How do you like to play your wedges?

[aguybadatgolf]

I’ve been putting some thought lately into what wedges I used for which type of shot and have come to the conclusion I reach for my lob wedge too often.
With that said I’m curious how people like to play each wedge and in what situations you reach for which wedge. For example I either use my PW for a bump and run or try to use my 58 for everything else which may be hurting me in come situations. 

[HikingMike]

I grew up playing with a PW as my highest lofted club. I eventually got a 60 degree so I could hit out of the sand and land softer from trouble spots. But that probably was big in shaping my wedge play since I hit PW for everything basically. I might hit it high or low, plan for plenty of roll or less roll, open the face occasionally, or forward-lean. Some guys will bump and run with their 7i or something, but I'll just stick with my PW.

I still hit PW for most of my wedge play. But my iron set now has a GW (50 degree) as of the last 2 years, and I've been going to that gradually more often as I get feel for it. Equipment-wise, my wedge side of things are probably one of the most neglected parts of my setup. I surely need a lesson on wedge game and another wedge. Short game has always been my strong suit though, chipping and putting. 

Up fairly close to the green, I still use PW (45 degree) since it's more reliable than GW or anything higher loft to make good contact with a short swing and keep it online. But further back, and up to full swing length, I might use either, more likely GW now. 60 degree would probably be a disaster on short shots, and I haven't really tried it on mid-length unless I'm getting out of trouble. I did full swing hit it over a tree onto the green once last year, haha. I have done flop shots before, but it is a low percentage shot. 

This is just my answer. I'm not a great wedge player throwing darts like some guys out there. My wedge shots have a little roll to them unless it's at least a 3/4 swing or so. I plan to try more of the low trajectory and high spinning pitch shots in hopes of getting a one or two hop and stop.

[aguybadatgolf]

26 minutes ago, HikingMike said:

I grew up playing with a PW as my highest lofted club. I eventually got a 60 degree so I could hit out of the sand and land softer from trouble spots. But that probably was big in shaping my wedge play since I hit PW for everything basically. I might hit it high or low, plan for plenty of roll or less roll, open the face occasionally, or forward-lean. Some guys will bump and run with their 7i or something, but I'll just stick with my PW.

I still hit PW for most of my wedge play. But my iron set now has a GW (50 degree) as of the last 2 years, and I've been going to that gradually more often as I get feel for it. Equipment-wise, my wedge side of things are probably one of the most neglected parts of my setup. I surely need a lesson on wedge game and another wedge. Short game has always been my strong suit though, chipping and putting. 

Up fairly close to the green, I still use PW (45 degree) since it's more reliable than GW or anything higher loft to make good contact with a short swing and keep it online. But further back, and up to full swing length, I might use either, more likely GW now. 60 degree would probably be a disaster on short shots, and I haven't really tried it on mid-length unless I'm getting out of trouble. I did full swing hit it over a tree onto the green once last year, haha. I have done flop shots before, but it is a low percentage shot. 

This is just my answer. I'm not a great wedge player throwing darts like some guys out there. My wedge shots have a little roll to them unless it's at least a 3/4 swing or so. I plan to try more of the low trajectory and high spinning pitch shots in hopes of getting a one or two hop and stop.

I find my self trying to go high and land it soft to prevent a lot of run out which sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. I’m also curious about trying to play the low trajectory, high spin shots but lack the knowledge on how to execute that properly and typically end up sailing it by the hole. 

Edited February 14 by aguybadatgolf

[LinksgolfFever]

For me, I have really tried to expand my short game to include any of the 4 wedges I carry and in some cases down to my 8 iron.  I carry 46, 50, 54, and 58 degree wedges.  I am looking at lie, position relative to the pin, where I am rough, apron, sand trap, waste area, etc.  then I’m trying to determine what the green is doing between my ball and the pin. Is it sloping towards me, away, undulating, etc.  last what is the best chance of hitting the shot closest to the pin.  Risk/Reward to play a low/high, bump and run, flop, etc.  An example would be my 58 degree I will use inside 10 yards, but if the lie is tight and the green is sloping away from me @10 yards I’ll use my 50 degree, lower bounce.  Same distance and lie with the green sloping toward me I’ll use my 46 degree(pw).   When I go to practice I will pick some distance between 10-60 yards trying to hit that mark with at least 4 clubs.  Club release through impact is huge on getting the ball up quicker and landing soft, soft hands to let the butt of the club come back toward your hip or your belt buckle just after impact promotes the landing soft.  

 

[Hacker60521]

I’m a big believer in the Dave Pelz Short Game Bible — definitely read it if you haven’t. So I play four “wedges” - PW, 48, 54, 58, and focus on two swings — full and what I call “shoulder height” which is around 9:00. This gives me eight possible distances, and I’ve taken the time to get a sense of the carry, distance, and dispersion for each swing. Then as I approach a shot within my wedge range, I’m pretty confident that I’ll pull the right club. 

[David Leighton Reid]

18 minutes ago, Hacker60521 said:

I’m a big believer in the Dave Pelz Short Game Bible — definitely read it if you haven’t. So I play four “wedges” - PW, 48, 54, 58, and focus on two swings — full and what I call “shoulder height” which is around 9:00. This gives me eight possible distances, and I’ve taken the time to get a sense of the carry, distance, and dispersion for each swing. Then as I approach a shot within my wedge range, I’m pretty confident that I’ll pull the right club. 

I am also a follower of Dave Pelz's Short Game Bible.  I really like the 9:00 swing with my wedges and my wedge play is one of the strengths of my game.

[Blueberry_Squishie]

My go-to principle is taking the lowest lofted club that will let me land it on the green and roll it to the hole.

 

Some examples:

For greenside chips, it depends on ratio of fairway/rough to green along the way. The way I hit my wedges and the speed my local course's greens run, I use the rule of 11 (there are guides for this on Youtube). If landing it just on the green means it's equal parts carry and roll, I'm using my PW (10 iron). If there's less green, I'm going up wedges. More green, I'm getting into my irons.

 

Further out I have what I feel are 9 o'clock and 10 o'clock swings (they're not strictly that swing, just my feel of those swings). I know my numbers for these for all wedges (and have them taped onto the shaft under the grip). If I have a 75m shot, I could use a 9 o'clock PW or a 10 o'clock 59 degree. The choice depends on the lie and amount of green in front of the pin.

 

PS. One way to get your carry numbers is if you can take 10 of the balls you play and go to a quiet beach of part of the course with a large bunker. Hit 10 with a consistent swing and measure to their impacts in the sand.

[johngschulz]

I used to use a 56* for just about every shot around the green since that was the only wedge I had in HS through college. I currently run a 54*, 58* and a set gw for chipping and pitching.

More often than not if I can putt it I will putt it, or even use my 4h or 7w if I need just a little loft before running it out, and it’s really deep.

I do love hitting flops with my 58* though, and probably use that and my gw over my 54* in most situations.

[Swood1994]

I play 4 “specialty” wedges in my bag and I have a plethora of shots with each. A lot of factors go into what shot I hit. Tight lie green to work with? 46° bump and run. 20 yard pitch shot with a tucked pin? 58° opened up to fly it high and hopefully stop. Now between 50-110 yards I can play a Lower 50 or 54° flighted to control the spin depending on how the greens are or hit a 3/4-full 58°. I think wedges pair nicely with the saying  “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.”

[aguybadatgolf]

4 hours ago, Hacker60521 said:

I’m a big believer in the Dave Pelz Short Game Bible — definitely read it if you haven’t. So I play four “wedges” - PW, 48, 54, 58, and focus on two swings — full and what I call “shoulder height” which is around 9:00. This gives me eight possible distances, and I’ve taken the time to get a sense of the carry, distance, and dispersion for each swing. Then as I approach a shot within my wedge range, I’m pretty confident that I’ll pull the right club. 

I’ve heard a lot of good things about that approach. I need to get the book and give it a shot. 

[aguybadatgolf]

3 hours ago, Blueberry_Squishie said:

My go-to principle is taking the lowest lofted club that will let me land it on the green and roll it to the hole.

 

Some examples:

For greenside chips, it depends on ratio of fairway/rough to green along the way. The way I hit my wedges and the speed my local course's greens run, I use the rule of 11 (there are guides for this on Youtube). If landing it just on the green means it's equal parts carry and roll, I'm using my PW (10 iron). If there's less green, I'm going up wedges. More green, I'm getting into my irons.

 

Further out I have what I feel are 9 o'clock and 10 o'clock swings (they're not strictly that swing, just my feel of those swings). I know my numbers for these for all wedges (and have them taped onto the shaft under the grip). If I have a 75m shot, I could use a 9 o'clock PW or a 10 o'clock 59 degree. The choice depends on the lie and amount of green in front of the pin.

 

PS. One way to get your carry numbers is if you can take 10 of the balls you play and go to a quiet beach of part of the course with a large bunker. Hit 10 with a consistent swing and measure to their impacts in the sand.

My issue is I just go straight to my 58 once I’m with in 50 yards unless a bump and run makes more sense. I use the clock method but your point about different clubs for different amounts of role makes a lot of sense to me. 

[Josh Parker]

Good thread and one that is the favorite part of my game.

I carry a PW, 50*, 54* and 58*.  

My PW is my 132-135yd club and is primarily used for full swings or 3/4 swings.

50* is more versatile. It is my 120yd club but I will use it from any distance in.  If I have a long greenside bump and run, or I can make it a one hop, stop shot.  If wind is strong from 50-100yds, I will put it all the way back in my stance and hit a knock down shot that stops on a dime.

54* - Probably my least used club for wedges but like to hit it 3/4 100 yd shot and I tend to use it around the greens if I am on an uphill lie.

58* - Used the most greenside.  Open face, low shots. Open face, flops. Sand traps. 75yd high shots.  

My short game is my strongest part of my game and I don't worry about getting creative around the greens.  

[DiscipleofPenick]

My 50* is only full shots up to 130 yards. My 54* is 90-110, and I use it out of greenside bunkers. Everything else inside 100 is my 58*. Though if I'm playing a bump & run, it's a 7 iron.

[JAYER38]

Love reading this thread just to learn what everyone does and possibly bring something new to my game!

My wedge setup consist of TW/PW/50*/58* all being 37" long

Texas Wedge(Putter) is my go to when I'm green side and the lie/grass is my friend. It has helped me develop good lag putts but also can be hit confident everytime without being worried of fat/thin shots

PW being my 115-120 club on full shots and used if I want to roll out being I'm on the wrong side of the green

50* has been go to inside of 100 yards and green for most all normal pin locations.

58* has always been my over or out of bunkers club. It also serves a good purpose when I need a short "chip" green side when the putter is not an option because of roll out once it gets thru the nasty.

[Hacker60521]

9 hours ago, aguybadatgolf said:

I’ve heard a lot of good things about that approach. I need to get the book and give it a shot. 

@aguybadatgolf I highly recommend it if you play golf with a little more “left brain” than if you play “by feel”. I tend to be more analytical and like strategies that help my mind stay organized. 

[aguybadatgolf]

2 hours ago, Josh Parker said:

Good thread and one that is the favorite part of my game.

I carry a PW, 50*, 54* and 58*.  

My PW is my 132-135yd club and is primarily used for full swings or 3/4 swings.

50* is more versatile. It is my 120yd club but I will use it from any distance in.  If I have a long greenside bump and run, or I can make it a one hop, stop shot.  If wind is strong from 50-100yds, I will put it all the way back in my stance and hit a knock down shot that stops on a dime.

54* - Probably my least used club for wedges but like to hit it 3/4 100 yd shot and I tend to use it around the greens if I am on an uphill lie.

58* - Used the most greenside.  Open face, low shots. Open face, flops. Sand traps. 75yd high shots.  

My short game is my strongest part of my game and I don't worry about getting creative around the greens.  

I think I could definitely get more creative with my 50. Spins a lot more than my PW so I’ll need to try some of those knock down shots with it. Could see that helping a ton. 

[aguybadatgolf]

4 hours ago, JAYER38 said:

Love reading this thread just to learn what everyone does and possibly bring something new to my game!

My wedge setup consist of TW/PW/50*/58* all being 37" long

Texas Wedge(Putter) is my go to when I'm green side and the lie/grass is my friend. It has helped me develop good lag putts but also can be hit confident everytime without being worried of fat/thin shots

PW being my 115-120 club on full shots and used if I want to roll out being I'm on the wrong side of the green

50* has been go to inside of 100 yards and green for most all normal pin locations.

58* has always been my over or out of bunkers club. It also serves a good purpose when I need a short "chip" green side when the putter is not an option because of roll out once it gets thru the nasty.

This is my favorite part of golf. Everyone approaches the game a little differently but you can find common patterns between better players to learn from. 

[GolfSpy_APH]

I pride myself in creativity and being able to use many clubs for different shots. Around the greens the full bag is in play and really it's whatever shot I see and am most comfort with so then pick the club to match that shot.

[bens197]

I'm setup with 46-50-54-60

50 gets almost all the attention.  Around the green inside 80 yards it will be the club unless there is a forward pin with a shortside approach.  At that point it is going to be 54 from 30-80 and if it's closer it'll be the 60.  

In general though, I would guess my 50 is used 10-12 shots per round.

[cnosil]

I am pretty basic with my wedge shots which means almost all my shots are pretty straight faced to slightly opened;  never try lob shots.   

Been working on implementing the Dan Grieve 3 release system,  but currently working on the first 2 releases.    Release 1 is bump and run which I do with wedges down to probably 7 iron.   Release 2 is more  of a normal trajectory with a bit more spin.  For these it is typically PW/GW/SW.

For distance wedges I am trying his 3 addresses which is conceptually similar to the PELZ system, but each address has a limiter that kind of limits how far the club can travel on the backswing.   I'll currently am trying this with PW/GW/SW but would also add a 9 iron to the mix.

 

[GolfSpy_KFT]

I have set PW & GW, then a 52/56/60. The one I am most comfortable with, and probably in my entire bag, is my GW. I know exactly what to expect from it on full and partial swings, and almost always use it around the green where I have room to run it out. I use my 60 for bunker shots and what I would consider trouble or obstacle shots. Behind a tree but room to get it up and over? 60 wide open with a full swing. Not much room to land it and need some spin? Again back to the 60.

Of my 52/56/60, the 56 gets the most use and I attribute that to having a 56* wedge as my only wedge besides a PW in my previous set. I don't use the 52 enough, and struggled with it at times last year for whatever reason. I am hoping to take a more analytical approach with wedges on the range with my Mevo early this season to determine distances for 1/4, 1/2 & 3/4 shots on each club. That way when I am at a certain distance, I know which club at what swing will perform best for me. 

[RichL85]

I have PW, then 50, 54, and 58 degree wedges. PW is almost strictly full shots with the occasional use for greenside chips. 50 degree is the general go-to wedge for me on everything inside of PW range. I'll go to the higher lofts if I need the extra height or need to make sure the ball stops faster, but I'm personally more comfortable taking a little off the 50 degree than I am taking a full swing with the 58. 

I don't have a good explanation for it, because I'm a pretty analytical person, outside of sports, then I suddenly become a quirky feel-based person. It's almost like my brain decides that sports are a time when it thinks it should shut down and I just roll with it. That's why things like the clock swing system never really seemed to click with me.

[HikingMike]

20 hours ago, RichL85 said:

I have PW, then 50, 54, and 58 degree wedges. PW is almost strictly full shots with the occasional use for greenside chips. 50 degree is the general go-to wedge for me on everything inside of PW range. I'll go to the higher lofts if I need the extra height or need to make sure the ball stops faster, but I'm personally more comfortable taking a little off the 50 degree than I am taking a full swing with the 58. 

I don't have a good explanation for it, because I'm a pretty analytical person, outside of sports, then I suddenly become a quirky feel-based person. It's almost like my brain decides that sports are a time when it thinks it should shut down and I just roll with it. That's why things like the clock swing system never really seemed to click with me.

That's neat to hear. I am also a feel player with short game. And everything else in life, I'm analytical. Maybe it comes from just being very physically active growing up, and learning golf at 13.