64* wedge

Going to be getting some new wedges soon and the ones I want are only available in conforming grooves. I was thinking a good way to combat this would be to simply buy a wedge with more loft. I normally use a 56* and 60* but I was thinking about going 56* and a 64*. I do all of my chipping with my 60* (minus bunker shots) and I'm a guy who likes to land the ball as close to the hole as possible and stop it quick. I think a 64* would do fill this role very nicely. But I have heard of it being a very unpractical club that lacks versatility. Does any here use of have used a 64* wedge? What are you thoughts?

i'd stick with your 60. it's got a lot more versatility than a 64 would, regardless of the rule change. as max power said, it's a one shot tool (a 64). if you're comfortable with your 60...and feel like you need that extra loft, why not open the face a tad? being that it's such a high lofted club in the first place you're obviously not looking to hit a 80 yard shot with it...put your stance at a 45* open to the target, open the face to 2 o clock aim left and let it pop...

I have to agree with this.  I had a 64° wedge 20 years ago - never could see a good reason for it.  I am slightly prejudiced, since I don't even have a 60° in my bag (56° is my shortest wedge), but I just think that anything above 60 is too specialized, unless you have crazy skills like Mickelson.  And the grooves shouldn't be a big deal.  They really only affect full shots from the rough to any significant degree.  Short pitches and chips from the rough don't make use of the grooves anyway, and from the short grass you shouldn't lose any spin with the new grooves.

If you're looking for versatility, I'd avoid the 64 -- the 56, 60 combo (or something near it) is a good one.

I've never had much success with a 64 (Cally X) -- it goes up, then down, and not always easy to judge unless you practice with it a lot. OTOH, I had an easier time using a 62 (Cally X) -- but I also used a 58 as my versatile wedge.

I maintained the 6° difference between my 50° gap wedge and 56° sand wedge by going with a 62° lob wedge.

Calling a ball that lands close to the hole and hops and stops a chip ..... isn't correct ...... it is a pitch !

There is ZERO margin for error that way ...... it is good or it isn't.

A chip (= short for chip AND run) and it is low and short (max. 50%) through the air and the rest is rolling towards the hole.

But just do it the way you like ..... if you can handle a 60* that good (at 10.6 ..... I doubt it), maybe you are one of the few guys that can handle a 64* aswell.

I play a 52*/58*/64* wedge setup.  I'm not sure why folks are so hesitant to play a 60* or even higher lofted wedge.  It makes sense because, as amateurs, we are going to be left with many more shots from 50 yards and in than a professional.  If you just let the club do the work, a 64* is great.  I put it in play because my home course has greens with very small landing areas, and the extra loft helps me execute shots much easier than even a 60* would.  I believe you do need some clubhead speed to get the most out of a high lob wedge, so try it with a cheap club before buying a new Vokey...

People are hesitant because 60 and 64 are difficult to hit especially with full swings. You may have success with your 64 but I'd be willing to bet that 8 out of 10 14 handicappers would not be able to hit it. In fact I will be willing to go as far to say that from 50 yards and in more people would have success hitting a controlled 52 or 56 than they would a full 60 or 64.

This is the gospel.  It takes up too much practice time for me to ever get comfortable with anything more than my 56° CG15, and even that is only used when actually necessary.  I use 8I or PW for 95% of my chipping and pitching.  It's how I originally learned the game (I played for more than 10 years with nothing longer than a PW - not even a SW).  I tried to get into the "modern" short game for several years, but I finally realized that it was actually hurting my short game.  My bag is set now, and I'm going to play the entire next season without changing anything and see if the consistency pays off.  It was starting to show good results when last season ended.

I don't know -- Phil Mickelson calls those shots a chip. If you see his video, which is excellent, you'll see what is meant.

Everyone has their own definitions these days -- I heard the new definition of a chip versus a pitch a couple of years ago. If the flight of the ball is above your head, it's a pitch. If it's below your head, it's a chip.

But I agree that a 64 takes a lot of practice -- a heckuva lot more than a 58-60. And is probably not the best choice for most of us.

With all the less than positive opinions on high lofted wedges around here, does nobody find themselves needing to flop the ball over a bunker to a tight pin very often?

It happens, but not often enough to make a significant impact in my game.  When the ball is lying in rough, I can usually make a pretty good flop with my 56°.  It's all a matter of opening the face enough and setting up properly.  So it just isn't worth bothering with a specialty club which I don't really need more than once every 5 or 6 rounds.  I'd rather spend my limited practice time with the clubs which are more universally useful to me.

Sure, I think most people do see the shot every so often but in that situation I am ok with taking my medicine and having a 20+ footer for my two putt. Generally if I short-sided myself like that I don't compound my issues with trying a "knock down, cut, punch, draw, flop" shot. Hat's off to those that can hit the shot but experience taught me that taking the two putt keeps whatever momentum going as opposed to hitting a difficult shot after short siding myself on the previous one and then on to the next hole.

Word  +1

After playing golf for more than 30 years, probably the commonest mistake I see amateurs make is trying to get too "cute" when they've short-sided themselves.  Most of the time they leave the shot short of the green and they are still short-sided for the next one.  Better to be certain that whatever shot you plan, the result is that you're going to be putting the next one.  Short-siding ones self is a mistake, and at times you will be punished for your mistakes.  Best to minimize the punishment as much as possible.  Better a one chip - two putt bogey than a two chip - two or three putt disaster.

Yes, I open a 60.

It's fun to practice. But I use a 60 for everything around the green, except for chips where I want a lot of roll. It has me familiar with one club - if you practice enough with that one club, your confidence grows -- at least, that's my story...

It happens, but I hit a flop with the 58* or 60*.  A properly executed flop shot with a 58* or 60* seems to go straight up.  For years I only used a 56* and hit high arcing flop shots with that when needed.

It's fun to practice hitting flop shots over my bag at the range, seeing how short I can stop it on the other side. It's not a shot that comes up often during a round, but I get a really good feel for trajectory, distance, and rollout. Those shots seem even easier on the course. And yet I had no love for a 64 degree wedge. Might be something to do with the 64 degree wedge I had though - a stainless steel Dunlop that always seemed like the wrong choice no matter when I used it. I'm a 50*PW/56/60 or 48*PW/54/60 guy now.

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