Sand Wedge vs. Lob Wedge?

Question

Sand Wedge= 57.5 degrees

Lob Wedge= 61 degrees

Is there an instance where one club is a clear choice over the other?

Answer 1

when you cant hit the lob far enough, you must move to the sand wedge. If you have no room for roll you will need to use the lob so the ball doesnt roll fifty feet by the hole or off the green. I always use my 60(MY LW) if the shot is downhill all the way to the hole. If i need the ball to run though, i use the 56.(MY SW)

I know i cant hit my 60* more than 80 yards consistently. So if i have an 90 yard shot, the 3/4 -7/8 56* is the way to go.  I will always take the full swing with a club if the shot permits it, rather than a half swing or 3/4 swing. Its harder to tell the difference between 65-85% than it is to tell the difference between 85-110%. My money range with my 60* is 75 yards. If the ball is inside 75y i hit my 60* all the way to 30y. Then I pick the right club for the right shot. A pitch and run will be done with a lower lofted club. a flop with a high lofted club.

My advice to you is to find the perfect club for your flat short  game. Then modify the club based upon the shot at hand. Uphill, downhill, left to right, right to left, carry distanceXroll distance (End of the hazard to the pin), and speed of the green are the factors to watch.

In all there are many times where a club has a distinct responsibility/purpose in a players bag. But the same truth is that no club has any single responsibility/purpose in the bag either.

After Jon VandeVelde lost the british open after a triple bogey 8 on the last hole( score could be wrong). he played the hole again two years later with only his putter. He scored two strokes better and could have won the british open if he had done that on championship sunday.

IN THE END PICK THE ONE YOU ARE MORE COMFORTABLE WITH FOR THE SHOT YOU ARE EXECUTING.

Answer 2

ixnaytim  --- Wow.....a ramblin man!!!!

Answer 3

Dea - 57.5 is an unusual loft for a sand wedge....did you have it bent to that spec?

I can't tell you where to use them unless you give me the bounce angle....

Answer 4

no not between those two

Answer 5

I carry a LW but I rarely use it.  The main difference is the bounce more so than loft.  The lie will dictate the decision as much as how high the shot needs to be hit.  You have to get out and practice and experiment to answer those questions.

Answer 6

I usually use my lob wedge out of the bunkers becuase it gets the ball up quickly and makes it stop on a dime.  I also use the lob wedge on shots where I dont have a lot of green to work with.  I usually use my sand wedge from around the green.

Answer 7

I use a sand wedge on 98% of all chips and sand shots.  If I have to hit it high I lay the face wide open effectively giving it more loft(about 60*).  The other 2% I either use a pitching wedge or another short iron to get the ball rolling.  I own a gap wedge and a lob wedge, but I found myself not using them.  Short game is the strength of my golf game.  I've just learned to hit a variety of shots with both my pitching wedge and sand wedge.  To answer your question, you could use a lob wedge to chip uphill because the loft will stop the ball almost immediately on an uphill chip.

Answer 8

well i dont think it would be an instant choice but my chouice would probably bbe the sandwedge just because the lob wedge you cant use it from like 100 yards out

Answer 9

Hitting a flop shot, the lob wedge is a clear choice over the sand wedge.

Answer 10

yes never try to use a full swing with a lob wedge , use only from 55 yards in , great versitallity around green , to easy to become used for shots not needed ,needs lots of practice . in the end it will save strokes especially arond the green . takes practice . dont give up on it