The lob wedge is the golf club with the highest launch angle. This also means the lob wedge has the highest loft — the club face will range between 58 and 64 degrees. Because the face is so steep, that means you can take a full swing with the club and send the ball flying high into the air. The wedges are the clubs that give you the highest launch angle. 

Other Clubs With High Loft 

Although the lob wedge has the highest launch angle, the other wedges also have steep faces that gradually get steeper as you club up. The lob wedge is best used for shots within 100 yards. 

Sand Wedge

The sand wedge is a versatile club used for shots usually around 100 yards. Like the lob wedge, it has a steep face but a bit shallower so you can get more distance. As its name implies, it’s also a great cub to use from the sand. 

Gap Wedge 

This wedge is named “gap” because of the functional role it plays. It acts as the go-between club you can use when you’re within 120 and 100 yards. Too short to use a pitching wedge, too far to use a sand wedge — that’s where the gap wedge comes in handy. 

Pitching Wedge 

You can use a pitching wedge for shots around 120 yards. This type of wedge will still give you a ton of loft — plus you’ll be able to hit it much farther than your lob wedge. 

Benefits of a High Launch Angle 

You may be wondering why players use wedges with high loft at all in the game of golf. There are a few different advantages that players can gain from using these high-lofted wedges. 

Avoid Obstacles 

Sometimes you might be faced with an outcrop of small trees or rocks. In this case, you’ll need to hit it over this obstacle. The shorter irons and woods likely won’t have the launch angle you need to complete the shot, so a lofted wedge can help you hit that ball into the air and over the obstacle. 

Soft Landings 

Clubs with less loft also tend to run after they hit the ground. This is because their trajectory is so much flatter than wedges. Think about your driver — if you hit it well, it can often skip twenty yards farther down the fairway after its first bounce. This would be ineffective for a shot where you need to pinpoint a spot on a sloping green. 

The wedges offer you a rounded parabola-like shot that shoots into the air and comes down steeply, landing softly and — hopefully — sticking the landing. 

Gain Control 

Higher loft can also allow you to get better control of your shots. With that flatter club face, you can add backspin to the ball so that you can make it roll back towards the hole. Unlike a wood, you can often be more artful with your hands on iron shots, commanding the ball to do what you want. 

Cut Through Rough 

If you find yourself in deep rough, a club with high loft can be your tool to get out. You’ll likely need to dig deeper into the grass to get that ball out, and the steep face of a wedge can effectively cut through dense rough to get your ball into the fairway or on the green. 

What Is a Launch Angle? 

A launch angle in golf refers to the angle of the ball’s flight immediately after impact. When you hit a driver, the ball’s launch angle will be much flatter than if you used a lob wedge, which will have an extremely steep path that launches at a high angle directly after impact. 

The exact launch angle of your shots probably isn’t as important if you’re a beginner. The pros, however, can track their exact launch angle to make sure they’re hitting their shots as effectively as possible. 

What Affects Launch Angle? 

There are a few different factors that affect the ball’s flight. If you’re looking to improve your launch angle, keep an eye on these aspects of your game. 

Club Loft 

The most critical aspect of launch angle is club loft. The more loft a club face has, the steeper your launch angle will be. 

Swing Speed 

The faster you swing the club, the steeper you’ll be able to get your launch angle. This is why the pros are able to get their shots so high in the air — their swing speed is amazingly quick. 

Angle of Attack

Launch angle will also be affected by your angle of attack on the ball. If you come down steeper on the ball, the launch angle will be steeper, whereas if your swing makes for a sweeping motion, your launch angle will probably be a little flatter. 

Clubface Position At Impact 

On bunker shots, sometimes players will flatten out their club face. This gives their ball a steeper launch angle so that they can cut through the sand and get the ball up out of the lip of the bunker.