Beginner Golfer...Do I need a Sand Wedge or Lob Wedge?

[PARfect]

Hi Everyone,

What do you guys recommend for a beginner golfer when it comes to buying a sand wedge vs. a lob wedge?  I'm very green, been going to the driving range and playing a few holes for the past 5 months.  Is there a clear wedge that a beginner should start out with?  Thanks in advance.

[BostonSully]

I'd say have a pitching wedge and sandwedge. The 60* is more of a specialty club imo and you can pretty much do everything you can with a LW with a SW. If you are very new the LW is not necessary and adjusting for it might just be worse than learning to play one club better.

[allin]

To play even halfway decent golf you must be able to recover from green side bunkers. A SW makes it much easier. As you improve it is a valuable chipping and pitching club. LW can be added after you are decent with the SW. LW requires extra practice time and beginning golfers usually have so many areas needing attention that extra time is probably not justified. By the time you are skilled enough for a LW you will have a good idea what your wedge preferences are and want something different anyway.

[FuzzyB1]

Agree with allin....it is an absolute necessity to have a sand wedge to navigate greenside bunkers as well as chipping and short fairway shots.

[GaijinGolfer]

Sand wedge, yes.  Lob wedge, not yet.

[Ernest Jones]

I'm a HIGH handicapper and i added a 56* nike wedge and I love it. Use it for everything around the green, can't really hit a flop shot with it but I think attempting those kinda of shots at my level is just a recipe for high scores. It is great for chipping and pitching.

[DoctorYikes]

One of my favorite sticks is my split-the-difference club. 58*.

[PARfect]

I actually found a LW that was 60 degree with a 6 degree bounce (Honestly, I have no clue what that means, I just read it off the club head, hahaha) in my garage and just came back from the driving range to play with it a bit.

I do get a nice loft with the LW but I would hit it short sometimes.  I would be 50 ft from the hole on the fairway and sometimes I would hit a nice loft and be able to get it on the green but most of the times I would just loft it up and it would land along the fringe of the green.  Would I be able to get loft and more distance with a SW or do I just need to practice with my LW more?

[rustyredcab]

Get a 54* sand wedge. It will have more than 6* bounce (making the club "bounce" instead of dig out of the sand). This 54* club will be useful for many shots as you learn the game.

[WUTiger]

Originally Posted by BostonSully

I'd say have a pitching wedge and sandwedge. The 60* is more of a specialty club imo and you can pretty much do everything you can with a LW with a SW. If you are very new the LW is not necessary and adjusting for it might just be worse than learning to play one club better.

Pick up a 56* SW. A PW and a SW will be plenty to practice in year 1.