A golfer’s short game can make up for all kinds of deficiencies in their long game. So even if you are not the greatest driver or long ball hitter, you can still recover fairly nicely in many cases if you have a good short game near 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 kinds 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 determine how to use each. Remember that all of the clubs mentioned can be purchased at any supplier of discount golf clubs and golf equipment.
The most common of the wedges that can be seen in any golf bag is the pitching wedge. They are great clubs to use for approach shots of around a hundred yards or so away from the flag. Normally they have a 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 these short clubs is usually between 49 to 54 degrees.
Another very common wedge that is found in almost every golf bag is the sand wedge. A sand wedge has a loft of between 53 to 57 degrees, and so is best used from about 60 – 70 yards out from the pin. Of course, the sand wedge also doubles as the weapon required for hitting out of a sand trap. The clubhead includes a flange on the bottom to prevent allowing the club to dig into the sand as the shot is made, helping you blast the ball out of the sand trap instead.
The lob wedge is another club that has gained popularity in recent years. This club head has around 60 degrees of loft, making it only useful for shots that are extremely close 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 rather than roll.
Obviously, there is a progression of club loft angles that can fit almost any shot that you can encounter when you are in close around the green. It might appear necessary to carry all the wedges in your bag when you play, but remember that rules require that you can only have 14 golf clubs with you in your bag as you play. For most golfers, that means that one or two of these wedges may have to be omitted 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.
