Lob vs sand wedge

Birdiesandbogeys

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Just curious what y’all think - should high handicappers attempt to own/play a LOB WEDGE around the greens? Or are they better off just simplifying things and going no higher than a 54-56 degree SW?
 
Just curious what y’all think - should high handicappers attempt to own/play a LOB WEDGE around the greens? Or are they better off just simplifying things and going no higher than a 54-56 degree SW?
i use a 58 deg and i have A high handy cap
 
Just curious what y’all think - should high handicappers attempt to own/play a LOB WEDGE around the greens? Or are they better off just simplifying things and going no higher than a 54-56 degree SW?
I own a 52, 56, and a 60 wedge, and until recently only used the 56 sand wedge. Yesterday I pulled out the 60 and hit a high shot 3 feet from the pin. Conversely, I tried the 60 again on another hole and only hit it 15 yards. Definitely takes some getting use to. So my answer is yes, but practice with it.
 
I have a 60 and a high handicap. It’s all about what you use the club for.

1) I never hit a lob off a fairway..

2) I never use sand wedge in a bunker. Always lob wedge.

3) I have a “utility” wedge... something I can grab out of the bag and know I can “feel” out the shot distance by sight. Right now that’s my sand wedge. I’m my last set it was an attack wedge.

The answer to me is yes, but know why the club is your bag. If you don’t have a why, find a different club for your 14.
 
i use a 58 deg and i have A high handy cap
This. I hit whatever wedge I need depending on lie and so on. I try to play my wedges to the conditions of the shot.
 
Its a widely held belief that most high caps would be advised to avoid the lob wedge and just stick to a 56 degree. The extreme loft of the lob wedge makes it more difficult to hit because you have to be pretty precise with it.
Tom Watson never even carried a wedge with any more loft than 56, so I dont think you really even need a lob wedge.
Last year I played a minimalist bag (only 7 clubs), so all I carried was a 56 degree and after I adjusted to it, I never really even missed my lob wedge. You can open the face on a 56 and effectively turn it into a lob wedge. The only time you may run into trouble is on a tight lie, where you dont have enough grass between the ground and the ball to get under the ball with an open face (because theres too much bounce). To be fair though, off of that lie, unless you are pretty skilled, youd probably skull it with a 60 degree too.
 
Just curious what y’all think - should high handicappers attempt to own/play a LOB WEDGE around the greens? Or are they better off just simplifying things and going no higher than a 54-56 degree SW?
IMHO there is a pretty big difference between a 58 and 60 degree lw. Only two degrees but the playability difference feels like a larger gap to me. I would recommend that most guys give the 58 a go as their high loft wedge. I guess it comes down to confidence. For example, my dather struggles with pitching and chipping, so his low wedge is a 56.
 
I would argue that I need nothing more than my PW and SW but I know that having a 58 and 60 will be useful to me as I get better...and I have hit a few, here and there, with the 60 that have shown me how useful it can be.
 
Tom Watson never even carried a wedge with any more loft than 56,

I believe Lee Trevino also said he never carried anything with a loft greater than 56°.

I have a 60° PM 2.0 wedge I have mixed results with and constantly putting in, taking it out of the bag. I currently have 52°/56°/60° to choose from after my 48° AW. Thinking about getting a 54° Jaws and having it bent to 53° then pair it with a 58° Jaws to keep consistent gaps.
 
So many options out there. IMO learn to play a bunch of different shots with your AW. There are a lot of different scenarios but generally the only time I pull my 58° is if I am short sided or need to make sure I can get over a bunker.
 
On all wedges you can not let the ° be the only determining factor, you have to take into account the bounce. On a tight lie you can't open up a 56/12 easily to get under it without blading it. Same shot with a 60/4 is a lot easier. Just need to have a good mix and practice with them all. And yes, I'm a high capper with a °60 lob wedge. :cool:
 
It also depends on the course. We have a local course that is murder if you land short, right, or left, of the greens. You are shooting up hill with a high loft wedges or chasing your ball down the backside of the greens. Bump and runs or short chips with a normal wedge are extremely tough.

I remember the first time I played there, I figured I could use my PW or GW around the greens like I do other courses. My lunch got ate quick that day. After that I realized I had to learn how to use my 54 and 58 better. My 58 has come in handy numerous times on that course. A nice little lob up with short roll puts you in position to putt.
 
The lob wedge came into popularity in the late 80’s. Prior to that, a 56 degree SW was the most lofted club in the bag. You just have to commit to practice with it and learn when to use it and when not to use it. It typically has little bounce and as such not very useful from the sand.
 
Unless you feel comfortable hitting full shots with it, it probably shouldn't get enough use to really matter. So I don't think there's a need and simple would probably be better. If you play on course that's insanely tight or hardpan you might need to get into a lob to find the right bounce, but I honestly feel that you'd be better served with a lower lofted mid (especially with the newer sole shapes and grinds available) and learning to change ball positions in your stance. I feel like I pull something higher than a 54 maybe once per round on average, and I do hit full shots with them.

I made a comment in one of the CBX Full Face Wedge threads about this. A lot of people were jumping to say they needed it in a 60, and I questioned whether it was best choice and who exactly a CB wedge "designed specifically for extreme open-face shots around the green" would be meant for. That's not a shot really recommended for high handicappers. It seemed more useful to me for that level of player who plays places with fluffy rough. Even the pros will swipe too low and catch one high on a shot like that. They wouldn't be playing a CB there though. :confused2:
 
I think it’s all about comfort. I carry both a 56 and 60 and use both for different shots... I also know that each club will go a certain distance given same swing and lie. That said, at the end of last season, I was using my 56 a whole lot more than my 60.
 
Unless you feel comfortable hitting full shots with it, it probably shouldn't get enough use to really matter. So I don't think there's a need and simple would probably be better. If you play on course that's insanely tight or hardpan you might need to get into a lob to find the right bounce, but I honestly feel that you'd be better served with a lower lofted mid (especially with the newer sole shapes and grinds available) and learning to change ball positions in your stance. I feel like I pull something higher than a 54 maybe once per round on average, and I do hit full shots with them.

I made a comment in one of the CBX Full Face Wedge threads about this. A lot of people were jumping to say they needed it in a 60, and I questioned whether it was best choice and who exactly a CB wedge "designed specifically for extreme open-face shots around the green" would be meant for. That's not a shot really recommended for high handicappers. It seemed more useful to me for that level of player who plays places with fluffy rough. Even the pros will swipe too low and catch one high on a shot like that. They wouldn't be playing a CB there though. :confused2:
I have never had a CB lob wedge. Always a players wedge like a Cleveland 588 RTG or Gunmetal. What are the cons of newer 58 or 60 degree CB wedge. I am currently contemplating one. I own a Cleveland RTX4 60.
 
This is how I tend to think as well.... but why would you say that?
Wedges take a lot of skill and practice to execute a variety of shots. Learning to do everything with one sand wedge is easier and more consistent to learn than a variety of shots with multiple wedges and dealing with the mental game of figuring out which shot with which wedge to use every time. So hard to build confidence with so many options. Give someone one option and the confidence will build.

That said I love my PM grind. ?
 
I have never had a CB lob wedge. Always a players wedge like a Cleveland 588 RTG or Gunmetal. What are the cons of newer 58 or 60 degree CB wedge. I am currently contemplating one. I own a Cleveland RTX4 60.

None that I can see other than the sole width required to actually make it a CB with that design. And that's where players who would consistently hit the shots it requires/encourages would get picky about it, not need it as much, and not like the higher bounces maybe. I feel like it'd have to be someone who's pretty good, really wants that extra forgiveness, but plays only in soft/fluffy conditions. I don't know. I just don't quite get it. Happy to be educated on it if someone has thoughts.

I thought (still do, really) that the 588 RTG 2.0 CB was a great club if someone wanted a cavity in the lob range that they could open up. Pretty minimal sole for a CB. All one guys opinion though.
 
Personally I don't use anything more lofted than my sand wedge and I could use it for flop shots if needed.
 
I play a club specifically for sand.
If a grass wedge should happen to overlap lofts, no big deal.

I like a low bounce 58 fior cut lobs around the greens.

Back before courses were so liberally watered, people played more "run-up" and less "target" golf.
People played sand wedges that were designed specifically for sand--with curved leading edges onset in front of the shaft.

Then, as the way of playing changed, they wanted sand wedges that they could hit from a tight fairway lie.
The wedges stopped being designed with long hosels and oval faces, and the soles were contoured differently.

I still like to play a sand specialty club in soft, fluffy sand, and find it worth taking up one of the fourteen slots.
 
I think there is a place for lob wedge and its a good tool, no reason not to try it and practice with it. For me, I err on the side of not using LW for full swings, and only pull the 58 when truly it is needed over the 54* for medium and short pitches and around the green. In general, the 58 is the wedge I use least, and I think that is where the trap of using it more often than needed can lead to inconsistent results.
 
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I’ve had a 60 ever since I started playing. I feel by having one and growing my game while learning to use it, I’m better off. It’s one of my most reliable lofts now and I can play it in any lie from as far out as 70 yards pretty reliably.
 
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