Should I Carry a Lob Wedge?

[billchao]

19 hours ago, Wilbersmith said:

Hi billchao. You'll be talking me into putting my LW back in the bag and trying shorter swings with it. At the moment I am more consistent with the 55 degree SW😖

Use what works for you. I don't know why your SW is more reliable than your LW. Could be the sole, your technique, or a combination of the two. My technique is the same with all my wedges but the LW has the best sole for me because it's the only one I purchased with turf interaction in mind.

My point is the LW isn't some mythical beast only high level golfers can tame.

[boogielicious]

50 minutes ago, billchao said:

Use what works for you. I don't know why your SW is more reliable than your LW. Could be the sole, your technique, or a combination of the two. My technique is the same with all my wedges but the LW has the best sole for me because it's the only one I purchased with turf interaction in mind.

My point is the LW isn't some mythical beast only high level golfers can tame.

Well someone threw a lob wedge in this pond and look what happened!

 

[Wilbersmith]

@billchao making a lot of sence there. I think most of it is lacking confidence. Having to hit hard to go a short distance knowing that if you get it wrong you'll be emailing the green. 

[hespeler]

I've been using a LW since I started about 10 years ago and regularly shoot in the 90's.  What I'm discovering is that I may have been using it for some shots that have cost me strokes.

I played 9 last night and on a long, dogleg par 5, I bomb a drive, hit a GW layup exactly where I wanted and have about 95-100 yards to the pin.  That's a full lob wedge for me.  I skull that thing over the green like I've done so many times before.  I say to myself, "you idiot, you've been practicing the 3/4 SW just for this reason."

I get to my ball and have a pitch shot with not much green to work with and the hole is cut on a downhill.  Ahhh this is what my LW is for.  I did hit a pretty good pitch with it and 2-putted for bogey but was frustrated cause I should have had a GIR. 

So, in sum I think a LW is useful IF you don't try and make a full swing with it.  Some people can and do without a problem but for a lot of us you're better off flighting a less lofted club.

One other thing, I find a LW much easier to hit out of the sand because in this instance I can make a bigger swing which helps me follow through. 

Gentle pitch and chip shots and bunker shots will keep the LW is the bag for me.

[Wilbersmith]

@hespeler That's just what happened with me costing shots instead of saving them.I'm ok with the gentle chips and pitching with the SW