One of the more important and more difficult areas of any golfer’s game is using irons. This is especially true when it comes to acquiring an effective short game. Granted, the definition of a golfer’s short game can be left open to controversial interpretation. But, wedge play does come into frequent use in any player’s short game from fairway approach shots to the green as well as many different greenside shot-making needs. All wedges are, indeed, irons. However, due to their specialized use they are placed in a category all their own and, in fact, separate clubs fulfill specific uses when it comes to a variety of wedge play.
Mention of wedges can limit the report to three main choices – sand wedge, lob wedge and a “gap” wedge. Yes, the pitching wedge does have the same “last name” as the others, but is a standard club typically found when buying any “off-the-rack” set of clubs. Standard club sets contain irons 3-through-pitchin wedge. Most beginners use the “pitching wedge” for all wedge play – bunker shots and others – when initially taking up the game. However, the lob, sand and gap wedges are usually sold separately or may be found bundled together as a 3-club set.
When it comes time to implement a wedge play strategy, a golfer typically is looking to hit a short shot getting the ball as close to the pin as possible, setting up the next stroke to be a possible scoring putt. Therefore, wedges can often be heard referred to as “scoring irons.” Although beginning golfers usually carry only one pitching wedge put to all around wedge use, “taking the game to another level” compels a more serious player to seek clubs for greater specialized use. This includes the three mentioned wedges. The three wedges are also identified by their loft degree:
- Lob wedge has a “60-degree” loft and is also known as a 60-degree wedge.
- The sand wedge was invented (attributed to Gene Sarazen) to execute shots from bunkers (some people call “sand traps”) easier, although this particular part of the overall game can be fairly frustrating for the unpracticed. This sand shot can be one of the less challenging ones for many advanced players. The standard sand wedge has a loft around 56 degrees.
- A gap wedge was designed to fit in-between the lofts of a pitching wedge (in mid to upper 40-degrees) and a sand wedge in the mid-50s. Therefore, a sand wedge has a 50-52 degree loft and thus referred to as a “gap” lodge.
The greatest challenge most golfers face where “extra” strokes are needed, is from 100 yards and in to the hole. This is challenging, because many players lack the needed effective wedge play shots. Since there are a variety of different locations and settings (called “lies” – how the golf ball “lies” on the ground), there are multiple types of wedge shots a player can employ. These include:
- Three-quarter. A good wedge shot should not affect a swing that goes any further back than three-quarters the way. Since wedges possess the greatest offset and loft of any club in a golfer’s bag, it is also the club easiest to pull. Executing a three-quarter swing allows a player greater control for distance and direction, thus producing better accuracy.
- Trailing Edge. This shot is the opposite of a three-quarter. This shot is used in the bunker where the trailing edge of the club head is used as the hit spot to produce greater loft and allow the club to push through the sand. The end result is a higher trajectory with less spin. This is also known as a “lob” shot.
- Knockdown. This shot produces a low trajectory that takes one hop and then stops. It’s a full-swing shot with the club head getting under the ball producing the ball-stopping spin after an initial bounce.
- Flat-Footed. This is executed with a three-quarter swing that finishes very low while the player’s feet remain flat through the finish making this an upper-body stroke designed for greater accuracy, not distance.
It is important to remember that wedge play is never for distance. It is used for accuracy. Therefore, many of the shots will be three-quarter and could be half-wedge shots. Try different backswings to control your wedge play when 100 yards or closer to your goal for less strokes used.
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