Should a 64-degree wedge be in your bag? We explain

Q: A friend of mine swears by his 64-degree wedge, and, yes, he hits some impressive shots with it. But he is wildly inconsistent with the club. Am I missing out by not trying one?

A: The short answer is no, you’re not. In fact, data from Cobra Golf using the Arccos shot-tracking system reveals that those using a 64-degree struggle to even match the performance of lower-lofted wedges, often seeing shots go all over the place.

Here's a peek into the data: Although obviously being used from closer range, 64-degree wedges produced a greens in regulation (GIR) rate of just 44 percent—the lowest percentage of any wedge loft. The data, which came from 762 players who use a 64-degree wedge, shows that shots hit with every other wedge loft of 50 degrees or higher had at least a 50 percent GIR rate.

A little deeper dig into the data would indicate a reason for that. Although the distance numbers for each wedge from 51 degrees and higher decreases as the loft goes up, when it gets to the 64-degree, the distance jumps to 83.2 yards—longer than the 58-, 60- and 62-degree models. The logical conclusion is the 64-degree wedge is often bladed by those using them.

James Sieckmann, a Golf Digest 50 Best Teacher and one of the game’s top short-game instructors, is not surprised by those numbers. “I gave a guy a lesson in Florida a few years ago,” he said. “He was a 3-handicapper who had a 64-degree. I took it out of his bag and told him nobody should be playing one. The statistics aren’t lying.

“I cannot stress how much a 64-degree wedge—and really anything 60 and higher—should not be in your bag. It’s such a difficult club to control because the ball launches so high with so much spin that the shot is at the mercy of the environment. It’s the kind of club that could go 10 yards long or 10 yards short of your target with basically the same swing. The contact is so unpredictable. It would be the last club I would recommend. You can hit all the shots you need with a 58-degree wedge.”

Need more convincing? None of the 30 players who qualified for the Tour Championship this year uses a 64-degree wedge and only one, Cameron Young, carries one as high as 62 degrees. You are not Cameron Young. When not one the top 30 PGA Tour players is using a certain wedge loft, it’s a strong sign you might want to steer clear.