Lob Wedge Shot
A lob wedge shot uses the most-lofted club in the bag (58–64°) to produce a high, soft-landing shot — most effective when you need to carry a hazard and stop quickly on a small target.
The lob wedge is the specialist for situations where the ball must travel high and stop fast: over a bunker to a tight pin, from a tight lie in heavy rough, or from a greenside chipping area where there is no room for run. It requires confidence and acceleration because deceleration with a wide-open lob wedge produces shanks and bladed shots. From good lies it is the most versatile wedge; from bad lies (tight fairway lies, sandy soil) it is a risk that experienced players sometimes avoid in favor of a less-lofted club.
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.
Related terms
- Flop ShotA flop shot is a very high, soft-landing chip or pitch played with a wide-open lob wedge that stops quickly — used when there is little green between the ball and the hole.
- PitchingPitching is a mid-range short-game shot that carries the ball most of the way to the target with a descending blow and controlled spin, typically from 30–100 yards.
- Bunker ShotA bunker shot (sand shot) is played from a sand trap. Rather than striking the ball first, the club enters the sand behind the ball and the splash of sand carries it out.
- Distance ControlDistance control is calibrating how far the ball travels — in putting by swing length and tempo, in the short game by carry distance — so the ball ends up close to its target.
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