How many wedges should I carry? It’s a question we often get asked, and with room for just 14 clubs in the bag, it can be tough deciding which ones to put in, and which ones to leave out.
To get the answer to this question you need to evaluate your whole game. What are your strengths? How often do you use certain golf clubs? What sacrifices are you willing to make? And how many different clubs do you hit chips with? Answering these questions will help you work out how many wedges to carry.
For many golfers, this will probably come down to a choice between losing a wedge and adding a fairway wood. By doing this, it improves your chances of hitting more long par 4s and par 5s.
However, if you lose a fairway wood and add a wedge, it means you can hit more fuller shots into greens, therefore avoiding more awkward half and three-quarter shots from inside 120 yards.
What wedges can I choose from?
After your 9-iron comes a choice of wedges (opens in new tab), which can range in lofts from 45-64°. Normally, these lofts will be displayed on the heads.
Traditionally, pitching wedges will be lofted from 45-50°, gap wedges from 50-54°, sand wedges from 54-58°, and lob wedges anywhere from 58-64°.
Wedges also offer a variety of bounces and grinds.
(Image credit: Kevin Murray)
Two wedge system
When it comes to dialling in yardages, a lot of players use the ‘clock face’ drill. This is where distance is controlled by the hand position in relation to an imaginary clock face (six o’clock being the ball position).
This allows for a range of different yardages and, therefore, more confidence replicating the sort of half and three-quarter swings this method relies on consistently. If you do decide on this method, then you may well benefit from ditching a wedge and carrying an extra fairway wood or hybrid.
If this is your preferred choice, we would recommend opting for a pitching wedge around 48° and a sand wedge around 56°. This will give you a reasonably even gap from your 9-iron, which is usually lofted between 40-42°.
Obviously, this leaves you with a reasonable gap between 48˚ and 56˚, but if you are confident hitting half shots with your wedge, it will leave you with more options at the other end of your bag.
How many wedges do you carry?
(Image credit: Kevin Murray)
Three wedge system
Arguably the most common choice for club golfers, three wedges leaves you with room for two fairway woods, which is often more important for players who lack the distance that Tour…
..
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Golf Monthly RSS Feed…