What's In Your Golf Bag?
The right wedge at the right time
A popular credit card company’s recent television ad asks, “what’s in your wallet”? The message of the commercial is that their credit card may have more benefits than the one you’re carrying. This concept raises the question, what’s in your golf bag? Do you have the 14 best “tools in your kit” to allow you to play your best golf, resulting in better scores?
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In order to ensure that the answer is a totally informed one, a brief history lesson may be of help. In the not too distant past - let’s say the 1980s - standard specifications for off the shelf golf clubs, that is the overall lengths of the golf clubs, the lie angles and the face lofts, reflected a very different picture than that of today’s equipment.
For instance, in the 80s, a men’s pitching wedge was 35 ¼ inches in length and had a loft of 50 degrees. Today’s iron sets feature a pitching wedge that measures 35 ½ inches and has a loft of 46 degrees. In other words, the pitching wedge of today was the 9 iron of the U.S. Presidency of Ronald Reagan. These changes in standard specs have had a domino effect, if you will. You’ll note that the 2 iron has disappeared and that iron sets now begin with the 3 iron. No mystery really, the 3 iron of today is the 2 iron of years ago. |
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Meanwhile, a sand wedge of the 80s had 56 degrees of loft and the sand wedge of today carries the same standard loft of 56 degrees. There are additional “sand wedges” available in lofts 54 degrees, 58 degrees, etc. The result is that with a pitching wedge having 46 degrees and your sand wedge likely having a loft of 56 degrees, there is a considerable “gap” in the distance these clubs will produce, unlike the 4 degrees difference in the other irons in your set.
I suspect many of you know where this is going. Those clever manufacturers have created - what else - the “gap wedge”, most that carry a loft of 52 degrees, getting remarkably close to the old pitching wedge. The intent is to have you add the gap wedge to your arsenal. (Then there’s a “lob wedge” with 60 degrees of loft and little “bounce”, but then that’s for another column.)
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Since 67% of all shots are taken within 100 yards of the hole, having wedges that address all the requirements of these “scoring shots” seems reasonable. I encourage you to investigate adding a gap wedge. As always you should consult your PGA professional about those “14 friends” in your golf bag. They will know what set configuration gives you the greatest chance to play your best golf.
Enjoy the greatest of games,
John W. Boykin
John W. Boykin is an elite PGA Member Professional and International Golf Instructor. John brings a wealth of knowledge about the game and industry to Privileged Play members.
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