Hitting the ball long distances in golf can make you look good and set you up with shorter shots on your approach to the hole. Those shorts shots are the toughest ones in the sport, however. Pitching is the method used to hit short approach shots from off the green; pitching requires sound fundamentals, hours of practice and touch, not power. You can choose four clubs designed specifically for pitching shots.
Sand Wedge
The sand wedge is the preferred club for shots out of sand traps, but you can also use it in other situations where you need to get loft on the ball over a short distance. According to the Dick's Sporting Goods buyer's guide, the club head on a sand wedge usually has between 55 and 57 degrees of loft. Given the prevalence of bunkers and other sand hazards on golf courses, most golfers carry a sand wedge in their bags.
Lob Wedge
The lob wedge is best suited for pitches that require a lot of height from distances around 60 yards, the Pure Impact Golf website explains. A lob wedge is perfect when you have to pop the ball over a water hazard or sand trap to the green, and also provides more spin on the ball than a shot from a sand wedge. Lob wedges generally feature a loft between 58 and 61 degrees, though specialized lob wedges can come with lofts up to 65 degrees. The club is mostly used by experienced players and is not as prevalent as sand wedges.
Pitching Wedge
Pitching wedges are sometimes thought of as irons, not wedges, and are part of basic golf sets. The pitching wedge features a greater loft than the nine iron but a smaller one than sand wedges and lob wedges. According to the Passion for Golf website, the pitching wedge is suited for shots of about 110 yards for men and 90 yards for women. The smaller club head angle makes it more difficult to loft the ball, which also means the ball will likely roll more after it hits the ground compared with shots from wedges with higher lofts.
Gap Wedge
The gap wedge gets its name because it fills the gap in loft between the pitching wedge and sand wedge, the Golf A lot website reports. The gap wedge's angle is between 51 and 55 degrees, and is a specialty club for serious players.
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