Getting creative around the greens
Chipping can be frustrating. Thankfully, we have multiple wedges in the bag for all different greenside scenarios. But are you using yours correctly?
Equipment
Depending on which area of your game you consider your strengths, you may either love or loath reaching for your golf wedges.
But regardless of your skill level, you’ve got to admit that a well-played chip can be one of the most satisfying kinds of golf shot to watch.
Whether it’s a high-lofted flop shot where you pop the ball up in the air for it to roll to a stop by the flag, or a well-timed chip-and-run played down onto a sloped green, chipping is an incredibly versatile aspect of the game that allows for a lot of creativity and versatility.
Golf is a hard game, and so it may be easier to cling to what’s familiar and use the same golf wedge regardless of where you are, when it may not necessarily be the best tool for the job.
So today, we’re going to recap which wedges are best used in certain situations around the green, as well as give you a fantastic recommendation in the latest Cleveland golf wedges.
The gap wedge provides that much-needed breathing room between your wedges where a pitching wedge will give you too much power and sail past the green, but a sand wedge will give you too much height. This ideal utility tool gives you the best of both if you find yourself 70 yards or so away from the green.
In many ways this is the most straightforward club to remember as the clue’s in the name. You take a sand wedge with you into a bunker because this club is designed to have the widest sole in your set of wedges. This wide sole will allow you to open up your clubface and get as much bounce as possible when your club comes into contact with the sand. It’s always satisfying making good connection and splashing your ball out of a bunker!
A perfect escape should you find yourself stuck behind a bunker or bush, the lob wedge gives you the most loft of any club in your bag. They’re easy to play with and allow you to pop the ball in the air over short distances for accurate greenside pitching. The trick with a lob wedge is to commit to your shot to make the connection you’re looking for; you don’t want to quit on it and end up in the bunker you were trying to overcome!
The first wedge you’ll reach for when you’re the furthest away from the hole, the pitching wedge is a nifty club that gives you both a good amount of distance and loft, with the aim being to land your shot on the short grass.
If you’re on the lookout for new wedges and you need some gear that will suit you all year round, you can’t go wrong with Cleveland’s CBX 4 golf wedges.
Cleveland is well-renowned for their excellent wedges, and these clubs certainly live up to that reputation. The CBX 4 clubheads have a solid construction inside and out, the lightweight tech in the head works with the cavity back to reduce unwanted vibrations when striking the ball.
The face itself is a marvel of modern golfing tech, Cleveland has used UltiZip, a process of cutting sharp deep grooves into the clubface when making the CBX 4 to give you an unparalleled grip on the ball. An excellent wedge to play with in all conditions, these wedges also feature Cleveland’s HydraZip laser-milling process that gives you max spin in both wet and dry conditions.
Another excellent fresh release from Cleveland are the RTX Full-Face 2 wedges. As the name implies, these clubs feature grooves that stretch across the entirety of the face. Not only will this give you better contact with the ball, but the laser-milled ridges give you more spin over previous models.
It can feel demoralizing if you’re struggling with your short game. We want you to have fun when you’re out on the course, so if you’re looking to improve game with a new set of golf wedges, we’d be more than happy to help you in the pro shop.