Sand wedges come in either 54 or 56 degrees, but the most common loft is 56 degrees. If your pitching wedge is 44-45 degrees, having a 50-degree gap wedge and a 56-degree sand wedge makes the most sense. For most golfers, you'll want your sand wedge to have at least 10 degrees of bounce.
When should I use a 56-degree wedge?
A 56-degree wedge is excellent for shots out of a bunker, and it also works well when hitting shots around the green out of the rough. This wedge is often used for approach shots to the green when your pitching wedge is just too much club. Great golfers will have an excellent relationship with their 56-degree wedge.
Are sand wedges necessary?
Most golfers agree that a sand wedge is essential in your bag. As your experience and skills grow you can look at other wedges but to start with one should have at least a pitching wedge and a sand wedge. The Cleveland CBX 2 Sand Wedge is an example of a quality sand wedge that will work well for most golfers.
How far should you hit a 56-degree?
If you're a beginner golfer, you can expect your 56° wedge to send the golf ball flying some 60 – 80 yards. Intermediate golfers can achieve a distance of 80 – 100/110 yards with their 56° wedge. Finally, professional golfers can cover the distance of 115 – 120 yards with their 56 wedge.
When should you hit a sand wedge?
Some typical situations that would call for a sand wedge are:
- the ball is in the sand (of course)
- the ball is sitting in muddy ground, and/or is sitting down in the rough.
- the ball is on firm grass and you want to hit a higher, softer shot.
Should I use my sand wedge to pitch?
The typical sand wedge is lofted about 56 degrees, so it may be useful for playing short, high pitch shots. The club's bounce plate makes it a poor choice on hard ground, so make sure the turf is reasonably soft before using your sand wedge from the fairway.
Can I use my sand wedge for chipping?
For the average golfer, chipping with a sand wedge should only be used when you need to get the ball over an obstacle. A sand wedge is much more prone to chunking or topping the ball, and is why most golfers should use a gap or pitching wedge in most cases. For me, my sand wedge is my highest lofted club (56 degrees).
Is a 56 degree wedge the same as a sand wedge?
What Is A 56 Degree Wedge Used For? A 56-degree wedge is considered a sand wedge and is mainly used for hitting out of the sand and chipping around the green. A 56-degree wedge is one of the most used clubs and is the highest loft an average golfer should carry.
Can you use a 56 degree wedge as a sand wedge?
A 56-degree wedge is often referred to by most golfers as the sand wedge. It provides a high amount of bounce and allows golfers to get out of many sticky situations on the golf course. Every golfer should have a sand wedge in their golf bag for this very purpose.
How do you chip a 56 degree wedge?
For a basic chip, use a 52- to 56-degree wedge. Play the ball center, and get your weight forward so your left shoulder is over your left foot. Your trunk is the heaviest part of your body, so that's what you should move forward, not the hips (above right).
Do pros use sand wedges?
80% of the top 100 PGA Tour golfers use 4 wedges with the other 20% using 3. The most common wedge set up used by 51% is a pitching wedge that matches their irons, & 3 specialist wedges including a gap wedge ranging from 50° to 52°, a sand wedge from 54° to 58° degrees & a lob wedge from 58° to 63°.
What's the difference between a sand wedge and a pitching wedge?
Sand Wedge (What's The Difference?) A pitching wedge and a sand wedge have different lofts and shapes that allow them to produce varying shots around the golf green. A pitching wedge typically has around 45 degrees of loft, where a sand wedge is going to be closer to 56 degrees in loft.
What degree wedges do I need?
So generally think about putting in a gap wedge that's 48 or 50 degrees, a sand wedge that's between 54 and 56 degrees, and a lob wedge that's between 58 and 60 degrees. These are general guidelines, make sure you're working with your fitter to get the gapping that works best for you.
Is it better to chip with a 56 or 60 degree wedge?
Most people would agree that something around 56 degrees of loft is going to be best for chipping. A wedge with this loft seems to have the right amount of height, spin, and maneuverability to help you get shots around the green completed with ease.
Which wedge is best for chipping?
What degree wedge is best for chipping? For most golfers, a gap wedge or a sand wedge with loft of between 52° and 56° will produce the most consistent outcome when chipping. This is because you'll be able to play most short-game shots you're likely to come across out on the course.
What is special about a sand wedge?
A sand wedge, or sand iron, is a type of golf club, an open-faced wedge primarily designed for getting out of sand bunkers. It has the widest sole of any wedge, which provides the greatest amount of bounce, allowing the club head to glide through sand and avoid digging in.
What is the rule of 12 in golf chipping?
The Rule of 12 In Golf Chipping. The rule of 12 is a golf chipping technique that explains the exact relationship between the loft on a golf club and the amount of roll you will get on a chip shot. We use 12 yards as the total distance we want the ball to carry on the chip.
What club do pros pitch with?
If you want to be a better player, copy what better players do. When tour pros need to hit a greenside shot that stops quickly, they almost always grab a club with a lot of loft. They make the ball stop by hitting it high more than trying to spin it.
What club do pros use around the green?
Lob Wedge. This is a high lofted wedge for very short or high and sharp chips around the green. It generally has a short roll and good control. They generally have a loft of 60 to 64 degrees.
Can I use a sand wedge instead of a pitching wedge?
Pitching wedges can fly further than sand wedges.
A sand wedge lacks the ability to fly far but pops up quickly. A typical amateur can hit a sand wedge between 50 and 75 yards. Meanwhile, pros can hit a sand wedge 100 yards but would most likely be hitting a pitching wedge in the majority of situations.
How many degrees is a pitching wedge?
The pitching wedge is often the final and most lofted club in most modern iron sets. Pitching wedges are generally in the range of 44 to 48 degrees loft and used for hitting the longest wedge shots into a green.
How do I choose a sand wedge?
If you play on golf courses with firm sand in the bunkers, then you should choose a wedge with a lower bounce from 2 to 8. If your typical course has soft bunkers, then a higher wedge bounce of 12 or 16 will be preferable. Maybe you aren't sure what type of sand you play on.
What is a 50 degree wedge used for?
What Is A 50 Degree Wedge Used For? A 50-degree wedge is considered a gap wedge and is used to fill the gap between your pitching wedge and your sand wedge. Golfers who have a 50-degree wedge in their bag typically have a pitching wedge that's between 44-46 degrees.
What wedges does Justin Thomas use?
Interestingly, Thomas brings two lob wedges to tournaments. Typically, he plays with a 60-degree K grind wedge with 6 degrees of bounce, but starting at the 2018 Presidents Cup in Australia, he began using a 60-degree T grind wedge on firm golf courses.
