Golf wedges are short irons with club faces typically angled anywhere from 45 to 64 degrees. The more angled, or open, a club face is, the easier it is to get under the ball and produce backspin. Wedges are used for short distances to the green, and selecting the correct club for your lie is crucial to stopping the ball as close to the pin as possible.
Pitching Wedge
Although the pitching wedge has the term "wedge" in its name, its performance is closer to that of an iron. Its angle is typically between 45 and 50 degrees and it is used to hit balls that are anywhere from 90 to 110 yards from the hole. According to authors Michael Patrick Shiels and Michael Kernicki in "Golf's Short Game for Dummies," the pitching wedge is best used with a full swing to ensure that maximum backspin is imparted on the ball. When properly hit, the ball should produce a minimum of forward motion after it lands on the green.
Gap Wedge
The gap wedge serves as an intermediary between a pitching wedge and a sand wedge. The angle of the club is usually between 50 and 54 degrees and it is best for shots that are 50 to 70 yards from the green. Experienced golfers prefer a gap wedge for these middle distance shots because it allows them to use a full swing and produce more backspin than a half-swing with a pitching wedge or 9-iron.
Sand Wedge
The sand wedge was initially designed to help players get under balls caught in sand traps but is generally better suited to normal lob shots from the fairway or rough. Angled between 54 and 56 degrees, the sand wedge was shown by "Golf Magazine" to perform very well on chip shots that were 43 to 52 feet from the pin, whether the ball was on the fairway or in the rough.
Lob Wedge
A lob wedge is usually the most open club in a golfer's bag and is useful for very short shots to the green when little to no roll is needed on the ball. The 58 to 60 degree face of the club pops the ball high in the air with a lot of backspin so it comes to almost a dead stop when it lands. The lob wedge most commonly is used for shots from the sand or the rough because it can easily cut through these obstacles. Some lob wedges go up to 64 degrees or more and are called X or extreme lob wedges. These pop the ball very high in the air and typically are used only by the most experienced players.
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