Lob Wedge - Is it only useful in expert hands?

I just got my first lob wedge. Historically, short irons have been the least crappy part of my game, but I can't strike the ball cleanly with this wedge. Seems the flat angle does away with potential ball-contacting surface.It's like paddling a boat with a machete. Does a 30 handicapper have any business with one in the bag? Thanks for feedback.

Probably should have looked here first:

http://thesandtrap.com/t/38163/what-wedges-should-a-beginner-have-in-his-bag

My answer was there........I need a Gap Wedge, not a Lob Wedge.....

As soon as I could hit an iron with some consistency, I bought a 60* wedge.After seeing Phil hit those cool flop shots, I went to the range and began practicing hitting the same shots for weeks. Once I could hit them pretty good, we'd have contests to see who could hit the highest flop shot, and be able to catch it.

IMHO a 60* can be a stoke saver IF you learn to use it accordingly..

I disagree with the concept that you need to reach a certain skill level in order to "qualify" to carry a certain club. Whether it's a 60 degree lob wedge, a 2-iron or anything in between, if you've got room in your bag and you feel confident over it then by all means you should carry it!

For me personally, I never quite felt like I could control the distance on a 60 degree wedge. I'm far more confident with my 56, and I don't feel like I lose much in terms of versatility, so I dropped my lob wedge a long time ago and haven't missed it.

I love my 60 degree wedge.  Full swings, steeper pitches and steeper/shorter sandies.  It gives me a lot more options.

And I'm a hack.

I'm no expert.

My understanding is that a 60 degree lob wedge is difficult not because you can't hit a lob with it, but because it's hard to control the distance.

Some instructors recommend a 58 degree wedge instead because it's easier to control the distance of the shot. That's what I have and I am quite happy with it.

I only carry my lob wedge when I'm really playing my best golf or on certain courses that are likely to require a lot of very soft but very high flop shots off of very tight lies (which is not very many among the courses I play).

Under most circumstances anything I can do with a lob wedge I can also do with a sand wedge.

When the lob wedge is in the bag the 5 wood is out. For me it's probably more that I have to take a club I always hit very well out of the bag and put a club that I don't always hit very well in the bag.

The lob wedge is just like any other club: you need to practice with it order to figure out how to use it properly.  Im a 20ish handicap and my lob wedge is one of my favorite clubs because its so versatile and useful for short little shots around the green.

I completely agree, I could never hit a 60, and I worked and worked at it, but it just never fit my swing and short game.  IMHO, you should match up the lofts with what you see in your minds eye, personally, I see me standing next to the ball and tossing it underhand, so I play 95% of my chips and pitches with a 52 and my 56 is mostly for green side sand bunkers.

Ditto here

I'm the outlier.....

I think that while a lob wedge is an extremely valuable tool in the hands of a player with the skills to use it, the average mid-to-high hcp player will lose more shots over the course of a season as a result of having it in his bag than he'll save.  The tendency is to remember the good shots, and forget the chunks, and blades, and fluffs though.

I'll also add, that having "more options" (most of which are seldom practiced) isn't necessarily a recipe for success either.....

Used to carry a 60* but just never liked it that much, felt it forced me into hitting flops, I like using a 58* instead and can still hit the same flop shots if necessary.

I think it comes down to shot selection more than anything. I've been using a 60* for probably 15 years and it's a strength of my game. But even I don't try to hit flop shots off of a soggy tight lie. Many higher handicappers have this misconception that a 60* is a miracle club and anything is possible. But honestly, I don't think a 60 is any harder to hit than a 56 (at least not an appreciable difference). The key to learning to effectively use a 60* is not in the physics of actually hitting it, but in knowing when to leave it in the bag.