What degree is a pitching wedge?
The loft of a modern pitching wedge is usually somewhere between 45 – 53 degrees of loft. It varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and from set to set. The TaylorMade R9, for example has a pitching wedge with a 46 degree loft. Callaway’s X-24 HOT irons are a 45. The Callaway Diablo Edge is a 44. The Titleist MB is a 47.
Moreover, loft has changed over time, as manufacturers have tweaked sets for more distance by strengthening lofts. A “classic” set of irons probably has a pitching wedge with a loft at the higher end of the 45-53 degree range.
There are two measurements for clubheads that are expressed in degrees: loft and lie.
Loft is the angle at which the club face tilts backward, and controls the trajectory of the ball. All things being equal, a higher loft will make a ball fly higher.
Lie, on the other hand, is the angle between the centerline of the shaft and the ground. When properly fitted to a player, a club with the correct lie angle will rest on a point directly under the club center, with the shaft in the player’s hand in a correct playing position. If the lie angle is too flat, or too steep, shots will tend to be offline.
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May not be a good question- but between the X-24 article and this one I finally went and checked loft for my X-20 PW and AW (45 and 50).
I have been wondering because I recently replaced the AW-50 with a Cleveland Niblick 49, and I am hitting the Niblick with a full swing, nearly as long as the PW. I keep wondering if I have too much overlap, but actually it is probably correct.
Also, I had heard that Callaway had made the X-24s stronger than the X-20s, but the lofts and lengths are identical.