Both are lob wedges – 58 vs 60 degree wedge. Any golf wedge with a loft angle over 58 degrees is designated as a ‘lob’ wedge. Although Phil Mickelson’s lob wedge is even higher lofted at 64 degrees! He uses it to hit big flop shots!
But you should stick to 60 degrees if you’re a scratch golfer (but no Phil Mickelson!) whereas 58 degrees is more suitable for the average, high-handicap golfer.
Not playing the most appropriate wedge can and does really mess with your short game. So make sure that your wedge loft angles are more fitted to your game and that the loft spacing between the wedges is even.
In This Post
What Is A 58-Degree Wedge?
A wedge with a 58-degree loft angle is known as the lob wedge and you use this particular club to lob your golf ball high up into the air. Bunker shots and chip shots are also hit using the 58-degree wedge (downhill lie).
For the majority of golfers, 58 degrees of loft should be the highest in their set of clubs.
When to Use A 58-Degree Wedge? (What is it used for?)
Pitch shots and chip shots less than 80 yards from the green (and even for sand shots) – that’s when you ought to be using your high-lofted 58-degree wedge. But you need to hit the shot slightly harder in comparison to when you use your 56-degree wedge, only then can a decent amount of distance be covered.
Playing on a wet bunker, or if the golfing territory is limited, demands the use of the 58-degree wedge. This kind of high loft is perfect to play firm golf courses equipped with tight lies. You might find this club extremely handy for all those around-the-green shots and under 86 yards from that flagstick!
The greater bounce it produces prevents the wedge from scooping or digging excessively into the ground, dirt, or sand. Now you know why your 58-degree wedge is such a suitable choice for getting out of sand bunkers and also in situations where you form too much divot!
What Is A 60-Degree Wedge?
Also a lob wedge, the 60-degree wedge is mainly designed for launching your shots high up and then landing them softly on the green. For instance, when you want to hit the golf ball over sand or water and get it to stop quickly on the green.
When to Use A 60-Degree Wedge? (What is it used for?)
The situation is pretty much the same as using a 58-degree wedge – when on the fairway or the rough, but closer outside of that green (around 10 to 15 yards from the green). Any more distance and the chances of just missing the mark are highly likely.
Many players also use their 60-degree wedge for getting the golf ball to travel over medium-sized hazards/objects that get in the way of its flight.
Should You Use the 58-Degree or 60-Degree Wedge?
Most golfers will go with the 58-degree wedge simply because it’s way easier to hit, hence more useful. Also, this type of lob wedge makes it so much better for golfers to control distance unless you’re a scratch or low-handicap player (since they usually choose 60 degrees over 58 degrees).
If you ask me, I have honestly used both. However, this was a few years ago when you couldn’t really make out any differences in the loft angles. Although my shots hit by my 60-degree wedge fly farther, full shots feel more consistent with my 58-degree wedge.
No denying that the former has proven to be more useful in the case of short-range chip shots, but the latter is also the same plus you get greater full-shot consistency as well from the fairway.
The truth of the matter is that if you’re an average golfer, then you should pick 58 degrees over 60 degrees.
It’s also more about how your wedge lofts are spaced, even/balanced spacing is a must. Average golfers, more often than not, need not more than 2 to 3 wedges.
- First is the pitching wedge, which is a must-have. (Here’s how to hit a pitching wedge and its different uses)
- Second, sand wedge – also a must-have.
- And then there’s the optional gap wedge.
So the lob wedge has the highest loft angle – 58 degrees or above. But it’s not really a must-have for beginners, high handicappers, and amateur golfers.
Now let’s consider that your set of (3) wedges consists of a 44-degree pitching wedge. This is what your wedge setup should look like.
- Pitching wedge – 44 degrees
- Gap wedge – 50 degrees
- Sand wedge – 56 degrees
The loft spacing between them is 6 degrees, and it’s uniform. Thus, noticeable distance improvement.
58-Degree Wedge Distance
How far should you hit a 58-degree wedge?
The average distance is 60 yards, whereas the average distance range is from 50 to 105 yards – very wide indeed because of the half-swing approach, let me explain.
If you produce a full golf swing with your wedge (although that is not highly recommended), then its loft angle should be higher too. So most of us produce either a 3/4 or 1/2 swing, hence 58 degrees is perfect. It’s the best to maximize control and your scoring potential, meaning it has less to do with maximizing distance.
60-Degree Wedge Distance
How about how far should you hit a 60-degree wedge?
The average 60-degree wedge distance is 74 yards with a range of 60–100 yards. Tighter distance range in comparison to 58 degrees because the 60-degree wedge option is usually played by better, more advanced/skilled golfers. Therefore, average golfers are better off with a 58-degree wedge.
Once again, full-swing, longer hitters are closer to the 100-yard mark, whereas a 3/4 or 1/2 swing is the right and most common approach to use with the 60-degree wedge.
Related: Average Golf Club Distances
Is the 60-Degree Wedge Harder to Hit?
The 2-degree loft difference between the 58-degree wedge and 60-degree wedge creates a difference in height. The latter generates more height/apex than the former.
Typically, the higher the loft, the more challenging the wedge becomes to hit. With an increase in loft angle, the clubface of the wedge takes a more horizontal position. Hence, less clubface surface makes contact with a higher lofted wedge.
So, to answer the question, the 60-degree wedge is indeed harder to hit in comparison to its 58-degree counterpart, but just slightly more effortful (which means this difference is most likely to be negligible).
Can the 58-Degree Wedge Be Used As A Sand Wedge?
If your sand bunker shots are a nightmare to hit where the ball just doesn’t leave the bunker, then it might do you good to use a high-bounce 58-degree wedge.
58 degrees as a sand wedge also works for bunker shots in the case of fluffier, softer bunkers. However, your 56-degree wedge hands out greater versatility with bunker shots and around the green.
Conclusion
Both 58-degree wedges and 60-degree wedges are categorized as lob wedges. They have the highest loft in comparison to the other golf wedges. You use a wedge for producing more height instead of more distance, hence the higher loft.
As to when to use a 58-degree wedge, opt for this one when you’re within 15 to 20 yards from the green. While the 60-degree wedge requires you to be closer, around 10 to 15 yards.
