Graphite Shafts Necessary in Wedges?

[Sammydreep]

Ive played graphite for a long time now.

When I stopped playing 20 odd years ago lob wedges were just staring to appear.

My irons are graphite, but SW & lob wedge are steel, no issues with them really

I am looking to upgrade, any comments about whether to go for graphite, I’m not sure there would be much advantage.

 Thanks 

[70sSanO]

I use graphite in my sand but steel in my lob.  But, I generally use my 58/60 LW from the bunkers.

I like the same feel for the sand wedge when I’m just playing it like a short(er) iron.

if it were primarily using it from sand, I’d probably go steel.

John

[Piz]

I don't think it makes any difference.  There is such a wide selection of weights and flex profiles, in both steel and graphite, that a golfer can play with whatever shaft material he or she prefers.  If you'd rather all your clubs had graphite shafts...go for it.  If you like your wedges just the way they are...why change?

[Cantankerish]

I bet there is some advantage in some way.  But the benefits seem pretty slim considering what the graphite does and what those clubs do.  I do not know that I have seen a sand wedge with a graphite shaft.

[Sandy Divot]

My pw, gw, and sw are graphite. Don't carry a lw. I like my irons to feel the same.

[leftybutnotPM]

1 hour ago, Cantankerish said:

I bet there is some advantage in some way.  But the benefits seem pretty slim considering what the graphite does and what those clubs do.  I do not know that I have seen a sand wedge with a graphite shaft.

Why would there be an advantage? You are guessing that there is - and would bet on it - but have no reason at all to justify this opinion.

And what do you think the benefits could possibly be?

 

 

[RussUK]

This is something i have been wondering about. My Srixon irons are graphite but by my 52,56 and 60 are all steel. Not sure if any advantages would outweigh the extra cost?

[Cantankerish]

5 hours ago, RussUK said:

This is something i have been wondering about. My Srixon irons are graphite but by my 52,56 and 60 are all steel. Not sure if any advantages would outweigh the extra cost?

Well, the advantages of graphite involve the spring action (reduces fading) and the reduced weight.  Graphite also tends to loft the ball more.  These sorts of things are not especially relevant in wedges.

15 hours ago, leftybutnotPM said:

Why would there be an advantage? You are guessing that there is - and would bet on it - but have no reason at all to justify this opinion.

And what do you think the benefits could possibly be?

 

 

You know, I am actually not the most knowledgeable fellow when it comes to golf.  But somehow I do not feel any particular obligation to defend myself from such an aggressive insinuation of ignorance.  Go start an argument elsewhere please.

[iacas]

7 hours ago, Cantankerish said:

spring action (reduces fading)

Huh?

And good players launch their wedges lower than worse players. Launching them high is generally not a great thing for wedges.

[Cantankerish]

1 hour ago, iacas said:

And good players launch their wedges lower than worse players. Launching them high is generally not a great thing for wedges.

Right.  Did someone say otherwise?

[iacas]

13 minutes ago, Cantankerish said:

Right.  Did someone say otherwise?

You implied it was a good thing, and ignored my “huh?”

[Buckeyebowman]

3 hours ago, iacas said:

Huh?

And good players launch their wedges lower than worse players. Launching them high is generally not a great thing for wedges.

I heard more years ago than I care to recall that, "Good players hit their short irons low, and their long irons high!" 

[Cantankerish]

3 hours ago, iacas said:

You implied it was a good thing, and ignored my “huh?”

I certainly did not imply that it was good.  In fact I said it is not relevant.  And yes I ignored the huh.

[iacas]

38 minutes ago, Cantankerish said:

I certainly did not imply that it was good.  In fact I said it is not relevant.  And yes I ignored the huh.

The semantics argument ends here, because you did imply that it's good:

Quote

Well, the advantages of graphite involve the spring action (reduces fading) and the reduced weight.  Graphite also tends to loft the ball more.

THEN you said it's not "especially relevant."

@leftybutnotPM wasn't off-base in asking you to expand on your thoughts.

[billchao]

1 hour ago, Cantankerish said:

And yes I ignored the huh.

So you’re just going to make a statement about graphite shafts that nobody’s heard of and then not elaborate on it?

[leftybutnotPM]

13 hours ago, Cantankerish said:

 

You know, I am actually not the most knowledgeable fellow when it comes to golf.  But somehow I do not feel any particular obligation to defend myself from such an aggressive insinuation of ignorance.  Go start an argument elsewhere please.

Then I suggest you stop making absurd statements that you "are prepared to bet on" if you have no idea why you hold such thoughts which I'm not even going to insinuate are opinions because they are based on zero knowledge and zero thought processes. My guess is that you find yourself in arguments a fair bit when you are asked to defend a position which you haven't thought through or researched.

There's nothing wrong with being ignorant - but you are the one who is being aggressive.

[iacas]

Moving on, guys…

[Cantankerish]

6 hours ago, billchao said:

So you’re just going to make a statement about graphite shafts that nobody’s heard of and then not elaborate on it?

This is for you, my dear friends.  I am putting this here specifically to refute the demand that I speak more about the word "huh".

"The ball may tend to draw a bit more from the forward bending of the shaft at impact causing the face to rotate past square to be slightly closed. However, if the golfer happens to slice or fade the ball, this actually could help reduce such a misdirection tendency. "

This quote can be found under the heading:

Possible Outcomes When Using a Shaft That Is Too Flexible for Your Swing

Explaining the Effect of Wrong Shaft Flex in Golf Clubs

---

What happens when you use golf clubs with the wrong shaft flex? Things that hurt your score. Here are some specific examples of possible problems.

I used the words "spring action" while this author used the words "forward bending"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  I was going to put some more quotes here.  But I do not feel like it.  The words are there for you to see.  Any implication you read of a claim of advantage comes from your interpretation of my words rather than the words themselves.  I made no such claim.

 

Bill and Erik, I know you love to remove my stuff, but I ask you to leave this here so I can defend myself against these accusations from lefty.

 

Do tell, Lefty, because again you attack me for no apparent reason...where are my ignorant words you speak of?