What happened to the odd number loft wedges? Nobody is making them!

[BostonSal]

After an ill-advised session with a Titleist T200 demo 7-iron, I got interested in the model.

 

Consistent with today's ludicrously strong lofts,

and these clubs function very well with them, I fully admit,

the T200 offers a 43º "pitching wedge" and a 48° "gap wedge."

These offerings pretty much scream for 53 and 58º "add-on" wedges.

 

Fifty-eights all but fall out of the sky.  Who doesn't make one?  Offered in multiple bounce angles, usually.

But fifty-threes?  Good luck.

Bending a 52 or a 54 is always an option, but I'd rather have a real 53.

 

The irony is that 53 was once a very viable number.

Two of the best old wedges in my collection are 53s, both completely worn out.

The Cleveland 588 "Diadic" was a classic.

Even before that, with its brown-painted steel shaft, was the MacGregor FCW-6--a truly great wedge in many touring pro's bags.

But if you're younger than, say, 65, you may be looking at me as if I had two heads.

 

Will odd numbered wedges make a comeback?  Fifty-seven was once popular, too (Hogan made a very good one).  We can only guess.

 

 

 

 

[cnosil]

Yep, Cleveland is the brand I remember for odd number lofts; pretty sure SCOR did as well.   Edison is probably the only company making them now.   
 

the question I would ask is whether those odd number wedges were actually made that way or bent to the loft during manufacturing.   I find it hard to believe that any manufacturer would have machining for each degree of loft especially when dealing with manufacturing tolerances. 
 

why is bending them a bad option?  Probably the best way to get a 53* wedge…or any loft for that matter.   
 

butnthisnis where you and I differ,   I want to hit a distance no matter the loft and you want a specific loft to go a specific distance.  

[BostonSal]

50 minutes ago, cnosil said:

Yep, Cleveland is the brand I remember for odd number lofts; pretty sure SCOR did as well.   Edison is probably the only company making them now.   
 

the question I would ask is whether those odd number wedges were actually made that way or bent to the loft during manufacturing.   I find it hard to believe that any manufacturer would have machining for each degree of loft especially when dealing with manufacturing tolerances. 
 

why is bending them a bad option?  Probably the best way to get a 53* wedge…or any loft for that matter.   
 

butnthisnis where you and I differ,   I want to hit a distance no matter the loft and you want a specific loft to go a specific distance.  

Bending is not a bad option.  Bending a 52 will add bounce and bending a 54 will reduce it.  I'm a low bounce player.

I'd rather have a 53 and get the designers intended sole configuration, but yes, it's not a huge deal.

It wouldn't have killed Titleist to make a set matching 53, either, if they're going to go 43 and 48 leading up to it.

58 is fine for an add-on, because so many different shots will be hit with it.

 

 

[Berg Ryman]

Mizuno has been making odd numbers for years, offering a loft in every single degree in the T22 S Grind from 45 to 58, from 54 to 58 in the D Grind, 56 to 60 in the C Grind and 58 to 62 in the X Grind

[bens197]

Marketing psychology may have something to do with it.  I’ve sat here for a few minutes thinking about it and to be honest, I just don’t have a good answer. 

Fairways and hybrids are often in the odds with 15 / 19 / 21 / 23 but the wedges being even…I’ve got nothing…

[fozcycle]

I have Zipcores 50/54/58 and I have Ben Hogans 49/53/57.

I am currently gaming the Hogans as they have Recoil shafts and the Zipcores have steel. Trying to see if I get better performance with a shaft same as my irons.

[GolfSpy_SHARK]

Yea I could really care less what the loft is, long as it’s a range I know I’ll be able to hit a certain distance between. 48/49 52/53 doesn’t matter. 
it is intriguing because you really don’t see those numbers ever and I am well below 65 so couldn’t tell ya a time that it was prevalent. Do you recall when that chsnge happened?

[Shapotomous]

I'd get the 52* blade I like the look and feel of and then bend it to get the yardage I want and grind it to get the turf action and lie angle that works.   

I'm still gaming the 53* diadic and the 49* and 57*.  The grind is personal!  I need to bend the 49 a little stronger to close the gap on the pw.  

 

[BostonSal]

19 hours ago, Berg Ryman said:

Mizuno has been making odd numbers for years, offering a loft in every single degree in the T22 S Grind from 45 to 58, from 54 to 58 in the D Grind, 56 to 60 in the C Grind and 58 to 62 in the X Grind

I've only seen them offered with steel shafts, though.

[cnosil]

8 minutes ago, BostonSal said:

I've only seen them offered with steel shafts, though.

Go to their website and you can see all the shaft options; which include graphite in multiple weight classes 

https://mizunogolf.com/us/custom-fit/custom-specs/?tab=1

[BostonSal]

Thanks, cnosil.

[BostonSal]

1 minute ago, EasyPutter said:

As a numbers guy I would like a set of prime number loft clubs that would be most appealing, something like this (a niche market for sure!)...

7 driver,

11, 17, 23, 29 hybrids,

31, 37, 41, 43, 47 irons,

53, 59 wedges,

and let's not forget 89  for those amazing thin shots usually out of greenside bunkers that out distance most other clubs...

An 11° hybrid? Well, I suppose if you have a 7° driver, it might work for you.

[BostonSal]

I had forgottn that the Titleist T300 has a 53° wedge.

I'm pretty sure that I want it.

One can go....

U-505___driving iron

T100___5, 6, 7, 8, 9 irons

skip the 46° T100 PW in favor of the T100S___48º wedge.

T300___53° wedge

SM8 add-on wedge of choice.

That's a very nice nine club iron set with matching shafts and grips readily offered.

 

If you're a good fairway wood player, that leaves room for a 1, 3, 5, 7 wood set

and a putter.  

 

I may have mentioned it before, but I think that in the T-Series, Titleist finally has a worthy successor

to the DCI Series from back in their stainless steel era.    

I couldn't get excited about the AP franchise, although coming from Titleist, I'm sure that they must have been pretty decent clubs.

 

It's easy to forget about published specs and go by how far you hit each club---that's the best way--

IF you have the access and inclination to try various equipment. That's the only way you'd know how far you're going to hit them

If you can't do that, published specs are the only thing you've got to work with.  Lofts will matter then.

 

 

[Hook DeLoft]

I agree with the OP. I have an old Ping Eye2+ 53 degree sand wedge that is good from the fairway and like cheating out of a bunker. And, yes, a 48 degree gap and a 58 degree lob that I sometimes swap out for a 60 degree. 

[Middler]

Why should club makers stock wedges in 1º increments when they can offer 2º increments and cut their production & inventory through the entire channel in half? Any wedge can easily be bent 1º from even if you must have an odd number loft. For whatever reason people are more comfortable with even numbers all else equal. Lots of articles as to why, here's just one https://www.wired.co.uk/article/alex-bellos

That said, Mizuno sells odd loft number wedges https://mizunogolf.com/us/golf-clubs/t-series/t-22/

[Motoboss]

On 1/19/2022 at 9:26 AM, MNUte said:

Edited February 6, 2022 by Motoboss

[chisag]

On 12/24/2021 at 2:08 PM, Middler said:

Why should club makers stock wedges in 1º increments when they can offer 2º increments and cut their production & inventory through the entire channel in half? Any wedge can easily be bent 1º from even if you must have an odd number loft.

 

... True Dat. Important to remember golf forum members are a rare breed in the equipment world. Many of us know more than the average retail employee and some of us more knowledgable than golf store managers and even OEM Reps. We are equipment geeks after all and most consumers are quite frankly blissfully ignorant. It's hard enough to get them to understand sole grinds and most would rather just have LW, SW and GW without lofts so it is less confusing. Even Vokey has insane amounts of wedges on the rack when the move to a new wedge but at least they can drop the price a little and sell all of them. When Wilson, Tour Edge, Cobra and even Callaway or Mizuno come out with new wedges those left on the shelf are hard to sell, even at a huge discount. It just makes no economic sense to offer odd number wedges. Add to that most knowledgable forum golfers know bending a wedge 1* weak or strong will barely change the bounce (actually a little less than 1*) and even tour players would have a hard time telling any difference in performance. Tiger or Phil? Sure but the average guy on tour would not be able to tell any difference.