Lob Wedge Shot
A lob wedge shot uses the most-lofted club in the bag (58–64°) for a high, soft landing. It works best for carrying a hazard and stopping fast on a small target.
A lob wedge shot is a short, high-trajectory shot played with the most lofted club in the bag, usually a 58° to 62° wedge. It produces the most height and spin possible for the distance. Golfers use it when the ball needs to fly high and land very softly. That often happens from difficult lies around the green, where a lower shot would fail to clear an obstacle. A lower shot might also fail to stop quickly enough near a tight pin. The lob wedge is the modern evolution of the flop shot specialist, and it is now a standard part of the tour pro's short game.
The lob wedge shot can be played two ways. The "standard lob" uses a square face and a full swing for moderate distances. The "flop" uses an open face and a full swing for maximum height and minimum roll. The square-face version delivers the club's full designed loft (say, 60°) with whatever bounce the sole provides. The open-face version adds more effective loft and more bounce engagement. Both versions need commitment and acceleration. Decelerating into any lob wedge shot produces fat, skulled, or short results.
The lob wedge is high-risk from tight lies. The large bounce angle can skip off firm ground, and the leading edge can catch the ball's equator. Pro golfers know exactly which conditions suit the lob wedge: fluffy rough, good lies, and soft turf. They also know when a safer chip-and-run is better: from tight lies, from firm turf, or when a lower-risk shot produces a comparable result. For everyday golfers, a reliable lob wedge shot from good lies is a high-reward skill. But knowing when not to use it is equally important.
Start your lob wedge practice from fluffy rough or a good lie in the fringe — never from tight lies until you are consistent from easier conditions. Set up with your feet slightly open, put 60% of your weight on your lead foot, and commit to a full swing. The loft does the work, your job is to accelerate through.
To calibrate your three lob wedge distances (for a 60°), practice these specifically: full swing (carries about your personal max distance for that wedge), three-quarter swing (about 70% of max), and half swing (about 50%). Film from face-on and confirm the backswing-to-followthrough ratio is consistent (1:1 or slightly longer follow-through) at all three lengths. The only variable should be backswing length, not deceleration rate.
Example
A 20-yard lob over a bunker to a pin cut just beyond the sand — only the lob wedge gets the ball high enough to land softly past the hazard.
How it shows up on video
From a face-on camera angle, the lob wedge shot is visible as a compact but committed swing that produces a steeply ascending ball flight. The club face may appear open at address compared to other clubs. The ball appears to pop nearly straight up before arcing forward with significant height. A decelerated lob wedge is visible from face-on as a shortened, tentative follow-through compared to the backswing — the most common cause of failed lob shots. From a down-the-line angle, the open face (for flop style) is visible as the face appearing angled toward the sky rather than pointing at the target at address.
Common mistakes
- Decelerating through the lob wedge shot — the most critical error. Committing to a full, accelerating swing through impact is non-negotiable for the lob wedge. The open face and high loft reduce distance; the speed creates the spin that stops the ball.
- Using the lob wedge as a universal short-game club — many recreational golfers reach for the lob wedge for every short game situation. From tight lies, firm surfaces, or situations where a running shot would work better, the lob wedge increases risk without improving the result.
- Opening the face without re-gripping — the face must be opened before the hands grip the club, not by rotating the hands during the grip. Rotating the face open after gripping means the hands will return the face to square (their natural orientation) during the swing, removing the added loft.
- Not practicing from different lies — the lob wedge behaves differently from fluffy rough, medium rough, tight fairway, and sand. Developing competence from all these lies requires deliberate practice from each, not just perfect range conditions.
In SwingVantage Motion Lab
Motion Lab does not read the open face, the ball's height or how softly it lands. Filmed as a wedge, it times your tempo from the takeaway to impact and reads your finish balance, how far your head drifts at the end. It gives no club speed, so a slowing club is not measured. Film face-on and compare your backswing with your follow-through.
Related terms
- Flop ShotA flop shot is a very high, soft-landing chip or pitch played with a wide-open lob wedge. It stops quickly and is used when there is little green between the ball and the hole.
- PitchingPitching is a mid-range short-game shot, usually from 30–100 yards, that carries the ball most of the way to the target. It uses a descending blow and controlled spin.
- Bunker ShotA bunker shot is any stroke played from a sand hazard. The two families play nothing alike: greenside, where the club never touches the ball, and fairway, where clean ball-first contact is the whole objective.
- Distance ControlDistance control is adjusting how far the ball travels so it finishes near the target. In putting that means swing length and tempo; in the short game, carry distance.
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