Sand Wedge Loft? 55-56 vs 58

[Rusty]

I was wondering if anyone could tell me what the difference is when you go to a 58 degree sand wedge, as compared to the 55-56 degree sand wedge?
I can now say that my sand play has progressed to the point that I want to get it close to the hole, rather than just on the green.
I assume that the 58 SW gets it higher faster, but what advantage does it give you, or is it more of a type of sand - fluffy, heavy?
I would appreciate any input, I recently asked about the "short game" and have picked up some really good ideas from that.

Thanks
Rusty

[faldo]

The idea with the wedges is to have 4 degrees of separation between them. So plan on having a 60-D Lob-Wedge eventually & work back from there. Your basic one should be 56, sandie at 52, etc. Don't rush into getting a Lob as it's pretty delicate to use correctly.
The sand wedge is designed to have a big base (Flange) to get under & thru the sand. Then, lift both the sand & your ball up onto the green. If you play a lot with bunkers with light fluffy sand, then a big base is ideal. If your bunkers are more hard packed, then plan to usually try to just chip it off the surface. Just like a bare spot on the fairway.
Chimo,

[jeffc]

most 56 deg wedges will have 12-14 deg of bounce. If you go to a higher loft, you could be getting a wedge with less bounce which is not what you want from the sand.

If you plan on getting a lob wedge, get a 56 deg sand wedge and a 60-61 deg lob wedge. Also look at getting a 51ish deg gap wedge since your PW is likely in the 46-47 deg range. You can always use the LW from the sand if you really need to get the ball up quickly.

[ros_bif]

One thing you need to check for is the loft of your current pitching wedge...not all sets have the exact same loft... the standard loft for a PW is 48degrees, but many sets have 46degree wedges.. As was said earlier, a 4degree seperation is ideal... so if you have a 46deg. PW (as i do) you may want to consider getting 3 wedges at 50,54,58 .. but with a 48deg PW, you'd be looking at 52,56,60 ... although it isn't neccessary to follow these guidlines it does make the gaps more consistent between your clubs, giving you more distance control when taking full wedge shots.

Also, a note on Bounce.. depending on how you plan on using your SW (i.e. just out of the sand, out fo the fairway/full shots, rough etc...) depends on the bounce you wish have have...

I'd recommend trying several different bounces (i, for example do not like having too much bounce on my wedges...SW included, as i use it off the fairway more than i use it aanywhere else..)

bounce is great for the sand, and rough...so you still want some, you ust may not want as much as most ppl recommend...check out Clevland's site for more info (they also carry wedges at all the above mentioned degrees with varying bounces at each level so that you can choose exactly what you want to play)

[jeffc]

go figure, my PW is 45 deg.

GW is 51, SW is 56, LW is 60.

[Rusty]

So what I am hearing is that it is more a matter of spacing the wedges that determines the Sand Wedge choice.
I see a lot of 58 degree sand wedges with 12-14 degrees of bounce out there, so they are offering this to better match peoples gaps, and not that a 58 degree is some solution to sand play?

Thanks
Rusty

[jeffc]

you have 14 clubs that you can carry. think about whether you want to carry 2, 3 or 4 wedges. then think about what else you want in your bag.

I like 4 wedges since it gives me so many options from different lies, different distances and different shots.

I carry Driver, 3W, 5W, 4-PW, SW, GW, LW, putter. no 3 iron as you can see (since I don't love hitting long irons). that works for me but you might be different depending on what shots you play and what clubs work for you.

[Colby]

You have to watch the amount of bounce you have on the wedge you play from the sand. More bounce is good for the big fluffy sand like at the Marshes. However, if the trap only has a little sand, or it is wet or hard, less bounce is better. When I play either Talon or Predator, I use my 60 or 52/53 out of the bunkers. i carry different wedges and club configurations depending on where I play. At Greyhawk, I have my PW at 48, GW at 53 and SW/LW at 58. This is so I can put in the 3 iron or 7 wood depending on wind conditions. If I'm playing shorter courses, or a course with fluffy sand, I might pull the 3 iron/7 wood out and go with a 48-52-56-60 wedge combination. Depends on what the course is shaping up to.

[Sacha]

Get a less lofted sand wedge (54-55) and a higher lofted lob wedge (58-64). One sand wedge just doesn`t cut it anymore.