A golfer’s short game 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 make do in many cases if you have a good short game at 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 most 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 or PW . These are great clubs 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 for 80 to 90 yard shots is the gap wedge . The loft on these short clubs 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 from the 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 around 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 rather than roll .
As you can see , there is a series of club loft angles that can fit almost any situation that you can encounter when you are in near the green. It may seem like a good idea 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 in the bag as you play. For most golfers , 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.
