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How Many Wedges Should You Carry?

Most golfers should carry enough wedges to cover short-game distances without stealing spots from clubs they need at the top of the bag.

Common wedge setups

Two wedges
Pitching wedge plus sand wedge. Simple and beginner-friendly.
Three wedges
Pitching, gap, and sand or lob wedge. Good for most recreational players.
Four wedges
Pitching, gap, sand, and lob wedge. Useful if you rely heavily on partial shots.

How to space wedge lofts

A common target is 4 to 6 degrees between wedges. If your pitching wedge is 44 degrees, a 50, 54, and 58 setup can make sense. If your pitching wedge is 46 degrees, 50, 54, and 58 or 52 and 56 may both work depending on how many wedge slots you want.

Start with the pitching wedge
Check the loft of your iron set pitching wedge first. Modern iron sets can have very strong pitching wedges, which makes a gap wedge more important.

When fewer wedges are better

  • You are still learning basic contact and distance control.
  • You need more help between driver and irons.
  • You rarely hit partial wedge shots on purpose.

FAQ

How many wedges should an average golfer carry?

Many average golfers do well with three wedges: pitching wedge, gap wedge, and sand wedge or lob wedge.

What loft gap should wedges have?

A 4 to 6 degree gap between wedges is a common target, but the right setup depends on your iron set pitching wedge loft.

Do beginners need a lob wedge?

Not always. Beginners can often start with a pitching wedge and sand wedge, then add a lob wedge later if they need it.

Compare wedges by loft, grind, finish, price, and handedness before filling the short end of your bag.

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