PW or 47-degree?

**Shindig** · April 22, 2008

I apologize if anyone is tired of my equipment posts, but I'm going to place the order in the next few days and I want to make sure I get this right! Also, I figure with the various experience and expertise on this board, I'd be foolish not to consider any input I can get.

I'm getting Mizuno MP-57 irons and MP-T wedges. I noticed that the MP-T wedges have a 47-6 option, just as the PW in the MP-57 set is 47-6. So I'm debating which to get, since I've seen some signatures here with irons that stop at PW and others that stop at 9-iron and have a separate PW.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a PW that matches the irons vs. a PW that matches the wedges? In this case, the loft and bounce will be the same, but the MP-57 PW is cut-muscle vs. the teardrop muscle of the wedges, but I don't know what effects, if any, I should consider.

**tradewind_golfer** · April 22, 2008

I had ditched my T-zoid PW for a while and played a Cleveland 588 RTG 49* special. Had it bent to 47* but found that there wasn't enough bounce--so had it bent back.

A few weeks ago I traded it (and half a closet full of club ho trophies) in for a new driver.

Playing the matching PW from your set has the feeling that you're hitting an iron, whereas playing a wedge-like PW is obviously more like a wedge. If you want more feel around the green, you should try the MP-T. However, if you want consistency with full shots down to 100-125 yrds, I would just stick with the MP-57 PW--it's a very nice club and probably a touch more forgiving than a blade wedge.

Good hunting!

**DavidFehertysBike** · April 22, 2008

I carry a 48 degree vokey bent to 47. I find the advantages of playing that style of pitching wedge vs one you would get in a set is vertaility in the short game. I can open it up, hit it from the sand, whatever because it has the bounce style and shape of a traditional wedge. It is also a much easier club to chip with, IMO. My vokey tends to spin more than the 695cb PW I used to play, as well.

From the fairway you wont notice that much of a difference on well struck shots. But I must warn though that even compared to a players PW, you dont have that much margin for error on a mishit. It also seems as if it is a little easier to chunk one with the vokey compared to my 695cb PW. But I dont think you can fail yourself with either option. Its really all personal preference.

**hawkeye** · April 22, 2008

Hi Shindig - congrats on the new gear - MP57's are gorgeous and I hope you like them!

From experience - I've seen players opt for the 3-9iron or equivilant settup with a wedge not of the same set. The reasoning i've heard is that the PW is as much a finesse club as the GW, SW or LW these days and it's commonly used around the greens and for pitch shots. These guys preferred to have something they can play around with around the greens or from 50 yards in, and they weren't getting that from the PW of their set.

It's a tough choice - it can be one of the most important clubs in the bag (you can't hole putts if you don't chip/pitch it close!) and i'd be thinking about going 3-9 if i was getting a new set. As it stands, the Ping Tour-W 47* and S58 PW are very similar so it wouldn't be much of an advantage. Take a look at the Mizunos in a shop if you can and compare them. Ask the salesperson or pro too. The forum will probably be able to offer more useful info than me!

G'd luck and let us know what you go for!

**follyforhire** · April 23, 2008

Hey shindig,

I'll echo what seems to be the general sense of the other replies. It depends on how you want to use it. On full shots, the 57 PW would probably be a better bet, slightly more forgiveness with the more perimeter-weighted cut muscle and the extra bit of offset (though I expect it's marginal in the PW). It'll be more of a short iron. The T series wedge, though, with that great C-grind sole, would be more versatile around the greens if you plan to use it in many bump-and-run, chip, and soft pitch situations. The grooves on the T series might initially be able to produce a bit more spin. (There also may be a head weight and swingweight difference, but I don't know.)

The cosmetic/aesthetic issue, though obviously less important than performance, is one you might give at least a little consideration. Are you going to purchase the MP-T wedges with the black nickel or chrome finish? I don't think the 47 comes in a black nickel finish. If you were going for the chrome, there's no issue here, of course. But if you were thinking black nickel, it's at least worth mentioning that it won't "match" your other wedges.

For what it's worth, I'm going to do some regearing in the next few weeks, and I've been debating this same question. I'm going to bag some older Callaway X-14 Pro Series irons, and I just ordered some Vokey wedges. With the distance I'm going to get out of a 46.5* (or 47 or 48 for that matter) PW, it really is more of a short iron. I decided I'd just think of it like that (I'll probably drop my hybrid or 4 iron, depending on the course), and play the GW/SW/LW like a more traditional PW/SW/LW.

I apologize for cluttering your thread with my own bag chatter; I only mean to say that depending on your intended use for and distance with the 47* club, you could go with either. I made a joke in your other thread (about your decision on the other end of the iron set) about just getting both. I didn't really mean it for that club, but depending on your funds situation, you might really consider getting both here. If the numbers don't work, you've got to pick one and go with it (and with these clubs, you really can't make a wrong decision). But if you could make an extra hundred available... Goodness I am the wrong person to give advice on stuff like this.

Again, congratulations and good luck with the clubs.

**Masa** · April 23, 2008

I would have to agree with the other posts that it is mainly going to depend on your intended use. If you expect that you will be hitting mostly full shots with your PW, then I would go with the MP-57, but if you think you would be using it more around the green and shorter shots, the MP-T might be a better way to go.

Personally, I carry 3 wedges other than my PW, and I use my gap wedge and my 58 degree the most around the greens. I can't think of any shot I have faced when a 47 degree wedge would be needed and my gap wedge couldn't do the job. I do, however, find myself hitting at least a couple full length PW shots a round, so the PW from my set works perfectly.

You can't really go wrong with either choice, but I think it is primarily dependent on how you intend to use that particular slot. Since it looks like you are going to be carrying 51 and 56 degree wedges. It really comes down to your intended use and preferences. I used to have a set of irons that were up through gap wedge, but I felt like a lost a lot of feel around the greens. Since I switched out my irons and wedges for a set of three new vokeys and I find that most shots within 50 yards I'm using either my 50 degree (mainly chips and some pitches when I want more roll) or 58 (shorter chips without much roll, and flops). Again, you can't really go wrong with either choice, but I think the MP-T would be more versatile around the greens, while the MP-57 would be easier for those full length shots.

**jammer59** · April 23, 2008

Shindig,

I also have the MP-57s and wrestled with the same decision. Ultimately, I went with the MP-57 PW to maintain consistent feel with full shots across my irons. I then added a 51* MP-T gap wedge. The decisions were right for me -- it is a flexible set up.

**WilsonsRBest** · April 24, 2008

Geez,

47 degree pitching wedges? What is the world coming to. That is about a 9 iron in my set. Things used to be so much simpler. My pitching wedge is 52 degrees. All other clubs are 4 degrees from there, which means that I have a 56 degree sand wedge.

***iacas*** · April 24, 2008

47 degree pitching wedges? What is the world coming to.

48-49 degrees has been pretty much the standard for a long time now. A lot of the clubs that are 47 degrees have a very low center of gravity and launch at about the same angle as a 48 degree muscleback.

For example: http://www.titleist.com/historical_c...ails.asp?id=44

**Q.Q.Quillume** · April 24, 2008

Geez,

My Ping ISI PW is 47 degs. I think ISIs went on the market in 1998 . . .

**twotacosfor99cents** · April 24, 2008

Consider a 10 iron.

My 10 iron hits for 100 on the dot and is generally easier to hit than a PW.

My set is a 10 iron, down to a 52* gap wedge, 56* sand wedge, and a 60 lob wedge. No problems with "dead" spots in my distancing.

Not to de-rail this thread, but:
The only "dead" spot in my distancing is the gap between my 5-6 irons, which I don't really know how to solve.. I hit my 6 iron for 145-155 and my 5 iron for 165-175, and there's a 10 yard gap right in there.

Sucks because a lot of par 3's happen to sit right in that gap.

**gumpy** · April 26, 2008

I full swing with my PW and 52* wedges. If i were you i'd stick with the mp-57 pw. There is nothing wrong with it, it's just as workable, feels just as good and is just as accurate. It's more forgiving and yeah... If i had a 52* option on the mp-57's then i would have got it too... I like the other wedge designes with the different grinds for the 56* and 60* because i do alot of partial swinging with these clubs. Hope that helps.

**JYB** · April 26, 2008

I take full swing, 125 yard shots with my PW mainly so even though i was thinking about going to a 48º/54º/58º all Vokey format, i think i'll just stick with the PW in the set.

**elchene** · April 26, 2008

Consider a 10 iron.

I think only Callaway sold the 10 irons. I remember seeing them on the older Big Berthas. I think it's the same thing as a PW.

**hawkeye** · April 26, 2008

played with a guy today who had a Dunlop 10 iron! no 47 for him!

**Shindig** · April 26, 2008

Thanks for all the help on this, guys! I ended up going with the 47.6 wedge rather than the PW from the set. As a short hitter, I'm rarely hitting PW into a green, so I'm going for more control. I also like the way it felt better than the irons did (although those felt pretty sweet, too).

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PW or 47-degree?

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