Are you unsure how many wedges you should carry? Maybe you are new to golf and aren’t sure what you should put in your bag? Or are you curious and want to know more? No matter what your reason is, we have the answers for you!
Working out how many wedges you should carry (and what ones) can be tricky. Everyone seems to have a different opinion, leaving you unsure of where to turn or who to trust. Disappointed and confused, you wonder if you will ever know how many wedges you should carry.
Well, no more! Today, we are here with the answers you need. Keep reading to find out how many wedges you should carry and everything else that should be in your golf club bag!
What Are Wedges?
Before we dive into today’s article, let’s have a quick recap for those that need it! A wedge or wedges are the highest lofted clubs in your set of golf clubs.
Wedges are designed for short approach shots, usually, 120 yards or closer, pitch shots, strokes played from sand, chip shots, or any shot where you want the ball to rise and fall sharply.
There are four types of wedges, the pitching wedge, the gap wedge, the lob wedge, and the sand wedge. Each wedge has a slightly different role, so let’s take a quick look at them now!
Pitching Wedge
The pitching wedge (46 to 48 degrees) is used for full swings toward greens or any long chip shots. A pitching wedge is the least lofted wedge and provides average players with 110 to 140 yards of distance.
Gap Wedge
The gap wedge is also known as the approach wedge. It is a super important wedge to have and closes the loft gap between your pitching and sand wedge. The wedge allows you to take full swing without needing to soften your approach or hack aggressively.
For an average player, you can expect your shots to travel between 90 and 110 yards.
Lob Wedge
The lob wedge is the highest lofted wedge and will get the ball in the air quickly without it traveling far. It’s ideal for shots less than 80 yards, where you need to flop or navigate any obstacles.
Sand Wedge
Finally, you have the sand wedge. The sand wedge is designed to get your ball out of sand traps and roughs. It has a high loft angle, helping your ball to get in the air without too much spinning. You can expect your ball to travel between 80 and 110 yards with this wedge.
Now that we have established what the different wedges are and their purposes, let’s move on to see how many you should carry!
How Many Wedges Should You Carry?
You should have at least three wedges in your golf bag! Typically, most players will carry three wedges; a sand wedge, a pitching wedge, and a lob wedge. These wedges offer most players the ability to play their game with ease. You might also want to add a gap wedge, taking you to four wedges in your bag.
How many wedges you carry is a personal choice, and tends to depend on the game you are playing. Over time, you will find your skills improve and you have a use for every wedge, carrying all four.
However, as a beginner, you might be overwhelmed by the choice and want to stick to fewer wedges that you can master before adding more to your bag!
Finding the right number of wedges for you is usually a case of trial and error, but don’t panic! This is pretty common and something all golfers will go through.
You can speed the process up by enlisting the help of an instructor to show around each wedge and help you decide which is best for you, or you can see which ones feel right to you when you are playing. The choice is yours!
What Other Clubs Should I Have?
Now that we have established how many wedges you should have, let’s quickly look at what other clubs you should have in your bag! This list is for the average golf player, you can adjust this list to suit you and your needs if you see fit.
Remember, every golf player is different, so don’t panic if your list looks a little different!
Typically, the most common setup for a golf bag is the following fourteen clubs.
- Pitching wedge
- Sand wedge
- Gap wedge
- Lob wedge
- Driver
- Putter
- 3-wood
- 4 hybrid
- 5-wood
- 5 iron
- 6 iron
- 7 iron
- 8 iron
- 9 iron
Golfers can typically take fourteen clubs in their bag, so this list would leave you with a full bag ready to hit the green! Don’t forget you can take grips to make your clubs more comfortable to hold, balls, and anything else you might need!
While you are not allowed more than 14 clubs in your bag, you don’t need to take 14 if you won’t use them! If there are clubs on this list that you don’t use or aren’t familiar with, then you don’t need to take them!
It might be worth hiring some of them from your golf club (if they offer this) so you can try them out and see if they work for you. Doing so will allow you to get some practice in with the clubs, without needing to pay for them.
Final Thoughts
And there you have it! You can carry three wedges if you want, allowing you to have a wedge for a range of opportunities. However, if you have the space, it is worth carrying a fourth wedge to ensure that no matter what situation you find yourself in, you can hit the ball as you see fit!
Don’t forget to carefully select your other clubs too, as you can only have fourteen in your bag! Happy golfing!
Hi, my name is Garratt Shmidt and I have been playing golf in my spare time for almost a decade.
Before I found a passion for golf, I didn’t see the appeal. I thought it was slow, repetitive, and quite frankly boring.
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