can easil be seen , there is a progression of club loft angles that can fit almost any situation that you can encounter when you are in near the green. It might appear necessary to carry all four wedges in your bag when you play, but keep in mind that rules limit you to only have 14 golf clubs with you in your bag as you play. To most , that means that one or two of these wedges may have to be sacrificed to make room for other clubs that are more commonly used.

In such case, the pitching wedge and sand wedge are the best choices. However, if you repeatedly find yourself in certain situations that call for a different club loft, choosing one of the other two wedges mentioned above to take along with you may work out well.

Beginners generally don’t need to worry about having each type of wedge represented in their bag though, and usually just the pitching and sand wedge will do nicely.