Golf is a very complex sport because you have a large variety of items at your disposal in a given round. Most amateur players show up to a golf course with around 10 golf clubs in their bag, give or take. The pros will have a few extra clubs the regular player does not have. A certain type of fairway wood, a custom long iron, or a certain degree of a wedge. A very popular, but difficult club, is the 60-degree wedge. The big question is, how do I hit the 60-degree wedge in golf?
The 60-degree wedge is typically the highest lofted club in a player’s bag. To hit the 60-degree wedge effectively the ball is centered in your stance, clubface open to use the bounce and a confident hard swing through the ball. Some players will avoid the club as there is a risk. However, if used properly this club will quickly become your favorite in the bag.
How Do I Hit A 60-Degree Wedge?
Hitting a 60-degree wedge is often overcomplicated by the average player. With practice, as well as real-life rounds, the 60-degree wedge can quickly become the favorite club in your bag. The main problem with this though is most players hit the club wrong. What you don’t want to do when hitting your 60-degree is:
- Place the ball too far back in your stance.
- Place the ball to far in front of your stance.
- Close the face of the club (turn the club head in).
- Swing to gently.
- Too large of an overall swing.
All of these points will lead to errors within your swing and your shot. Doing these actions will likely lead to either a skull shot over the green. Alternatively, getting to under the ball and coming up way short. A skull shot is when the bottom of the club makes contact with the middle of the ball, causing a low, fast release off the club that is impossible to control.
In order to hit consistent golf shots with your 60-degree wedge, you want too use these techniques:
- Place the ball in the middle of your stance.
- Club face slightly open. This will allow the club to use its bounce. The bounce is the angle created between the leading edge and the lowest point of the club. This is the area of the club that hits through the ground as it contacts the ball.
- Commit to the shot. Imagine where it needs to go and swing the club with confidence.
- Let the club do the work. Don’t worry about rotating your hands to add loft, the club is designed for this purpose.
- Lead with your arms and keep them straight.
Using the techniques above will allow for a consistent shot with the 60-degree wedge. Every technique can apply to every situation. They might need to be tweaked slightly depending on the type of shot, but most of the time they apply.
Is It Difficult to hit?
The only reason a 60-degree wedge would be hard to hit is if you perform the shot incorrectly. If you place the ball in the middle of your stance, accelerate the head of the club through the ball, and keep your arms in front of the clubhead, you will find the 60-degree becomes your favorite club.
Mistakes can be made when the ball isn’t in the middle of your stance. If the ball is too far at your back foot, you eliminate any positive of the club. The club is called a 60-degree, meaning it possesses 60 degrees of loft. When the ball is too far at the back foot, you eliminate the 60 degrees of loft because the clubhead is automatically turned inwards.
If the ball is too far at your front foot, your swing pattern will impact the ground before the ball resulting in your shot coming up short. It also allows the chance the club makes an impact with the ball too far into your follow-through. This will result in a skull shot, where the bottom of the club hits the middle of the ball.
The last two things you need to do to make hitting this club easily is acceleration and your arms in front of the clubhead. Your backswing should be controlled, but your downswing needs to be confident and with acceleration to get the maximum out of the club.
When trying to keep your hands in front of the club, this does not mean angling the shaft. It simply means bring the club back, keep your arms in a straight path, and don’t hook them around your body. When your arms stay in a straight path, they will naturally be in front of the clubhead which is what you want.
How Far Should I Hit My 60-Degree Wedge?
Typically, if you are going to hit the 60-degree from distance it will only go a certain length. The average distance for the club is around 60-80 yards. This depends on wind and lies in the grass of course.
A 60-degree wedge should not generally be a club your try and hit for distance. It is designed for finesse around the green, with the ability to get great heights on your shot while stopping the ball with spin.
If you do have a shot where you are away from the green, the 60-degree can work well. The positives of a longer 60-degree shot are the fact the ball will get very high. This allows for the ball to stick on the green, or even spin in particular directions.
Can I Chip With My 60-Degree Wedge?
Chipping with your 60-degree wedge has a lot of upsides. The benefits are the ball should bite and stop closer to the pin, so you can be more aggressive. Another is it helps get out of tough lies since you have more loft at your disposal.
Lastly, the 60-degree is great for short chips out of rough. With less lofted clubs, you’ll often go past the pin with short chips. With the 60-degree, you will be able to get under the ball with very minimal distance on the shot.
The 60-degree wedge should be in your bag on the golf course. The benefits of the club will change your golf game, and all it takes is a little practice. My recommendation is to find a golf course near you with a large practice green, with thick rough to work on chipping. This will allow the opportunity to practice real situations on the course.
I hope you enjoyed this article. I am a huge golfer myself so more golf posts will be coming. Hopefully I can help you with little tips here and there to boost your game to the next level. If you want to read up on another sport topic, go to the main articles page by clicking here.