I watched an old replay of a match of Byron Nelson and Gene Littler on the Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf on the Golf Channel the other day. They were playing at the prestigious Pine Valley Golf Club in S. New Jersey. It was great to watch because it looked like two amateurs playing match play on a Saturday afternoon. I say that because I’m used to watching guys hit it over 300yds., making unbelievable shots to the green, wedge shots that spin back, stop quickly, fly high, or roll to exact distances. Mr. Nelson and Mr. Littler were the best in their day….but they were not producing those incredible shots.

What I saw watching the show was how the condition of the course was inferior compared to today’s standards. I also noticed that the distance of the course was shorter and I noticed that they had fewer selections of wedges. Sand wedge or pitching wedge…that’s it. They learned how to “work” those clubs. They were very skilled at adapting to the situation.

For you amateurs who are confused about your wedges….here is some help to understand how and why we have several more options today. Let’s look at a few “Wedge Words":

1. BOUNCE ANGLE - bounce reduces friction or digging of the clubhead. This angle is formed by the leading edge of the clubhead and the ground. The more bounce you have, the less the club will “dig” in the ground. I am a “digger” so I ordered extra bounce (14 degrees) on my sand wedge, instead of 12 degrees.

2. DIG - the leading edge of the clubhead will tend to dig into the turf and will create friction in the rough or sand, rather than pass smoothly through or under the ball.

3. GAP wedge - this wedge is one that is in between the sand wedge (56 degrees of loft) and the pitching wedge (48 degrees of loft). Most gap wedges have 52 degrees of loft.

4. CAMBER - this refers to the sole of the club, This feature reduces “dig” of the club.

5. LOB wedge - The shortest-hitting wedge with the most loft (usually 60 degrees of loft).

6. FINISHES - wedges are finished differently- Chrome, Black Pearl, Satin, Raw, or oil. Black Pearl can reduce sun glare; Chrome is used for easy care; raw or oil finish is for better feel and hardness.

7. LEADING EDGE - the edge of the clubhead that leads into the ball. The trailing edge is the back edge of the clubhead.

I could go on with more words but I think this is where I’ll stop so you can digest what you just read. I don’t think Mr. Nelson and Mr. Littler had to learn these words. In fact, the wedges can be so confusing that we need a professional club fitter and an instructor to help us decide which wedges are best for our game. When you have the right wedge in your hands, your wedge play will improve. The right fit and knowledge of our equipment WILL help our ball flight and give us more forgiveness in our missed shots. And that’s what this game is about…controlling our misses!

Advice: go have your wedges checked!

Permalink 5 comments