A golf club with 45 degrees of loft is, in almost every modern set, a pitching wedge. While the exact lofts can vary slightly from one brand to another, the 44-46 degree range is the standard benchmark for today's pitching wedge. This article will go much deeper than just that simple answer, though. We’ll cover what this club is designed to do, why the definitions have shifted over the years, and most importantly, how to use your 45-degree club to hit crisp, accurate shots that set you up for more birdies.
First, let’s get on the same page about loft. Loft is the angle of the clubface relative to a vertical line, and it’s the primary factor that dictates how high and how far a golf ball travels. More loft anes more height and less distance, less loft means a lower flight and more distance.
The pitching wedge sits at the very end of your iron set, right after the 9-iron. Its purpose is to bridge the gap between your longest wedge and your shortest iron, giving you a reliable club for full shots into the green and a variety of shorter shots around it. The 45-degree loft is a sweet spot for creating a high, soft-landing shot that doesn’t run out too far after it hits the green. This allows you to attack pins with precision.
For most modern golf sets, the progression of lofts looks something like this:
As you can see, 45 degrees fits squarely in the pitching wedge category. This club is built for scoring. It’s what you’ll reach for when you’re inside 125 yards and need to fly the ball right to the flag.
If you have an older set of clubs or speak to a golfer who's been playing for decades, you might hear them say their 9-iron was 45 degrees. They aren't wrong, they are just referring to a different era of equipment manufacturing.
Over the last 20 years, a trend known as "loft jacking" or "strengthening lofts" has become common, especially in game-improvement irons. Manufacturers began reducing the loft on irons to help amateur golfers hit the ball farther. By stamping a "7" on a club with the loft of a traditional 6-iron, they could market clubs that go 'a club longer.' This created an ego boost for a golfer who suddenly hits their 7-iron 160 yards instead of 150.
Here’s a rough comparison to illustrate the change:
The stronger lofts in modern sets created a large distance gap between the new, hot-faced pitching wedges (around 45 degrees) and traditional sand wedges (around 56 degrees). This is why a new category of club, the "gap wedge" or "approach wedge," was born - to fill that gap.
So, while your 45-degree club is almost certainly a pitching wedge today, understanding this history explains why some players might think differently and why a cohesive set of wedges is so important.
When you make a good swing with your 45-degree pitching wedge, the ball flight should have a few distinct characteristics:
Because the pitching wedge is one of your scoring clubs, becoming consistent with it is one of the fastest ways to lower your scores. The fundamental action is the same as any other iron: a rotational swing powered by your body. Forget any instinct to lift or scoop the ball - let the club’s loft do the work for you.
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To put it simply, a 45-degree golf club is a modern pitching wedge, built for high, soft-landing approach shots that give you a chance to score. By understanding what this loft does and learning to hit it with a proper body-led, rotational swing, you can turn this club into one of the most reliable tools in your bag.
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