When discussing basic strategy to post a low golf score, you may have heard the saying, "Drive for show, putt for dough." This popular quote refers to the fact that minimizing your strokes around the green can improve your score quicker than just hitting the ball longer off the tee. The stroke before you putt (your approach shot to the green) is critical to post that successful score. Selecting the right club for that approach shot is equally important.
Importance of the Wedge
Think about your favorite par-4 hole at your home golf course. To successfully play that hole, there are three scoring clubs in your bag: the driver, putter and wedge. The driver and putter are the bookends of the hole because they will be used first and last. The wedge is referred to as a scoring club because it is most often the club that will set up your putt to finish the hole.
Types
Wedges provide a golfer with great versatility because they are used to hit shots with high arch from a variety of distances to the green. There are four basic types of wedges: the pitching wedge, lob wedge, sand wedge and gap wedge. A basic golf set comes with the pitching wedge and the sand wedge. Gap wedges and lob wedges are more specific in nature based on their loft and club angle. They would often be found in the golf bag of a more advanced golfer.
Benefits of the Sand Wedge
The golf sand wedge was developed in 1930 by golf legend Gene Sarazen. Its purpose was to serve as a higher lofted club to help escape from the sand traps and other hazards on the course. A unique feature of the sand wedge is its versatility. It is used to hit shots out of sand traps, but it can also be used on approach shots from the fairway, depending on distance. Sand wedges carry a 54- to 58-degree loft and are generally used for shots of 90 yards to the pin. That loft angle is what allows it to function as the sensible club to hit out of a soft sand trap.
Benefits of the Gap Wedge
Simple math tells you that if you hit your sand wedge 85 to 90 yards and your typical pitching wedge shot travels 120 yards, there is a gap in your wedge distance. A gap wedge is the club designed to compensate for that distance. With a wider range of arch than other wedges, a gap wedge provides a versatile option in the 46- to 54-degree loft category. As you experiment with gap wedges, the lower level degrees (46 to 50) will provide very little bounce on a shot. The higher level degree gap wedges (50 to 54) provide a better chance for bounce and movement after landing.
Expert Insight
According to Tom Porten, a former Director of Instruction for GolfTec and current head coach of men's golf at Northern Illinois University, you should select the wedge that aligns most closely with your game, not because you see your playing partner or a professional on TV hit a particular club.
"That is one of the reasons your short game practice is so important," Porten notes. "Hit your sand wedge and your gap wedge from the same location, and you can analyze your trajectory and distance based on the landing of both shots."
References
- "4Wedges": The Sand Wedge
- Interview with Tom Porten, Director of Instruction - GolfTec
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