Pitching wedge degree full#
The loft on your approach wedge should be 4 to 8 degrees higher than your pitching wedge, and a full swing with an approach wedge should produce 8-15 yards less distance than with a pitching wedge. The approach wedge fills the gap between the stronger pitching wedge, and the more lofted sand wedge.
In addition to approach wedges being offered as a continuation of an iron set, all manufacturers offer separate wedge models as well. The examples given above are mainly game-improvement irons, so the lofts are lower than iron models that are designed for more advanced players. It’s important to note that lofts vary depending on the type of player the club is designed for. Today, depending on the manufacturer, an approach wedge usually ranges from 47-52 degrees.īased on some of the most popular models from the main golf club manufacturers, here is an overview of some approach/gap wedge lofts: Iron Make/Model Approach wedge lofts used to fall anywhere between 50-54 degrees. Changes in both head and shaft technology have allowed irons to decrease in loft while simultaneously hitting the ball higher. For instance, today's 7-iron loft is similar to that of a 5-iron from ten years ago. A few manufacturers even offer lob wedges of up to 64 degrees in loft.Iron lofts as a whole have changed dramatically over the years. Lob wedges are used for short shots and pitch shots in which the ball must rise immediately and land on the green softly. Lob wedges are the most high lofted wedge, generally 58 to 60 degrees, which is a big difference compared to the sand wedge loft of about 45 to 48 degrees. Sand wedges, as you may guess, are the perfect club in the wedge set to use when you need to get out of a sand trap and the rough. The player would take an abbreviated backswing to avoid hitting the ball too far.
Before gap wedges were invented, golfers often employed the pitching wedge for very short approaches where chipping wasn’t possible. Gap wedges are used close to the green, allowing players to take a full swing.
Gap wedges typically contain 50 to 54 degrees of loft. Gap wedges literally fill the gap between the pitching wedge and the sand wedge, which usually features a 56-degree loft. A typical pitching wedge today features 45 to 48 degrees of loft. Unless you discover an antique from the pre-gap wedge days, you probably won’t find a true pitching wedge with a loft of more than 50 degrees.
The minimum loft you’re likely to find on a pitching wedge is 43 degrees. Pitching-wedge lofts vary a bit with different club manufacturers. You’ll generally use a pitching wedge with a good-to-fair lie. You can also use it for shorter shots when you must clear an obstruction between the ball and the green, when the ball is against the collar of the green or for other approaches when a chip shot isn’t an option. Your exact pitching-wedge yardage range depends on your personal golf game when you’re out there on the golf course.įormer PGA Tour standout Tom Watson reported in 2008, at age 59, that he hit his pitching wedge 125 yards, so an average male golfer might employ the club for shots of 100 to 110 yards, and beginner golfers slightly less than that. The pitching wedge is the least-lofted of the wedge family, so you’ll hit the ball farther than with a gap, lob or sand wedge.
0 kommentar(er)
