Golf Wedge Distances
New golfers probably wonder how far they should be hitting each club. To be honest it’s not a question of how far it’s more a question of how many. There aren’t any pictures on the scorecard and no one really cares how far you hit it. The key is getting the ball in the hole in the fewest number of shots. All that being said it’s probably worth you getting some idea of what other players of a similar standard are doing with their wedges.
How Far Should I Hit My Wedges?
There are a number of different parameters that will determine how far you’re going to hit your wedges and indeed all your other clubs. Your clubhead speed is going to be the biggest factor affecting the distances you can hit. The quality of strike, the weather and the type of ball you use will also affect your wedge yardages.
Finally, the amount of loft you have on each different wedge will also greatly affect how far you hit your wedges.
The table below gives you an idea of the sort of carry distance you could expect for a given clubhead speed.
| 125 mph | 110 mph | 100 mph | 90 mph | 80 mph | |
| PW | 151 | 133 | 121 | 109 | 97 |
| GW | 138.5 | 122 | 111 | 100 | 89 |
| SW | 126 | 111 | 101 | 91 | 81 |
| LW | 113.5 | 100 | 91 | 82 | 73 |
As you can see clubhead speed greatly influences the distance you can carry the ball.
It is important to keep in mind that these wedge distances are only guidelines as each golfer will have different strengths and weaknesses depending on their swing speed, technique, club selection, etc. Therefore, it’s important for golfers to practice with their wedges so they can find the ideal distance for each shot. This will enable them to make better decisions when it comes time to select a specific golf wedge for any given situation on the course.
How Far Does The Average Person Hit A Pitching Wedge?
A typical swing speed for an average golfer (male) would be around the 90 mph mark (with their driver). This means with a good quality strike they could be looking at around 110 yards with 48 degrees of loft.
With many modern sets, the loft on the golf club marked PW may be as low as 41° which may give you as much as 20 yards more at that swing speed.
Don’t forget that good wedge play is not about hitting the ball as far as you can it’s about getting the ball as close to the hole as possible as often as possible. Hitting the ball a consistent distance is much more important than hitting the ball a long distance, particularly with your wedges.
To know how far your wedges will go, practice with them and experiment to find out what works best for you. If you’re a beginner golfer, it’s likely that you won’t be able to get as much distance as more experienced golfers might; however, with practice and dedication you can increase your ability to hit a pitching wedge farther and more consistently. Ultimately, the distance a pitching wedge goes is up to the individual golfer, so take some time to learn how far yours will go!
Average Distances for Women
The average distances for women amateurs when using wedges can vary depending on the particular wedge they are using and their clubhead speed. See below for some examples of how far ladies might hit based on their swing speed.
| 85 mph | 75 mph | 65 mph | |
| PW | 103 | 91 | 79 |
| GW | 94.5 | 83.5 | 72.5 |
| SW | 86 | 76 | 66 |
| LW | 77.5 | 68.5 | 59.5 |
Generally, a pitching wedge should be used to cover distances of around 80-90 yards, a sand wedge should cover around 70-80 yards and a lob wedge should cover around 60-70 yards. Although these are the average distances for women, it is important to note that individual skill level and swing speed can affect these numbers. Therefore, it is important to practice with different clubs in order to find out which ones work best for you as an individual.
How Far Do PGA/ LPGA Professionals Hit Their Wedges?
The wedge distances for PGA/LPGA professionals can vary greatly depending on the golfer. Generally speaking, many touring pros can hit their pitching wedges around 140 yards on average. However, some players with a more powerful game hit the ball up to 160 yards with a pitching wedge (Bryson DeChambeu). The distance also changes depending on the type of wedge used, there will usually be a gap of 12-15 yards between each club.
As with any golf shot, the distance traveled by a golf ball is determined by the strength and technique of the golfer. Therefore, hitting the same club with two different players can produce vastly different distances. Ultimately, having a strong wedge game is crucial to success in professional golf as it allows golfers to control their approach shots and set up better scoring opportunities around the green after they have blasted their drivers 300+ yards!
LPGA players have swings that are more like typical male amateurs at least in terms of their speed. The LPGA average clubhead speed with a driver is 94 mph compared with the men’s tour of 114.
Here is a comparison of wedge distances for those sorts of speeds.
| 114 mph | 94 mph | |
| PW | 137.8 | 113.8 |
| GW | 126.4 | 104.4 |
| SW | 115 | 95 |
| LW | 103.6 | 85.6 |
How Should I Gap My Wedge Lofts?
With irons in general and wedges in particular you are looking to achieve consistent distance as well as directional accuracy. This means you really want to be looking at having standard changes between the lofts of all your clubs. You also need to be covering as wide a range of yardage as you can. For most amateur players, a 4° difference is about right as this will give them an 8-10 yard gap. It really depends on how you want to fit your wedges in with the rest of your set.
If the pitching wedge that comes with your set is 48° then a 52 degree wedge will fill the gap nicely to your 56° sand wedge. If you feel confident enough you could also add in a 60 degree wedge.
If your iron set has a 41° pitching wedge then it’s likely that the sand wedge would be 54 or 55°. It’s up to you to decide whether to have one or two clubs to bridge that 14° gap. For most players, it would probably make sense to have two clubs in that gap.
How Many Wedges Should I Carry In My Golf Bag?
It really comes down to your skill level and the makeup of the rest of your set. A lot of players would have managed with a three wedge system comprising of a 48 degree pitching wedge, 52 degree gap wedge and a 56 degree sand wedge.
You could include a lob wedge as well either by adjusting the lofts of the wedges you buy or just by adding a 60 degree wedge. You could try a combination of 48, 54 and 60°.
If you have a set of clubs where the lofts have been significantly strengthened then you may well need four clubs to cover the lower end of your bag.
How To Hit Those Inbetween Distances With Your Wedges
Hitting your wedge shots successfully can be the difference between making the green or not. The best way is to work on three swings with each of your wedges. You would have a full swing, a three-quarter swing and a half swing. If you have four wedges then that should give you 12 distances up to the distance you hit a full pitching wedge.
Golf Wedge Distances: Summary
I suppose all of us are guilty of wanting to hit the ball as far as possible but when it comes to wedge play more important to know that you can hit the ball to consistent distances. Practice to work out your average wedge distances
