#52 wedge golf full

For example, if your pitching wedge is 43 degrees and you hit it 110 yards, and your sand wedge is 54 degrees and you hit it 70 yards, you know you’re in search of an approach wedge that is around 49 degrees, and will ideally go around 90 yards to fill that yardage gap.

#52 wedge golf full

When you find out the loft of your pitching wedge, notate how far you hit that club with a full swing.

This can also be performed by most golf retailers by using a loft and lie machine. You can do a quick google search for the specs on your model of irons to determine the pitching wedge loft. There's a good chance the loft of your sand wedge is imprinted on the club. Specifically, your pitching wedge and your sand wedge, since you'll want a gap wedge that splits the difference. Your first step to purchasing an approach wedge is figuring out the lofts of the wedges in your current set. Standard greenside chip and pitch shots, some full and ¾ swings Specialty shots higher greenside chips & pitches sand shots fewer full swings Most approach wedges, on the other hand, are an extension of the iron set, and while they provide some nice greenside benefits, they’re not designed specifically to be a go-to tool for these specialty shots. A sand wedge’s various bounce and grind options indicate the shape and functionality of the sole of the club, and how it’s designed to interact with the ground, be it sand or turf. Primarily, as you can guess from the name, it is made to be played out of the sand. The approach wedge is typically a quarter-inch longer than the sand wedge, and has between 5-8 degrees less loft, which makes it launch lower, fly farther, and roll out more.Īdditionally, a sand wedge is built for specialty greenside shots. However, the differences don’t end there. A gap of around 8-15 yards in total distance from full swings is ideal. The approach wedge is designed to fill the gap between the pitching wedge and the sand wedge, and therefore one of its main purposes is to provide more carry and total distance than your sand wedge. More greenside chip and pitch shots, fewer full swings More full and ¾ swings, fewer chip and pitch shots While it can serve a purpose with a full or three-quarter swing from a specific yardage, an approach wedge is also versatile for those little chip and pitch shots around the green, particularly when you have you have enough green between you and the hole to let the ball run out a bit. Because an approach wedge packs a little more loft and a slightly shorter shaft, many players find it easier to control around the greens than a pitching wedge. In addition to differences on paper between an approach wedge and a pitching wedge, players often prefer to use the two wedges in different ways. An approach wedge is also typically a quarter-inch shorter than a pitching wedge, which, along with more loft, helps control distance. Because the ideal loft of your gap wedge is relative to the loft of your pitching wedge and your sand wedge, it’s important to know the lofts on your specific set of irons. A pitching wedge from a stong-lofted modern set of irons is likely to have loft in the low-40s, whereas a pitching wedge from a 10-year-old iron set most likely has a loft in the mid-40s. Within the last decade, pitching wedge lofts have become stronger. 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. Iron lofts as a whole have changed dramatically over the years.