Choosing A Sand Wedge

Posted by Betsy Flanks

The sand wedge, like your putter and driver is a very individual club.  It doesn't have to match the res of your set. A sand wedge is not just for playing shots out of a bunker, it can be used in other parts of the club when you are looking to get height and loft around the green.  When buying a sand wedge, look for one with plenty of loft.  Sand wedges vary from 55 to 64 degrees of loft which is comparable to the difference of a 3 and 7 iron.  I recommend buying a wedge that has a 62 degree so you can shoot lofted shots with ease and it will differ from the rest of your wedges.

A sand wedge, like a fairway wood is designed to bounce on the ground. A pitching wedge, by way of contrast has a cutting edge, designed to take divot. Thank of the pitching wedge as a club to use for lofted shots when you haven't reached the green. A sand wedge is the correct club for using over bunkers and for lofted shots near the green beside in a bunker. The rounded sole of the sand iron was designed to bounce off the ground before you strike your ball.

Getting the correct lie to the sand iron is vital.  Your lie refers to the angle between the club shaft and the vertical. Look through your set of clubs, the pitching wedge should sit most upright and the sand wedge should sit slightly flatter. If the lie is too upright, you will find a certain bunker shot and pitch shot difficult. If you are not sure what lie to have, find a sand wedge with the same lie as your 7 iron. The correct lie will allow you to bend your knees when hitting.  For advanced golfers, it will also allow you to open the club-face correctly.

For certain bunker shots, we have to open the club face.  You will find on harder golf courses, you will be forced to take harder shots that require you to hit shorter distances with the need to hit very high.  This means you need to turn the club face away to the right. There will be more information on this in my next article. The rubber grips on the clubs are usually egg-shaped with the pointed part of the egg at the back of the grip. This will help you to hold the club square. With a sand wedge, a perfectly round grip can be easier to use for the specialist shots when you don't want to hold the club face square.