A Discussion of The 5 Types of Wedges

Any wedge you use or buy needs to fit into your set properly.

The wedge category basically consists of 5 types which are the pitching wedges, gap wedges, sand wedges, 60º lob wedges and the very high loft lob wedges. The discussion below will be centered around some wedge facts, descriptions and also my opinions on which wedges to carry and the specifications you should be aware of to help select the best playing wedges for you.

Pitching Wedges are usually included in the set of irons and this should be the pitching wedge that you play if you like your irons. This wedge is usually designed as a logical extension of the #9 iron in shape and incremental performance. The two variables that usually differ from the irons in the set are 1º to 4º more bounce angle added to the sole and a 2 to 3 swingweight increase. Club lengths vary, but the pitching wedge should be ½” shorter than the #9 iron. A number of manufacturers make it ¼” shorter than the #9 iron.

The golf industry backed themselves into a corner by reducing the lofts of irons over the years and has as such created a new category of wedges called gap wedges. The gap wedge exists because pitching wedge lofts today are usually around 46º or 47º and sometimes even stronger. Sand wedges usually average around 55º or 56º so a gap of about 9º or 10º or more exists between them. Usually the lofts in a set of irons are 3º or 4º between each iron. To sell more clubs and satisfy the needs of some golfers the manufacturers invented the gap wedge which is around 50º to 52º in loft.

Gap wedges in my opinion are mostly not necessary unless your set makeup starts with a #5 iron. The reason for this is that the U.S.G.A. only allows 14 clubs during play. There are a number of other choices for additional clubs that could possibly benefit the golfer much more such as a hybrid club, 60º wedge, #7 and/or #9 fairway metal and so on. If you start with a #5 iron in your set then there can be room for the gap wedge if you desire. If you do not play with a gap wedge, the distance difference between your pitching wedge and sand wedge can be compensated for by learning to hit ¾ pitching wedge shots which are not difficult to master. Gap wedges should be ½” shorter than the pitching wedge and also be 2 to 3 swingweights heavier than your irons. Again, note that a number of manufacturers make the gap wedge only ¼” shorter than the pitching wedge.

Sand wedges should have no less than 55º loft. Lofts lower than this defeat the purpose of what sand wedges are designed to do. I always prefer a sand wedge to have at least 56º. The maximum loft should be 58º on a specific purpose sand wedge. I would not recommend carrying just a 60º sand wedge unless you are very good. There is simply too much loft on a 60º sand wedge to be the only sand wedge you carry. However, there is nothing wrong with having both a 56º and a 60º sand wedge to cover more situations. I would however recommend that the 56º sand wedge have 10º to 14º bounce if it is a normal width sole design and that the 60º wedge have 6º to 8º bounce in a normal width sole design. Note that most 60º wedges designed today are not specifically designed as, nor are they called sand wedges, but a few have bounce angles as high as 14º which would classify them as sand wedges and that is why they are mentioned here in the sand wedge discussion. Always be sure to check the bounce angle on conventional normal sole width design 60º wedges to be certain you are getting the specific type of Lob wedge you want. In other words do you want a multi-purpose 60º lob wedge or a 60º lob wedge for the sand?

Sand wedges need to be a little heavier than the pitching wedge to work the best for most players. They should be 4 to 6 swingweights heavier than the swingweight of your irons and should be ½” shorter in length than the pitching wedge (the same length as a gap wedge if you carry one). Some manufacturers make the pitching wedge and the sand wedge the same length. Also, again, some manufacturers use ¼” difference in length between the pitching wedge and the sand wedge.

60º wedges can be miracle clubs for some players and cause way too many problems for others. The 60º wedge requires a higher skill level and a good amount of practice time to master properly. These wedges differ dramatically in design specifications so it is important to pick one with specifications for your intended use. The main differences are in the sole design. Bounce angles can go as high as 14º (really a 60º sand wedge), but more realistically are in the 6º to 8º range. The lower bounce angles will still work well from sand but do require more skill than a normal sand wedge. The 60º wedge is a good chipping and pitching wedge for specialty shots including the flop shot and will usually have a normal sole width so the club face can be rolled open to increase the loft and the Effective Bounce. 60º wedges can be the same length as the sand wedge or ½” or ¼” shorter. I prefer ½” shorter because distance is not what the golfer should be looking for. Control and finesse are more important. The swingweight should be similar to the sand wedge which is 4 to 6 swingweights heavier than the irons in the set.

There are very wide sole 60º wedges available for eliminating the fat shot such as the GolfWorks 60º Lob Slider wedge and there are also a number of sole widths between this and the conventional width sole that are also very easy to play. Some specifications are different from normal width sole wedges in that the bounce angle is reduced to around 4º for very wide soles to around 6º to 8º for the wide sole categories. The reason for this is simply the sole width. The “effective bounce” however on wider sole width wedges is about 20% to 40% greater than a normal sole width wedge. With this type wedge the face of the club needs to remain relatively square with the target vs. rolling it open so the leading edge does not raise up too high which can cause problems. The very wide sole wedge design will definitely not be used to hit the flop shot. Most golfers do not posses the skill level for such a difficult shot anyway. The very wide sole and wide sole wedges are a great tradeoff in both sand wedges and 60º wedges to make wedge play extremely easy and almost automatic for those golfers that need or want it. Keep in mind that sole widths on wedges can range anywhere from a normal or conventional width of ¾” to wider sole wedges with 1 ¼” or 1 5/8” width soles up to very wide sole widths of 2”. So, there are a number of options available to the golfer regardless of skill level or for golfers that prefer a wider sole wedge to help eliminate the fat shot and be more consistent with their wedge play.

In my opinion, the high loft lob wedges should not be used by most golfers. These wedges have 64º to 65º loft and are very difficult to master for all but the very accomplished player. There is nothing a high loft lob wedge can do that a 60º wedge can not do. Why carry a wedge that is harder to play if it does nothing else for you? If you doubt me and you carry a high loft lob wedge, keep track of all the times it has pulled off the shot and all the times it has let you down. My guess is that it hurts more than it helps for most golfers.

Wedges can make or break a golfer’s game. This is an area where a little study in understanding wedges can really pay off. Go out and try different wedges and see what works best for you. Keep track of which wedge you hit the best and which one lets you down the most. Don’t be afraid to try the new wider sole sand and lob wedges because they can be eye openers as to how easy a wedge can play helping the golfer get more consistent results.

Click here to get Ralph’s Insider Emails

Back to Article Discussions

Article Discussion 5of5starslarge

  • 9:01PM - Aug 15, 2008RE: A Discussion of The 5 Types of Wedges

    #18
    Report This

    • word

    • word
    • User
    • 1 Comment

    I play a 64 and I love it, but it’s not for approach shots. And its not easy to hit, so if you don’t have a good short game I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s good for flop and short, high bunker shots. Stick to the 54 or 60 for approach. It depends on how much green you have to work with. And yes, if you really want to get better and are serious about it, you will have to go practice. Sorry.

    Respond

    Quote

  • 10:50AM - Aug 14, 2008RE: A Discussion of The 5 Types of Wedges

    #17
    Report This

    drumdude96, OK, here is my personal opinion with a little fact thrown-in.

    Unless you are a very good wedge player and you play all the time, the higher lofted wedges are harder to control distance. Also, the higher loft wedges require you to hit the ball harder to move it the same distance as a lesser lofted wedge. My point is that ripping at the ball with a very high loft wedge is not nearly as accurate as a smooth swing with a lesser lofted wedge.

    So, it took me all these words to simply tell you to try using your 56 degree sand wedge all the way down to say 40, 50 or 60 yards and then use the 60 degree (or even stick with the sand wedge). Forget about the 64 degree wedges because they will generally kill your (and most golfer’s) short games.

    Give it a try; it has worked for quite a few golfers, including myself.

    Respond

    Quote

  • 8:17PM - Aug 12, 2008RE: A Discussion of The 5 Types of Wedges

    #16
    Report This

    I’m quite a long hitter, with quite a bad short game. Trust me, this is not a good combination. It’s not that I can’t chip or hit pitch shots well, it’s less-than-full shots from 100 yards and in that I have trouble with. I always seem to hit them too long with my lob wedge, no matter how much I choke down or how short I try to swing. I just can’t seem to hit the 60 degree accurately (distance wise) less than about 90 or 100 yards. Do you think adding a 64 degree wedge to my bag would be a good option for my approach shots? The courses I usually play are only around 6000-6400 yards and I have a lot of 80 yards and in approaches to deal with. And no, I won’t stop hitting my driver to have longer shots into the green! LOL! Hitting it 300 yards or better is the funnest part of the game for me. I know a lot of range time would help with dialing in my yardages, but my time is limited and I like to play as much as I can. So would a 64 degree be a good “lazy” fix to my problem?

    Respond

    Quote

  • 5:40PM - Aug 8, 2008RE: A Discussion of The 5 Types of Wedges

    #15
    Report This

    Mr. Maltby,

    Thank you for your advice and insight. I think I’ll give it a try. I am off to GolfGalaxy tonight on other business (PW for my wife), and I’ll look into picking up a bent Glider PW!

    Thanks!

    Paul

    Respond

    Quote

  • 10:39AM - Aug 7, 2008RE: A Discussion of The 5 Types of Wedges

    #14
    Report This

    plyman, you will be OK with the 5 degree bounce on the PW2. If you look at the Glider X sole from front to back, you will see that I lifted up the rear portion of the sole so that you would not get the full effect of the sole width thus keeping the effective bounce very playable. This lifted up portion will accept a 5 degree bounce without raising the leading edge too much. Actually in your case the leading edge will raise (in the square hit position) approximately .062” (1/16”) when decreasing the loft by 2 degrees. Let us all know how this works out for you.

    P.S. I would try the PW2 (Gap) with chipping from around the green. It should be very difficult to stick the leading edge in the ground and hit a fat shot.

    Respond

    Quote

  • 11:19PM - Aug 6, 2008RE: A Discussion of The 5 Types of Wedges

    #13
    Report This

    The fine folks at Golf Works said they could bend it 2 deg.

    Thanks for the info on Glider S’s GW, though. I didn’t realize that.

    I'd still like to know if the 5* bounce on my PW2 idea would be ill advised...

    Thanks, Paul

    Respond

    Quote

  • 11:22AM - Aug 6, 2008RE: A Discussion of The 5 Types of Wedges

    #12
    Report This

    The short hosel on the Gliders will be very difficult to bend 2* for loft.

    Your best option is probably the new Glider S model, which does have a gap wedge available.

    Respond

    Quote

  • 12:26AM - Aug 6, 2008RE: A Discussion of The 5 Types of Wedges

    #11
    Report This

    Mr. Maltby,

    After 12 yrs off golf, I bought (and like!) your Glider X’s. My question is on a possible gap wedge solution. I now carry the Glider X PW, a conventional SW, and a low-bounce 60* that I am just learning to use. Since I play on tight muny courses, I only use the SW for sand, and so must do a lot with my PW. Looking over the Glider specs, I thought: why not buy a 2nd PW, bend one 2* strong, and the other 2* weak? This would give me a 9i@43, PW1@47, PW2@51, and SW@about 56. My question is about the resultant bounce. If I understand it, this would give me 1* bounce in PW1, and 5* in PW2. (Effective bounce is more relevant here, but I can’t quantify it.) My gut says this is OK: PW1 will be a “10i” in bounce and loft. PW2 will have 5* bounce; is that too much? Should I just create PW1 and buy a conventional gap wedge? I am not concerned about club limits, as I don’t carry 14 now, and may not keep the 60*.

    Thank you, Paul

    Respond

    Quote

  • 12:25PM - Jul 11, 2008RE: A Discussion of The 5 Types of Wedges

    #10
    Report This

    KellyDon, the wedge information will be included in the new fitting and design book I am currently writing. I am quite far along on it, but it is pretty extensive and I keep adding stuff to it. I need to stop somewhere and get it published. I actually work on it everyday. One thing that slows it down is that I need to personally draw all the illustrations exactly full scale and then our expert computer artist copies them in “Freehand” and makes them look great.

    Almost any aftermarket wedge you buy will have a stiff flex shaft in it and this is usually fine. I personally prefer the same shaft type and flex in my wedges that are in my iron set and this is what I recommend. However, the only bad problem you can get into with a wedge shaft is if it is too flexible. A too stiff shaft will still work (however, not an “X” shaft in a wedge for an “A” flex player). We need to use common sense here. So, what I am saying is that the wedges are the least important clubs in the bag regarding shaft flex (again, too flexible is not good). The one thing I would say is that I would not personally waste the money to buy one of the special new shafts on the market that are supposedly designed for wedges only. They work fine, but they don’t do anything to help you score or play better in my opinion. I think someone must have said,” hey no one builds a shaft only for wedges, so let’s build one (read as market one) and charge more money for it”.

    KellyDon, everything I mentioned above is correct, but after finishing the answer to you with all my caveats on “too stiff” or “too flexible”, I guess what I am really saying is that I will go on record as recommending golfers to play with the same flex and type shafts in their wedges as in their irons as the best possible situation. If the heavier wedge head gives you the feeling of too flexible a shaft, even though it is the same shaft and flex as in your irons, then go ahead and tip it ¾” (approximately ½ flex stiffer) or move up 1 full flex stiffer. Since the time I started in the golf business in the mid 1960’s, the auxiliary and aftermarket wedge models were mostly all shipped with “stiff” shafts in them. The truth of the matter was that one flex seemed to work out for most golfers, but the other reason then as it is today is the number of SKU’s for both the manufacturer and the stores if multiple flexes were offered and stocked.

    I noticed that Cleveland ships their stock wedges with a shaft listed as “Wedge Flex” and Callaway shows their stock shaft in the “X” wedges as a Dynamic S-300. Thousands of golfers buy these stock wedges everyday and I simply do not hear any negative comments from golfers. I have most of them here in the studio and I have hit most of them and they play just fine. I am always far more concerned about the sole design (“effective bounce” for the skill level of the golfer) and also getting the correct fitted lie angle. Of course, both companies I mentioned offer every conceivable shaft and flex in their custom departments.

    So, this is sort of a long and rambling answer because I simply cannot boil it down to a black and white answer. There are definitely some grey areas.

    Respond

    Quote

  • 7:41AM - Jul 11, 2008RE: A Discussion of The 5 Types of Wedges

    #9
    Report This

    Ralph, You mention that you were going to be coming out with a book on Wedges. Is that out yet? Also, would you touch on the shaft issue for the Wedge category. In my mind, I would think that shaft selection was as important for a wedge, when making a full swing wedge shot as it is with any other iron. But somewhere I have seen that shaft selection is not a big issue with wedges, and I have a hard time believing that. Keep up the good work. Thanks, Kelly Don

    Respond

    Quote

  • 1
  • 2

Post Comment