Usage
The pitching wedge is a very versatile club. Being on the cusp between numbered irons and wedges, the pitching wedge has generally-accepted uses falling into either class. Used with a "full swing" similar to a short iron, a golfer can produce a high-trajectory shot that carries between 80–130 yards (depending on a variety of factors such as swing and club design), then "bites" with little or no roll after initial impact. Used with an abbreviated "chipping" motion, the club can produce short (25–45 yard) "lob" or "approach" shots. And with a "putting" motion, the club can lift the ball over rough or fringe onto the putting green from a short distance to the pin (10–25 yards). This last kind of stroke is commonly called a "bump and run" and can be done with many other irons, generally with a loft equal or higher than a 7-iron.
These clubs are most commonly used with a full swing to produce high-altitude shots such as approaches to the green or lifting the ball over trees. They are also commonly used to "lay up" in front of a hazard or to create a better lie for the next shot, and for recovery from firmer rough or sometimes from sand when the ball is lying on top of the surface. The loft of a particular pitching wedge follows the progression of the numbered irons of the same set, and these sets can have subtle differences in the loft progression and starting loft of the set, so the loft of pitching wedges can vary widely between sets. The loft of a pitching wedge generally falls between 42 and 49 degrees, but the launch angle and the average carry distance of the club between sets are typically similar. Pitching wedges can also have between zero and 10 degrees of bounce, though most pitching wedges have very low bounce (only 2 or 3 degrees) as other wedges like gap wedges or sand wedges are more traditionally suited for play out of hazards or soft lies where high bounce is desired.
Read more about this topic: Pitching Wedge
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