Can You Use A Lob Wedge in the Sand?

Yes, in fact many golf instructors might recommend using the lob wedge for the majority of green side bunker shots due to the extra loft it provides over other club options.

The lob wedge is typically the most lofted wedge in the bag at somewhere between 58 and 64 degrees. This extra loft helps the golfer get the ball up in the air faster and stop faster on the green, making the most difficult bunker shots manageable.

Top 3 Reasons To Use A Lob Wedge in the Sand

Extra Loft

Correct Bounce
Allows a more aggressive swing

Some courses have plenty of bunkers. Make sure you are ready with the right clubs and right technique!

#1: Extra Loft

The lob wedge is the most lofted club in the bag. Golfers will often find their ball short sided with a shot that might only require the golfer to hit the ball between 5-10 yards in length. The extra loft allows the golfer to get the ball up in the air faster and then of course stop faster on the green.

With green complexes and bunkers becoming more and more difficult, the extra loft is required on the majority of bunker shots. The golfer that only uses a sand wedge or pitching wedge for bunker shots is going to struggle to hit the ball within a 10 foot circle, thus making more bogeys or double bogeys.

The sand shot does not have to be difficult with the right technique and the right club.

Need Help with Technique: How to hit out of a sand trap

#2: Correct Bounce

Unless you have a lob wedge with a low amount of loft (unlikely) the bounce on a lob wedge can be ideal for the bunker shot. I would highly recommend testing out both your sand wedge and lob wedge out of the sand and charting out what distance and situations you will want to use for a variety of situations. Here are some factors to consider:

Length of shot
How much green the golfer has to work with

The texture of the sand
How steep is the front edge or the the wall of the bunker
What is the lie of the shot

Uphill or downhill lie

At a practice facility the golfer should consider shots at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and even 30 yards. Have a game plan for each distance. They will also want to practice out of different sand with uphill lies and downhill lies.

#3: Allows a more aggressive swing

One of the nice things about being in the sand is that the golfer can make a more aggressive swing compared to a ball on a fairway lie or thin rough. This allows the golfer to swing with confidence and it doesn’t require as much touch as a delicate chip shot. Find your spot behind the ball and hit that spot with conviction.

The lob wedge, due to its great deal of loft, allows the golfer to make an aggressive swing which increases the potential spin and the ability to stop the ball quickly.

Don’t forget to enjoy the journey of golf and the journey for game improvement!

3 Quick Bunker Tips

Open the club face
Hit 1-3 inches behind the ball

Swing with confidence

First, make sure you open up the club face. . We often need to get hte ball up in the air and allow it to stop quickly on the green. You can take a 60 degree lob wedge and add 15-20 degrees by opening it up.

Second, hit behind the ball. The sand actually contacts the ball and pushes it out of the bunker. The club is not ever touching the ball in a greenside bunker. Open up the face, and then hit behind the ball. Depending on the texture of the ball and the amount of green you have to work with will impact how far behind the ball you want to hit.

Lastly, swing with confidence. If you lack confidence you will more than likely pull up and possibly strike the ball resulting in a devastating shot. Instead, sit low, open that face and strike the sand.

My Secret To Golf Improvement

Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently. About four years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage. I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.

This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer. I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day. I can practice or play rounds of golf. I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.

It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.

Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:

Rain or Shine Golf Packages

Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better

What does this mean for you? I believe in the following recipe to get better:

1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor. Here are some options:

Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:

2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed. Here are some options:

Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:

3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier. Here is a series on breaking through:

We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.

4 – Practice Frequently

Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system? It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions: