What is the difference between a 56 and 60 wedge?
Mia Kelly
Published Jan 23, 2026
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.
What is better 56 or 60 wedge?
As a general rule, average golfers will have an easier time hitting a 56-degree wedge compared to a 60-degree wedge. A 56-degree wedge will give just as much distance but it will also be a lot more consistent when you're chipping onto the green.
What is a 56 degree wedge used for?
A 56-degree wedge is often referred to by most golfers as the sand wedge. It provides a high amount of bounce and allows golfers to get out of many sticky situations on the golf course. Every golfer should have a sand wedge in their golf bag for this very purpose.
How far should I hit a 56 degree wedge?
How Far Should You Hit A 56 Degree Wedge? On average, golfers hit their 56-degree wedge 84 yards, but the range can vary between 75 and 105 yards. Longer hitters who take a full swing typically hit over 100 yards, but most golfers take a 1/2 to 3/4 swing with their sand wedge.
What is 60 degree wedge used for?
A 60-degree wedge is considered a lob wedge and is mostly used to launch the ball high up in the air and land softly on the green. Examples could be hitting the ball over water or sand and quickly stopping it on the green. I used to have a 60 degree in my bag and it did come in handy in certain situations.
34 related questions foundWhich 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.
Should you chip with a 60 degree wedge?
At What Point Do I Use the 60 Degree Wedge? You should use your 60 degree wedge when you are chipping near the green. The three additional factors you need to take into consideration when near the green are your ball lie, the landscape features between the ball and pin, and finally, the hole position on the green.
What has more loft 56 or 60?
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 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.
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 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.
Do high handicappers need 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.
What type of wedges should I have?
To make it easy, a good rule of thumb is to have about four-degrees of loft between your wedges. So, if your 48-degree pitching wedge flies on average 110 yards, and your 56-degree sand wedge goes about 80 yards, you probably need a 52-degree wedge that carries around 95 yards to fill an important hole in your setup.
What wedges should a high handicapper carry?
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.
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 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 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.
Can you use a lob wedge in the bunker?
The majority of your bunker shots might be played using your sand wedge, but when you are required to hit a really high, soft landing bunker shot, you need to use your highest lofted wedge. Using the lob wedge for those high bunker shots will give you the best chance to pull off the shot.
What does bounce mean on a wedge?
Wedge bounce is the angle created between the leading edge and the lowest point of the sole or trailing edge. This is the area of the club that hits through the ground as it contacts the ball. The greater the wedge bounce degree, the higher the leading edge is off the surface at address.
What wedge spins the most?
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.
What wedge is closest to green?
For the average golfer, chipping with a pitching or gap wedge will produce the most consistent shots around the green. Using a gap wedge will be the best place to start for standard chips, but a pitching wedge could work better if the ball is sitting up in the rough.
What is the best club to pitch with?
Pitch shots are generally hit with your higher lofted clubs like a 54, 56, 58 or 60 degree loft utility wedge.
What wedges does Phil Mickelson use?
He uses three PM Grind '19 “Raw” wedges. The PM stands for Phil Mickelson because he helped design the wedges with Roger Cleveland.
Should a beginner use a lob wedge?
Generally, lob wedges carry 60-degrees of loft and are used to recover from difficult positions near the green. However, in my opinion, a beginner should shy away from a lob wedge, as it is a finesse club and requires skill and many, many hours of practice, to hit with confidence.
Do I need a gap or lob wedge?
The rule of thumb is that a player should have four degrees of difference between wedges. For instance, a golfer with a pitching wedge lofted at 46 degrees should have a gap wedge of 50 degrees, a sand wedge at 54 degrees and a lob wedge of no less than 58 degrees.