As its name implies, a lob wedge allows a player to "lob" the ball high into the air, from where it will drop steeply down onto the green, with little or no roll. With pitching wedges typically lofted from 42 to 46 degrees, the gap wedge is so-called because it closes the "gap" in loft between the pitching wedge and sand wedge. A typical gap wedge might might be lofted from 48 to 54 degrees.
The gap wedge also goes by the names A-wedge, attack wedge and approach wedge. In the early s, a fifth wedge—usually called an X-wedge—started showing up in the bags of some low-handicappers. X-wedges have the highest lofts of all, 64 to 70 degrees. Today they are still rare outside of the professional ranks, and even most pros don't carry one.
All irons, including wedges, feature a design property known as "bounce angle," often just called "bounce. And bounce is a concept that even golfers who have been playing for decades may not understand, or may misunderstand. So no beginner should worry too much if he hears other golfers talking about "bounce" and doesn't have a clue what it means. You're not required to at this point. So the short version: The amount of bounce a wedge has can make the club more or less resistant to digging into the turf when the club hits the ground in the swing.
Different golf course conditions, different uses for the wedge, different types of golf swings require more or less bounce. You can dig into the details, if you wish, in our examination of the role of bounce in wedges. If you do not purchase a sand wedge right off the bat, you'll want to use your pitching wedge for sand shots around the green.
As for the appropriate time to use other wedges, that will, of course, be determined primarily by the yardage of your shot. On full shots from the fairway, a typical recreational male golfer might hit a sand wedge about yards yards; women, A lob wedge would be yards for men, for women. A gap wedge would fall in between your pitching wedge and sand wedge yardages.
And these clubs will, when properly struck, produce a very high, arching shot. So if you need to get over a tree, for example, a wedge comes in handy. Or if you're off the green with a big bunker right between you and the flagstick, a high, arching shot with a wedge is a good choice.
Because wedge shots have such a high trajectory, they tend to roll very little once they hit the green. More accomplished players can produce a great deal of backspin with a wedge, causing the ball to back up or "bite" once it hits the green.
Any wedge can also be used for chipping around the green. Short-iron play is very important when it comes to scoring, and getting familiar with your wedges -- including the gap wedge -- can help you put a low number on your scorecard. Steve Silverman is an award-winning writer, covering sports since By Steve Silverman. The gap wedge helps golfers get to the green from about 70 to yards out.
Writer Bio Steve Silverman is an award-winning writer, covering sports since Most Popular. What are Golf Wedges? Use a Pitching Wedge. Golf: Chip. What Is a Lob Wedge Used for? As a result of this, many clubs have changed and evolved over the years. In an effort to increase distance, the loft has been reduced on most irons. The basic theory is that, when hit correctly, less loft means greater distance.
While this was done to irons and the pitching wedge it did not affect the sand wedge. In other words, the modern pitching wedge will go a lot further than one from 10 or 20 years ago. The sand wedge has remained the same so the distance has not changed. A sand wedge is designed for a specific purpose, bunker play. While it is still used for shorter chips around the green, it is the reason the loft has remained the same. This resulted in a significant distance gap between the new pitching wedges and the sand wedge.
To understand the gap or approach wedge better, it is important to understand the various wedge options available. Most golfers are familiar with the pitching wedge and the sand wedge but there are a few other options.
The pitching wedge is used for distances of roughly to yards and will generally have a loft of between 44 to 49 degrees. It can be used for shorter shots is you do not take a full swing but it takes practice to get the distance consistent. You want to get to know your own swing as well as your pitching wedge in order to make you approach sots more accurate. This will make for easier putting and fewer strokes. As we mentioned above, modern pitching wedges have a lower loft then they did in the past and hit a lot further.
The sand wedge is designed to get you out of those dreaded sand traps or bunkers around the green. This is very intimidating for many golfers and takes practice as well as the right equipment. Many golfers question whether they actually need a sand wedge at all. It is also used for shorter approach shots of about 80 to yards and typically has a loft of 54 to 58 degrees.
Again, you need to get to know your sand wedge and how for you can hit it. It can also be played at less than full strength. What makes it effective in soft sand is the high bounce angle. This is also effective in longer grass but is not suitable on hard ground or compacted sand. It is important to remember this.
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