Sand Wedge AND Lob Wedge?

[drewfus813]

My Burner Iron set came with a pitching wedge and a gap wedge. I also have a Vokey 60 degree lob wedge. I have in my bag the sand wedge from my old set. I am curious if you guys have any  input as to whether I need a sand wedge or not. I have been using my lob wedge mostly around the green and also in bunkers. Any input? Thanks.

[MEfree]

Among my 14 clubs is a PW, 52, 56 & 60.  The 60 is good for shorter bunker shots, but I use the 56 for med and longer bunker shots.  I think it also helps not having as long a distance gaps between your 3/4 and full pitches, but this has been a weak part of my game as of late...  YMMV

[mlf16507]

Most 56* Sand wedges usually have more bounce on sole than 60* Lob wedge and is easier to hit from bunkers See " My Edel Wedges" thread.

[Jmdmbike]

Generally, I'd say a 56 degree sand wedge with some bounce (mine has 14 degrees) is a more useful club and easier to use than a lob wedge. I have both, and can hit a variety of shots with my 56 but rarely use the 60. IMO a sand wedge is a must, a lob wedge is not.

[Stacey_E]

I'd say it depends on the loft of your gap wedge.  Im guessing its closer to 50* than 52*.  If that is the case, you have a 10 degree gap between the two.  I wouldnt necessarily sweat the degree of the wedge as much as the gaps in distance.  If you can cover those distances then dont worry about it.  But it is nice having a mid to high bounce wedge in your set, regardless of the loft.  If you have room in the bag, and in the wallet, maybe you should pick up a slightly used 54-56* in 10-14* of bounce for those fluffy lies (be it sand or grass).  I find a high bounce wedge is also good for chipping around the greens when the course is wet.  Even 14* of bounce is playable from the fairway with the ball back in your stance.

[RGoosen]

It is nice to have a sand wedge and lob wedge with different degrees of bounce.

The lesser bounce club for compact or wet sand, and the one with more bounce for fluffy sand.

I hit a wide variety of shots around the green so I need both clubs for other reasons.

[lewisgl]

You would probably benefit from having a sand wedge with some bounce on it to go along with your 60 degree.  A 55 or 56 degree wedge with 10-14 degrees of bounce should help your game.  The 60 is a very useful club but it is a little trickier to use than a sand wedge.  You get less friction and spin with the 60 degree so it makes distance control a little bit harder..  A sand wedge is somewhat easier to use out of the sand and grass than a 60 degree usually.  The bounce will give you a little forgiveness on those kinds of shots.  Both require practice, the 60 a little more probably.   You should try to experiment with some different sand wedges to see which one feels the best for you.  I would strongly suggest a sand wedge for you.   I use the 55 degree, bent from 56 or 54.  My 55 degree wedges have between 10 and 13 degrees of bounce. I play on courses that are relatively soft but occasionally I play a firmer golf course.    The 55 degree compliments the 60 very well.

[jd4vt1998]

im usin a 64 14 right now from the sand. works well when your close.

[cruzthepug]

I took my 56 SW out of the bag and replaced it with a 58/6 LW. The traps at my home course don't have a lot of sand and usually play hard so the low bounce works good there as well as chipping around the greens. If I'm playing somewhere like one of the RTJ Trail courses I'll put my 56 in the bag, their bunkers have a lot of fluffy sand. Also, using just the one wedge in place of a SW and LW I was able to put second hybrid in the bag.

[WUTiger]

Originally Posted by RGoosen

It is nice to have a sand wedge and lob wedge with different degrees of bounce.

I went the other way last month. For about 18 months, I carried a 54.12 SW and a 58.10 LW. The 54 proved iffy for getting out of traps, and the 58 gave me distance control problems greenside.

So , I dumped the 54 and 58 and went back to a 56.14 wedge. Part of this may be my age. I'm 61, and I was hitting greenside cut shots with a SW for 20 years before the LW was invented.

[Mattplusness]

Personally, i can't hit my 60 out of a bunker to save my life. My 56 is automatic.

[Double Bogey]

^^^ Ditto ^^^

[Shootn4par]

I have had two lob wedges. When I had a lower bounce lob wedge, it was either awesome or horrible. Hit some absolutely amazing shots off of tight lies, but too often it would lead to skulled shots. For the courses I play and my swing, more bounce is more consistent.

I now use a higher bounce lob wedge. I consistently get out of the greenside bunkers with it, and it's an effective club from short range (80 yard and in).  My advice would be to know your swing and what types of courses you play. For me, a higher bounce (12 vs. 6) lob wedge did wonders. I never sweat using it anymore.  I also think it really helps to not have gaps in your bag for the short game.

[Timothy Voyles]

My pw is 47*, I carry a 53, 56 and 60. The 60 is an 8 bounce the others are all 12.

[Sticky]

IMO if I had to decide between the 2 I'd keep the 56 in the bag, I think it's more versatile(I have both 56 and 60 Cleveland 588s in the bag)

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Mattplusness

Personally, i can't hit my 60 out of a bunker to save my life. My 56 is automatic.

What's the bounce on each?

[Tuflehundon]

I carry a 55 SW and a 60 LW now. I find that the LW is great for close bunkers and chip shots. I am better with the SW any farther than 30 ft from the green. Any more than 50 and I use my 50 AW.

[Mithrys]

I have a 52.8, 56.11 and 60.8. I find I go through streaks and each has been my go to club around the greens at different times. Maybe as I get better I will understand those streaks. It could be in my head or the climate since I play through the winter here in high elevation California.