One of the questions we get asked surprisingly often at Golf 360 is: what loft is a sand wedge?
The simple answer is that a traditional sand wedge is usually around 56 degrees.
Interestingly, that hasn't changed all that much over the years.
What has changed considerably is the loft of the clubs above it, particularly the pitching wedge.
The sand wedge hasn't changed much. The pitching wedge has.
Years ago, a pitching wedge might have been somewhere around 48 degrees. In many modern iron sets, we're now seeing pitching wedges around 43 or 44 degrees, and some are even stronger than that.
That creates a problem.
If your pitching wedge is 44 degrees and your sand wedge is 56 degrees, you've suddenly got a 12-degree gap between two clubs.
For some context, most iron sets are built with roughly four or five degrees between clubs. So having a 12-degree gap at the bottom of the bag is a bit like carrying a 6-iron and an 8-iron, but leaving your 7-iron at home.
You'd be amazed how often you'd find yourself wanting that missing club.
And it's arguably even more important at the scoring end of the bag.
Why modern iron lofts have changed wedge setups
This is something we explain quite regularly when we're fitting golfers at Golf 360.
It's easy to buy an iron set, put a 56-degree sand wedge underneath it and assume you've got everything covered.
But we need to know the loft of the pitching wedge first.
If that's 44 degrees, we might need something around 48 or 50 degrees before we get to the sand wedge. Depending on the golfer and the rest of the set, there may then be room for another wedge as well.
It doesn't mean everybody needs four wedges. What we're trying to avoid is a massive hole in the loft progression.
What lofts are pitching, gap, sand and lob wedges?
As a general guide:
| Wedge | Typical loft |
|---|---|
| Pitching wedge | Around 42–46° in many modern sets |
| Gap wedge | Around 48–52° |
| Sand wedge | Around 54–56° |
| Lob wedge | Around 58–60° |
Those aren't rules.
The letters stamped on the bottom of the club are actually less important than understanding the lofts you've already got and the distances you hit them.
That's why you'll sometimes hear us talking about wedge gapping rather than simply saying you need a gap wedge or sand wedge.
You can also have a look through our golf wedge range to see how many different loft combinations are available now.
Making sure you've got all the tools for the job
When we're custom fitting someone, one of the things we're doing is effectively counting our way through the bag.
You've only got 14 clubs available, so we want those clubs doing useful jobs without unnecessary duplication.
And I think that's particularly important around the green and on shorter approach shots.
If you've got nice four or five-degree gaps through your irons and then suddenly jump 10 or 12 degrees between your pitching wedge and sand wedge, there's a pretty obvious hole there.
I'd rather make sure you've got all the tools for the job.
That doesn't necessarily mean adding more clubs. Sometimes it's simply about choosing the right lofts so the bottom end of the set flows properly.
So, what loft sand wedge should I use?
For many golfers, a 56-degree sand wedge is still a very sensible option.
But I wouldn't choose your sand wedge in isolation. Start by checking the loft of your pitching wedge and then look at how the rest of your wedges fit between the two.
If you're not sure what lofts you've got, bring your clubs into Golf 360 in Mount Maunganui. We can look at the makeup of your bag and help work out whether there are any obvious gaps.
At the scoring end of the bag, having the right tool for the distance in front of you can make a big difference.
Happy golfing,
Scott
