Sports

Golf: Lob Wedges

Some golfers carry lob wedges that typically have a loft greater than 60 degrees. Occasionally, you will have to hit your ball over a tall object, like a tree that is in close proximity. At that point, you are faced with two options: either chip out onto the fairway, or try to hit the ball over the object. Lob wedges are made for the purpose of making these types of shots a lot easier.

Using Lob Wedges
The high degree of loft on the lob wedges causes your ball to make a sharp ascent. Go to the driving range and practice hitting your lob wedge to determine the amount of force required for specific distances. If youre striking the ball well, the ball should go no farther than 30 yards, no matter how hard youre hitting it.

Approach your lob hits as you would your other hits. Make sure you keep your head down, and accelerate through your swing. The result youre looking for is a sharp vertical ball movement from your club. Make sure this occurs with lob wedges before you purchase them. Ultimately, youll be using the club to get your ball over high objects, so make sure your ball is shooting off your club head.

Some alternatives to your traditional wedges are innovative wedges with different club head designs for better control. In addition, a few golf equipment manufacturers have increased the center of mass to create better control over the trajectory. Try practicing with a few of the more non-traditional wedges and see if they improve your game.