pccoder

What's the difference between a pitching, sand and lob wedge? Do I need to have all 3 in my bag?

Fourputt

No you don't need all 3. To start out with, the pitching wedge and the sand wedge are plenty to learn how to use properly. The lob wedge is a specialized club, and takes a lot of practice to use well. I've been playing for 30+ years and I don't have any need for one. I never recommend a LW to anyone just starting out.

As to the differences... the PW is lower lofted, meaning that the ball will potentially go farther with a full swing, than it will with a SW, but also have a lower trajectory. The SW is higher lofter, and the sole is angled (called "bounce") so that the club will tend to ride up as it cuts through the sand rather than digging in. Sand wedges come in different loft angles with different bounce angles. My recommendation is to get a 56° sand wedge with moderate bounce (about 12°-15°). That would be your best choice for a general purpose sand wedge, usable from bunkers and for pitching from rough and fairway near the green. My PW is 45° and my SW is 56°. I also have what is known as a gap wedge at 50° that fits in between them. But I don't carry a LW (typically 60° or higher).

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Rick

Driver - Mizuno MX-560 9.5°
3W - Mizuno F-60 15°
4W - Mizuno F-60 16.5°
22° & 25° TM Rescue hybrid
6I thru PW King Cobra 3400I/XH
Gap Wedge52° Callaway X Tour
SW - Cleveland CG11 56°
High Wedge - 58° Callaway X Tour
Putter - Golfsmith Enterprise

USGA Index 11.1

pccoder

thanks for the reply. that makes good sense and helped clarify for me.

300Yards

Yep, just stick with the PW and SW for now.

LostBoyScout

As a beginning golfer, the 56 deg SW in my bag gets used a LOT, and its been great to me. A PW and SW are both really good to have, and you'll use both of them all the time.

flyingscotsman

hmm I've been playing for about a year now and the titleist iron set I bought didn't come with a sand wedge, but instead of buying one I accidentally bought a 60 degree lob wedge. I basically use that as a sand wedge atm and don't have too much problem, I prefer to use it on those annoying 60 yard shots when you don't know what kind of shot to hit

Butz

Hey,

instead of buying a Lob Wedge, I would rather recommend you to buy a Gap Wedge.

First checked your pitching wedge degree loft. If it's 45, 46, 47 or 48 degree, you then buy a a Gap Wedge, 4 degrees apart, and then buy a Sand Wedge.

For example, if you have a 45 degree Pitching wedge, then buy a 49 or a 50degree Gap Wedge. SMT Golf can make you a 49degree wedge. ( they're pretty solid ).

then buy either a 54 or 56 degree sand wedge. You don't need a lob wedge. Believe me, i don't get to used my LW. My SW works pretty fine, even at the tightest lie.

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For the Love of the Game,

Butz