Cavity Backed Wedges vs. Blade Wedges

You don't need new clubs You either need lessons or a new commitment to an agressive self learning effort. 

If you can hit a 60 but not a 56 then lessons are 10 times more important than new clubs.  I recommend 2 things.

1) The LAW's of golf  http://www.amazon.com/The-LAWs-Golf-Swing-Body-Type/dp/0062708155

summed up cheat sheet   https://mywebspace.wisc.edu/pasdirtz/web/golf/GOLF_LAWs_Chart.html

2) Jim hardy DVD's (from a library?)  http://www.amazon.com/Jim-Hardys-Plane-Truth-Golfers/dp/B000PLUYTQ

or Youtube  http://www.youtube.com/results?hl=en&rlz=1T4GZGN_enUS484US484&q=jim+hardy&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&biw=1441&bih=597&wrapid=tlif134455646121110&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=v1

NIce commercial -

forget Hardy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Desmond 

NIce commercial -

 

forget Hardy.

Laughing my head off !!!!!!!!

Golf Digest  Top 50 best teachers in America #8 is the guy Mr. Desmond says forget! Rolling on the floor laughing my head off!!!!

Read More http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-instruction/2011-11/americas-50-best-teachers#ixzz236XuLaAT

I personally don't see a lot of difference in ease of play between cavity back or blade wedges coming from the cavity back itself but I think most cavity backs have wider soles than blades.  If your looking for more forgiving wedges I'd look at sole width and bounce more than the design of the backs.  A lot also has to do with the conditions you play under, softness of turf, type of sand, that sort of thing.

Here's a link that might help a little: http://www.ralphmaltby.com/47

Yes Maltby designs wedges, no it's not a commercial.

Lessons are good for nearly anyone that's having ball striking issues, (like me). 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gaviao 

Okay......

 

I will check into lessons. Something I've been thinking of doing anway seeing as I've never had one.

 

But for sh#ts and giggles. Which club would you suggest?

I have 2 suggestions

1) lessons proceed with caution. Interview the instructor like your life is in the balance. They may be fairly good but incapable of expressing it. They can confuse you to no end.

2) wedges I would buy neither.  I would get a used Cleveland 588 off eBay. They are cheap and a PGA tour mainstay.  If you can learn to hit a Cleveland 588 you can hit anything. It and the Titlest Vokey are the kings.  The 588 is a tad heavy and may throw you at first but stick with it as it will reveal any swing flaws you have.  Get the RTG because it is raw and a little steel wool restores it. No worry about nicked chrome.

I have only one suggestion - don't ever treat golf (lessons or equipment) as if your life is in the balance.  It isn't.  And he's right about getting some used clubs.  A used club with a new grip feels like a new club.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon Robert 

I have 2 suggestions

 

1) lessons proceed with caution. Interview the instructor like your life is in the balance. They may be fairly good but incapable of expressing it. They can confuse you to no end.

 

2) wedges I would buy neither.  I would get a used Cleveland 588 off eBay. They are cheap and a PGA tour mainstay.  If you can learn to hit a Cleveland 588 you can hit anything. It and the Titlest Vokey are the kings.  The 588 is a tad heavy and may throw you at first but stick with it as it will reveal any swing flaws you have.  Get the RTG because it is raw and a little steel wool restores it. No worry about nicked chrome.

 

I say go with the blade for the feel.  With how short a wedge shaft is, you should be able to find the sweet spot often enough that the forgiveness of a CB wedge shouldnt be a factor.

Another factor. cavity vs no cavity

I'm sure you have seen progressive cavity sets.    Cavity perimeter weighting helps off center hits not twist the club from the impact.  The higher the loft on a club the more glancing the blow and thus less twisting forces, and less need for a cavity.

I have cavity Hogan Apex Edge 2-9 E wedge F wedge S wedge and matching L wedge.  The only reason I have cavities on the E wedge and lower is because I add 2 ounces of lead to each club. Otherwise I would have kept  the Cleveland 588's

So if you are not a club mechanic then the muscle back is fine if you are a mechanic or just happen to get a good cavity back then it is fine. Both deliver glancing blows.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon Robert 

Laughing my head off !!!!!!!!

 

Golf Digest  Top 50 best teachers in America #8 is the guy Mr. Desmond says forget! Rolling on the floor laughing my head off!!!!

 

8. Jim Hardy (7)

 

VOTES: 219
LESSON RATE: $750/hour
FACILITY: Jim Hardy Golf
LOCATION: Houston
WEBSITE:planetruthgolf.com

TIPS FROM JIM HARDY

 

* 2009 RANK IN PARENTHESIS

Read More http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-instruction/2011-11/americas-50-best-teachers#ixzz236XuLaAT

Dear 12 Capper Giving Advice As if You are a Professional,

I took lessons from Hardy's top guy, read Hardy's Books, got his "Secrets" DVDs

Spent over a year on it. My son, who has talent, also spent a year on it.

My son, who shoots in the low 70's, had no success with it. After leaving the Hardy instructor, he was shooting low 70s after 3 months with TGM.

As I said, forget Hardy... during Hardy's heyday a few years ago, many had problems with his method. The methodology sucks. I should know.

Same things with Haney - forget him.

Once again laughing my head off.  Hank Haney???????  "Haney has changed Tiger Woods' swing from an upright to a flatter golf swing."  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Haney

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon Robert 

Once again laughing my head off.  Hank Haney???????  "Haney has changed Tiger Woods' swing from an upright to a flatter golf swing."  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Haney

Hey Genius,

So you're ignorant and pompous. Enlighten us more.

And those Best Instructor Votes? Popularity Contests. These guys have lots of friends. What these instructors forget is the basics for beginning to intermediate golfers.

Did you take lessons from Hardy or Haney people?

Doubt it.

I did.

I know.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon Robert 

Once again laughing my head off.  Hank Haney???????  "Haney has changed Tiger Woods' swing from an upright to a flatter golf swing."  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Haney

And Haney?

Jane, you ignorant sl*t.

I took lessons from Haney's people. Would watch Haney give lessons to Mark O'Meara at his Golf Ranch. I'd go into golf stores in Dallas and hear stories about how Haney screwed up people's swings.

Haney's flat plane theory worked for a guy like O'Meara who has a steady rhythm. It would work for Tiger on the range from all reports. But in competition, Tiger was all over the place with the driver. He would unleash himself at the ball with ferocity. And as a consequence, the flat plane that Haney taught would have Tiger "stuck" with the driver (as the professionals commented), and his drives went everywhere -- not a little off course, but a lot off course --

Haney could never adapt his philosophy or have Tiger steepen his plane to get his driver on course (unstuck), or at least with better misses. Foley is attempting to do this with Tiger.

So Haney? meh. And did you see him with Charles Barkley or Romano? Again, Haney knows what is wrong, but has the wrong fix.

One reason I think Tiger is the greatest golfer of all time is because of what he did in spite of Haney - won majors - by scrambling. His scrambling ... his putting were unreal.

Originally Posted by Gaviao 

So I'm sure that this topic has been covered before but here goes.....

 

I'm looking at buying new clubs. I'm looking at two possible avenues, used and Gigagolf. For used I've been going to golf stores and trying out different kinds of clubs to get an idea of what I like and then looking for deals on used ones.

 

For Gigagolf I thought I would buy a club to see what I think since their so cheap.

 

On to the question at hand......

 

Right now I have a 56 and a 60 blade wedges. I'm beginning to be able to hit the 60 on almost full swings, but I still have a hard time hitting the 56.

 

So should I get a cavity backed 56 or a blade 56? Or for that matter should I also get a cavity backed 60?

 

Here's a link to the wedges I'm looking:

 

http://www.gigagolf.com/wedges_listing.jsp

 

right now I'm between S2 and the SGS but I'm up for suggestions.

 

Thank for the help

Not sure if they're really forged but I like the look of the SGS too. Also the S510.

Can we stick to the topic? I'm not sure what Haney or Hardy have to do with "Cavity Backed Wedges vs. Blade Wedges".

Hey Gaviao,

 A couple things I would recommend. First , I would not mess around with those cheaper wedges you posted a link to.

 What I would do hands down is buy either the cleveland 588, mizuno mp series, Titleist Vokie or even the ping and taylormade wedges - but I give a plus one for the cleveland and titleist wedges.  they are they best in my humble 9 handicap opinion.

Also, dont let the absence of a cavity back scare you - you will grow into them and they will help your swing and especially short game which is probably the most important part. Almost every time I break 80 it's due to my short game and putting being on fire that day - occasionally I break 80 just from fairways and greens in reg. but usually it's the short game and wedges + putter.

 I do support getting lessons but I wouldn't get caught up in these famous teachers.

**quality instruction trumps famous instruction.

also - the used wedges I mention above are all about the same price as the new wedges your looking at - and there is are reason the wedges you are looking at aren't that much $$$ they don't look like quality - no offense.

 remember this -

  if you shoot an 85 - you know for sure 18 of those strokes were off a tee

 another 18 were into the green plus maybe an an extra 3-5 transportation/rescue shots - that's a total of 41 strokes - This means that 34 of those strokes in that round are around or on the green! get good wedges!

 hope this helps

 also I would recommend the Tom Watson book - "getting up and down"

 great read
 

The Adams Tom Watson wedges I own and use are just as good as my Vokey, PING, or Mizuno wedges, in some ways even better.  No more than $30-$40 per wedge.