When shopping for new golf clubs, one of the most important concepts to keep in mind is the shaft.
So many players struggle with choosing the wrong flex for their golf shafts.
This ends up making it difficult to hit the types of shots that you would like to hit.
After a short period of time, if you find that your shaft was actually the wrong match for your game, you will have to replace it.
This is why we recommend paying close attention to the shaft and the flex that you purchase.
When shopping for wedges, you are going to see many of the wedges listed as being wedge flex.
If you are not sure what this wedge flex means, we have all the answers you will need.
What Is Wedge Flex?
Wedge flex is the common terminology for a golf shaft put in a wedge that is sort of a universal fit for all golfers.
The wedge flex tends to be a little heavier and a little stiffer than the shafts that are in the other clubs in your bag.
The reason behind this is that wedge shots typically perform better when the club is slightly heavier, and the golfer can have a bit more control.
Most players are not looking for distance from their wedges.
In fact, most players would gladly give up the distance if it made their shots more accurate.
In addition, many shots around the green are out of the deep rough.
This rough makes it hard to use a lightweight club as the club head will not penetrate the turf enough to get the ball up in the air as desired.
A wedge flex shaft is going to be the standard steel shaft sold in any wedge, but this does not necessarily mean that you should be using it in your clubs.
Let’s take a look at the shafts that you should be putting in your wedges.
Should I Use A Wedge Flex Shaft?
There are a few considerations that you must make before deciding whether or not a wedge flex shaft is going to be right for you.
There is certainly nothing wrong with a wedge flex shaft, but it is also not always the right fit for all players.
1. Current Custom Fitting of Clubs
Are your current golf clubs custom fitted?
Most of the time, when you have a custom fitted golf shaft, you will need to ensure that the wedges in your set are also custom fitted.
Your custom fitting is likely due to a factor in your swing or your body type that means that a standard golf club does not work all that well for you.
If you go for a fitting and they say that your irons need to be adjusted or custom ordered to fit your game, make sure you find out what the idea is with the wedges as well.
Most players will want to continue to use those specifications all the way through the wedges.
This will provide some uniformity in the set.
With all the unpredictable factors in golf, having the shaft the same throughout the clubs is quite important.
Where we find that most players really struggle with the wedge flex is when they have graphite shafts in all of their other clubs and switch to steel for the wedges.
So many golfers will use all graphite shafts and then have a standard wedge flex in the wedge because it is what came with the wedge.
This is really mismatched from a standpoint of both flex and weight.
The problem is that golfers will then have to make compensations and adjustments in their swing to get this to work.
The more you have to change your golf swing to work for your equipment, the bigger issues you are going to run into over the long term.
Keep your swing the way it is and adjust the equipment to work for your needs.
2. Strengths And Weaknesses Of Wedge Game
Take a minute to consider the strengths and weaknesses of your wedge game.
Do you hit the ball fat a lot?
Can you not get a lot of distance?
Does the ball not get enough spin?
Whatever it is that is causing you to struggle with your wedge game, you must try to determine if it is related to the shaft of the club.
Chances are, if your shaft is not appropriately matched to your game, then it could very well be related to the shaft.
In this situation, you do have the option of replacing the shaft in your wedge.
You can get the shaft that you currently play in your irons and have it put into the wedges as well.
This is a smart choice for many golfers.
While you are at it, ensure that you put a grip that you love on this wedge.
The grips matching your irons would be a smart choice as well.
Talk to an experienced club fitter about whether or not it would make sense to leave a little extra weight in your wedge shafts.
Some golfers feel as though the weight brings the club a bit closer to the ground and helps the golfer to get extra spin and more control over their shots.
Overall, if you are not a great wedge player, you need to evaluate not just your wedge game and the time you are putting in but also the flex of the equipment that you are using.
There is absolutely a chance that you could be playing with the wrong equipment.
3. Budget
What is your budget for new wedges?
As I’m sure you have already guessed, golf wedges with custom shafts are going to be more expensive than those with standard golf shafts.
This means that, if you are trying to stay within a budget, you may not be able to get anything other than the standard wedge flex.
As soon as you start talking about custom shafts and weights, the pricing almost always goes up.
Of course, for the serious golfer who is playing in tournaments and is even trying to make it as a professional, the cost will have to be dealt with.
However, for the average golfer, the budget is a major concern, and this will come into play when choosing the proper shaft for your golf wedges.
The good news about the budget when it comes to golf wedges is that you can play with a wedge for many years.
You won’t need to replace your wedges nearly as often as you replace the other clubs in your bag.
Although wedge technology can change every few years, the differences are typically not significant enough to warrant a change of clubs.
Even professional golfers will play with the same model wedge for several years before making any changes to their game.
4. Goals For New Wedges
What are your goals for the new wedges?
Are you looking for something to help you get out of the bunker, or are you really trying to take your short game to the next level?
If you are trying to change your short game and take it to the next level, you should consider a custom golf shaft.
If you simply need to hit a wedge shot here and there, and you don’t rely on your wedges all that much, the standard wedge flex should be just fine.
Do Pros Use Wedge Flex?
Golf professionals typically do not use a wedge flex shaft in their wedges.
The reason behind this is that golf professionals have very fast swing speeds.
The faster swing speeds typically require a stiffer shaft that you won’t get with the wedge flex.
Most of the golf professionals on Tour are going to use the same shaft in their wedges that they have in their irons.
You have to remember that these players are typically using their iron shots to hit the ball into the green in addition to hitting chips and pitches.
If the wedge is such an important part of the game, it needs to be fitted with the proper shaft.
What Wedges Should I Carry In My Bag?
It is always interesting to discover how many golfers truly have no idea what wedges they should carry in their bags and what their wedges should be used for.
Now that you have a better understanding of why it is so important to put the proper shafts in your wedges, let’s look at the wedges that you should be putting in your bag.
1. Pitching Wedge
A pitching wedge is a standard wedge that almost all golfers have in their bags.
With a pitching wedge, you are going to be able to hit approach shots into the green, and you can also use it to make a small chip and pitch shots as well.
The pitching wedge typically matches the irons in the set of clubs that you have, and therefore, it is easier to find a pitching wedge with the proper shaft that you need.
Pitching wedges are better for wedge shots that are kept along the ground.
If you need something with a very high loft out of a bunker or to get over an obstacle, the pitching wedge will probably not be the best choice.
2. Gap Wedge/Approach Wedge
The gap wedge is a club that is relatively new in the world of golf.
Most players would typically go right from their pitching wedge to their sand wedge.
However, as lofts started changing in pitching wedges, the need for a gap wedge became apparent.
Golfers realized that the difference in loft between their pitching wedge and their sand wedge was just too great.
The difference in loft created issues with shots that could not be properly hit because the loft was either too high or too low.
A gap wedge or an approach wedge can match your irons, or it can come as a match to your wedges.
Typically speaking, the better player will use a blade style wedge as their gap wedge.
The higher handicapper will use something like a cavity back gap wedge to ensure that they have the forgiveness necessary to hit shots close to the pin.
The gap wedge is a great club to use for longer bunker shots as well.
If you have more than a few yards to the hole out of a bunker, think about using the gap wedge to get you closer to the hole.
3. Sand Wedge
The sand wedge is the other essential golf wedge in a player’s bag.
The sand wedge is a must-have, and it is typically going to have around 56 degrees of loft.
Many people will think that a sand wedge is just to be used from a bunker, but in reality, you can use a sand wedge from any location on the course.
The sand wedge is an excellent club for chipping and pitching because it allows the ball to stop quickly on the green and spin.
Sand wedges are clubs that you must get used to using.
This is the wedge that will make or break your round and help you take your short game to the next level.
4. Lob Wedge
Last but not least is the lob wedge.
The lob wedge typically has about 60 degrees of loft and is for hitting the highest lofted shots.
If you get stuck in a bunker or have to hit a short, high-lofted shot, the lob wedge will be your go-to club.
The better you get at golf, the more you are going to rely on your lob wedge to help you hit the types of shots that you need around the green.
More and more players are learning not to be afraid of their lob wedge and instead learn to use it to help them succeed on the golf course.
You will have to practice with this club, and we don’t recommend using it for full golf swings all that often.
The lob wedge is not really a club that is well suited for full golf swings.
Instead, keep the shots shorter, and you will see the best results.
Overall, each wedge can serve an essential purpose in your golf bag.
To get really great at golf, we recommend having four wedges in your golf bag.
It may take time to learn where you should use each one and how they can help you, but in the end, you will find that there are more options to hit great shots when you incorporate more wedges.
Conclusion
The majority of golfers are going to have no issues playing with a standard wedge flex.
However, some players are going to have a hard time finding the proper fit and flex for their game.
If you play with any type of custom shaft in your golf irons, ensure that you do the same with your wedges.
Knowing what works for your game and making sure you purchase the proper equipment is essential to scoring low.
Golfers who have the wrong wedge shaft will notice trouble in their game from 100 yards and in.
If this describes you, it may be time to have your wedges properly fitted to match your swing.
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