How Many Wedges Do You Carry?

[ChetlovesMer]

Back when I started playing golf a 2 wedge set up was pretty common, even though most people seemed to carry 3 wedges. Today I think 4 wedges seems to be the norm. PW, GW, SW and LW. That's what I carry. Some sets are so low lofted (I'm looking at you Roque X) that folks will add a 5th wedge. 

So, I'll ask: How many wedges do you carry? 

[Patch]

I carry four wedges, (P-L) but in reality I could get by with just two. 

I have seldom used all four wedges in an 18 hole round of golf. Usually it's just my AW, and LW. 

With four, there are more options available to me. Maybe I need more bounce. Maybe my zero bounce wedge will work better. It just depends on what I can do with the shot I need to make. 

I think the key point to how many wedges a golfer carries, should be based on their knowledge on how their wedges are designed to be use. 

[billchao]

I carry 3: a 50°, a 55 °, and a 60°.

My PW is a 10i so it doesn't count as a wedge.

[Nail]

I carry 5 wedges, I play titleist ap1 irons so I have a P and a W in the set at 43 and 48 degrees I believe then I have a set of Wilson wedges 52,56 and 60 degrees. I use every one of them regularly far more often than my 5 or 6 iron, even than my 7 iron to be honest. 

[WUTiger]

I carry 48-54-60 (see below).

For several years I carried 46* set PW, and 50-54-58 from Cleveland CG14 family.

For various reasons, I found that on a given round I would mostly 46* or 50* for pitches around the green. No reason for choice of day. Also, I found yardage overlaps in my wedge matrix.

When testing Callaways I stumbled across a 60* LW I could hit fairly well, so went to the current mix. (Also, three wedges is much easier to practice than four).

In my TaylorMade backup bag, I have four wedges: SLDR 46* PW and 51* AW, plus Tour Preferred 56*/12 SW and TP.R Tour Grind 60*/10 LW.

The PW and AW both have excellent feel, and their own special uses for me.

[ChetlovesMer]

4 hours ago, billchao said:

My PW is a 10i so it doesn't count as a wedge.

Is it actually labeled as a 10 iron? I've seen a few of those in my day.

If so please include a photo. 

[billchao]

26 minutes ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Is it actually labeled as a 10 iron? I've seen a few of those in my day.

If so please include a photo. 

No, I'm saying it's exactly like my 9i but with more loft. There are no wedge-like elements to it at all and calling it a "wedge" is a bit of a misnomer IMO.

[HJJ003]

I carry 4 wedges, and yes I use all of them. Sand wedge is my most used wedge as it’s my usual all purpose around the green kind of tool. Pitching wedge is the highest lofted club I’ll take a full crack at usually, and will use it for a bump and run every now and then. AW i typically utilize as partial wedge to fill a gap. Lob wedge used to be the all purpose wedge, but now is only used one day or twice a round when I want the ball to stop quickly or get it up in the air even quicker.

[Piz]

I carry a 50 and a 54.  The pitching wedge has the same loft and bounce as my old 9 iron so, like @billchao said, it doesn't count.  I was lugging a 58 around but hardly ever used it.  

[David in FL]

1 hour ago, billchao said:

No, I'm saying it's exactly like my 9i but with more loft. There are no wedge-like elements to it at all and calling it a "wedge" is a bit of a misnomer IMO.

What is a “wedge-like element”?
 

Other than a few degrees change in loft, my current 46° PW today looks virtually identical to the PW I carried 40 years ago...

[billchao]

47 minutes ago, David in FL said:

What is a “wedge-like element”?

Bounce, grind, sole, head shape, weight.

If I handed you a 46° Edel wedge and my 46° MP4 PW the difference would be plain to see. One is more like an iron and the other more like a wedge.

52 minutes ago, David in FL said:

Other than a few degrees change in loft, my current 46° PW today looks virtually identical to the PW I carried 40 years ago...

That's because the PW being basically a 10 iron isn't a modern design concept. I think it's only called a wedge because back in the day they called the highest lofted irons wedges. But they had all sorts of weird names for clubs back then and my golf equipment history isn't the greatest.

But my point is, today there is definitely a distinction between a wedge head and an iron head, design-wise. Most people's pitching wedges are irons IMO.

[David in FL]

5 minutes ago, billchao said:

 

If I handed you a 46° Edel wedge and my 46° MP4 PW the difference would be plain to see. One is more like an iron and the other more like a wedge.

 

And they’re both wedges.  Just as a SGI 5-iron and your MP4 5-iron are both irons.

 

[ChetlovesMer]

4 hours ago, billchao said:

No, I'm saying it's exactly like my 9i but with more loft. There are no wedge-like elements to it at all and calling it a "wedge" is a bit of a misnomer IMO.

Dang! I was hoping you had one of these:

1 hour ago, billchao said:

But my point is, today there is definitely a distinction between a wedge head and an iron head, design-wise. Most people's pitching wedges are irons IMO.

Neither statement is a hard fact in every case. But I understand what you mean.

One question, when you get greenside and you realize you left the club you need in your bag. If your playing partner is right by the cart about to walk toward you, would you say to him/her "Hey, on your way over would you grab my Pitching Wedge?" Or would you say to him/her "Hey, on your way over would you grab my 10 iron?" ? 

[Craigers]

I have a 46 degree PW and a 55 degree SW. I plan on adding a gap wedge next year.

[billchao]

1 hour ago, David in FL said:

And they’re both wedges.  Just as a SGI 5-iron and your MP4 5-iron are both irons.

My PW is a lot more similar to my 9i than my GW.

30 minutes ago, ChetlovesMer said:

One question, when you get greenside and you realize you left the club you need in your bag. If your playing partner is right by the cart about to walk toward you, would you say to him/her "Hey, on your way over would you grab my Pitching Wedge?" Or would you say to him/her "Hey, on your way over would you grab my 10 iron?" ?

Not sure what the point of this question is. The obvious answer is whatever gets the club I want in my hands most efficiently.

I'm not going to tell my partner to grab my 10 iron when he's not going to know what the hell I'm talking about and the club is stamped with a P on the bottom. Just like now I won't ask someone to grab my sand wedge or my 55° because it has "LV" stamped on it, I'll ask for my "LV" wedge. When I play with my Hogans, I have to ask for the "Equalizer" and not my pitching wedge or my partner will spend 5 minutes looking for it.

And none of this changes the fact that I still call my pitching wedge a "pitching wedge" despite how I feel about its design and (lack of) versatility. It's just the name of the tool. And no, I don't count it as one of my 3 wedges.

[dennyjones]

I guess I've never really given it much thought if the pitching wedge was a wedge or not.   I have a PW at 43.5°, AW at 49°, SW at 54.5° and LW at 58.5°.   

[billchao]

Just now, dennyjones said:

I guess I've never really given it much thought if the pitching wedge was a wedge or not.   I have a PW at 43.5°, AW at 49°, SW at 54.5° and LW at 58.5°.   

Most people haven't; I'm weird like that.

[David in FL]

2 minutes ago, billchao said:

My PW is a lot more similar to my 9i than my GW.

 

And my GW is more similar to your PW than it is to a SGI 9-iron.  Is my GW not a wedge?  

I keep it simple.  If it says wedge on it, I consider it a wedge.