Golf wedges are the clubs to use for when the stakes are high. They’re used for short distance shots that need a high degree of accuracy; for example, they’re used for freeing your golf ball from hazards or tight spots during a game. They have the highest lofts, shortest shafts, and heaviest clubheads to make impactful shots and get your game back on route. There are a few types of golf wedge used for different situations, and many golfers own the full spectrum. A golf gap wedge will cover more distance than your sand wedge but less than your pitching wedge, so you can use this club when you need to do more than escape a hazard but you don’t need distance on your shot. A sand wedge, as you may have guessed, is used to escape a sand bunker, and a golf lob wedge can be used when you need to hit a high and short shot that is controlled. When using a golf lob wedge, it’s very much a ‘lob’ in that your ball will come up and out of a hazard in a high-arching hit, but it will land softly with little momentum or continual roll.

Wedge bounce is most useful when chipping or pitching. It is the angle between the ground and the club, and it is used to prevent your club head from digging into the ground during the follow-through of your shot. Many golfers, both recreational and professional, use the bounce of their golf wedge to their advantage, and the amount of bounce you need depends on the turf you play on and your own swing. For example, if the turf is very firm or you have a shallow swing, then a golf wedge with less bounce is better suited to you. If the turf you play on is softer or your swing is sharper and more aggressive, then a golf wedge with more bounce will improve your shot outcome.

Selecting your golf wedges individually, or in golf wedges sets, is done two-fold: what is fitted to you and your play style, and the graduation between each club. You want to make sure that when selecting your golf wedges, you’re choosing clubs that gradually increase in loft by around 4 degrees at a time. This ensures you can play a detail-orientated game and have the optimum club for each shot. With this in mind, you should always get fitted for your golf clubs, including golf wedges, so you can choose the correct measurements and brands for you. At American Golf, we provide custom fittings for our multiple leading brands like Titleist and Callaway, so you can find the best golf wedges for your game. Use our store locator to find your nearest American Golf store and upgrade your golf wedges.

What are they and what's the difference? these are all types of golf wedges and their difference is minimal but the main difference is the loft the club has and which situation you use each club. If you want to know when you should use each of these read our Pitching, gap, lob, and sand wedges blog post.