Beverly Fergusson: What are all these wedges for?

I watched an old replay of a match of Byron Nelson and Gene Littler on the Shell's Wonderful World of Golf on the Golf Channel the other day. They were playing at the prestigious Pine Valley Golf Club in S. New Jersey. It was great to watch because it looked like two amateurs playing match play on a Saturday afternoon. I say that because I'm used to watching guys hit it over 300yds., making unbelievable shots to the green, wedge shots that spin back, stop quickly, fly high, or roll to exact distances. Mr. Nelson and Mr. Littler were the best in their day....but they were not producing those incredible shots.

What I saw watching the show was how the condition of the course was inferior compared to today's standards. I also noticed that the distance of the course was shorter and I noticed that they had fewer selections of wedges. Sand wedge or pitching wedge...that's it. They learned how to "work" those clubs. They were very skilled at adapting to the situation.

For you amateurs who are confused about your wedges....here is some help to understand how and why we have several more options today. Let's look at a few "Wedge Words":

1. BOUNCE ANGLE - this is the angle formed by the leading edge of the clubhead and the ground. This reduces the "dig" in the sand and other tough lies. The more bounce you have, the less the edge "digs" in the ground. I am a "digger" so I ordered extra bounce (14 degrees) on my sand wedge, instead of 12 degrees.

2. DIG - the tendancy for the leading edge of the clubhead to stop short in the rough or sand, rather than pass cleanly through or under the ball.

3. GAP wedge - a wedge that is in between the sand wedge (56 degrees of loft) and the pitching wedge (48 degrees of loft). The gap wedge may have 52 degrees of loft.

4. CAMBER - the curved portion of the sole, between the leading and trailing edge of the clubhead. This feature reduces "dig."

5. LOB wedge - The shortest-hitting wedge with the most loft (usually 60 degrees of loft).

6. FINISHES - wedges are finished in a variety of ways- Chrome, Black Pearl, Satin, Raw, or oil. The finishes are to reduce sun glare such as Black Pearl, Chrome for easy care, raw or oil for supposed better feel and hardness.

7. INSERT - A clubface material (such as a diamond compound) designed to increase grip and promote spin.

8. LEADING EDGE - the front-most edge of the clubhead. A sharp leading edge is best for a smooth lie.

I could go on with more words but I think this is where I'll stop so you can digest what you just read. I don't think Mr. Nelson and Mr. Littler had to learn these words. In fact, the wedges can be so confusing that we need a professional club fitter and an instructor to help us decide which wedges are best for our game. When you have the right wedge in your hands, your wedge play will improve. The right fit and knowledge of our equipment WILL help our ball flight and give us more forgiveness in our missed shots. And that's what this game is about...controlling our misses!

Advice: go have your wedges checked!

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