54 vs 56 Degree Wedge

The 54 degree and 56 degree wedges are some of the most common wedges in golf. Anyone from A casual golfer to a professional likely has one of these in their bag. If you are deciding between which one you should have in your bag, you may be wondering what the differences are.

In this article, I break down the differences between the 54 degree and 56 degree wedges as well as show you when you should use each.

What are the differences between the 54 and 56 degree wedges? The main difference between the 54° wedge and the 56° wedge is that the 54° wedge hits 75 to 80 yards, whereas the 56° wedge hits 70 to 75 yards. Both are generally used for the same purposes, however the 54° wedge gets a bit more distance.

Loft: 54 Degree vs 56 Degree Wedge

The most apparent difference between both of these wedges is the loft. Specifically, there is a 2° difference between both of these clubs. While it may seem like a small amount of difference, it does impact the way the clubs perform a little bit.

It has been shown that every 4° of loft increased, there is a loss of about 5 to 10 yards. So, in this case, the 2° difference means that there is about a 5 yard difference between both of the clubs.

Which One Is Harder To Hit?

Traditionally, higher lofted wedges are more difficult to hit than lower loft or wedges. This is because as the loft increases, the face becomes more horizontal. Thus, there is less club face to make contact with.

So in this case, the 56° wedge may be a little bit harder to consistently hit. However, given the fact that both of these clubs are so close in the amount of loft, they both are very likely to have the same difficulty to each player.

Distance: 54 Degree vs 56 Degree Wedge

As mentioned above, the difference in loft means that there is a difference in distance. For most average golfers, the 54° wedge will hit around 75 to 80 yards, and the 56° wedge will hit around 70 to 75 yards.

So, if you are a bit further away from your desired location, or the green, then you should probably go with the 54° wedge. However if you are a bit closer to the green, then the 56° wedge may be more suitable.

When To Use Each Club: 54 Degree vs 56 Degree Wedge

There are different instances in which you should use each one of these clubs. Although they are so similar, there are certain differences in which one is best to use.

When To Use A 54 Degree Wedge

If you are around 55 to 60 yards away from the green, stuck in the sand trap, or stuck in some type of mud or other thick terrain, then the 54 degree wedge is best to use.

When To Use A 56 Degree Wedge

If you are 45 to 50 yards away from the green, in the sand trap, or in some type of mud or other thick serene, then the 56° wedge is best to use.

Both of these clubs are designed to get the ball out of more difficult terrain so, if you find yourself in such a predicament, either one of these clubs will be suitable.

Type: 54 Degree vs 56 Degree Wedge

There are a bunch of different categorizations for golf wedges. The most common are gap, lob, and sand.

Each of these different types of wedges provide a different type of shot. Depending on what type of golfer you are and where you are located on the course, each of these clubs will help in different ways.

Both the 54° and 56° wedges are considered Sand wedges. This means that their specialty is getting the ball out of the sand trap. Essentially, the way they are designed it’s optimal for digging a ball out of the thick sand.

USGA Legal: 54 Degree vs 56 Degree Wedge

Before you go out and use a 54° or a 56° wedge, it’s best to know whether or not they are actually legal to use. According to the USGA and the R&A, both of these clubs are legal to use. This means both the 54 and 56° wedge can be used in any casual, amateur, high-level amateur, or professional level games.

For reference, the USGA and the R&A are both considered governing bodies of the golfing world. Any club that they deem as legal, should be allowed in any golf outing.

If you would like to see for yourself, you can check out the USGA’s conforming club list, or the R&A conforming club database. So, if anyone questions the legality of the loft of your club, you can just point them to either of those resources.