I personally don't use a sand wedge any more and have instead opted for a 60, 56, and 52 degree Vokey's. Of course, that's a lot more than a Sand Wedge, but it's the best investment I've made for my game.

I too am curious what the standard loft of a Sand Wedge is.

Anyone out there know? Titleist?

Standard loft of a SW is 56 or 54 but most are 56.   OK heres the insite on SW and your Wedge specilties like volkey wedges.

Fist thought look at the old Titleist ZB's the progressive set. they start out as cavity backs and end as blades. You can manipulate the ball better with a blade than a tradicional cavity back. so buy haveing a Blade type wedge its easyer to put spin on the ball and change ball flight trajectories. 

The Specialty wedges like Vokeys and other brands specilizing in wedges offer diffrent boucnes, Lofts, Lies, groove patterns. Most Vokey wedges are desinged to perform in a multitude of diffent shots and set ups. Like laying face open for a flop or closing it for a chip.

Standard set matching sand wedges tend to just flow with the angle progression threw the clubs and offer a club you can adjust distacne to in compaired to you set. they are not really desigend to produce the same shots you can do with a specialty wedge.

if you really want to learn about the advantages of specilty wedges i recomend going to your local PGA Pro. thes guys will not only explane it to you very well so you have a greater understanding but most will be willing to help you find the wedge that fits your swing and teach you how to use it effectivly.

Wedges are always a great investment in your game.  

If plan to just buy one off the rack for your own experimenting go with a 56-11 by volkey. its a great univeral wedge for anyone. but I still always recomend getting advice from a pga pro and let him help you decide what you really need.

This is great. Thanks John for the explanation!

Thanks John - picked up a 56-11 Vokey this weekend - love it! Thanks for the insight.

Good for you brother i just ordered a new one my self

I thought A Sand Wedge is between 54 & 58 degrees?

Danny a 58 is a low lob wedge

Thanks Matt - I thought I heard 56 was standard but am not sure. I was most interested in knowing if a SW is made any differently then a standard wedge specifically for play out of the sand.

Basically you are looking at "named" or not named, all wedges have a loft.

Someone somewhere decided to not name the wedges(GW,SW,LW) and instead just label them with the loft.

This could be because back when they just put a S,G,L on the club, the very first question was "what is the loft?". So they started putting the loft on the club. Then to save money on engraving they decided to leave off the S,G,L

So, the Sandwedge is still the sandwedge, it just doesn't say sandwedge on the club, it has a loft and nowadays the bounce.

Of a set of wedges you can tell which is made to be the sandwedge, it has the most bounce and the sole is a little wider.

Now they make wedges with really wide soles and low bounce, even with these wedges the one designed to be the sandwedge has a little more bounce(not much).

For example I have a set of wedges, labeled 52,56,60,64, the 56 has a little more bounce than the others and the sole is about 33% wider, obviously the 56 desiged as the sandwedge, it just simply does not have SW on the club.

Steve

Check out Vokey sand wedge options on the site.  His sand wedges range from 54 to 58 with multiple bounces.  I think the "standard" terminology goes out the window nowadays with all the options for custom wedges available.   Very interesting reading. 

Deno

i looked at the vokey page it dosent list a 58 as a sand wedge. now back in the 1960s yes a 58 was considered a sand wedge couse that was the highest lofted club and they were generaly all set clubs you didnt really buy aftermarket sand wedges like you do today. Also in the 60's i think it was another company who introduced the 60 degree wedge and they labled it a lob wedge so now as the progresion goes you have  gap wedge 50-52 i think nike calls the A wedges, sands are 54-56, low lob is a 58 lob is 60 high lob is 62 and ultra high lob is 64+

Thanks for the insight Deon - I picked up a Vokey 56-11 this weekend - love it!