Replacing PW From Iron Set

[Bonvivant]

So this year I replaced my Nike blades with 712 AP2s and my Nike wedges with 3 Vokeys. The problem I am having is that the PW from the AP2 set does not gap well with the 52 degree Vokey that I have (120-100). Has anyone messed with playing 4 specialty wedges while dropping their PW from the iron set? What were your experiences and was it worth it?

[BC-to-MI]

I don't have an answer to your specific question as I haven't played with a speciality PW, but while that may solve your current problem, wouldn't that likely just create a similar gapping issue between your 9i and PW?

Depending on what your gaps look like on either side, have you considered bending your PW one degree weak and your 52 to 51? Or a couple degrees on either club?

[Bonvivant]

30 minutes ago, BC-to-MI said:

I don't have an answer to your specific question as I haven't played with a speciality PW, but while that may solve your current problem, wouldn't that likely just create a similar gapping issue between your 9i and PW?

Depending on what your gaps look like on either side, have you considered bending your PW one degree weak and your 52 to 51? Or a couple degrees on either club?

I don't particularly want to change bounces. Right now my low end gapping is 130 for 9i, 120 for PW, 100 for GW. Looking for 1 degree weaker PW to make it closer to 115 (I know this isn't ideal or perfect but that was my thought). I also tend to hit my Vokeys better than my AP2s which is why I was maybe looking at a 48 degree Vokey.

[BC-to-MI]

1 hour ago, Bonvivant said:

I don't particularly want to change bounces. Right now my low end gapping is 130 for 9i, 120 for PW, 100 for GW. Looking for 1 degree weaker PW to make it closer to 115 (I know this isn't ideal or perfect but that was my thought). I also tend to hit my Vokeys better than my AP2s which is why I was maybe looking at a 48 degree Vokey.

Not wanting to change bounce makes sense if you are comfortable with what you have.

The only other thing I would be aware of is the likely difference in ball speed you get in the AP2s vs a Vokey of the same loft. Dropping one degree while also changing head types may result in more than one degree of yardage. For me, I have a much bigger gap between my PW and GW than my GW and SW despite only one extra degree of loft difference just because the head design of the AP3 PW is so much different than the rest of my wedges (though, admittedly, the 712 AP2s would be much closer than the AP3s).

[Bonvivant]

1 hour ago, BC-to-MI said:

Not wanting to change bounce makes sense if you are comfortable with what you have.

The only other thing I would be aware of is the likely difference in ball speed you get in the AP2s vs a Vokey of the same loft. Dropping one degree while also changing head types may result in more than one degree of yardage. For me, I have a much bigger gap between my PW and GW than my GW and SW despite only one extra degree of loft difference just because the head design of the AP3 PW is so much different than the rest of my wedges (though, admittedly, the 712 AP2s would be much closer than the AP3s).

I'm hoping to see a 5 yard drop which is more than you should see from a 1 degree loft change. Still not sold on it, but like the Vokeys so much and think that a 48/8 would fit my bag nice. That being said, I hit the PW better than normal today. 42/47 89 on my home course.

[arturo28mx]

I f you decide to get a 48 specialty wedge you may want to replace the shaft so it matches your other irons.

 

[colin007]

Hit partial shots with the PW? I use my PW from 80-130

[billchao]

I asked this question myself not too long ago and didn't come up with an answer. Instead, I ended up in a debate over what constitutes an iron-like vs a wedge-like PW.

Started thinking about this again myself, since @Bonvivant started the topic. I'm hitting more partial swings with my PW lately and using it around the greens more, so I'm kind of thinking I want it to match my other wedges in terms of bounce and sole grind.

[Bonvivant]

Just now, arturo28mx said:

I f you decide to get a 48 specialty wedge you may want to replace the shaft so it matches your other irons.

 

Thanks for the tip. I am pretty sure that my irons are S300s, and my wedges are Vokey "wedge flex" which I have been told are S200s. I don't really mind either of these shafts/can't tell the difference, so I am not super worried about it but I am glad you brought it up for something to think about.

 

Just now, colin007 said:

Hit partial shots with the PW? I use my PW from 80-130

Typically I do this with my GW and SW. I am fairly comfortable under 80 yards hitting partials with either. I hit some "flighted" shots with 7-PW as well. Kind of a weird 80-90 percent swing where it goes about a club or club and a half shorter, but nice low and penetrating.

 

Just now, billchao said:

I asked this question myself not too long ago and didn't come up with an answer. Instead, I ended up in a debate over what constitutes an iron-like vs a wedge-like PW.

Started thinking about this again myself, since @Bonvivant started the topic. I'm hitting more partial swings with my PW lately and using it around the greens more, so I'm kind of thinking I want it to match my other wedges in terms of bounce and sole grind.

Thanks for the input. Something about the AP2 PW doesn't look right to me. It is the chunkiest looking of the iron set, and I think that my Vokeys have a sleeker look and that is why I am gravitating towards this idea.

[Release]

On 7/3/2020 at 8:58 AM, Bonvivant said:

I don't particularly want to change bounces. Right now my low end gapping is 130 for 9i, 120 for PW, 100 for GW. Looking for 1 degree weaker PW to make it closer to 115 (I know this isn't ideal or perfect but that was my thought). I also tend to hit my Vokeys better than my AP2s which is why I was maybe looking at a 48 degree Vokey.

Your issue is the larger gap between the PW and the GW.  One way is to practice different yardage with your PW like golfers used to do before the specialty wedges came out in the late 70 early 80's.

Another seemingly easier solution is to hunt for a wedge that you could fill in the 110 yd. distance.  Pretty certain with your distance you could forsake  one of the long iron or mid irons to add one more wedge for the 110 yd. 

Keep in mind, even the iron Byron could not dial in exactly the same yardage each time, the human body definitely could not fulfill the supposed perfect yardage each time we swing the golf club.  But we have a brain which is not matched by the A.I. at this present time.   

Throughout the ages, all great golfers started with just one golf club and learned to play different yardage with that one golf club........ which may seem to be too much work for the modern day golfers, so......

Go on a hunt for a 110 yd. wedge for your bag and stop messing around with your current set up, which by the way is very nice.

 

[Bonvivant]

8 minutes ago, Release said:

Your issue is the larger gap between the PW and the GW.  One way is to practice different yardage with your PW like golfers used to do before the specialty wedges came out in the late 70 early 80's.

Another seemingly easier solution is to hunt for a wedge that you could fill in the 110 yd. distance.  Pretty certain with your distance you could forsake  one of the long iron or mid irons to add one more wedge for the 110 yd. 

Keep in mind, even the iron Byron could not dial in exactly the same yardage each time, the human body definitely could not fulfill the supposed perfect yardage each time we swing the golf club.  But we have a brain which is not matched by the A.I. at this present time.   

Throughout the ages, all great golfers started with just one golf club and learned to play different yardage with that one golf club........ which may seem to be too much work for the modern day golfers, so......

Go on a hunt for a 110 yd. wedge for your bag and stop messing around with your current set up, which by the way is very nice.

 

Thanks for the input. I mentioned earlier that I do posses a knockdown shot, which usually gives me a club(ish) gap. This would work with PW too, but I can't seem to hit it that well even with a full swing. It's a chunky monkey and I have issues with how it looks, which seems to play a really big role in how well I hit a given club. I tend to do okay with my long irons (last three 4 iron shots in my app averaged to 195 total distance), and since I am not very long off the tee I find myself hitting them more often than wedges. An argument could be made for more hybrids an less long irons, but I don't think that this short end of the bag issue is going away. I might just bite the bullet and buy the 48 degree and give it a whirl. Worst case scenario I've got a newish pretty club to look at.

Thanks for the bag compliment too. I think my WITB pics are recent in that thread.

[knott]

I kept my old PW when buying new clubs. It´s labelled W and quite different so little chance of picking the wrong club. Whenever you can hit full shots it´s always easier don´t have to think much. Adrenaline often make my partial swings go to long. 

[Release]

On 7/6/2020 at 9:13 AM, Bonvivant said:

Thanks for the input. I mentioned earlier that I do posses a knockdown shot, which usually gives me a club(ish) gap. This would work with PW too, but I can't seem to hit it that well even with a full swing. It's a chunky monkey and I have issues with how it looks, which seems to play a really big role in how well I hit a given club. I tend to do okay with my long irons (last three 4 iron shots in my app averaged to 195 total distance), and since I am not very long off the tee I find myself hitting them more often than wedges. An argument could be made for more hybrids an less long irons, but I don't think that this short end of the bag issue is going away. I might just bite the bullet and buy the 48 degree and give it a whirl. Worst case scenario I've got a newish pretty club to look at.

Thanks for the bag compliment too. I think my WITB pics are recent in that thread.

Pick a club and practice the yardage you want to fill in.  Mine was the PW, Some like 8 iron........

One does not change tennis racket between hitting to the center court or to the baseline.  Does not change throwing motion from first base or the outfield to the home plate, does not change the throwing from fault line to the 3 point range .....  Make your favorite golf club more versatile.

 

 

[TourSpoon]

I have a similar set up and treat the AP2 PW more like a 9 iron at 46 and gap with a 50, 54, 58. I say 9 iron because its really a full swing club for me with the s300 shaft. The 50 with the wedge flex is just more of a wedge and as such sees the more nuanced treatment of what would normally be a weak pitching wedge. Granted the shafts are very close so it could just be the shape and feel that I perceive as different. 

I played the Titleist 735s for a dozen or so years and bent the pw (blade) one degree week to 48 (all of the clubs were bent one way or the other) and filled in with 54, 60 and never had an issue with bounce. I don't think you will be able to tell a difference in 1 degree of bounce in your pw if you decided to go that route and even with a 48 Vokey you may want to go a degree strong or tweek your lofts in general. 

Good luck and keep us updated.