Yardage gaps

[revkev]

I'll start this off by stating that I've been a SCOR fanboy since winning a pair from MGS three years ago. In fact I currently bag 3 SCORs and have another 1 that comes in and out of the bag.

 

For obvious reasons I've been intrigued by the Hogan release and am very tempted to respond to the latest offer to try three Hogan irons. I will also add that I've long been a Dave Pelz fan and I was the first person to bag 3 and then 4 wedges.

 

So here's my concern. Any fit system would want me to fill the bottom of my bag differently than I do currently you. From the bottom I go 60, 53, 48, 44, etc to driver. Logic might say, fill the gap between 60 and 53 while eliminating a club in the middle upper part of my bag to even out the yardage gaps through the bag.

 

My concern is that this approach fails to take into consideration the distances that I hit the majority of my approach shots and also the difference between how I hit a 5 iron, pretty much full bore and a wedge, rarely full bore. A 7 degree gap between full bore shots is huge, between 3/4 shots not so much and very easily bridged by adding grip downs and half swings into the mix. The fact is I have very few shots between 75/30 yards in a round and quite a few between 175/130.

 

I also have a good deal of control as to whether or not I will have something inside of 75. I'd have to seriously miss hit a shot to get to there. I did once yesterday and it was the first time in recent memory. From 50 yards into a Howling wind I hit a 3/4 gripped down 53 to 15 feet. Missed the putt but it's a result that reminds me that it's not worth having an extra club in that gap if it means creating larger than 12 yard gaps in the middle part of my bag. I hit 12 shots yesterday between 175/130. They were tough enough with the equipment I currently bag. Certainly each was tougher than the gripped down 53 although I do believe that I got a couple of them closer.

 

I suppose that if I hit the ball farther I might view the issue differently.

 

Any thoughts on your game and how your choice of equipment and spacing fits it?

[Mr_Theoo]

I've been toying with the idea for a while of dropping my pw and gw in favor of splitting the difference between the lofts for like a 49° wedge. I know I prefer to hit full wedges than partial ones, just cause of a confidence thing. I know when I go get fitted for Edel wedges this is something I want to talk to the fitter about. While I wouldn't add another club in place of dropping the 2 I feel it would allow me to play better just because I know I will consistently hit that wedge better than the pw.

[Baseballfrk8998]

These days I use 2 wedges after my PW. When I first started I used a 52-56-60 setup, but now I go from 52 to 58. This has helped/forced me to get more creative with in between shots inside 120-130 yards. At first it was uncomfortable for me because I only felt confident with one type of swing with a wedge/iron, but going to the 52-58 setup has probably been one of the best things for my game.

 

Learning how to hit a wedge at 75% has also helped me be able to hit irons less than full speed as well. While I don't have large gaps in my irons, when I do need an in-between shot, the ability is there now.

[Jmikecpa]

I went back to my 52* and 58* setup this year and added a hybrid.  I rarely hit a full shot with the 58* and tend to hit half and three quarter shots with the 52* instead.  Works better for me since I hardly ever even hit the 56* I was carrying and used either the 53* or 60* around the greens.

[Turftaker]

Personally, I game 3 wedges and my pitching wedge (60, 54, 52 bent to a 50) kind of a big gap like yourself. One reason NOT to fill the gap is If you manage the course well and don't bomb it down a 325 yd "reachable" par 4 and leave yourself an in between distance, I don't think there is a need to fill the gap. Like baseball said above, if you really wanted to, it would force you to get more creative and possibly make you a better player. Another reason not to fill the gap is you lose one of your longer clubs. Would you potentially use it more than a shorter wedge? My longest iron is a 5 iron (also a 3 hybrid bent to a 2 and a 4 hybrid bent to a 5). I have never really come across the need to add a 4 or 3 because the 5 often covers the distance well enough and the hybrids are lasers most days. And same goes for the bottom of the bag. I used to game a 64 but ditched it because i never found myself inside 75 yds or in trouble enough around the greens to use it to its full potential. Maybe had to use it once every 3 rounds.

 

So whats the real reason to close the gap? Because someone else is telling you to? Do they know how you play? If they really listened to your story and your game summary, they should come to the relative same conclusion as you and whats in your bag. 

 

No one you better than you.

[fozcycle]

I dropped my 45/52/56 setup for the 45/50/54/57 with my SCORs...to do so, I changed by 3W to 14.5*; my 5W to 17*; and my 2H adjusted to 19*. I then dropped my 20 & 23 degree hybrids.

 

I have been hitting my 57* full bore for 70-75 yards, the 54* full bore for 80-90 and the 50* for 90-100, followed by my PW for 100-109. I have been practicing at half swings on all three wedges.

 

This gives me a 4* gap pretty much all the way through my bag.

[hckymeyer]

I look at it more like Rev in that I based the selections off distance gaps rather than loft gaps. It worked out that the loft gaps are pretty consistent though. I have 45/50/54/58 after my 9i. I can take full swings with all of them and also go with the 3/4 and 1/2 if the shot calls for it.

 

Bottom is play whatever lofts give you the yardages you need to hit.

[TIBA_Putt - Kyle]

Bottom is play whatever lofts give you the yardages you need to hit.

+1 to this.

 

I personally start at 60* and work up by 4* and 1/2"(I think) all the way to the 4 iron. Then a 20* hybrid, 15* 3 wood and driver. The only thing I really vary between the 4 wedges(60,56,52,48) is the bounce. My 60 and 56 have bounces that let me open easily to vary shots from 100 in.

[revkev]

I could hit like to all the responses and will when I have the time. 

 

Since I'm bagging SCORs bounce is not the issue - If you haven't played them before they are just different TIBA - I used to have my 60 and 56 in because I needed the different bounces. 

 

Once that issue was resolved I started to realize that the gapping issue wasn't as simple for me as 4 or 5 degree increments because I don't take full swings with my short clubs where as I do once I get into the middle part of the bag - 8 iron is the dividing line.  If I'm down wind and need full high carry I might go after a 9 or PW but that is very rare, I'd much rather grip down a bit, control the flight, stop the ball with spin then go for the max distance with those clubs.  As someone else suggested I have learned how to control my other clubs much better by doing this at the bottom of the bag - I'm very comfortable griping down my 5 iron and taking a 3/4 swing, it's a great play into the wind, very effective.  I can do the same with hybrid or even 5 wood. 

[westy]

Like jmike I dropped my middle wedge, it just didn't get used. The 58 is really just a sand wedge and for occasional flop shots, the 52 degree is my club from 95 yards in and general chipping.

 

I've always been happy moving up and down the grip to manage distances so I'd rather carry another wood or hybrid than a wedge I don't use.

[Kor.A.Door]

I have PW, (45*), 50, 54, 58. These are for the most part all the clubs from 135 and in, the 58 is general just for sand, but I can use it from about 80-85 with the full swing, reason I have so many wedges is because I like options around the greens, it must be a lefty thing, I will take 2-3 with me if I am just off the green and then decide what type of shot I want to play. I have 2 clubs at the top of my bag that rarely get used, 5wd, and 4h, so javing the extra wedges doesn't affect the other parts of the bag.

[revkev]

I have PW, (45*), 50, 54, 58. These are for the most part all the clubs from 135 and in, the 58 is general just for sand, but I can use it from about 80-85 with the full swing, reason I have so many wedges is because I like options around the greens, it must be a lefty thing, I will take 2-3 with me if I am just off the green and then decide what type of shot I want to play. I have 2 clubs at the top of my bag that rarely get used, 5wd, and 4h, so javing the extra wedges doesn't affect the other parts of the bag.

It's pretty clear that there are a lot of us who have an idea of what works best for our game vs. buying off the rack and dealing with cookie cutter stuff. Score one for MGS.

[wbealsd]

Since I'm not a particularly long hitter, my driver and fairway wood are all I carry for 200+ yardages.  I'd rather have the flexibility of an "extra wedge" and work on my short game, since that's what I'll always have to rely on.  Maybe that's just because I didn't play golf until I was 50, but I'm actually hitting the ball longer now that a was a few years ago and, at least from the white tees, there's not even that many holes that play long enough for me to use my fairway wood more than 4-5 times a round.

 

I was even considering dropping my fairway wood and making my second club my hybrid, since it's only about 10-15 yards difference and I could add ANOTHER wedge!

[silver & black]

I carry 3 wedges other than a PW. 50*, 54*, 58*. This keeps all gaps at 4* through my whole bag.

[Kor.A.Door]

I don't look at it as much as "gapping" I look at it more as what clubs do I need to play my game, having a gap in the bag is only a problem if you can't fill that gap comfortably with another club. One of the guys I play golf with has the set PW, and a 52* and that's all the wedges he has, but it works for him.

[sp0rtsfan86]

Interesting thought.

 

I have a unique system but mines 60/58/52/A gap. Distances are roughly 85/100/115/125. I like hitting full shots but I wouldn't sacrifice a long club for another wedge. For me anything inside the 85 is a 60 degree wedge. I just feel comfortable adjusting the distance on the fly.  As for longer clubs, I stop at 5 iron and my 4 iron is about the same distance, because of lofts. I use the 5 iron more for long distance shots, and the 4 hybrid when theres wind at my back or I need a higher ball flight.

 

I bought a 4 iron months ago but there's no custom fitting within 3 hours of me, so it's been sitting in my car awaiting a trip to Phoenix so I can get it fit (and get a new 52 wedge.)

[wbealsd]

I don't look at it as much as "gapping" I look at it more as what clubs do I need to play my game, having a gap in the bag is only a problem if you can't fill that gap comfortably with another club. One of the guys I play golf with has the set PW, and a 52* and that's all the wedges he has, but it works for him.

I've got a friend back where I grew up that also plays with one wedge, in addition to his pitching wedge.  He started playing as a kid and was on our High School Golf team, so he's always played that way and is a real wizard with that thing.  One of the best golfers I know in our "Over the Hill Gang" that gets together when I go "home" to visit.