Welcome to Golfer-to-Golfer, where we try to learn from all different kinds of avid players out there, in hopes that the rest of us can take away something that might improve our own games.
One of the coolest things about golf is that recreational players can use the same equipment the pros do. If your favorite player has Titleist blades, so can you. If they use TaylorMade golf balls, those are available to the weekend warriors as well. It’s one of the few sports where pros and ams alike are on the same playing field.
But just because you can play the same equipment the pros play doesn’t mean you should. Often times, trying to game the same clubs the pros do will do more harm than good.
That truth extends to your bag makeup as well. Tour stars play a far different game than recreational players, and their bag setups reflect that. While carrying a 2-iron might be the right move for a pro, it’s likely not the best option for a 15-handicap.
The difference in club makeup at the top of the bag might be obvious, but even at the bottom of the bag, using the same clubs as the pros isn’t always the smartest option. In fact, according to GOLF Top 100 Teacher Bernie Najar, using a lob wedge is not a great idea for most recreational players.
“Most of them haven’t learned the skills to play shots around the green at a high level,” Najar says. “The lob wedge is the least-forgiving club in the bag. When you learn how to use it properly, it’s a weapon, but it’s very easy to mishit.”
Najar explains that with a lob wedge, you have to be extremely precise with the low point of your swing to catch the ball cleanly and make solid contact. If you bottom out too early, you’ll chunk it, while if you bottom out too late, you’ll skull it.
“It’s probably the hardest club for them to gauge,” he says. “I’d rather see them spend more time with a traditional sand wedge loft of 54 of 56 degrees.”
With a sand wedge, there is much more forgiveness if you don’t make a perfect swing. Engaging the bounce with the club is much simpler, and even if you mishit it a touch, you’ll still be able to make decent contact.
Next time you’re around the greens and caught between clubs, remember Najar’s advice and opt for the sand wedge. It’s much easier to hit, and it should save you some strokes with your short game.