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Should the average golfer use a 60 degree wedge?

Author

Daniel Moore

Published Jan 11, 2026

Part of the reason is that better players normally play a 60-degree wedge. Average players should stick to a 58 degree. If you were to take a full swing with your 60 degrees, your distance should be somewhere around 100 yards. Most golfers swing at 1/2 or 3/4 speed though and that's why the average number is 74 yards.

Should a high handicapper use a 60 degree wedge?

What Loft Wedges Should A High Handicapper Carry? High handicappers should carry at least a 56-degree wedge. In addition, it makes sense to have a 52-degree wedge and a 60-degree wedge to have a variety of shots. The thing that you have to pay attention to is the loft gapping in the set.

When would you use a 60 degree wedge?

The lob wedge has a loft anywhere between 60 and 64 degrees. It is useful for throwing the ball up very high from short distances, also known as the "flop shot" - Phil Mickelson is the expert at this.

How far does the average golfer hit a 60 degree wedge?

On average, a professional golfer will hit a 60-degree wedge about 100 yards. A mid-handicap golfer will probably hit their 60-degree wedge about 50-60 yards. A higher handicap golfer will probably hit their 60-degree wedge about 30-40 yards.

Should high handicappers use a lob wedge?

The Lob Wedge

Lob, or high, shots can save high handicappers strokes. High handicappers who have difficulty playing from tight, or bare, lies and who have a propensity for taking large divots should consider carrying a lob wedge in their bags. The lob wedge should have no more than 60 degrees of loft.

18 related questions found

Which wedge is best for chipping?

What degree wedge is best for chipping? For most golfers, a gap wedge or a sand wedge with loft of between 52° and 56° will produce the most consistent outcome when chipping. This is because you'll be able to play most short-game shots you're likely to come across out on the course.

Can I use a 60 degree wedge in the sand?

Can you use a 60-degree wedge as a sand wedge? A 60-degree wedge can work well out of the sand but it's important to have at least 10 degrees of loft. A wedge with more loft can help you get the ball out of deep bunkers or fly a shorter distance.

What wedge degrees do pros use?

Looking at the average configurations and lofts, around 60% of pro players use a pitching wedge with 46 degrees of loft, with 48 degrees being the second most common loft option. With gap wedges, the 52-degree loft is used by 42% of players, with 33% opting for the 50-degree model.

What is the rule of 12 in golf chipping?

The Rule of 12 In Golf Chipping. The rule of 12 is a golf chipping technique that explains the exact relationship between the loft on a golf club and the amount of roll you will get on a chip shot. We use 12 yards as the total distance we want the ball to carry on the chip.

What 3 wedges should I carry?

Know your pitching wedge loft.

If it's 45 degrees or less, add three more wedges that are spaced apart by no more than 4-5 degrees each. So generally think about putting in a gap wedge that's 48 or 50 degrees, a sand wedge that's between 54 and 56 degrees, and a lob wedge that's between 58 and 60 degrees.

Is a 60 degree wedge a pitching wedge?

Pitching wedges are generally in the range of 44 to 48 degrees loft and used for hitting the longest wedge shots into a green.

What is a 62 degree wedge used for?

Lob Wedge. Lob wedges are the most lofted wedge, with a measurement generally between 58 and 62 degrees. The lob wedge is meant for short approach shots and is best utilized when a player needs to stop the ball quickly on the green or approach a tough-to-reach pin placement.

What is the difference between a 60 degree wedge and a sand wedge?

In fact, wedges are often identified by their loft rather than their name. A lob wedge might instead be called a "60-degree wedge," for example. Sand wedges were invented (generally credited to Gene Sarazen) to make shots out of sand bunkers easier. Typically, sand wedges have lots from 52 to 56 degrees.

What does S grind mean on a wedge?

The S Grind Vokey SM7 is the popular middle-of-the-road option in the current Titleist wedge lineup. The S Grind is geared towards golfers that will strike wedge shots with a square club face. It's built for those who aren't manipulating the face or angle of attack too much.

What is the most important wedge to have?

Overall, I believe that the sand wedge and the lob wedge are the most important wedges to get the bounce right on, because they will be used most frequently around the greens. Last thing about bounce– If you regularly play on tight turf, or regularly play on soft turf, match your wedge bounces to these conditions.

What is the difference between a 56 and 60 wedge?

A 60-degree wedge has four more degrees of loft than a 56-degree wedge. This extra loft can make a big difference when it comes to getting the ball up in the air and then stopping it on the green. Sixty-degree wedges work well for greenside bunker shots, and they tend to spin quite a bit.

How many golf balls is a professional golfer allowed to carry?

Under the Rules of Golf, a golfer can carry as many golf balls as they want in their bag. Really, they can carry as many golf balls as they're willing to carry around themselves or their caddie is willing to lug around for them. Most PGA Tour golfers carry in the area of nine golf balls in their bag per round.

How often do pros get new wedges?

The average Tour player replaces his wedges at least a handful of times per season. It probably comes out to 35-50 rounds, with many requesting fresh sets in advance of major championships. Of course, each wedge in a Tour player's bag is logging more than just competitive rounds.

How far can I hit a 9 iron?

For men, the average 9 iron distance is between 130-140 yards. A more experienced golfer who makes better contact and is longer, will usually hit it 135 yards and further. A tour pro will hit it closer to 150-160 yards on average. For women, the average will be around 90-100 yards.

What wedges does Justin Thomas use?

Interestingly, Thomas brings two lob wedges to tournaments. Typically, he plays with a 60-degree K grind wedge with 6 degrees of bounce, but starting at the 2018 Presidents Cup in Australia, he began using a 60-degree T grind wedge on firm golf courses.

Does Tiger Woods use a gap wedge?

TaylorMade MG2 TW Grind

As such he usually sticks with a model that works for him and right now he uses two TaylorMade Milled Grind 2 models which have 56 and 60 degrees of loft. He appears to be lacking a gap wedge but his sand wedge may be stronger than the 56° it says or his PW may be a touch weaker.

What wedges does Tiger use?

He's still using his TaylorMade MG2 TW grind wedges (56 and 60 degrees) and the Scotty Cameron GSS Newport 2 prototype putter that he's used to win 14 of his 15 majors, as well. He'll also continue using the Bridgestone Tour B XS 2022 prototype golf ball that he debuted at the 2021 PNC Championship.

Is it better to chip with a 56 or 60 degree wedge?

Most people would agree that something around 56 degrees of loft is going to be best for chipping. A wedge with this loft seems to have the right amount of height, spin, and maneuverability to help you get shots around the green completed with ease.

Is more bounce better for wedges?

If you have a steep angle of attack resulting in deep divots, a higher bounce is recommended. If you are a sweeper resulting in shallow or no divot, low bounce is recommended. Vokey encourages golfers to go through a wedge fitting to ensure they get the proper bounce for their swing type.

What wedge has the most spin?

For the 30-yard pitch shot, the MD5 wedge led the way with an average spin of 5,966. The rest of the wedges were all very close with the Titleist SM8 wedge at a 5,574 rpm average next. Finally, for the full shot, the Mizuno T-20 wedge had the highest spin at an average of 10,908 rpm.