What degree do you prefer for pitching wedge? 44,46,48?

flymonkkey · March 16

Good afternoon everyone.

I’m wondering what everyone prefers for there pitching wedge degrees?

GolfSpy_APH · March 16

My PW is 45, but that has to do with the blending between my T100 and T150.

jaskanski · March 16

46 by default, because of the iron set I currently play. Roll that back 30 odd years, my PW was 50. 15 years ago it was 48. In 10 years time - it could be 44 whether i like it or not!

RoverRick · March 16

The degree of the club, like the number, is immaterial. I want clubs that go straight and a certain distance. First, I don’t hit any clubs below 5 iron as far as I can. I want a 14-15 yard gap between clubs. So if my gap wedge goes 100 I want my pitching wedge to go 115, 9 iron 130 etc.

But the degree of the club is only part of the equation. Club head design plays a vital role in that some 44° clubs may go shorter because they are designed to give higher launch and more spin. So my P790 PW is 45° but I don’t care. I can hit it straight 115 yards, “ear high”. I can stop “shoulder high” (that’s in quotations, because I feel ear or shoulder or waist or some other body part high, and it may not be anywhere near this part. It is just a feel. ) and hit it 100 same as my gap. Somewhere in between and carry it 108. I can also hit it 130, but I have no idea if it goes straight or 40 yards left. The only time I hit a mid or short iron full is to go over something and only if I can’t go under or around.

funkyjudge · March 16

34 minutes ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

My PW is 45, but that has to do with the blending between my T100 and T150.

Since all of my 9-irons are in the 39.0* to 40.5* loft range, I prefer my PW (whether it matches the iron set or is a “specialty” wedge (e.g. Vokey, Edison, etc.) to have 44* or 45* of loft.

Javs · March 16

I go with the loft that matches the iron set. The Callaway Paradym irons has PW at 42 and AW at 47. More important to me is the distances I hit all my clubs full, three quarters, half and one quarter. If I have all those numbers along with the ability to flight the ball up or down and left or right; then I am confident I can play all the shots required on demand.

Josh Parker · March 16

Currently my PW is 46* I don't necessarily care as long as my gapping is correct.

funkyjudge · March 17

20 minutes ago, Javs said:

I go with the loft that matches the iron set. The Callaway Paradym irons has PW at 42 and AW at 47. More important to me is the distances I hit all my clubs full, three quarters, half and one quarter. If I have all those numbers along with the ability to flight the ball up or down and left or right; then I am confident I can play all the shots required on demand.

I actually bent the loft on the PW in my Paradym iron set to 43*, so that I could play my 48* Edison 2.0 wedge with them if I wanted to do so (I also bent the Paradym AW to 48*).

BTW, the Paradym irons may very well be going back in my bag next week after a 6-week hiatus, as my Cobra King Forged Tec X irons have started “misbehaving”.

Swood1994 · March 17

28 minutes ago, Josh Parker said:

Currently my PW is 46* I don't necessarily care as long as my gapping is correct.

Came here to same this ^ but @Josh Parker beat me to it!

cnosil · March 17

I'll pile on and beat the dead horse

The numbers and/or letters on the bottom and Lofts of irons/wedges don't matter, it is about properly filling the distances between driver and the shortest club in your bag.