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| Tips For Buying a Wedge |
| When choosing a new wedge or wedges, there are a few factors is typically finding out what is the loft of your current wedges. Next finish on the club head. Below are some tips to help make your buying decision easier, starting with a guide to typical lofts and distances. Distance is based on the assumption that you hit your driver approximately 240 yards on average. Typical spacing between wedges is about 4 degrees, so if your pitching wedge is 48 degrees a 52 degree gap wedge would be an appropriate choice of loft. Also if you can’t get the loft you want you can usually have the club loft bent 1 or 2 degrees to what you actually need. What is bounce and how much do I need? Bounce is the gap between the leading edge of your wedge and the ground. When you set a wedge down the entire sole does not sit flat, there is a slight gap under the front part of the sole (the leading edge) and the larger the gap the more bounce it has. Some companies offer low, mid and high bounce options. You typically select low bounce if you are playing in firm or dry conditions or if you have a shallow attack angle and take little or no divot, you quite often “pick” the ball. You typically select mid bounce if you are playing in a variety of conditions or if you have a medium attack angle and take a medium size divot. You typically select high bounce if you are playing in soft or wet conditions or if you have a steep attack angle and take a large and possibly deep divot. Should I buy Cavity Back or Flat back? A cavity back wedge will offer a little more forgiveness, a flat back will offer more feel and workability and versatility. A low handicap player would likely choose flat back on all or most wedges, a mid handicap typically has a cavity back pitching wedge and gap wedge and flat back sand and lob and a high handicap golfer would likely choose cavity back on all or most wedges. What type of finish is the best for my game? Club manufacturers offer different finishes on wedges for different preferences. For example, the Titleist Vokey offers Oil Can which will oxidize over time and offers a little more feel and spin. Or you can choose a Vokey Black Nickel or Tour Chrome which will not oxidize, so they will tend to look better over time than the untreated types of wedges. Bright chrome finishes are less popular now because of the glare from the sun. What width of sole and relief (grind) do I need? If you are playing in soft conditions or have a steep angle of attack, or take a large divot then you would be better served with a wider sole wedge. If you play in more firm conditions, have a shallow angle of attack, or take little or no divot you will likely prefer a narrower sole wedge. Relief or grind is the ground off portion of the heel, toe or trailing edge of the club. What happens is part of the back portion of the sole is ground down or removed. Clubs with more “relief” will offer more workability and versatility, and you will most commonly see relief on wedges of 56 degrees and higher (sand and lob wedges). What is the difference in grooves in a quality wedge versus an off brand wedge? Premium name brand wedge heads can be either cast or forged and then the grooves in the head are CNC milled for the best quality and performance as compared to off brands where the head is cast and grooves have imperfections. If you look very closely at a premium wedge versus an off brand you can actually see the difference in quality. The off brand wedge grooves will be thick and thin, premium wedge grooves will be a perfect and uniform line. You will also notice quality wedges have wider and deeper grooves, resulting in more spin and control. Now that you understand the basics of wedges you will be able to make a more educated buying decision. Next issue will be tips for buying a putter. Good luck in your search! Any questions or comments regarding the above information contact: Darcy Schmidt at 905 732 9692 or drop by Golf Stuff in Welland |
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