Must-Have Wedges For Beginner and High Handicap Golfers
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High handicap golfers might benefit from a great wedge set up to help them cut strokes off their handicap. A full wedge setup typically includes 3-4 wedges of the same type to help with uniformity at the bottom of your golf bag. A typical wedge set includes a pitching wedge, lob wedge, gap wedge, and sand wedge.
Most golfers keep these four wedges in their golf bags and utilize them for various wedge shots. Some players can only use a pitching wedge and a lob wedge in their golf bag. Their bounce angles, degrees of loft, and sole grinds varies. Wedges can be of the cavity back design (the most forgiving and a perfect choice for high handicappers and beginners), the blade style, or the muscle back design.
They all have the same goal in mind: to get the ball near to the hole and decrease the score. High handicappers will find it tough to hit the ball with various types of wedges at first. The best wedges for high handicappers and beginners typically have a wide sole and a lower center of gravity for greater forgiveness and a larger sweet spot.
The best wedge for high handicappers will provide a solid short game, nice golf strokes from tight lies, distance control with your golf shots, graphite or steel shafts, toe bias center for tighter shot dispersion, and perimeter weighting for great bunker shots from deep rough. This function will assist high handicap golfers in properly striking the ball on the golf course. With the finest wedges for high handicappers and beginners, you should be able to add more than 100 yards of distance in your golf game with a moderate swing pace.
As a result, accommodating wedge sets are frequently the ideal wedges for high handicappers and beginners. Best wedges will assist you with a certain shot and will ensure that you have no issues with your trailing edge, which is the lowest point of the club. You will increase your putting stroke feel and acquire maximum forgiveness with your golf clubs by mastering shots with these top wedges.
The majority of wedges for higher handicap golfers have a dynamic sole, a square strike, and good contact with the club head. These are some of the most important factors for high handicappers and beginners to consider, regardless of whether they are right or left-handed.
Modern wedges are a one-of-a-kind blend of form and function. Choosing a pitching wedge with the appropriate loft options, bounce angle and grind, and shaft can assist golfers of all abilities in filling gaps in their bags. When properly fitted, these scoring clubs can be used to make birdies and save pars. We’ve highlighted significant aspects of the full wedge set below to help all golfers make more informed purchasing decisions the next time around.
Brief Overview Of The Finest Wedges For High Handicappers And Beginners
Choosing the Best Wedge for Your Golf Game
Each golfer’s ideal wedges will differ; yet, each set must have comparable features. These similarities ensure that golfers can hit a wide range of full and half strokes. Wedges are very important in your game. The majority of wedges are blades. They are the most adaptable clubs. Understanding your swing and the types of course conditions you frequently play in will help you choose the ideal wedge and the number of wedges to use. High handicappers and newbies, for example, will select the most forgiving wedge.
This versatile club will assist them in getting out of a tight lie and will provide more forgiveness. These characteristics are required in the major wedges of average and high handicap golfers. They also want more clubhead speed with a wider sole since high handicappers have difficulty finding the green. They can get clean contact on full shots with ordinary irons of the varying loft. Golfers with higher handicaps can increase their scoring zone by selecting the best wedges.
Standard and good wedges are frequently used by mid-handicappers, and premium wedges are more commonly employed by lower-handicappers. This makes logical given the disparity in their swings and talents. They employ various degrees of loft. Many PGA Tour players have a personal preference when it comes to wedges or iron sets.
When selecting the best wedges for high handicappers, high handicappers need to understand what bounce angles and different lofts are. This is a key aspect of intuition and knowing how to make good decisions. The angle between the leading edge and the grind sole of the golf club is referred to as the bounce option. There are three bounce options: low, medium, and high. The higher the loft of the leading wedge, the higher the bounce. High bounce wedges feature a higher loft than wedges with a bounce angle of 10 degrees. The angle of low bounce is between 4 and 6 degrees. Less loft reduces glare, but more loft provides extra forgiving. Your swing style and game conditions will also be determined by whether your bounce is high or low.
What Exactly Is A Wedge?
Loft distinguishes a wedge from an iron. The loft of the 9 iron is typically around 44°. Anything greater than 45° is considered a wedge.
Wedges, depending on your swing speed, can be employed on fuller strokes from 140 yards and in. It is commonly stated that a wedge should not be hit with full strength. Wedges are designed to be used for controlled strokes rather than power shots. Their job is to get you close to the hole, not to transport you huge distances.
The higher the loft, the higher the ball flight and, in many cases, the more spin.
As A High Handicapper Or Beginner, What Wedges Should I Use?
You can definitely try a stand-alone wedge if you just have the Sand Wedge from your set. However, you must know what you’re looking for. Then you may filter down what you want to buy and test out.
People of various skill levels require wedges for a variety of reasons. I’ll list them here in the order of what applies to higher handicaps first, then what applies to lower handicaps.
- Get out of bunkers the first time: If your main worry is simply getting out of that blasted bunker, you should go with something with a VERY thick sole and a loft between 56 and 59°.
- Chipping: If you learn the bump and run style chip, you can actually get away with chipping with your irons here. As a high handicapper, you may find yourself in some difficult situations where you need to chip over bunkers, water, and obstructions.
You want a wedge that can be used in both the rough and the fairway, so anything with a cavity back.
- Shots between 30 and 100 yards: These will be clubs with lofts ranging from 58° to 50° that are swung more ‘full.’ The type of wedges that work best for this are entirely up to you. All you have to do is practice with the one you chose and figure out how far you can hit it with a full shot and a half shot. Then modify your game to use that club and that swing for the distance it travels.
Warning For All High Handicappers
Forget about the flop shot and the high lobber. This shot does not need to be learned at this stage. Learn the fundamental chipping and pitching moves, and then just get the ball on the green. Those flop shots you see the pros use took years to perfect.
As normal golfers, our goal is to get it on the green and then make a putt, or at worst, two-putt.
When Do We Employ Wedges?
We utilize bunker wedges and chipping wedges around the green. Most golfers pick one club that they like to hit out of bunkers, chip greenside, and hit 34 shots with. Some prefer a pitching wedge for greenside chipping, a lob wedge from the sand, and a sand wedge for 34 approach shots and rough chipping.
The option is yours, and there is no right or wrong way to determine what works for you, but starting with the best wedges for high handicappers and novices listed below can make your life a lot easier.
Within 100 yards, we also employ wedges. This is the most important aspect of golf, and most professionals will tell you that if they took over a 24 handicapper’s game inside 100 yards, that 24 handicappers will playoff no more than a 12 handicap.
With the right wedge and a LOT of practice, you can decrease strokes off your score. Spend some money on a wedge and see how quickly you can nip and tuck a stroke from the bunker here, a chip there, and some more from inside 100 yards.
Four Fundamental Wedges
Pitching Wedge
The pitching wedge is the most frequent and has a loft of 44° to 48°, which you will find in your iron set. These are ideal for chipping on the green.
Gap Wedge
50° to 53° fills the space between PW and SW for when you need to close a distance gap. Because most good high handicap iron sets do not include one, you will need to purchase it individually.
Sand Wedge
Sand wedges often have 54° to 58° loft and large soles with 10° to 12° bounce, making them ideal for bunkers and shots within 100 yards. The thick underside aids in gliding through longer grass and sand while also launching the ball into the air from shorter grass. A sand wedge is, in our opinion, the ideal wedge for high handicappers and beginners.
Lob Wedge
The lob wedge, with a loft of 60° to 64°, is ideal for striking over bunkers surrounding the green, as well as short bunker shots inside 80 to 90 yards. It can improve your game by allowing you to take fuller strokes inside 100 yards instead of those troublesome half swings with sand wedges! Over 60° lob wedges are impractical for the ordinary golfer.
Here’s how each of the four wedges works:
What Role Do Wedges Play?
Specialized wedge clubs are a joy to use, and the number of shots you’ll hit with one will astound you:
- Pitch from 20 to 100 yards
- Green side chipping
- Chipping and pitching over hazards and bunkers
- Green side sand shots
- Chips from the rough
If we tally up the total shots you play per round with these few clubs in these conditions, we can see that it can be up to 40% of your total shots.
Top Wedges For Beginner and High Handicap Golfers
AT A GLANCE – THE TOP 5 WEDGES FOR BEGINNER & HIGH HANDICAP GOLFERS (SEE ON AMAZON) | |
1. TOP PICK: Cleveland SmartSole 4 S Wedge | |
 | SPECIFICATIONS ⛳️ ENHANCED THREE-TIERED SOLE - An extra-wide three-tiered sole, with added leading edge bounce, provides maximum forgiveness from the fairway, rough or out of the bunker
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WHAT WE THINK: | |
For many years, Cleveland has been the most recognizable name in wedges. With the way they've developed this wedge, they've clearly considered the higher handicap player. The bottom is thick and the angle is 58°, so you don't even have to open the face-up.
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WHAT CUSTOMERS THINK: | |
“I now own all of the Cleveland Smart Sole wedges; the C, S, and G. They have really helped me out on the course. I'm fairly new to the game of golf and understand that the short game is of vital importance. The S gets me out of bunkers with ease. The C is great for chips around the green. And the G gap wedge gives me a great shot at getting onto the green from up to 100 yards out. No more chunk shots that land five feet away. The Smart Sole slides on the turf to get the ball up into the air and the face gives plenty of control. Highly recommend the club(s) for those learning the game.” | |
PROS ✅ Playable from any lie
| CONS ❌ It has an unusual shape that will take time to get used to |
 | SPECIFICATIONS ⛳️ Harmonized Wedges have long been popular in pro shops. A new innovative sole design now gives players more options around the green. Play higher shots with greater accuracy with a special sole grind that allows players to open the club face for improved performance.
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WHAT WE THINK: | |
These are the greatest wedges to start with for beginners, and getting consistent gapping between your wedges will help you hit the correct distances from 120 yards down to 70 yards time and time again. The confidence you'll gain from not having to hit half-shots onto greens will alter your perspective on life.
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WHAT CUSTOMERS THINK: | |
“Love it. Cheap club but the weight is nice and the balance is good. Fairly heavy head but that's good for a lob wedge, at least it is for me. The first shot I took I popped it up high over a sand trap and was within a 1-putt of the hole. And then I 3-putted because I suck at golf. But this club helps a hack like me. Now to work on the long game and putting.” | |
PROS ✅ Sand wedge has an ideal 12-degree bounce to get through the turf
| CONS ❌ Chrome finish will cause glare |
 | SPECIFICATIONS ⛳️ More spin from groove-in-groove technology
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WHAT WE THINK: | |
The Callaway Mack Daddy CB is a hollow back wedge that is forgiving. These are popular among Cleveland fans, and Callaway now has one as well.
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WHAT CUSTOMERS THINK: | |
“I ordered the 46, 50, and 54-degree wedges with regular flex graphite shafts. They really hold the greens which were what I was looking for. They are very forgiving and go about the same distance as my old wedges. Very happy with the purchase. Also bought Callaway Mavrik Max irons” | |
PROS ✅ Great for players who do not hit the sweet spot on wedges
| CONS ❌ Head shape is a bit large |
 | SPECIFICATIONS ⛳️ Thick-Thin Design - A thinner topline along with additional mass redistributed nearer to the top of the spine allows engineers to optimize CG location for precise flight and enhanced feel.
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WHAT WE THINK: | |
When people first saw hi-toe clubs, they thought they were a gimmick. They couldn't understand how the entire face grooves could be of any use. Then they gave it a shot and Wow!
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WHAT CUSTOMERS THINK: | |
“I just received this hi-toe 60.10 wedges. The packaging was great. I was concerned about being a genuine Taylormade product based on a review. When I opened the box my club appeared to be genuine, has all of the appropriate labels in the right place, and correct Lamkin grip with Taylormade embossed. When I removed the Tour Preferred Raw Face club head wrapper the texture of the face was coarse and as expected. It's winter in New York where I'm at, but I'm eager to take this to an indoor range to test its performance. In the box came the club wrapped in plastic and an insert flyer for Budget Golf. While I can't attest to everyone's experience I can say I received a genuine product and look forward to replacing my old lob wedge for this.” | |
PROS ✅ Wide variety of finishes
| CONS ❌ A few find the look off-putting at first |
 | SPECIFICATIONS ⛳️ NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO HIT FAT: The Square Strike Wedge pitching wedge has an extra-wide sole and beveled leading edge to prevent digging; No more chunked pitch and chip shots reduce wasted strokes; Heavy, solid feel promotes greater confidence vs thin-faced wedges that dig and rotate; Less rotation with the Square Strike Wedge golf wedge for men and women
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WHAT WE THINK: | |
Many people dismiss these wedges, yet they have personally seen them transform people's strategies. They are usually terrified of hitting the ground before the ball.
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WHAT CUSTOMERS THINK: | |
“For a weekend golfer, it took a few times to get the speed of the swing down to make this club work correctly. I actually use it between 90-100yds, squared up & full swing, it is deadly accurate with minimal roll after landing on the green. Around the greens it works very well to get you closer to the pin but like I said it takes some time getting the correct speed and motion down. Well made club.” | |
PROS ✅ Easy to use with the correct type of stroke
| CONS ❌ It feels plasticky in the back
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Final Thoughts
Our major goal is to assist you in selecting the best clubs for your game without breaking the bank or being duped into purchasing mediocre clubs that will disappoint you. We in GolfingGPS hope this information was useful and that you were able to locate a good wedge or set of wedges to take your game to the next level.
Frequently Asked Questions
What elements contribute to wedges being good for high handicappers?
To take your short game to the next level, we recommend a sand wedge with a broad sole, based on my experience and inspiration from professional club fitter Tom Wishon. This larger sole provides the wedge with bounce. More bounce implies the ball is simpler to become airborne.
But you’re probably asking yourself, “What the hell is bounce?” Before we go any further, keep in mind that the most significant feature of a wedge is its ability to provide us with greater forgiveness. As higher handicappers, forgiveness is our objective so that we can get the ball off the ground and go where we want when we want. Bounce assists us in accomplishing this.
Concentrating on the bounce as the major criterion helps you locate the finest wedge for high handicappers and beginners.
What is the definition of bounce on a wedge?
Bounce refers to the lowest part of the sole, the part of the sole that is in contact with the ground at the address and causes the front of the sole to be off the ground at address.
Bounce angle is the angle formed by the leading edge of the sole and the lowest point on the sole, given in degrees. The greater the bounce angle, the greater the front edge of the sole is lifted off the ground at address.”
How does bounce contribute to the forgiving nature of a wedge?
Bounce propels the club through the sand in bunkers.
Do you have trouble getting the ball out of bunkers the first time? Nothing is more humiliating than having to take 4 to get out of a bunker.
The wedge should have a lot of bounce for 90% of golfers to physically bounce off the surface of the sand and float the ball out on a pillow of sand.
Bounce is in charge of the club’s burrowing into the turf.
We all hit a lot of fat shots when we first started playing golf. Fat signifies you collided with the ground before your ball.
On a fat shot, if your SW has too little bounce, it will sink into the ground and the ball will travel nowhere.
If the wedge has more bounce, it will physically bounce off the ground and make strong contact, directing the ball to your intended target. This will improve your shots within 100 yards.
Do I need a gap or lob wedge?
So, in general, consider putting in a gap wedge of 48 or 50 degrees, a sand wedge of 54 to 56 degrees, and a lob wedge of 58 to 60 degrees. These are just guidelines; make sure you work with your fitter to get the gapping that works best for you.
Is it possible to utilize a lob wedge in the bunker?
You may play the bulk of your bunker shots with your sand wedge, but when you need to hit an extremely high, soft-landing bunker shot, you must utilize your highest lofted wedge. Using the lob wedge for high bunker shots will give you the best chance of success.
What is the degree of a pitching wedge?
Because pitching wedges are frequently marked with “P” or “PW,” determining their loft might be tricky. The loft of these wedges ranges from 45 to 48 degrees. One of the must-have wedges in your set is a pitching wedge loft, which can be obtained on the manufacturer’s website from the iron spec sheet.
Pitching wedges may gain up to 100 yards and are useful in the short game. Excellent wedge for pitching, approaching, and gaining distance. Even a high handicapper can use the pitching wedge. It has an excellent wedge flex for both high handicappers and beginners. Because it is the most forgiving wedge in the set, it is frequently used as a game improvement wedge for beginners and high handicappers.
What is the degree of a sand wedge?
Sand wedges are specialist wedges that are usually labeled on the clubhead with their loft. Most high handicappers will find this to be an excellent alternative. The most typical versions have a temperature range of 54 to 56 degrees. The best wedges for bunker shots. These are frequently the same as the lob wedge.
They differ in that lob wedges have higher lofts at times. However, there are sand wedges with lofts ranging from 54 to 58 degrees, and even greater lofts ranging from 54 to 60 degrees. Sand wedges make it considerably easier to get the ball over sand traps and bunkers, and they can add up to 100 yards of distance. These wedges provide a wide range of shots for the short game, including approach shots and bunker approaches. The sand wedge’s front edge is raised for greater interaction with the turf.
Previously, the sand wedge had the highest loft; now, it is the lob wedge. The lob wedge is used similarly to the sand wedge and has a similar leading-edge position. The lob wedge is ideal for chip shots, green control, bunker shots, and approach shots. Lob wedges are also known as 60-degree wedges, however, there are higher loft possibilities such as 64 degrees and 65-degree lob wedges. Tour players frequently utilize a 60-degree lob wedge, whereas high handicappers use a 64-degree lob wedge.
