Why is a 60 degree wedge hard to hit?
Hank is basically saying that most golfers don't need a 60-degree wedge in their bag. I asked a few golf coaches in my area as well and most of them agreed with Hank. The main reason is that it's harder to control your distances. Since there's so much loft, the ball only makes contact with a small section of the club.
If you simply accelerate through impact, a 60-degree wedge is just as easy to hit as a 55. Play the ball in the middle of your stance and go short backswing to long follow. You'll quickly learn that the lob is the one wedge you can't live without.
If you have a 60-degree wedge in your bag and you're a high handicapper, you should probably rethink its spot in your bag. But if you're semi-comfortable wielding an ultra-lofted wedge, there are still certain situations when to use it, and when it's best to use another club instead.
When To Use A 60 Degree Wedge. A 60-degree lob wedge is suited for better golfers and is perfect for launching the ball high in the air and having it land softly on the green. This wedge is ideal for hitting shorter chip shots but should not be the choice for full shots from the fairway.
So what clubs can you use to cover the 40-50-yard distance? Basically any of your wedges, including your pitching wedge. Most golfers carry a pitching wedge with around 48* of loft, along with two more wedges somewhere in the range of 52* to 60*.
TIGER WOODS WEDGES
As you'd expect, MG3 TW wedges also have Tiger's preferred grind pattern on the sole, which has relief taken out of the leading and trailing edges as well as the heel. Tiger's 56° wedge has 12° of bounce while his 60° model has 11° of bounce.
What degree wedge is best for chipping? Typically, it is the sand wedge that is considered the best option for chipping. Sand wedges come in loft degrees that range from 54 to 58, and they can be suitable for a variety of golfing situations that require chipping.
As with most of golf, the decision of which club to hit comes down to numerous factors. As far as 56 versus 60-degree wedges are concerned, a 56 provides less loft and further distance after ground contact while a 60 is the inverse, with higher loft and much less travel after contact with the ground.
Do I need a 52, 56, and 60-degree wedge? Yes, you definitely need all of these wedges. The 52-degree, the 56-degree, and the 60-degree wedges are some of the most commonly used clubs in golfing. You'd significantly narrow your scope of play on the course if you didn't have any of these clubs ready to go in your bag.
A golfer with an average swing speed and average club lofts should be able to hit the 7 iron about 140 yards. For a senior golfer, the yardage could be closer to 130, and the same applies to the slower swing speed player.
What goes farther a 58 or 60 degree wedge?
As it is often the most lofted club available to golfers, the 60 degree wedge will go the shortest distance. On average, a 60 degree wedge will travel 75-80 yards from a full swing. Like the 58 degree, this distance will change depending on if a player is hitting half shots or if they have high swing speed.
For the average golfer, chipping with a pitching or gap wedge will produce the most consistent shots around the green. Using a gap wedge will be the best place to start for standard chips, but a pitching wedge could work better if the ball is sitting up in the rough.
How Far Should You Hit A 60 Degree Wedge? On average, golfers hit their 60-degree wedge 74 yards, but the range can vary between 60 and 100 yards. Longer hitters who take a full swing will typically be close to the 100-yard range but most golfers only take a 1/2 or 3/4 swing with their 60 degrees.
- The sand wedge (54-56 degrees) should have the most bounce, and the deepest bounce. ...
- The lob wedge (58-60 degrees) should have the least bounce, and the narrowest bounce. ...
- The "gap" wedge (50-52 degrees) should have a low bounce, and medium depth.
High handicappers should have at least a pitching wedge, gap wedge, and sand wedge. These three wedges are the minimum, but some players will also add in the lob wedge to round out the group and hit those high-lofted golf shots.
Should I Chip With a Pitching Wedge or a Sand Wedge? You should chip with your pitching wedge in most instances, as they are better for shorter-distance shots.
Rory McIlroy uses TaylorMade MG and MG2 TW wedges.
The message: Most tour pros don't use one. So why do you? Sieckmann recommends a bag with a pitching wedge (48 degrees), sand wedge (54) and lob wedge (58), but those clubs should have varying degrees of bounce, which is the bulge feature on the trailing edge of the clubhead.
You can use the 58 or 60 degree wedge for bunker shots, pitch over bunkers, chipping, partial approach shots and flop shots. It is not a power club and should be used to save strokes in your golf game by hitting the ball close to the hole when you are inside a full shot range.
How Many Wedges High Handicappers Should Carry? Beginners and high handicappers should carry two wedges in their bag, a pitching wedge and a sand wedge. This two-wedge setup will allow you to hit shots from the fairway, chip the ball around the green, and get the ball out of bunkers.
What club to use chipping around the green?
But for most cases where there's enough green that the ball has a chance to roll to the hole like a putt, a lower-lofted club like a 7-, 8-, 9-iron, PW or hybrid (in some cases) should be used to chip.
If you have plenty of green to work with and you want the ball to run up to the hole, a 54-degree wedge is a good choice. If you are in a bunker 40 yards from the hole, I still think the 54-degree wedge is the best choice.
Most golfers refer to a 60 degree wedge as a lob wedge. Lob wedges are carried by every golfer on the PGA Tour but not many beginners keep one in their bags. The lob wedge is considered a high risk/high reward type of golf club. As its name implies, a 60 degree wedge has 60 degrees of loft.
Two of the main problems are that you are attacking the ball too steep, and you are moving your weight backwards through the swing. When you sway through the ball it will make strike really inconsistent and with wedges you always want to have a really stable base.
The pitching wedge loft is about 45-48 degrees–the lowest of all the wedges mentioned here–which means it has the longest range out of the wedge types. Pitching wedges are used for longer approach shots to the green, up to 135 yards.
Many golfers play 54-degree or 55-degree wedges, but 56 is the most popular loft for sandies. And, to be fair, choosing the loft for your sand wedge will depend on the distance gap your are trying to fill between your gap wedge (if you play one) and lob wedge (if you play one).
The ideal loft separation between wedges is 4°-6°, resulting in 10-15 yard gaps, so your gap wedge degree should typically be 48°-52°, especially if your pitching wedge loft is 44° to 46°.
Remember that when you bend a wedge from, say 56 to 58 you will be increasing the bounce 2 degrees. If you bend a 60 to 58 you lose 2 degrees of bounce. Of course it depends on what bounce the club had originally, what change works for you (do you swing steep or shallow),and the type of shots you encounter more often.
Golfers of all ages typically hit their 9 iron 126 yards. Golfers in their 20s typically will hit their 9 iron 139 yards while golfers over the age of 60 will be much closer to 110 yards.
To hit a flop shot like this, you need a soft, high-spinning ball and a wedge that has a rolled leading edge, not straight, so the club can slide along the grass—no digging. You need at least a 58- or 60-degree (Jon's using a 58).
Is a 60-degree wedge the same as a sand wedge?
Know your pitching wedge loft.
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.
If you are hitting wedge shots that don't spin, there is a good chance you are making contact higher on the face. This usually comes from scooping or trying to get the club under the ball.
Wedge bounce is the angle created between the leading edge and the lowest point of the sole or trailing edge. This is the area of the club that hits through the ground as it contacts the ball. The greater the wedge bounce degree, the higher the leading edge is off the surface at address.
60% of the top 100 PGA Tour golfers use a 46° pitching wedge with the next most used loft being 48°. For gap wedges 42% use 52° models with 1/3 choosing a 50° loft. The most used sand wedge loft is 56° with 59% picking that loft of club while for lob wedges 80% of this group play with 60° models.
We also had the chance to chat with Gerrit Pon from the Callaway Tour Department about the unique grinds and profile of Phil's wedges and this is what he had to say. Q: It looks like Mickelson does some extra grinding to the sole of his 60 and 64-degree wedges. Can you tell us what you did and why?
With wedges, you want to focus on distance control not total distance. So make sure to take a less than 100% swing and focus on smooth tempo. Also, don't forget that the right equipment and plenty of practice will turn you from a pretty good player to a great one.
The TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe Wedge is played by multiple players among the top PGA Tour Players right now with 4 tour pros currently carrying it in their bag, including Justin Rose, Robert MacIntyre, and Adam Long.
Pros can typically hit a well-placed 60-degree wedge shot between 100 and 125 yards, but that will generally be between 30 and 80 yards for amateurs. It's important to remember that this isn't a driver, and you shouldn't be looking to use the 60 degrees to gain maximum distance.
As a general rule, average golfers have an easier time hitting a 58-degree wedge compared to a 60 degree. A 58-degree wedge will give most golfers more forgiveness and will also provide more consistent distance control.
60-degree wedge
The higher loft of this wedge makes a huge difference in sending the golf ball flying high, overcoming an obstacle, and then planting it firmly on the green with very little run. They're great for adding spring to your shot, and they're amazing for getting out of greenside bunkers.
Can you hit a flop shot with a 58 degree wedge?
To hit a flop shot like this, you need a soft, high-spinning ball and a wedge that has a rolled leading edge, not straight, so the club can slide along the grass—no digging. You need at least a 58- or 60-degree (Jon's using a 58).
The pitching wedge loft is about 45-48 degrees–the lowest of all the wedges mentioned here–which means it has the longest range out of the wedge types. Pitching wedges are used for longer approach shots to the green, up to 135 yards.
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.
The gap wedge is an essential club for a high handicapper to have in the bag. High handicappers should have at least one gap wedge in their bag. The gap wedge is the most versatile club in your bag and should be used for shots from around 100 yards to the green.
