Lob Wedge Technique

[Yggdrasil]

Re: Lob Wedge Technique

Hei -
I have a 64 degree xlob wedge, and it is my favorite club! The half swing (9 oclock) is by far the easiest swing with my wedges, so I try to use that - 38 meters for the 64 degree, 50 for the 60, 65 for my sandwedge, 75-80 for my approach (gets a bit iffy now), then round 95-100 for my pitching wedge. You can vary these by taking 7:30 or 11:30 swings, or by choking down, depending on what you are trying to do. Basically I use the 64 within 38 meters if I need to drop the ball dead. It's great - it just pops high, then plunks on the green with no particular momentum left. If theres a bunker or the sloping green, it's terrible to chip anywhere near the hole. With the 64, you can sort of "drop it from the sky" above the hole and hope it trickles nearer the hole. At least you can give yourself a chance to get down in 2 that way.

I swear by everything Dave Pelz says, so I'm using his advice (Short Game Bible) for all my short shots. (Dropped my 6 and 4 irons, never miss them, for my 60 and 64).

My experience? I lost a lot of shots blading and fat shots, and had some miserable times shanking my wedges, but now I think I earn more shots than I lose with my 64, and derive great pleasure from using my club - maybe even more satisfaction than a great drive. - And I already made up my mind that enjoyment is my primary goal, hdcp secondary (10.3 hdcp now....)

Don't tell me it ain't wonderful to take a big half-swing from 30 meters out and lay the ball dead beside the hole. Everyone else just loves watching that ball sky and then drop dead, too.... They just Gotta Watch !

Don't let fear keep you from enjoying the game! 64's forever.... (hmmm. I see there are 67's and 68's now....)

[GolfJunkieSr]

Re: Lob Wedge Technique

The best advice I ever recieved about hitting a LW was to not be afraid to swing it. You have to have alot of confidence to swing a LW, and the best way to gain confidence is to practice, practice, and then practice with it more. I had 64*, but when I switched to hybrid irons, I replaced it with a 60*. GJS

[biggaryT78]

Re: Lob Wedge Technique

I hit my 60* lob wedge only if i cannot bump and run with the AW or SW. around the greens.. but if I am 40-60yards out and have a good lie i will full swing the LW and take the paint off the pins.

but THE number one thing to remeber is... Full nice aggressive swing... the first time I picked the club up... not matter how hard I thought to hit it... it went a little shorter than I wanted it to. a 64* is INSANE that must be like hitting a pooper scooper.

did that help>?

Oh... and Hitting from most sand with a LW! is inSANE. I cannot do it. If you dont have a SW 49*-52* ... go the other way and use a AW-PW out of sand.

gary
9.5 hc

[Yggdrasil]

Re: Lob Wedge Technique

Hmmm. Not necessarily insane to use your 64 xlob from the sand. Here in western Norway, it is wet, wet, wet, which means the sand has to be fairly large-corned to drain well. It's heavy stuff, and my sandwedge just bounces right off it (too much bounce, admittedly). Especially as it often packs down after draining. So I mostly use my 60 or 64 degree wedges (!) .... I'm guessing there are lots of places in the US an Europe with the same problem.... And, as with all other Xlob shots, it's great letting a big half-swing go and landing the ball 3-4 meters ahead of you...

(ok, ok, I Will buy a new SW, but I'm just too miserly...)

[ubizmo]

Re: Lob Wedge Technique

Oh... and Hitting from most sand with a LW! is inSANE. I cannot do it. If you dont have a SW 49*-52* ... go the other way and use a AW-PW out of sand.

Why is hitting out of the sand with a 60* LW insane? I do this when the flag is near the bunker and I want little or no roll. It seems that for this kind of shot, more loft is better, even with club face open. Am I wrong?

[GolfJunkieSr]

Re: Lob Wedge Technique

Nothing wrong with any club used to get out a bunker. First and foremost you need to get out of the bunker. If a LW does the trick for an individual, that is all that matters. I use a LW for for firmer sand because it has very little bounce, and I can still use my normal swing...GJS