Should I Get a Lob Wedge?

[ZANDER1994]

Currently I only carry a pitching wedge and a 56 degree sand wedge. At my home course I've noticed there are a lot of greens that are essentially mini elevated mesas. If you are off the green even by a yard, you are often left with the green above your shoulders, making my usual bump and run method useless.

I've noticed I struggle getting the 56 degree up and stopping quickly. I can do flop shots, but they are really hard for me as a 17 handicap (I started truly playing about a year and a half ago). Should I buy a lob wedge for those shots? Or should I work on just becoming a lot more accurate with my flops with the SW?

[rehmwa]

Without more info - yes, and yes.  and also see if your wedges are setup correctly in the first place.

Do you know if the bounce on the 56 is good for your typical course lies?  your 56 might be setup for sand (typicall 54 and 56 are stock sand wedge).

i like my LW, it's amazing.  I carry 4 wedges - YMMV

[Piz]

No harm in trying one out.  Some people really like using a lob wedge.  Some people, like myself, do not.  Although I carry a 58; it stays in the bag most of the time.  

[Hacker James]

I carry a 60 deg lobber but seldom use it.  Takes a little getting used to, but may come in  handy in certain  situations. I may take it out to make room for 5 iron or another hybrid.

[ZANDER1994]

1 hour ago, rehmwa said:

Without more info - yes, and yes.  and also see if your wedges are setup correctly in the first place.

Do you know if the bounce on the 56 is good for your typical course lies?  your 56 might be setup for sand (typicall 54 and 56 are stock sand wedge).

i like my LW, it's amazing.  I carry 4 wedges - YMMV

Interesting you ask this. I currently carry:

SW, PW, 4-9 (Callaway Steelheads)

SW and Putter (Maxfli Black Max)

R15 3 wood and R1 Driver (Taylormade)

Why the extra Maxfli SW? Because when I upgraded from my 10+ year old box set, I missed it. That club goes 20 yards shorter than the new Callaway SW, has close to no bounce (which I prefer for short chips) and is still probably my favorite club in the bag. 

During lunch today I went to my local 2nd Swing shop and found a Titleist Vokey SM4 62 degree for $40 (looks nearly new). I went with the 62 because I feel the only shot I struggle to produce and want to add to the bag is that straight up, quick stop chip. I'm going to experiment with this during the upcoming season.

[Patch]

Every golfer should get a LW to at least try one out. Those who do will either hate it, or love it. I've carried one for years, (62/0) and in some situations,  it has saved me strokes. I tend to use in just about every round I play. 

A few things about a LW, is that it takes some practice to get use to it. Some golfers may even need to change the ball position in their stance, by moving the ball back a little. 

The best advice I ever recieved for using a LW, is "don't be afraid to swing it". Committ to it's use, and don't be intimidated by it. 

Edited January 8, 2019 by Patch

[JetFan1983]

3 hours ago, Hacker James said:

I carry a 60 deg lobber but seldom use it.  Takes a little getting used to, but may come in  handy in certain  situations. 

Same. I have a nice one too, but always go to my 56 because of the increased bounce and familiarity. That being said, Brandel Chamblee was saying on GC last week that a 60 is better club, equating it to leaving the flag stick in while putting. Whether that's true or not, I dunno. Regardless, I'll at the very least try to practice with it more on the range this year, if for no other reason than to expand my horizons around the greens. 

[saevel25]

I'd recommend it. You probably don't hit a club on the high end nearly enough to warrant it being more valuable than getting a lob wedge.

Example, I carry a lob wedge and not 3 iron or 5-wood. I do have a big gap between my 3-wood and hybrid, but it's not something I face often enough to bother me. I use the lob wedge many times a round.

[dennyjones]

6 hours ago, saevel25 said:

I'd recommend it. You probably don't hit a club on the high end nearly enough to warrant it being more valuable than getting a lob wedge.

Example, I carry a lob wedge and not 3 iron or 5-wood. I do have a big gap between my 3-wood and hybrid, but it's not something I face often enough to bother me. I use the lob wedge many times a round.

When I was recently fitted, this was suggested to me.   I've not hit a lob wedge on the course so it will be a new experience for me. I believe it will be better than the traffic jam at the other end of my clubs.  

[The Recreational Golfer]

I know what  you mean about greens like that. You might want to avoid the flop shot. They require precision and can get disastrous in a hurry. Since you're in a learning stage, I would recommend opening the face of the 56 a bit if you need more height and hitting a straight chip instead. I would also recommend getting very good with the 56 in solving as many problems around the green that you can. My 60 is primarily a pitching club. I seldom use it around the green.

Edited January 19, 2019 by The Recreational Golfer
further comment

[Vinsk]

23 hours ago, The Recreational Golfer said:

I know what  you mean about greens like that. You might want to avoid the flop shot. They require precision and can get disastrous in a hurry. Since you're in a learning stage, I would recommend opening the face of the 56 a bit if you need more height and hitting a straight chip instead. I would also recommend getting very good with the 56 in solving as many problems around the green that you can. My 60 is primarily a pitching club. I seldom use it around the green.

 

Without going over a hazard, what do you like about the 60* rather than a 56* for say a 40yd pitch to the green?

[CR McDivot]

I carry a 60, but don't use it much - pretty much a special purpose club for short sided close in.

The lob wedge would leave my bag if I needed a 3 iron more than I do.

[The Recreational Golfer]

On 1/19/2019 at 8:20 PM, Vinsk said:

Without going over a hazard, what do you like about the 60* rather than a 56* for say a 40yd pitch to the green?

I can't say. There are to many course variables. I might even bump-and-run with a 7-iron if the conditions are right.

[themiah06]

I feel like I'm the odd one out here... 90% of the time I'll use my 60 around the greens.  Guess it explains why my scores are so much worse!

[boogielicious]

8 hours ago, themiah06 said:

I feel like I'm the odd one out here... 90% of the time I'll use my 60 around the greens.  Guess it explains why my scores are so much worse!

It is not that odd. If you are comfortable with it, it can be a great club. I use my 54 for most shots around the green. But now I am experimenting with other lofts.

[RussUK]

I have a LW and i'm hot and cold with it. Full shots i'm good with but for some reason i just cant get on with it for pitching and chipping.

If i'm in range and i have choice of pitching with a LW and bump & run with a lower loft i'll take the latter.

Starting to practice more with it so fingers crossed i'll get more comfy.