Wedge Setup

[Shrek74]

Hey Spies,

 

I'm in the process of rebuilding my bag with new clubs and wanted to get some input on an internal discussion I'm having around wedges.

 

My new irons (JPX923 HMP) have the PW and GW at 42 & 48 degrees, respectively. I'm used to a 45/50 setup, allowing me pretty much any type of SW/LW config. But these new irons are giving me major pause.

 

There are a lot of articles out there that say us higher handicaps (I'm a 20) really shouldn't carry a traditional LW (58*+) and end our set at 56. My current setup goes 42/48/54/60. The previous GW at 50 was really my last full swing club as well as my in close bump/pitch and run, using my 54 for partial swings out to about 75 yds, and my 60 is really for greenside bunkers only.

 

The new option I'm considering with my new irons and wedges is 42/48/52/56. The PW/GW gap is a bit bigger, but then drops for the last couple of gaps. I could utilize the 52 as my new last full swing club as well as longer range partial shots, and then my 56 becomes a far more utilized club for that 50 and in range plus bunkers and greenside chips.

 

I'll admit, the loft of a 60* LW was always sort of "frightened" me, and it has gotten me a few times out of the greenside rough sliding too far under the ball and getting no distance or just flubbing it altogether.

 

What's your experience and setup? How did you get to your conclusion? What thoughts and usage were you focusing on to get there? All thoughts welcome.

 

Sent from my SM-N986U1 using Tapatalk

 

 

[revkev]

First off - beware of absolutes - the person writing that article or giving the advice doesn’t know your game. Maybe you’re a 20 because you take a large amount of penalties off there or struggle with your approach shots and your short game is more like a single digit handicappers. 
 

Second, personally I find finding wedges that work in concert and fit my game properly, extremely difficult. Once I do hit on a combo that works it sticks longer than any other club grouping in my bag. I may have one now BTW.  My secret this time was to stop messing around and instead using Ping’s web fit, my teachers advice and then going to get fitted - they all pretty much agreed - the 58 was my second choice on the web fit but the clear type my teacher recommended and of my fitter. My fitter also put me in a steal shaft for my bottom two wedges - I would not have done that in my own. My sand play has improved from let me just take an unplayable to getting out every time and I’m starting the process of out and within reasonable proximity to the hole.

 

If you’re able I’d recommend a fitting but the reasoning of your choices seems sound to me.  Good luck 

[TJ Hall]

I’ve carried a 60 degree wedge forever.  Don’t be scared of it!

My irons are old, circa 2011, so the lofts are weaker than what comes out now.  Part of my concern of upgrading my irons is having to change most other parts of the bag as well.  My PW loft is 46 and matching GW is 50.

Swapped out the GW for a Vokey at 52, followed by a 56 and 60.  Have a bit of a gapping issue between my PW and GW currently and have debated going back to the matching GW.

Good luck with the setup!  Hope you’re able to find something that works well for you!

[RetiredBoomer]

20 minutes ago, TJ Hall said:

I’ve carried a 60 degree wedge forever.  Don’t be scared of it!

My irons are old, circa 2011, so the lofts are weaker than what comes out now.  Part of my concern of upgrading my irons is having to change most other parts of the bag as well.  My PW loft is 46 and matching GW is 50.

Swapped out the GW for a Vokey at 52, followed by a 56 and 60.  Have a bit of a gapping issue between my PW and GW currently and have debated going back to the matching GW.

Good luck with the setup!  Hope you’re able to find something that works well for you!

Agree with the sixty.  I don't understand why people are afraid of it.

I find it very useful for soft, green-side lobs when you have a short-sided miss with your approach shot. 

For full shots, you have to get used to swinging hard from that close which is counter-intuitive. 

Even if you don't use it for full shots, though, it' worth having for short-sided up and downs.
I recommend low bounce like 60-04 or 60-06 if it's primarily for soft shot use..

 

[russtopherb]

Having the GW at 48* and then going 54*/58* has worked out just fine for me over the years. 

I think way too many golfers overthink this part of the bag. Especially if you have lofts you're comfortable with and know exactly what they'll do for you in a pressure situation. That's far more important for me than trying to account for literally every single yard in a gapping situation.

[Shapotomous]

My set pw is 45 and my edison wedges are 49, 53 and 57.  If the lofts are causing yardage gaps that concern you but you otherwise like the wedges then adjust the loft as needed.  

Also consider having and practicing a 3/4 swing with each wedge to close the gaps.  It will also give some versatility in shot selection when the lie or the wind or elevation doesnt quite fit a stock yardage with a wedge.  I get funny looks sometimes if somebody asks what club i hit from say 100 yards and i tell them pw.  But they dont ask what type of swing i used.  I always thought it is better to ask what yardage club was used.  The number on the club doesnt matter it is how far that club was intended to go that matters.

Edited June 16 by Shapotomous

[KC Golf]

I have a 46 and then a 52 bent to 51.  Then a 56 and 60.   I like the gapping distances. Still looking at my bounces to see if I should change them out with small tweaks when some of them start wearing out. 

I agree with the commentary that:  @revkev about no absolutes. Each person has their own tendencies and like and dislikes with wedges and grinds. @TJ Hall about the benefits of a 60. Short sided it’s hard to beat. And I find it’s great in bunkers if you have the right bounce. 

Good luck with the set up!

[Golf2Much]

I carry 41- and 46-degree Callaway Paradym X wedges along with my 50-, 55- and 60-degree Edison wedges.  Since I'm length challenged, I need to rely on my wedges (and putter) to score.  

I just looked at my last 10 rounds of my Shot Scope data.  My five above wedges accounted for 35% of the shots I took (not counting my putter).  For me, not surprisingly, the 50- and 55-degree wedges accounted or a majority of those shots with 14% use each.  Of the 491 shots, there were only seven with my 60-degree lob wedge (1%). 

That being said, when I myself in trouble being short sided or having to get over a trap with a tight pin, I called on the 60-degree wedge to save my bacon!  When you need it, you typically really need it!  The hard part for many is not trusting it, wanting to help the ball up and deaccelerating through the ball.  All can yield a bad outcome which leads to not trusting it even more.   I know, I was one of those guys!  With some practice and confidence, I find my 60-degree wedge an essential part of my game.  

[Donn lost in San Diego]

My PW from set is 45 deg.  I have a 52 deg Mizuno that I love and didn't pay attention til recently that the gap was too many yards.  I had an exact backup of the Mizu, so I finally, just this week, had one bent down 2 and one bent up 2, so now I have proper 4 degree gaps and in the my first 18 holes I am 10 for 11 hitting them spot on, so big smile.  I have a Mizuno 60 but as per Lee Trevino, it is so hard to get yards.  I use it at my course that has a lot of hardpan near the green, and I use it to get under a tight lie when I have to go over sand.  I use a 25 deg putter-length chipper most of the time from about 20 yards on in.

I know Vokey is popular, but I love the Mizuno Grain Flow Forged wedges, I recommend you try 'em.  They say Grain Flow Forged on the hosel.  You don't need the latest model, good wedge design is forever.  GFF means they re-heat and hammer the billet of steel several times to align all the molecules in parallel, thus making a more uniform piece of steel, no hot or cold spots, and transmits better feel.  Having said that, I happen to live a zip code away from all the club companies in Carlsbad, and there is a small one called Indi Golf, the king of spin.  They make great wedges, and in a variety of size/styles, and almost any combo of loft and bounce.  Look them up and call them for a good conversation about wedges.  Or, buy a pair of GFF Mizunos.

My chipper is 60 + years old, Don Martin Up-n-In.  There is also a Stan Thompson Closup.  Both guys were builders, in Palm Springs.  Ping makes a new chipper.  My sand is also old and not tied to any of the others, it is a original 1960s era Hogan Sure Out, 56 deg,, a huge sole that probably weighs 2 or 3 pounds.  Callaway bought Hogan around 40 years ago to get the Sure Out design.  The Alien was a knockoff. 

[kam89]

On 6/15/2024 at 11:30 PM, Shrek74 said:

 

Hey Spies,

 

I'm in the process of rebuilding my bag with new clubs and wanted to get some input on an internal discussion I'm having around wedges.

 

My new irons (JPX923 HMP) have the PW and GW at 42 & 48 degrees, respectively. I'm used to a 45/50 setup, allowing me pretty much any type of SW/LW config. But these new irons are giving me major pause.

 

There are a lot of articles out there that say us higher handicaps (I'm a 20) really shouldn't carry a traditional LW (58*+) and end our set at 56. My current setup goes 42/48/54/60. The previous GW at 50 was really my last full swing club as well as my in close bump/pitch and run, using my 54 for partial swings out to about 75 yds, and my 60 is really for greenside bunkers only.

 

The new option I'm considering with my new irons and wedges is 42/48/52/56. The PW/GW gap is a bit bigger, but then drops for the last couple of gaps. I could utilize the 52 as my new last full swing club as well as longer range partial shots, and then my 56 becomes a far more utilized club for that 50 and in range plus bunkers and greenside chips.

 

I'll admit, the loft of a 60* LW was always sort of "frightened" me, and it has gotten me a few times out of the greenside rough sliding too far under the ball and getting no distance or just flubbing it altogether.

 

What's your experience and setup? How did you get to your conclusion? What thoughts and usage were you focusing on to get there? All thoughts welcome.

 

Sent from my SM-N986U1 using Tapatalk

 

 

 

I've only been golfing 8 or 9 months I think I'm around a 24 handicap. Chipping is my one strong suit and around the greens I find a pw and a 52 seem to give me everything I need. I do carry a 60 degree more for 35 to 60 yards  it's a pretty controllable distance club. 

[Kenny B]

On 6/15/2024 at 9:30 PM, Shrek74 said:

There are a lot of articles out there that say us higher handicaps (I'm a 20) really shouldn't carry a traditional LW (58*+) and end our set at 56. My current setup goes 42/48/54/60. The previous GW at 50 was really my last full swing club as well as my in close bump/pitch and run, using my 54 for partial swings out to about 75 yds, and my 60 is really for greenside bunkers only.

 

Your setup is the same as mine; however, my MacGregor 9i is my 43º club with the PW being 48º.  I have a 54º SW and a 60º wedge.  I have been using this setup for several years.  The PW is my last full swing club.  I use both the 54 and the 60 from bunkers, depending on how far I have to carry the shot.  

My goto club around the green has always been my 60; I love that club and used it so much that I had a feel for most any shot inside 60 yards.  I am not a spin player, as I can’t reliably control it.

However, based on the recommendation from @cnosil, I have been following Dan Grieve’s 3 Releases and using my 54 a lot more this year.  It’s a work in progress, but I am seeing some nice shots that I didn’t have before.  However, they have come with some in-betweeners… pulling the 54 and hitting the shot I would have used with the 60 or pulling the 60 and hitting the shot needed for the 54.  Very frustrating!  But I look at it as re-learning how to best use my wedges.

Personally, I think we can get use to playing about any gap set of wedges unless you need them for full shots.  I also think the shafts, lie angle and weight of the wedges will impact your results. My 54 and 60 have slightly heavier shafts and the lie angle is flatter, but play what feels good to you and gives you the performance you want.

[Donn lost in San Diego]

7 hours ago, kam89 said:

I've only been golfing 8 or 9 months I think I'm around a 24 handicap. Chipping is my one strong suit and around the greens I find a pw and a 52 seem to give me everything I need. I do carry a 60 degree more for 35 to 60 yards  it's a pretty controllable distance club. 

Congrats if you can control distance on a 60 degree wedge.

[NM01]

Determine what shots you normally have and what clubs your normally use for them.

One of the reasons that many say high handicaps shouldn’t use a 60 is because they want to full swing it and that is going to lead to a lot of issues that will cause lost strokes. Also it can be tricky to use around the green and  ball that gets on the green sooner and rolls out is going to be more predictable shot for most amateurs.

 

[kam89]

4 minutes ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

Determine what shots you normally have and what clubs your normally use for them.

One of the reasons that many say high handicaps shouldn’t use a 60 is because they want to full swing it and that is going to lead to a lot of issues that will cause lost strokes. Also it can be tricky to use around the green and  ball that gets on the green sooner and rolls out is going to be more predictable shot for most amateurs.

 

My 60 is only in the bag for 1/4 and 1/2 shots 30 to 60 yards. Around the greens it checks up to quick so pw or 52 is easier to use for sure

[RetiredBoomer]

2 minutes ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

Determine what shots you normally have and what clubs your normally use for them.

One of the reasons that many say high handicaps shouldn’t use a 60 is because they want to full swing it and that is going to lead to a lot of issues that will cause lost strokes. Also it can be tricky to use around the green and  ball that gets on the green sooner and rolls out is going to be more predictable shot for most amateurs.

 

I find that to be generally true from my observations.

In my case, the short-sided greenside lob at the stick came a lot easier than the full swing with the lob wedge.

That's why I always preferred low bounce wedges.
Low bounce is better for soft shots, where a little bounce prevents digging with a high loft club on a full swing.  I prioritized the little finesse lobs.

[IndyBonzo]

On 6/20/2024 at 7:25 PM, Donn lost in San Diego said:

My PW from set is 45 deg.  I have a 52 deg Mizuno that I love and didn't pay attention til recently that the gap was too many yards.  I had an exact backup of the Mizu, so I finally, just this week, had one bent down 2 and one bent up 2, so now I have proper 4 degree gaps and in the my first 18 holes I am 10 for 11 hitting them spot on, so big smile.  I have a Mizuno 60 but as per Lee Trevino, it is so hard to get yards.  I use it at my course that has a lot of hardpan near the green, and I use it to get under a tight lie when I have to go over sand.  I use a 25 deg putter-length chipper most of the time from about 20 yards on in.

I know Vokey is popular, but I love the Mizuno Grain Flow Forged wedges, I recommend you try 'em.  They say Grain Flow Forged on the hosel.  You don't need the latest model, good wedge design is forever.  GFF means they re-heat and hammer the billet of steel several times to align all the molecules in parallel, thus making a more uniform piece of steel, no hot or cold spots, and transmits better feel.  Having said that, I happen to live a zip code away from all the club companies in Carlsbad, and there is a small one called Indi Golf, the king of spin.  They make great wedges, and in a variety of size/styles, and almost any combo of loft and bounce.  Look them up and call them for a good conversation about wedges.  Or, buy a pair of GFF Mizunos.

My chipper is 60 + years old, Don Martin Up-n-In.  There is also a Stan Thompson Closup.  Both guys were builders, in Palm Springs.  Ping makes a new chipper.  My sand is also old and not tied to any of the others, it is an original 1960s era Hogan Sure Out, 56 deg,, a huge sole that probably weighs 2 or 3 pounds.  Callaway bought Hogan around 40 years ago to get the Sure Out design.  The Alien was a knockoff. 

 I played my vintage Hogans today, including the Sure-Out, a Sand Iron, and an Equalizer, all in Apex II vintage.  I holed out with the Sand Iron from 40 yards.  These wedges, still rusty and scratched, just work like magic.  I am considering moving them to my primary kit!