Lob wedge recommendation

[barb]

Hi all
I am now comtemplating the purchase of a lob wedge,
I have got to a point where I feel the need to start expanding my shot range and start experimenting with different clubs. After a recent lesson for my short game I now use my sand wedge alot around the greens (previously I would use nothing but a 7 iron), there have been a couple of occasions where my sand wedge has been a club too much on a full swing and not enough on short swing and last night I tried hubby's lob wedge and got on quite well (I had tried it before but didn't like it at all) and as my game is changing I feel I'd like to have the option of the lob wedge in my bag but need some advice on lofts and what is a good lob wedge. Ideally I'd like a graphite shaft (to match my irons).
I'm going up to AG next week to have a look but on their website they have minimal choice for ladies .
Any suggestions?

 

[vig]

Barb

I use a 60* Calloway Xtour...... Brilliant you do need to practice a lot though. Super for up and downs over bunkers and other hazards when not much green to work with.
Not sure they do it in a graphite shaft but I would have thought they would be available to order

 

[andiritchie]

cleveland do a ladies wedge with a grahite shaft if you aint seen it looks pretty decent as my girlfriend is eyeing it up to, the only downside is its a stereotypical pink

 

[Prubs]

As a general rule of thumb if you play on a course with a harder turf and firmer sand in the traps you should be using wedges with less bounce. The lower amount of bounce will help the clubs leading edge dig down easier into the turf and through the rest of the shot.

On the contrary if you play on a course with softer turf conditions and fluffy sand then you should be using wedges with a little more bounce as this will help prevent the club digging to deeply into the ground thus causing the dreaded fat shot.

In terms of selecting your golf clubs to suit the style of your swing there is also a general rule to follow. Golfers with a steeper or more upright swings will tend to do better with a little more golf wedge bounce because it will prevent their clubs from digging too deep in the ground on the downswing.(also known as “Diggers”) On the other hand those players who have a flatter, more sweeping swing will fare better with wedges with a little less bounce. This will help avoid skidding off the ground with the club and making contact with the middle of the ball. This is other wise known to golfers as skulling or blading a shot. (known as “Sweepers”)

If you aren’t sure which category you fall into there’s a simple way to find out. Just go to your local driving range or practice area and hit a few balls with your higher lofted clubs. Then take a look at your divots and use Mother Nature as your own form of technology. If you’re taking long deep divots this is a sign of a digger. If you’re taking thin shallow or even no divots at all then this is a sign of a sweeper.

Once you recognize your swing type and course conditions it is fairly simple to decide on the amount of golf wedge bounce angle that you need. With this information you or you local pro should be able to fit your wedges perfectly to your game and you’ll be on your way to shooting lower scores.

Hope this helps....Rob

 

[barb]

Thanks guys,
I have had a quick look at the cleveland wedge and it does look a nice club and I quite like the look of the Ladies Cyberstar T-1 Wedge aswell so may give them both a try if AG has them in stock. I may end up getting a men's if they have them with a graphite shaft as a steel shaft is so much heavier and I'll struggle with this.
I'll let you know what I decide once I've been to AG.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I've got the X Tour 60* also.

Brilliant club!

The grooves cut up balls terribly however. (even distance balls)

 

[brendy]

Barb, the best bit of advice I can offer you is simply, dont buy one.
Considering the range they are used from, they have to be the most innacurate clubs in the bag. They are so hard to hit consistantly, especially from grasssy lies.
I had one for a year or so and sold it as I wasnt getting on with it, even with the best intentions.
Playing of 32 you shouldnt be worrying about having to throw the ball high onto a green when you have the shots to play left or right of trouble and use your head to get the ball in the hole.
Keep practicing the sandwedge, and if you do feel brave, try opening the face a little more on the practice range and learn to play it instead. learning more shots with the clubs you already have is more important than introducing another variable into your game.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

That's a good point Brendy - they aren't really all that necessary.

I used to be able to use my Howson Derby sand wedge as well as any wedge I've had since. I think it was a young mans bravery however, as I'd just walk up to the ball, no matter what the lie, open the face and swing hard. It virtually always went well, somehow!

But I love using wedges so much I'll always keep a lobby in the bag.

 

[billyg]

I can see both sides of this one.

It would be very useful to have a low bounce-high loft club to be able to lift over a bunker and onto a green where you don't have much to work with.

Ive tried this shot with an open faced sand wedge and in all but the fluffiest lies it just sculls the ball into the bunker.

Using a pitching wedge with a little half swing carries the bunker but then hasn't the brakes to stop on the green.

On the other hand , having read many posts on the subject on GM there seems to almost be a concensus(I say almost) on the limits of their use with many either abandoning them or consigning them to the naughty corner of the bag .

With a ball resting a few feet behind a bunker (which is often trodden down to a hard pan or cut close) , 10 foot of bunker to carry and then a further 15 foot to the pin i'm left with no answers at this point in my experience.

Overall IMHO a lofted wedge is probably not the answer - a lesson dedicated to this inordinately common problem from a pro in conjunction with a lot of greenside practice at a local driving range probably is.

As far as carry distance is concerned, once again, the kind of arching perabola from 60 yards out landing with a skidding thud pin high is the 'Rocky' shot of our dreams but i'm latterly more interested in putting in a lower pitch or half swing to the heart of the green at my level.

I guess it's mainly to do with what kind of golf you want to play Barb. Have fun in 'the toy shop' either way.

bill

 

[RGuk]

f.w.i.w. Callaway make the most upright of all wedges....I'm afraid that makes them the marmite of clubs.

If I can make a very odd suggestion....if you are hoping to get a club to conquer the "sand-wedge is too much" issue....don't go near a Lob wedge....full shots are a nightmare, better the to learn how to hit various PW SW pitching distances or something.

My SW goes 85 full. My LW would go about 65, but if I have 65, I'll always hit a small PW pitch.....

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I have to say I can also see both sides of this particular coin. I feel Barb would benefit from the ease of having one club with which to play the higher shots without having t worry about opening faces etc which can often lead to fear and panic causing poor execution anyway.

However as Brendy does so often he makes a good point that these are probably the most inaccurate club in the bag especially given the distances it is used for. I have to be honest and say I've taken mine out of the bag for two reasons. Firstly I needed another wedge to bridge the gap between 45 degree PW and 56 Sw (Cleveland 52 does the trick). Secondly I was proving too incosistent and it was costing me more shots than it saved.

On balance I think Barb would benefit at least short term in getting one. However one thing I strongly recommend is getting a ladies version. Do not use a mens one as they tend to be quite heavy headed and with a mens shaft as well it will lead to duffed shots.

If you do get one Barb let us know what you get and how you get on with it

 

[RGuk]

Overall IMHO a lofted wedge is probably not the answer - a lesson dedicated to this inordinately common problem from a pro in conjunction with a lot of greenside practice at a local driving range probably is.

This might just be the most sensible post ever made on here. I bow to your wise recommendation....

 

[Nico]

Barb,please dont buy one.

Get a higher lofted sand wedge (58?) like I have. Move to your gap wedge for shots around the greens and get the lesson in!

 

[madandra]

Barb, if I was in your shoes I would have very sore feet cos I am a size 11 But seriously, you need to practice the half shot with your PW and save the money from the jobby wedge for something else.

 

[USER1999]

My recommendation is don't bother. Under pressure in a medal round it is the hardest shot to commit to, and not committing has the biggest penalty with this type of club. To buy one for use in bounce games is a waste, when you could be practicing what you would do in medal play (safe option).
This is the club for a much lower handicap player.

They are fun though.

My 64° is in the attic, my 60° is in the wardrobe, and I carry a 58°. This would not complement a sand wedge as the lofts are too close, so I carry a 54° instead, and have sold my 52°, and put my 56° in the wardrobe too. Collecting lob wedges gets expensive, and they are not called 'the blob' wedge for nothing.

 

[barb]

Thanks guys for your words of wisdom, I knew this was the right place for advice.
I have taken your advice on board, much to the delight of hubby and will put off buying a new wedge until I am more proficiant in using my other wedges.
As it turns out AG don't have any ladies wedges in stock so wouldn't be able to try them even if I wanted too.
I suppose my eagerness is mostly down to the fact I could have got something new, now I'll have togo and think of something else to buy
Thanks again guys