How Many Wedges Do You Carry?

[stugots]

46 Callaway Fusion
52 Vokey
56 Vokey spin milled
60 Vokey spin milled

[arbitrage]

I now carry 4 wedges, all Taylormade R7 XD's: PW:44, AW:49, SW:54 & LW:59

[Instagolfer]

Three wedges:

PW 48*
SW 53*
LW 58*

(For what it's worth, my 9-iron is bent a couple of degrees more than typical - 43*, instead of the typical 41*. And a typical PW is 45*. So my 9-iron is almost a wedge. Maybe I carry 3-and-a-half wedges . )

[ColinMB]

Right now I only carry one. A 60* Taylormade RAC. I pretty much use it for everything... out of the sand, and anything within 20 feet.

[Hackomatic]

I carry three. PW, SW, 60 LW. I really like the LW but I dont use it often. I'm just not that confident with it yet. The SW will usually suffice. I wish I had more of a pitch and run game but I seem to do better with high and soft.

[ColinMB]

For someone who's just trying to get the ball moving in the right direction, how many wedges do you recommend?

I have been working with my Cleveland CG4 PW (45*) and for sand and close shots a 60*. Is that all I really need right now? Or is the 60* more of a 'pro's' kind of choice near the green? (I will use my 60* when I don't want much carry onto the green.)

[boodaboy16]

I like the 54 and 58 degree Vokey wedges. I never got into the 60 degree wedge. I feel like the 58 degree is more versatile from the fairway and for non-flop chip shots. Also, the 60 degree is too much loft for my flop shot. My PW is 47 degrees, so I have to practice it a lot to get the feel for shots between 110 and 130. I hit the 54 Vokey from about 80-110 yards and the 58 degree from about 80 yards on in.

[Chas]

3 Wedges total... pw, 52, 58. Have a 60* but found myself getting too cute with it and getting into more trouble than before. 52* has been my favorite as of late...

Me too. So now it's just the pitcher, 52 gap and 56 SW. If I wanna be cute, it open up the SW, cock the wrists very early and play the shot that Tiger seems to favor - not with the same result usually of course

. I love that shot actually, I think it's easier than it looks, and I don't seem to completely undercut the ball as I used to sometimes do with the LW, with a humiliating result . But maybe I'll go back to the 60deg LW in time. I'm still somewhat in flux when it comes to clubs-in-the-bag, especially with the 5-wood v. hybrid issue that I'm still unclear about (another thread...).

[hansmixer]

Hi all,

I'm trying to get an idea about how many wedges to carry. I was reading David Pelz's Short Game Bible and noticed that he recommends players carry 4 wedges. His recommendations are: a very weak PW (50'-51'), SW (55'-56'), LW (60'), and XW (64'). When I watch golf programming (i.e., The Golf Channel or other broadcasts), I keep hearing that amateurs should not play a high lofted wedge (60+), but Pelz suggests using a 64' (assuming you can even find one).

Basically, Pelz argues that larger gaps in the woods/long irons will not affect your score as much as having more precision in the short game. Having more precision because of 4 (or 3) wedges gives you more options. But, playing a 64' wedge seems to go against all of the other "conventional" wisdom. Even playing a 60' wedge seems a bit out there. Any thoughts?

I play about 3 rounds of golf every two weeks and my goal this year is to spend 50-60% of my practice time on the short game. I'm a mid-capper (mid-high 80's) and I'd love to get any advice or thoughts on this 4 wedge idea - positive/negative or otherwise.

Any thoughts on this?
Hans.

[i-Guy]

I have always carried 4 wedges if you include my PW (47'). See my signature for my other wedges. I use them all the time. My wedges are played as follows:
PW - 140 yds
GW - 125 yds
SW - 110 yds
LW - 95 yds

Also I use my LW for all shots around the green except bunker shots (SW). After some practice with my LW, I can hood it for chip shots, play it standard lie for normal pitch shots and open it up for flop shots. I am getting ready to replace my GW-LW with MPR wedges. I am really looking forward to playing forged wedges. Especially since they will match the feel of my MP-60 irons. Hope this helps with your decision.

[Guest]

4. PW, Gap Wedge (52 bent to 50), 56 w an 8 degree bounce and a 58 with a 4 degree bounce.

The 58 is pretty much unplayable as our courses tend to be very soft and grass coverage not great (Finland) and hence it has a tendency to dig into the ground unless you hit it perfectly. I thought it was because I was crap but it works fine in the US where I also play a lot.

[iacas]

I'm trying to get an idea about how many wedges to carry. I was reading

I think that goes both ways. Amateurs who don't know how to properly use a wedge shouldn't carry even a 60° wedge. But Pelz figures you know how to use it since you're reading his book.

Anyway, my take on it is this, and I am a "Pelz guy" with my wedges. I even printed and taped my yardages to the underside of my shaft. I carry a standard PW 48° because it matches up with my set. I occasionally hit a full shot with it. Then I carry two more wedges, a 54.10 and a 60.04. Both have a little less bounce than normal for two reasons: 1) we have firmer sand where I play, so I don't need much bounce, and 2) less bounce, particularly on the 60, lets me very easily turn it into a 64 by opening it slightly. I can still easily get under the ball, except perhaps from hardpan, which my course is also lacking... Anyway, you'll note the slightly stronger SW (54°) because it gaps nicely between 48 and 60. I never hit the 60 with a full swing, but occasionally I'll hit the 54 with a full swing. More often than not, I use my wedges with partial swings, though, and the 60 is almost always used within 20 yards of the pin. I'd have to take my 3-iron or my hybrid out to go to four wedges, and frankly, I'm not willing to do that. I've never encountered a situation a little adjustment to my setup to change the loft of one of my three wedges couldn't solve.

Basically, Pelz argues that larger gaps in the woods/long irons will not affect your score as much as having more precision in the short game. Having more precision because of 4 (or 3) wedges gives you more options. But, playing a 64' wedge seems to go against all of the other "conventional" wisdom.

See, that's it. I've gotten to the point where I don't think I can really get more precision from my 3 wedges, so I'm justified in keeping my hybrid or 3-iron.

I do like the Pelz system. I think it really inspires confidence because it removes doubt - the "how hard do I have to swing to get the ball to go 55 yards" doubt. With the 7:30, 9:00, 10:30, and full swing idea, you can hit 10 balls, write down the yardage, and you KNOW the yardage. For tweener yardages you know it's right between, say, 9:00 and 10:30.

[Cleveland Gunmetal]

I currently carry 4 wedges but I just added the 4th this year (60 degree). The idea was that I'd get more use out of a 4th wedge than a 3 iron. I have a strong PW, which matches my set at 45 degrees and a gap wedge at 51, my SW is 56 and the LW is 60. Because I carry such a strong PW I really do need the gap wedge. Some days I like having 4 wedges and other days I'm not sure if it reallly matters because I can play the 56 a little open to hit a lofted shot. I can also take that same wedge and play it off my right foot and hit a low checker. Seems to me I sometimes try to get too cute with the 60 and throw shots away. I really do believe, maybe because it's what I have confidence in but when in doubt get the ball rolling. So I guess I'm still on the fence as to how many wedges to carry, 3 or 4. Like I said I pulled the 3 iron in favor of the 60 and there are days I'd rather just put the 3 back in.

[lamebums]

3. Pitching wedge at 48, a sand wedge at 56, and a lob wedge at 60. I tried to get a 64, but only Cleveland makes them, and I didn't like Clevelands. I hit the pitching wedge up to 130 yards, the sand wedge a hair under 100, and the lob wedge about 80. With the pitching wedge as strong as it is, I probably should get a gap wedge, but I don't know which club to toss, in order to get it. (I am thinking either the 3 or 5 woods, since I'm really unreliable with fairway woods.)

Of course, all of those are if I hit the ball hard. I know my pitching wedge well enough that I can hit anything within 130 yards with it by adjusting my swing power (a few lessons with the pro spent entirely on pitching and chipping). I only use the other wedges in special situations: sand wedge for buried lies in bunkers, lob wedge for flop shots or when I need the ball to stop on a dime, etc. etc. 9 out of 10 times, I'll use the pitching wedge and just adjust power accordingly.

[hansmixer]

I think that goes both ways. Amateurs who don't know how to properly use a wedge shouldn't carry even a 60° wedge. But Pelz figures you know how to use it since you're reading his book.

Eric,

Thanks for the thoughts and information. I've found that I like Pelz's approach to putting and now the short game. The 3x3/3x4 idea makes sense and takes the guess work out. I'm not sure that I know how to hit a 60' wedge just now, but I'll work with my golf instructor this season to see whether 3 or 4 wedges is better for me. I currently have a 47' and 56' and am likely to add a 52' to fill in the gap. I'm figuring I'll get more immediate use out of a 52' than a 60' at this point. Maybe I'll try 3 wedges for a season and evaluate if I need a 4th - maybe even try 4 wedges next season to see if there are any noticeable benefits. If I decided to go with 4 wedges, I'm not sure what club I'd drop - probably a 5W. Again, thanks for the information. I'm glad to see that people actually use Pelz's ideas. I used to carry a small attached to my bag that listed the distances for each club. Maybe I'll need to do that again, but with the wedges.

[CG031]

I carry three.

Standard PW (47 degrees)
Gap Wedge (52 degrees)
Lob Wedge (60 degrees)

[WhiteSoxFan]

I'm intersted in watching the replies to this topic. I currently only have a PW of unknown loft and a 56* SW. I was thinking my next wedge purchase would be a 60* for when I'm close to the green and need to stop the ball quickly after it lands. However, after reading another thread here I had changed my thinking to that I need a 52* GW to fill the gap. I hit my PW about 115 or so and my 56* about 85-90 at full swing. The thinking in the other thread was that the 60* is difficult to hit and you are better off learning how to open up the face on the 56*.

[bigboom]

I carry a standard PW 48° because it matches up with my set. I occasionally hit a full shot with it. Then I carry two more wedges, a 54.10 and a 60.04. Both have a little less bounce than normal for two reasons: 1) we have firmer sand where I play, so I don't need much bounce, and 2) less bounce, particularly on the 60, lets me very easily turn it into a 64 by opening it slightly. I can still easily get under the ball, except perhaps from hardpan, which my course is also lacking...

i think thats the key for most people. dont get a 64 degree but pick up a 60 degree with low bounce and a bounce grind on it and you wont need to carry a 64 degree. i originally wanted to pick up a 64 degree but then i figured i dont want to lose my hybrid so i just ordered a ping tour 60 degree with the low bounce/l grind on it.