jaybeemaestro

I have a 7* gap between PW and GW. The PW is 45*, a JPX 900 forged, and the 52 is an SM8 Vokey AMT White stiff shaft (1st ever Vokey). I also have 56* Cleveland RTX Zipcore, 60* and 64* in an RTX 4. The 64* gets sacrificed for a G425 2 hybrid when I play away from my home course. I toyed with a 50* in a TM Hi-Toe (I know, what is the point of it in a 50*). I just found it was a little hit on bump and runs. Full shots were nice but any wedge in my bag needs to do more than one job. It also lacked the loft for those back in the stance 50-60 yard shits which could bounce short of a tier on a green and check up when it got up the tier. It could have been the loft, it could have been the bounce/grind. Either way it got bumped. As for the 7* gap, I have no problem choking down on my PW, playing punchy lower-flighted shots or popping it forward in the stance and sending it up a bit. As a stock shot with PW, GW and SW (56*) I will always lean towards lowering flight to control distance. The 50*, which I thought was solving a gapping problem, did not work for me. That's just my two cents anyway.

OK, I have no golf teaching experience but will give throw two cents at this anyway. Yes, you are right they should move that way as the pictures indicate. You could be subconsciously correcting your swing to compensate. There's a couple of things you could do. Firstly, just aim straight, if the ball is going where you're aiming, try that. It sounds stupid and obvious but if it works great, if not, at least you tried. My guess is you will start to miss on the opposite side to your present miss, i.e. as per picture. Then you can gradually move your target to adjust. As an aside, your miss is viewed as a good player's miss. I remember the commentary on Ernie missing the 13th green right (and in the creek) at Augusta with the ball above his feet. It happens. When looking up YouTube videos, take note of ball position for these shots. This will determine the open/closed face angle at impact. The other thing I would do is work on visualisation. See a good shot in your mind before you hit it, don't allow your mind to wander back to the old misses. And when you hit your first good shot on a sloped lie, replay it in your head. Go over it and over it again in your head for the next few days after. Embed a good memory so the mind goes back to that next time you are in that situation.

I liked the Callaways until I had a 56 with too much bounce. Moved to Cleveland RTX4s and love them. Still have a 52 Callaway. It's awesome you have wedges you like. I am never one to say such a wedge is better than another. We each are bringing so many individual variables to what wedges we play; 1) Where we come from in the world determines course conditions and, 2) Our differing angles of attack across all the different types of wedge shots you play. The one thing I would say is the ball we use can get forgotten in the wedge conversation. When you find the ball you like, stick with it. The wedge you like, with the ball you like can be a sweet, sweet combo. Great to hear you like the Pings. It doesn't matter that I've heard great things about them, you like them, they suit your game. That's all that matters. Wedges are scoring clubs, if we all find what suits us, the shots will drop off our cards.

That's always that fear, reaching for a club when you really need it, and it's no longer in the bag. Arguably, the gapping problem that needs addressing most is wedges. I will not be hitting that high a percentage of greens with a 3hybrid, 4hybrid or 3iron. And where I miss, the next club I reach for will be a wedge. And, even if it was a consistent miss, it would leave me short-sided on some holes and not on others. So I'm reaching for 52, 56 or 60, depending on lie and pin position. It's nice to have those options.

It's not so much control with a hybrid but versatility. I like hitting low punchy ones with a low iron, fades and draws. I struggle doing the same with a hybrid.

I was at that for a while but then I got really disciplined. One of the first was a Yes! Callow (34in). Nice, but I was getting a bad back so decided all Nik putters thereafter should be 35in. Then a Cleveland Classic #3, it looked really nice like the old Ping Zing. I just found I couldn't dial in distance putting and the feel was off. As soon as I lost confidence in it, it was time to move on. Next up was the Nike method (anser style), black and red. Same story as the Cleveland. Then Odyssey 1W. Then came a short run, TM Ardmore (copper fang) no good, Seemore (FPG? the big one) until I settled on the Odyssey strike lab 7s. At this point all previous putters were sold. I was curious to see a Bettinardi on sale 2nd hand so pulled the trigger. I have to say, it's really nice (but carpet putting is the height of it at the moment). I'm trying to change my putting stroke a bit, longer back swing with a shorter thrust stroke that's held in position. A cleaner roll but distance control needs work, probably even more so from 4ft to 10ft. The harder milled face takes a bit of getting used to but the feedback from the face is good. So happy to have a putt out during lockdown. But enough of my jibber-jabber, what made you move away from the SS8?

Excellent suggestion. I do love my ping G30 hybrid though. The most confidence-inspiring hybrid I have owned. I think when I originally got on-board the "hybrid" train a lot of them had the offset which can lead to the nasty snap-hook. For me, there is only one hole where I sometimes hit hybrid and left is OOB. Hybrids have come on since then though. It's a real bummer that, with restrictions not lifted in Ireland yet, I can't re-size the 3 iron to plus 0.5 inch length and get to a range and test it out. I think Cobra do adjustable hybrids so I could change to between a 3 and 4 hybrid (around 20*). Thanks for taking the time to respond.

So essentially they were hitting the public at the "heroes" offer anyway. They seem like nice clubs. Glad you like them. Would love to try them some day but not really available here and I think I'll get fit for my next iron set.

OK, cool. I was just wondering. PXG does not have that big of a footprint here in the Ireland. PXG sets are few and far between (as the saying goes) this side of the Atlantic. I'd say most purchases are online. If any of the retailers have, and I can't recall seeing them, they would not be doing the "heroes" offer.

I didn't know this thread was going for a year. I had a look back and from the stillon the initial post to recent twitter swings, I'm guessing you must have made some real improvement over the course of that last year. Will have a good read-through the story tonight.

The No Putts Given Podcast said PXG were discounting up to 50% during April to boost online sales during the Coronavirus Pandemic. Would this not really annoy someone who forked out full price for an iron set pre-discount? They hiked the prices and created this niche market. It's a more exclusive brand. The problem I see is that this move will dilute that exclusivity and the people who bought these irons because they could afford them may not continue to buy them if everyone can afford them (at discounted prices). Have PXG removed the "U" in their "USP"? I'd be interested to hear others' thoughts on this.

Good to know the cobwebs off and get a feel for the real thing. I'd be similar to you in that driver is my weak club. God knows where the ball will go off the tee post-lockdown on the 18th May. Nice start and it's always good to feel positive post-round.

Any experience with Bettinardi? What did you settle on in the end?

I have an Odyssey Stroke Lab 7s and I'm about to get a 2nd hand bettinardi studio stock 8. Anyone have any experience with the Bettinardi? I swore I would not have more than one putter in the house but that only lasted around a year or so. I have a funny feeling there are similar-minded people on the MGS forum. I can be a streaky putter but putting well enough with the Odyssey. Never had a putter fitting but I'd say it's closer to straight back straight through than a slight arc. It was as much a curiosity thing to get the Bettinardi, such a good reputation for quality. Please share your thoughts/experiences, all welcome and appreciated.

Unlike your good self, I need the shot a little more than "occassionally". I think a straight up 4wood 17 degree would be sweet. I couldn't trust myself with the adjustability.

I have an Odyssey Stroke Lab 7s and I'm about to get a 2nd hand bettinardi studio stock 8. Anyone have any experience with the Bettinardi? I swore I would not have more than one putter in the house but that only lasted around a year or so. I have a funny feeling there are similar-minded people on the MGS forum. I can be a streaky putter but putting well enough with the Odyssey. Never had a putter fitting but I'd say it's closer to straight back straight through than a slight arc. It was as much a curiosity thing to get the Bettinardi, such a good reputation for quality. Please share your thoughts/experiences, all welcome and appreciated.

2 fairway woods wouldn't be for me. I lack the confidence and accuracy with fairway woods. Also, your lowest iron must be a 5iron. I want a 3iron but settling with a 4iron at the moment as the shot for distance out from under the trees. I had stopped using my game golf live (around a year ago broken clip) and getting launch monitor data is a limited option for me. I am wondering what 4 wood options are out there, as much as I love my Callaway Rogue 3 wood.

This is a tricky shot so there's no shame here. I have a bag-full of ludicrous shots I attempt. For me it's a mental deficiency and not accepting where I have put myself on the course. As for this 3wood shot, this would be my tip sheet; 1) Choke down on the 3 wood. b) The practice swing must be a choke-down practice on as close a lie as you can. I would forget to do this and chunk it sometimes. It gives you the feeling of the shot you're going to play. Make your practice swings as close to the real thing as possible. Keep swinging until your brushing the top of the ground the way you want to. Don't get embarrassed and lose your mental focus if you take a divot with a practice swing. iii) Finally, and this is just for me. I find ball position is one of the over-riding elements to shot shape for me with my 3 wood. Further forward promotes the draw and further back promotes the fade. In this case a little further back might help so you're catching the ball before the face has closed which may lead to the low duck hook. Again, incorporate the ball position into your practice swing. I wouldn't give up on this shot yet. If you can get it right, and be able to trust it, you could lower your scores. Keep the faith Dude.

This is how I see it too, if pushed, I'd rather have the 4th wedge. The irons are lengthened to 1/2 long now. I just need the new mizuno mp H4 3 iron lengthened now. The ping G30 hybrid is nice and at 19 degrees I can get it out there well enough. While my distances might not be impressive I live in Ireland and play on a particularly windy course. Also, Ireland is generally wet and cold. Distance for me isn't the be all or end all, it's accuracy that helps my scores. I think I will float between the 3iron (when adjusted to 1/2 long) and the 3 hybrid. Ultimately my next set of irons will probably be stronger lofted so this will only be an issue for around a year. I think there may be an argument to swap a 3 wood for a 4 wood. I can hit driver off the deck (presumably fairway or light rough) for a 2nd shot on long par 5s and the 4 wood will close the gap the 3 hybrid. I really appreciate the feedback. It's great to learn from others' experiences.

I think you need to know what you want from your wedges. What shots do you need from them? What grind suits you best taking into account your angle of attack and predominant course conditions. The data I would prioritise in your testing would be distance (helps with gapping), distance consistency and spin consistency. Personally, I have 52/56/60 split and I prefer lower grind wedges in the 56 and 60 for versatility. I use my 52 for full shots and low, back in the stance skiddy checkers of around 50 yards. It's a shot I need on holes with tiered greens when I don't want to fly it all the way there. If you play in wet conditions I think both Ping and Mizuno did well for maintaining spin. Otherwise, whatever you get, enjoy them. Have fun practising with them and getting the feel of them. Wedges are my favourite club to buy. For me, the optimism fades quicker with putter and driver purchases. They're clubs I feel will ultimately let me down but I never get this feeling buying a wedge.

I just included the lofts for informational purposes but giving the distances would have been smarter. My irons (bought 2nd hand, are 1/2 inch short but recently got measured and I should be 1/2 long). I recently had the irons lengthened to 1/2 long. Secondly, the 3 iron bought is probably 1 inch short so will need 1.5 inches added before I can compare if I put it in the bag. Finally, lockdown is still in place until 5th May (probable extension to 19th May) so it just adds to the frustration when all the responses were great. Ultimately, a sacrifice will need to be made and I think some range work with the hybrid and 3iron (when lengthened) will show distance and flight differentials. The 3iron is useful for shots, out from under/behind trees. I am able to hit a low 30 yard draw, a low 50 yard slice and a high 30 yard slice with a 3 iron. In some ways it's more of a "rescue" club for me than the hybrid.

So the issue is a par 3 16th over water which plays long as it will be into a prevailing wind (generally from back left to front right). It can play as long as a 3-wood from the back tees in gail and as short as 8iron with the opposite wind. Generally the 4 iron is a stretch but 3 hybrid is too much. There's also very few drives where it's tight and I'll reach for the hybrid. Generally my hybrid is a 2nd on a par 5, or long par 4 shot. I feel the 3iron would be a club I would use on the par 3 and also the only other driver positioning hole. I am comfortable taking something off an iron (65%-90% shots) but not with the hybrid or 3wood. With no wind, the 4iron goes 180-185. The hybrid 200-210. The other option is ditch the 3 wood for a 4 wood as driver off the deck can be a go to shot for a 2nd shot on a par5. Appreciate the input and apologies for not responding sooner. I'm new to the forum and couldn't find my post.

But how do you think I got good at chipping? By missing greens, that's how. Be careful what you wish for.

Totally agree, and it's a lovely looking, beautifully crafted putter too. Feel like we're hijacking the thread though by going down this rabbit-hole.

Agree with this. Go in with an open mind, don't get dazzled by the big names.Ping, Mizuno, Srixon make some great stuff but essentially try as much as you can. There will be 2 or 3 you can narrow it down to.