Buyers guide to wedges

Callaway’s range of wedges.

It seems fashionable – if not compulsory - these days to carry at least three wedges in your bag.

With a total of 14 clubs that the Rules of Golf allow and other speciality clubs – like the 7-wood - replacing the 3- and 4-iron, there’s room to add to the scoring clubs like the basic pitching and sand wedge.

Some of the top pros carry as many as four wedges to cope with the precise shots needed to handle tight fairways and the various grasses found around the world’s top courses.

What are the specifications of the pitching wedge?

The basic pitching wedge usually comes as part of the eight or nine irons you tend to buy as a set.

Its lofts vary from 46-51 degrees – you can be specific when you purchase a new set – and it’s there for approaches of up to 125 yards. It can also be used for delicate shots around the green and for longer bunker escapes.

Titleist’s latest Vokey Oil wedges.

And the sand wedge?

The sand wedge will normally have a loft of 55-57 degrees and a fat flange behind the head (called the bounce) which helps to get the ball out on a cushion of sand. It’s also the heaviest club in the bag so will help dig deep into heavy rough to lift the ball on to the green.

From the fairway, balls hit with the sand wedge will fly 60-70 yards through the air and stop quickly.

Gripped down the shaft and played towards the back of the stance with the face slightly hooded, it’s a great club for playing delicate shots from the fringe that need to check and roll.

Why have lob wedges become so popular?

Having watched the great skills of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, more amateur players are insisting on buying a lob wedge for those finesse shots from fluffy grass, usually over a water hazard or a bunker.

Laid open with a lot of loft exposed (degrees usually range from 60-64), this club with little flange behind the face will slice under the ball and send it high over a short distance to land softly.

Off tightly-mown, soft turf it’s more difficult to control for the amateur as it has a sharp leading edge but played correctly will carry upto 40-50 yards with a lot of back spin.

Maxfli makes great chrome wedges.

Modern-day amateur handicappers are turning to the gap wedge to fill the perceived void between pitching and sand wedges. The club will tend to have 51-53 degrees of loft and be used for full shots between 70-100 yards from the green.

How do you choose a wedge?

When choosing a wedge other than that which comes with your set, try to get the shaft matched to the other irons in your bag. This will help to deliver consistency to your shots without having to adjust your swing.

But remember most specialist wedges come with steel shafts as steel helps to control shots with the heavier heads more consistently than graphite.

Also consider the conditions you play most regularly to get the most from your extra wedge.

Cast heads of Ping i3+ wedges.

There are five types of materials from which wedge heads are made steel, chrome (a coating of chrome over steel), gunmetal, copper and in a few instances, nickel, which is the softest.

The softer the face of your wedge the more spin you will be able to put on the ball and the softer the face the more feel you will have. Unfortunately they tend to wear down the grooves more quickly.

In recent years wedges tend to be coated in a thin layer of oxide, which, after use in damp conditions gives a rusty appearance. It might look unsightly but it gives more grip to shots needing spin and control.

Mizuno’s Black Ox flange.

Bounce is added in construction to the sole plate and gives a rounded appearance. So if your local course tends to be wet parkland, more bounce (8-11 degrees) will be less likely to dig into the ground.

Clubs with less bounce (6-8 degrees) will suit drier, fast-running heathland and links courses. So take into account the type of turf and sand you play on most regularly.

How will I know what clubs suit me?

Most pro shops and driving ranges will have demonstration clubs they will allow you to hit a bucket of balls with or even try out on the course. If you’re prepared to spend around £100 for a specialist club they can’t expect you to buy untried off the rack.

What do I pay?

You can purchase a new wedge for as little as £12, according to most catalogues (Confidence Golf Company lob wedge) or as much as £159 (Bettinardi BB Raw range) and £129 (Cleveland 900 BRZ Series) though most are around the £100 mark, including Callaway Forged Vintage, Mizuno black Ox and Titleist Vokey Series.