In a technical sport like golf, choosing the right clubs will have a big impact on your performance. When you select your clubs - though you might not believe it - you are in fact sealing part of your fate. How so? Well, at the end of each hole and the course, you will look back at both your skill and your choice of equipment. While in a previous post we talked about golf clubs more generally, today we’re going to hone in on wedges. Start making space in your bag and get ready to add the best clubs for your short game.
What are golf wedges?
Wedges are the clubs most players reach for in the short game. And we use the plural because there is more than one type of wedge. You’re sure to know all too well that it feels like when you’re close to the hole and your game hangs in the balance. You will face all sorts of situations in the lead-up to the green; fortunately, there are different types of clubs that will give you the best chance for each type of shot.
The feature defining golf wedges is loft. To be considered a wedge, a golf club must have a loft of over 45 degrees. The clubs are must-haves in your bag as they are precise, stopping the ball from rolling too far from where it falls. Generally speaking, there are four types of golf wedges:
- Pitching wedge: with loft between 46 and 48 degrees, pitching wedges are used for balls some 100m from the hole.
- Gap wedge: with loft between 50 and 52 degrees, gap wedges are useful for balls some 70m from the hole.
- Sand wedge: with loft between 54 and 56 degrees, sand wedges are ideal for 50m-60m shots.
- Lob wedge: with loft of over 60 degrees, lob wedges are the highest-lofted clubs of all. They are ideal for getting you out of the bunker or shots where you need to get height on the ball without much roll on the other end. After lob wedges there are putters or putter wedges, a club that is used on the green.
Three steps to choosing a good wedge
1. Take a careful look at the material of the shaft
The shaft of a wedge is fundamental as it determines the consistency of your swing. In other words, choosing a wedge with a shaft that has the same or similar weight as your other clubs will help keep your game even. Material plays an important role in this. When buying clubs, make sure they are all made of the same material. If you play with graphite clubs, make sure the shaft of your wedge is graphite too. Alternatively, if you play with steel, choose a steel wedge.
2. Choose the loft depending on the requirements of the shot
The angle of the clubface from the shaft is known as ‘loft’. As we mentioned before, the loft defines the type of wedge. Generally speaking, the higher the loft, the higher and less distance your ball will travel. And nobody knows better than you which type of wedge you’ll need at each moment in the game.
3. Study different combinations and don’t forget about bounce
The best approach shots are those hit with the right club. Golf wedges certainly make a difference in your short game, but knowing how to successfully combine them is just as important as buying good ones. To put it simply, this means that having one good wedge is not enough: you need to have different wedges for different types of shots. You should therefore study the different combinations between wedges and remember that though loft is the main characteristic defining different types of wedges, it is not the only one. For instance, bounce, which is the angle between the ground and the clubface, is very important when it comes to different types of terrain. On soft courses you will need more bounce than on firmer terrains.
Put your short game to the test in the Costa del Golf
It goes without saying that having the best clubs in the world is of no use unless you practise, practise and practise some more. In the Costa del Golf, you can choose from over 70 courses where you can put each and every one of the clubs in your bag to the test. Work on your short game in the golf courses in Malaga province and enjoy all the other wonders of the Costa del Sol when you’re not on the course.
