Adjusting the loft or lie angle on your wedges can sound like a daunting task.
Fortunately, it’s not as expensive as you’d think! And it can make a lot of difference to your game, both in terms of distance gapping and quality of strike.
In this article, you’ll learn how much it will cost to bend a wedge via a professional club fitter. Also, I’ll teach you how to bend wedges at home to adjust loft and lie angles.
How Much Does It Cost to Bend a Wedge?
Typically, it costs between $5-15 to have a wedge bent by a professional club fitter, including loft and lie angle adjustment. However, it’s possible to bend your wedges at home, provided you have the correct equipment: a bending machine, a bending bar, and electrical tape.
For instance, Massachussets-based Ace of Clubs offers a fixed price of $12.50 per wedge or iron. This includes both loft and lie angle adjustment.
Likewise, big box chains like Golf Galaxy and PGA Tour Superstore offer loft and lie adjustment for as little as $5 per club — depending on the location. I recommend you check with your local golf stores to find out the price in your area.
Ultimately, checking and adjusting the loft and lie of your wedges is an inexpensive process, yet can have great results on your golf game. Give it a try!
How to Bend a Wedge
Before bending a wedge, first, determine if you want to adjust the loft or lie angle.
Put simply, the loft angle is the angle between the clubface and the ground. This angle will directly affect the distance the ball will travel.
Wedges can be bent weaker or stronger at the hosel. This increases and decreases the loft angle respectively, causing shorter or longer yardages.
Conversely, the lie angle is the angle created between the center of the shaft and the sole of the club head when set behind the ball at address.
Wedges can be bent laterally to alter the lie angle so that it suits your unique setup.
Before You Start
You’ll need some tools to bend a wedge at home:
- Bending machine
- Bending bar
- Electrical tape
Let’s dive into each step of the process.
Step 1: Check the Grooves
The first step is to position the wedge in the bending machine.
Now, check the grooves on the clubface run parallel with the bending machine.
Essentially, this makes sure the club is aligned correctly prior to the bending process.
PRO TIP: Stick some electrical tape onto the club head to avoid any scratches from during the bending process.
Step 2: Set the Bending Bar
Next, it’s time to position the bending bar in the machine.
For adjusting the lie angle, position the bending bar parallel to the clubface.
And, when adjusting the loft angle, set the bending bar perpendicular to the clubface.
Then, clamp the bending bar in the center of the hosel.
Ideally, the lower you can position the bending bar on the hosel, the easier the bending process will be. But, it can be difficult to get enough flexibility if positioned too low.
PRO TIP: If you’re adjusting both lie and loft angle, consider bending at a 45 degree angle to reduce the total number of bends. This limits the amount of stress experienced by the hosel.
Step 3: Bend the Wedge
Finally, it’s time to bend the club to your chosen angle!
The most effective bending technique is to apply smooth, gradual pressure on the bending bar. This ensures that the hosel bends, without risking a break.
Ease in and out of the bend, and check to see if you’ve reached your chosen angle.
PRO TIP: Avoid fast, jerky movements when bending the club, as this can risk breaking the hosel.
In the video below, AJ from the Mobile Clubmaker demonstrates how to adjust the loft and lie angle of your wedges in as little as 10 minutes:
FAQs
Here are some common questions regarding bending the loft or lie angle of a wedge:
How Many Degrees Can You Bend a Wedge?
Usually, you can bend a wedge about 2 degrees stronger or weaker. Any more than that can risk a break in the hosel, depending on the type of wedge used.
For instance, you can bend Vokey wedges a couple of degrees in any direction without risking permanent hosel damage by overextension.
Does Bending a Wedge Affect the Bounce?
When wedges are bent to alter the loft angle, bounce is altered by the same degree.
For example, bending a wedge from 56 to 54 degrees (i.e. 2 degrees stronger) will also reduce the bounce angle by 2 degrees.
Wedges with less bounce are better suited to those who play with shallower swings, or in firm conditions. Conversely, high bounce is ideal for steep swings and soft turf.
However, bending to change the lie angle of a wedge will not affect the bounce.
Conclusion
In summary, it will cost around $5-15 to bend a wedge, depending on your location and if you need loft or lie angle adjustment — or both.
Often, your local golf shop will be willing to check your lie angles beforehand, to determine if anything needs altering to fit your natural setup.
Likewise, if they have a launch monitor they can check distance gapping. This will help identify any large or small gaps where loft angle adjustment could be useful.
Ultimately, the best thing to do is contact your local golf shop to find out their rates!
