wedge degrees

What are the different degrees of loft for most wedges? What I mean is the degree of loft for the pitching wedgr, sand wedge, etc.

These days, its anything you want. There are normal 56 sand wesges, and 51 pitching wedges. But "wedges" can got to 64 and as low as 46 now. So it's all about the "bounce" angle and "sole" angle to produce the desired shot from different lies. This is why the average number of wedges being carried is 3 or even 4, not just 2 like it was 10 years ago.

The current (modern) standard is a 47° PW. Sand wedges have always been 55 or 56° (because the loft is needed to clear bunker lips).

Some of the new sets (2007) now feature 46 and 45° PW. Guaranteed to be longer than your current PW. Of course it is, now that it's lofted like your current 9 iron.

Like Greg said, wedges come in every degree from 47 to 72. And just because it says a number on the sole doesn't mean it's actually that number. Manufacturing tolerances are +/- 2° for loft. So that 56 could actually be playing at 54 or 58.

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True Length Technology Fitter - www.truelengthtechnology.com
It's live! - www.ShipShapeClubs.com
PCS Class 'A' Clubfitter

A new highlight: Golfing the home course on Christmas Day.

I say it too often: If it's golf club shaped, you can play with it.

For the record, I'm a club doctor, not a swing doctor.

Thanks guys. I just got back into playing again about a year ago. When I started back playing I was shooting 117 and now am consistently shooting in the mid 80's. My sand wedge is bent and so is my pitching wedge. What would be best for me to replace them with. I know I need new wedges but I was wondering if I need to add a gap or 60 degree to my bag.

What's bent about them?

Mine are:

48° - PW
52° - GW
56° - SW
60° - LW

The shaft on the sand wedge is bent slightly. Cant seem to get it back straight no matter what. The pitching wedge shaft is bent beyond repair. Mishit it and caught a root that was just beneath the grass.

Thanks. That is about what I'm looking for.

mine are
pw 47.00
sw 52.00
mb 56.00
also have a 60.00 wedge but i dont use it much and only take it when rough is really bad or the bunkers are very deep.
bill

You could probably reshaft cheaper than buying a new wedge... unless you want new wedges!

Ok.Thank you for the replies.

How often do you actually use all of them during a round though?

I own a PW, GW, SW, LW at 48, 52, 56, and 60 degrees, respectively.

The PW and GW get used an awful lot on full swings. The 56 and 60 see use with chips and pitches. I tend to carry the 60 when I don't need the 3 or 5 wood. I take 15 clubs on road trips, and make a decision as to what goes in the bag (another scoring club or another positioning club) once I can see what the course looks like, what the bunkers look like, and where the bunkers are.

At the absolute least: If you have a set of irons made in the mid 1980's or newer, buy yourself a gap wedge. Something that splits the loft difference between your PW and SW.

__________________
True Length Technology Fitter - www.truelengthtechnology.com
It's live! - www.ShipShapeClubs.com
PCS Class 'A' Clubfitter

A new highlight: Golfing the home course on Christmas Day.

I say it too often: If it's golf club shaped, you can play with it.

For the record, I'm a club doctor, not a swing doctor.

hi
i agree with lowpost thet you should carry at least 3 wedges but if youhave some older clubs the p/wedge may be about 46%/47% and the sand wedge may be around 52%/54% and if newer clubs then the s/wedge may be more lik 56%. if you have older clubs like me then a 56% wedge adds in nice to my 47% p/wedge and my 52% s/wedge. if you dont know the % of your wedges then get them checked before you buy a gap wedge as it may be the same as your sand wedge ie 52%. i do use my sand wedge more off the fairway than out of bunkers it the club i goto for shots from about 40 to 75 yards and use my 56% wedge fron 40 yards in unless i want more run and i use the s/wedge or p/wedge.
bill

I carry four wedges, but I find myself using the GW (52) quite a bit. For whatever reason, I like the feel of this club. With a nice smooth full swing, I hit it 100 yards, and I can count on that. With a little extra juice, 110. "Half swing" (as it feels to me) gives me about 70 yards. When I started playing, I used the LW a lot more than I do now. I had the idea that if I was at the "right distance" for a full swing LW, that's what I should do. I seldom do a full swing with the LW now, since that half swing with the GW gets me there in a more consistent and controlled way. My main use for the LW now is to make those short-side chips shots from the rough (possibly over a bunker) where I just don't want any roll. I should add that the LW is particularly prone to one of the most maddening snafus: Because of the extreme loft, the ball readily climbs up the face of the wedge, especially when it's a slow swing and there's little or no compression of the ball. If, in addition to that, the ball is propped up in the rough a bit, it's just soooooooo easy to have the ball meet the club too high up and then you just get a pathetic little "mini-lob" that goes about two feet. I don't think this happens to me with any other club, but it sure extends my vocabulary when it does happen.

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Todd
Philadelphia, PA
USA

The reason the pro tells you to keep your head down is so you can't see him laughing. ~Phyllis Diller