The complete guide to buying a second-hand golf wedge
When choosing which golf clubs to include in your golf bag, the decisions can be agonising. You’re allowed 14 clubs in a bag and, though the choice is yours, these will typically include a putter, a driver and a couple of woods, around irons (to include two or three wedges) and another two clubs of your choice.
A golf wedge is a subset of the golf iron family that’s been specially designed for getting you out of tricky situations on the golf course. That means they’re helpful for when you might have your ball stuck in mud, sand or long, thick grass - or even if it’s buried! They come in four main varieties, but we’ll go into that in great detail further down this article.
Of all the clubs in your set, your wedge will have the shortest shaft, the highest loft (the angle the clubhead sits at to help launch the ball higher) and the heaviest clubhead. Wedges are perfect for short-distance shots (sometimes called lob shots) to get the ball onto the green or to tease it out of an awkward situation.
Luckily for you, the experts here at golfclubs4cash are here to demystify the world of golf wedges. We’ll take you through burning issues such as how many wedges you should carry, what types of golf wedges there are on the market, how much you should budget for the perfect golf wedge and what considerations you should take into account when choosing the perfect wedge for you.
How many wedges should I carry?
When choosing the clubs for your bag, there’s always an element of trade-off, so you need to think about your game, the course you’re playing on and which clubs tend to be your go-to for a variety of sticky situations. While pros might carry four or even five wedges, most players tend to carry around three wedges with them. These are typically a pitching wedge, a sand wedge and a lob wedge. If you want to add a fourth then you can (the gap wedge) but remember that this will reduce the number of total irons that you’re able to carry in your set.
The type/s of wedge that suit you best will always be a personal choice, decided upon based on many factors such as the course you’re playing, your swing and other individual needs.
Whichever wedges you choose for your bag, you should make sure that you've not left large loft gaps between wedges.
Wedges - the basics
It’s commonly accepted that approximately a quarter of all shots played in one single round of golf are played using a wedge, so they’re an essential part of your game and not to be forgotten about! It’s well worth fully getting to grips (if you’ll excuse the pun) with the most important features of a golfing wedge so that you can make the best choice to suit your game.
You may think that wedges are a pretty basic golf club, but nothing could be further from the truth. The amount of innovation and engineering that goes into a wedge is equal to any other golf club in your bag, so it’s always worth researching before you buy a second-hand golf wedge, because not all wedges are created equal.
Often, the addition of a wedge to a bag can be an afterthought, but select the wrong wedge at your peril as you may find yourself in a particularly difficult situation on the course that you could have got yourself out of had you brought the correct wedge with you. Of course, some of it is down to chance, but the more you play the more of an instinct you’ll get for which wedge suits you best.
Types of wedges
Firstly, let’s tackle some acronyms that you’re bound to come across while researching used golf wedges. As with any subject matter, often commonly used terms can be shortened and while this can be helpful for those who know what they’re talking about, it can be slightly off-putting to golfing beginners who need to start from scratch. So, in a nutshell, there are four types of wedge: pitching wedge (PW), sand wedge (SW), lob wedge (LW) and gap wedge (GW). Read a little more about each type below - in order of lowest to highest loft.
Pitching Wedge (PW) - 44-48 degree loft
The pitching wedge is the most commonly used golf wedge and it’s used for full shots and longer chip shots. The loft tends to be between 44-48 degrees - so it has the lowest loft of all the golf wedges. It’s great for shots that need a higher/shorter trajectory than say a 9-iron, but a lower, longer trajectory than a gap wedge. If height and spin aren’t necessary, this is the wedge for your shot.
Gap wedge (GW) - 50-53 degree loft
Gap wedges (also known as approach wedges) quite literally ‘bridge the gap’ between a pitching wedge and a sand wedge. If there’s one wedge that a golfer might leave of their set it can typically be the gap wedge, but it’s one of the most versatile wedges to carry with you, so always consider it. It’s great on the course because it offers more variety for shots that need to bridge a distance gap for a pitch that doesn’t need a full swing or a longer chip (from around 100 yards to the green).
Sand wedge (SW) - 54-58 degree loft
As the name would suggest, the open-faced sand wedge’s main job is to help you with chip shots and to escape from bunkers. That’s because it’s got a heavier, wider sole than the other wedges which provides more bounce without digging into the sand too much. The lob wedge (see below) came along a little later in the evolution of golf club wedges, but until it did the sand wedge had the highest loft.
Lob wedge (LW) - 60-64 degree loft
The lob wedge was introduced to British golf in 1931, and it’s the most recent addition to the wedge family. It is one of the shortest-hitting clubs and thanks to the 60-64 degree angle it also produces the highest loft on a shot with a very high arc - and hence very little ball roll once it lands. (The lob wedge can also be called an L-Wedge or a Lofted Wedge, by the way, so don’t let that confuse you!). Because of the height that a lob wedge can achieve, it’s perfect for getting you clear of obstacles and hazards, and it’s great for producing a bit of backspin, too.
What’s a loft in golfing?!
‘Loft’ is an often-discussed aspect of the game of golf. For the avoidance of confusion, we’ll include a quick summary of what we mean by loft, so that the rest of the article makes more sense to those who are new to the game.
Loft is, quite simply, the angle that’s created between the face of the wedge (or any other club in your set) and an imaginary vertical line. The more loft, the higher the shot can go. So loft is an important consideration when height is more important to you than distance. Think getting over a hazard, or out of a sand bunker. You want to achieve the height you need to get out of the situation while making sure the ball lands somewhere that’s useful for the next shot.
And what about bounce?
You’ll hear the word ‘bounce’ bounced around (sorry) regularly in golfing terminology. It’s an important consideration when choosing a second-hand golf wedge, but what is it? It’s the name of the area of the club that hits the turf. It’s so-called because it ‘bounces’ the club off the surface with impact.
So, simply put, the lower the bounce angle, the flatter the angle of the sole sits to the ground. Without getting too technical here, it’s a good idea to learn a little about bounce angle. People often think that wedges sit flat on the ground, but that’s not the case. The reason for the bounce angle being added is so that a wedge doesn’t dig into turf or sand, which will restrict the momentum of the shot.
Wedges are sorted into low, mid and high bounce categories:
Low bounce wedge
A bounce angle of around 4-6 degrees is featured on a low-bounce wedge. These are great for players who like to ‘sweep’ the ball, and also useful for bunkers with little sand in them.
Mid bounce wedges
Coming in at an angle of around 7-10 degrees, a mid-bounce wedge is a versatile option that is great for a wide range of swing types, shots and conditions on the green.
High bounce wedges
Anything with over 10 degrees of bounce angle is classified as a high-bounce wedge. This is a great wedge for golfers who tend to dig in at impact, and is also good for soft courses such as parklands and bunkers with really fine sand that’s often very deep.
When should I upgrade my wedge?
Most golfers tend to reappraise and upgrade their wedges around every 12-36 months. Like with every other type of golf club, your needs change the more you play and the better you get, so what might have suited you before may not anymore. It’s a good idea to keep a watching brief over all the clubs in your set, and make sure each one is serving you well in your game.
If there are considerable signs of wear and tear on your wedge, then it’s time to start looking for a replacement. But this needn’t be a huge investment; there are 1000s of preloved golf wedges available on the market at any given time. By buying second hand, you’re saving yourself money and you’re also making a choice that’s better for the planet, too.
How much does a good used wedge cost?
The good news is that golf wedges are one of the cheapest clubs in your set to replace; you can expect to get a decent quality second hand wedge for around the £100 mark, and if you want to spend a little more you’ll be able to grab yourself a real bargain for under £200.
Choosing your wedge
As mentioned above, the most important consideration when choosing a second hand golf wedge is to make sure you’re not leaving too wide a gap between loft angles. This is because you may well find that certain shots on the course are close-to-impossible because you simply don’t have the right tool for the job, or anything close to it. As a general rule of thumb, try to keep to a maximum of around 4 degrees between loft degrees and you shouldn’t go too far wrong.
While loft is almost always the most important consideration, it is far from the only one. You’ll also need to consider bounce, shaft length and flex, and of course price too. And then there’s a decision to be made on the best golfing brand for you - different names offer different pros and cons, but you won’t go far wrong with a used golf wedge from one of the leading brands such as Titleist, Wilson or TaylorMade.
If there’s one thing that’s for certain, it’s always the best great idea to try out golf clubs in person - there’s no better way to find out which wedge (or any other club for that matter) suits you best. But at golfclubs4cash we understand that it’s not always possible, so we try to bridge that gap by offering in-depth advice to our customers over the phone. And we also offer a full returns policy if you’re not 100% happy with what you’ve bought, which helps take the risk out of buying used golf clubs online.
What material is a golf wedge made from, and how are they made?
Nearly all wedges come with a steel shaft which guarantees longevity and strength. The only exception to this tends to be when the wedge is part of a graphite set. The club head can be made from chrome-plated or stainless steel, titanium, or other metal such as copper. And some are made from a combination of metals.
In terms of finish, chrome or nickel tend to last the longest in terms of colour and appearance. Raw or unplated finishes are also available and while these wear and rust more quickly this can lead to better spin and improved friction. So it really is a personal choice and very much depends on your unique preferences.
Is there such thing as a hybrid wedge?
Yes! But it’s not an area of focus from the biggest manufacturers so you’ll only likely find hybrid wedges from some of the smaller names in golf. If you choose your wedges carefully enough, there shouldn’t be a need for a hybrid wedge, so we recommend that you choose two or three of the four main types of golf wedges and you won’t go far wrong.
Shaft length
Wedges tend to have the shortest shaft length, but this length does vary so it’s another important consideration when buying a preloved golf wedge. The different types of wedge shaft lengths tend to vary between 35-36 inches.
Shaft flex
Different shaft flexes are available with golf wedges, from regular to stiff. The more you understand your game, the easier it will be to decide on the right flex for you, but it’s important to try out a variety of wedge shaft flexes as you’ll get a feel for what is most comfortable for you.
Which wedges do the top players love?
Titleist wedges appear to be a very popular choice with some of the world’s top PGA Pros, with Callaway and Cleveland also featuring highly. Of them all, there’s little doubt that the pitching wedge is the most commonly carried golf wedge in professional players’ golf bags (check out our What’s In The Bag section for more on that!).
Buying with confidence
Choosing the right second hand golf wedge or wedge set for you is a big decision, but we’re here to help.
If you’re able to visit our golf stores in Edinburgh or our Warrington golf showroom we’ll help you try out a wide range of wedges and advise you on the best ones for you based on your individual requirements.
With free worldwide delivery and a full returns policy, you can buy all your used golf clubs online with 100% confidence with golfclubs4cash, safe in the knowledge that if it’s not quite right you can change your mind. And by buying second-hand golf clubs, you’ll be helping the planet too!
We guarantee the authenticity of every single preloved golf club that passes through our doors. Find out how we check for counterfeit golf clubs in this article - it’s handy information for you to bear in mind when buying used golf clubs in the future.
Browse our unbeatable range of second hand golf wedges from all the leading brands here, and check out our condition rating guide to fully understand how we grade each club.