Who Should Use a 60 Degree Wedge?

There is common misconception that only better golfers should use a 60 degree wedge. However, that is not always the case. The decision to carry a 60 degree wedge in the bag should be determined upon course conditions as well as the ability of the golfer to execute ¾ and waist high shots with their current wedges.

When to use and not use a 60 degree wedge

The most popular reason for using a 60 degree wedge is anytime you don't have a lot of green to work with. You can pull off those amazing shots that you watch the pros make do Sunday’s. It takes some practice to master and know when what situations to use it in.

Consider a 60 degree wedge if the golf course you most often play has small or postage stamp greens. If the course has well-placed bunkers that limit run up shots to the hole, then a 60 degree wedge can be an advantage too.

You may not want to you use a 60 degree wedge If you have a lot of room between you and the hole. Why? Many experts will say you are better off using a lower lofted club to chip with and let the ball roll toward the hole whether it be a mid-iron, hybrid, putter or chipper.

However, there are golfers that don’t have the fine motor skills to take a sand wedge or another lofted golf club and take a ¾ or waist high swing to limit the distance the ball will go. The result can be a flub, chili dip, skull, fat shot, worm burner, double hit or any other stroke that carries over into the remaining holes and spoils the experience. For those player’s, it might be easier to take their full swing with a 60 degree wedge and know it will only go so far.

A 60 degree wedge is designed for control, not distance. A PGA professional golfer might be able to hit a 60 degree wedge from 125 yards out because of their high club head speed and technique. For the average golfer, the distance will be much less with a full swing; more in the 30-80 yard range.

Another advantage of a 60 degree wedges is that they will have less bounce than a sand wedge and easier for most players to hit from a tighter lie in the fairway. These also work well in hard packed sand traps. With the additional loft, there is generally no need for you to strike the ball with an open face.

So, you can see, there are a number of reasons to consider carrying a higher lofted wedge in your bag. Evaluate your strengths and weakness, especially if you play one course the majority of the time. You might find the course conditions and your ability (or lack thereof) to take one club and create different distances will help guide your decision on whether to add a 60 degree golf club in your bag.