54 vs 56 Degree Wedge: What Average Golfers Should Use

When I was in the market for a new wedge set I tried a number of different brands and combinations. Most recreational golfers only need two or three wedges in their bag, so if you had to pick, would it be better to play a 54 or 56 degree?

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The loft to get on your sand wedge will depend on whether or not you’re using a lob wedge. If you have a 58 or 60 degree wedge, adding a 54 degree sand wedge will likely give you the better gap. If you don’t carry a lob wedge, adding a 56 degree wedge will be the way to go.

That being said, it all depends on what clubs you already have and how many wedges you want to carry. The main thing you’ll want to do is space out your wedges evenly, but we’ll get more into that next.

You can see our favorite wedges for average golfers HERE.

Should You Use A 54 Or 56 Degree Wedge?

The choice on what loft to get will depend on a few factors. The first is how many wedges you want to carry and the second is what wedges you already have.

If you already have a gap and lob wedge, adding a sand wedge that’s evenly between them is ideal. If you’re building your wedge set from scratch, you have a bit more freedom.

The main thing to think about is how many wedges to have in your bag. Most people will have 3-4 wedges, but some people have 2 and some have 5.

If you’re like me and only want to carry 3 wedges, the ones to get are:

1. Pitching wedge
2. Gap wedge
3. Sand wedge

Your pitching wedge will be between 42-46 degrees, your gap wedge will be 50-52 degrees, and your sand wedge will be between 54-56 degrees. You want to have 4-6 degrees of loft between each.

Here’s the ideal setup if you want to have 3 wedges:

• 44 degree pitching wedge
• 50 degree gap wedge
• 56 degree sand wedge

Here’s the ideal setup if you want to have 4 wedges:

• 44 degree pitching wedge
• 50 degree gap wedge
• 54 degree sand wedge
• 58 degree lob wedge

The main reason I go with the 3 wedge setup is that it’s cheaper. The second reason is that it follows the loft progression of my irons. Here’s what I mean:

I think that having a 56 degree wedge as your highest lofted club will be perfectly fine for most golfers. It’s all I’ve had for a few years and it’s been completely fine for me.

If you want to have a lob wedge in the bag, a 58 degree is the better option (learn more here). It’s better from the fairway and still has plenty of loft to lob the ball in the air. Even Butch agrees:

What Is A 54 Degree Wedge Used For?

A 54 degree wedge is considered a sand wedge and is used around the green and out of bunkers. A 54 degree wedge is ideal for golfers who want to also carry a 58 or 60 degree lob wedge.

Pretty much all golfers have a pitching wedge and a wedge between 56 and 58 degrees. That leaves a pretty big gap in clubs and that’s why you’ll want to fill it as soon as possible.

I don’t use a 54 degree myself but there are certain times when you’d want one. If your sand wedge is 56 degrees, there’s really no point in adding a 54 degree. If your lob wedge is 58 degrees, adding a 54 degree makes sense.

Sand wedges come with different degrees of bounce, so that’s something else you’ll want to look at. If you play a lot of wet courses or hit behind the ball, you’ll want a wedge with a higher bounce (more than 10 degrees). If not, you can look for a wedge with 7-10 degrees of bounce.

You can learn what club to chip with around the green HERE.

What Is A 56 Degree Wedge Used For?

A 56 degree wedge is considered a sand wedge and is mainly used for hitting out of the sand and chipping around the green. A 56 degree wedge is one of the most used clubs and is the highest loft an average golfer should carry.

Other than a pitching wedge, a sand wedge is the second wedge you’ll want to have in your bag. It’s one of the most versatile clubs in the bag since it can be used from the fairway, from the bunker, and around the green.

Sand wedges come in either 54 or 56 degrees, but the most common loft is 56 degrees. If your pitching wedge is 43-44 degrees, having a 50 degree gap wedge and a 56 degree sand wedge makes the most sense.

For most golfers, you’ll want your sand wedge to have at least 10 degrees of bounce. More bounce will help you get the ball out of bunkers because it won’t dig in as much. Also, depending on what kind of shots you hit, you’ll want to pick the right wedge grind as well.

How Far Should You Hit A 54 Degree Wedge?

On average, golfers hit their 54 degree wedge 92 yards, but the range can vary between 75 and 110 yards. The higher number is for golfers who take a full swing with their wedges, but most golfers only take a 1/2 or 3/4 swing with their wedges.

To find the most accurate numbers, I asked 8 different golfers how far they typically hit their 54 degree. Here are some of the responses I got:

The range was actually pretty close overall. A lot of the time, you’ll use this wedge for shorter chip shots around the green, but these numbers were for normal shots from the fairway.

For most golfers, if they were 90 yards out in the fairway, their go-to choice would be the 54 degree wedge. This is just a normal stock swing, which should give you the most consistent shots.

How Far Should You Hit A 56 Degree Wedge?

On average, golfers hit their 56 degree wedge 84 yards, but the range can vary between 75 and 105 yards. Longer hitters who take a full swing typically hit over 100 yards, but most golfers take a 1/2 to 3/4 swing with their sand wedge.

Just like with the 54 degree wedge, I asked a few golfers how far they normally hit their 56 degree wedge. Here are the responses I got:

The results did vary a bit more, and I think the reason was that most people don’t take full swings with their sand wedges. Wedges aren’t built for distance, they’re built for control.

Taking a normal swing and not trying too hard will result in better consistency for most people. If you were to take full swings with your sand wedge, you could probably hit it somewhere close to 95-105 yards.

If you were to take a 3/4 swing with your sand wedge, you would probably hit the ball somewhere close to 80-90 yards. This is the better choice if you’re looking to improve your short-game distance control.

Let’s Hear From You

Do you use a 54 or 56 degree wedge? Let us know in the comments below and you’ll be entered into our gear giveaway.