Lowering Wedge Ball Flight

[boogielicious]

My current set of wedges include PW, 50, 54 and 58. I’ve got two sets of irons I play, Titleist 716 CB and Mizuno MP59. My Titleist 716 CB PW is 47 degrees and my Mizuno MP 59 is 46. I’ve got Project X LZ 5.5 shafts in both set of irons, which I really like. My Wedges are Edel and have the KBS Hi Rev shafts in them. I got them used.

My wedges tend to balloon a bit with partial shots. I usually do only 3/4 and 1/2 shots with my wedges. Even my 9 iron can balloon a bit with full shots.

I’m wondering if the Hi Rev shafts should be replaced with a lower launching shaft. I want to do a wedge fitting at some point, but the ‘Rona kind of prevented that this year. 

I can do some experimenting over the winter, which I like to do. I was thinking of either the Project X LZ 5.5 or 6.0 in the wedges but wanted to see what others thought. @Adam C, @Piz, @iacas. Thoughts?

[iacas]

Some questions:

• What about something more like the C-Taper?
• Is it the launch, too, that balloons them or the spin?
• Do you make a slightly different or more “flighted” swing with these type of shots?
• If your 9I balloons, why would you want the same shaft?

[boogielicious]

8 hours ago, iacas said:

Some questions:

• What about something more like the C-Taper?
• Is it the launch, too, that balloons them or the spin?
• Do you make a slightly different or more “flighted” swing with these type of shots?
• If your 9I balloons, why would you want the same shaft?

• I will check the C Taper out.
• Launch tends to start higher. I’ve been working with Stephan and Kris on this. Hands higher and more forward at set up to come in steeper. I’ve also played with ball position but don’t go past middle. Not sure about spin. I will try to get some MEVO data but the MEVO has been inconsistent. It misses shots and I get odd data with beat up balls. My net set up is too close and I don’t have the height to back up. On the course, they seem to balloon but it’s hard to tell. Hitting off mats doesn’t help much either.
• My go to is a 3/4 shot with these clubs. I rarely do a full shot. Distance is roughly 9 iron=110. PW=100, 50=95,  54=85, 58=75. If I do full shots, I don’t get much more distance. Example PW 115 full.
• Good point. I switched from TT XP95 to the Project X this year, which helped.

[Typhoon92]

Have you looked into “Tiger Stepping”?  I’ve always had trouble flighting down wedges with wedge specific shafts but have just lived with it.  My best wedge flight came from my old Ping Eye2’s that were before someone came up with wedge shafts.  Check it out, I think it has to do with using your sets 8 iron in the wedges.

[MiuraMan]

Here is a video on "Custom Wedge Shafts" you may find interesting: 

The whole question of High Launch vs Low Launch shafts generally applies to driver fittings; here are two videos on that subject you may find interesting: 

 

 

With respect to my wedge game and testing etc.; I have found minor differences as far as launch angle (measured on a GCQuad) with various stock shafts found on off the rack wedges from the major manufacturers. For me the biggest impact on launch conditions is my delivery of the club head to the ball at impact. A long time ago I had picked up the following tip for hitting a low trajectory shot (I cannot recall where and from who this originated). Called the 2-2-2 setup. Grip two inches down; place the ball back 2 in from normal; pull your front foot back 2 inches. Generally when i use this technique it is with a 1/2 (9 o'clock?) to 3/4 swing (10:30?). Oftentimes I will use this swing with the driver as my "fairway finder" into the wind or with a cross-wind; also when having to keep it low because of a tree. I use it a lot on approach shots into the wind or a cross wind.

[boogielicious]

4 hours ago, Typhoon92 said:

Have you looked into “Tiger Stepping”?  I’ve always had trouble flighting down wedges with wedge specific shafts but have just lived with it.  My best wedge flight came from my old Ping Eye2’s that were before someone came up with wedge shafts.  Check it out, I think it has to do with using your sets 8 iron in the wedges.

I looked it up. Sounds interesting.

[Darkfrog]

8 hours ago, Typhoon92 said:

Check it out, I think it has to do with using your sets 8 iron in the wedges.

 

4 hours ago, boogielicious said:

I looked it up. Sounds interesting.

Followed a few google searches on discussion of this term, but I'm still confused by exactly what "tiger stepping" means. I'd love to hear a detailed explanation. I would like to lower the trajectory of my wedges (actually all my clubs, but I'll start with wedges), and I enjoy tinkering.

[TourSpoon]

Before you go put the X100 8 iron shafts in your wedges (or equivalent) which sounds really interesting, have you thoroughly reviewed you technique, ball choice, and checked your lofts? Are you a digger or sweeper? Do we need a video? I am out of control, someone stop me! 

Seriously, you probably need to check out why that 9 iron is ballooning on you. That was a red flag for me. 

[boogielicious]

11 hours ago, TourSpoon said:

Before you go put the X100 8 iron shafts in your wedges (or equivalent) which sounds really interesting, have you thoroughly reviewed you technique, ball choice, and checked your lofts? Are you a digger or sweeper? Do we need a video? I am out of control, someone stop me! 

Seriously, you probably need to check out why that 9 iron is ballooning on you. That was a red flag for me. 

I work on technique all the time. I’ve also sent in videos of my wedge shots to my Evolvr instructor. I don’t leave large divots, so I’m not digging that much, but my Edel’s do have Driver grinds. I’m not flipping either as my videos in my swing thread show. The 9 iron only feels like it balloons on full swing, not on partial shots. My ball is a Snell MTB-X.

I’ve also played with ball position and coming in steeper. I will do more testing over the winter.

[TourSpoon]

44 minutes ago, boogielicious said:

I work on technique all the time. I’ve also sent in videos of my wedge shots to my Evolvr instructor. I don’t leave large divots, so I’m not digging that much, but my Edel’s do have Driver grinds. I’m not flipping either as my videos in my swing thread show. The 9 iron only feels like it balloons on full swing, not on partial shots. My ball is a Snell MTB-X.

I’ve also played with ball position and coming in steeper. I will do more testing over the winter.

I was just giving you some of the business. I switched balls to the TP5s and found they helped me in the wind more than the ProV1x balls.  I could all be in my head, but they seem to be more penetrating. I don't think steeper is better for anything spin related especially ballooning. It sounds like you are launching a little higher than you want and it gets away from you. I have heard some guys that change shafts and then adjust their lofts. Sounds like a winter project for sure! Keep us posted.  

[Ole Duffer]

Habits are hard to break.

I have always had a hard down hitting down on the ball, coming down steeper, so I get a high flight and short distance.  I did drop 5 strokes working on that problem, but, after 60 years, if I hit the ball right I would probably add strokes.

Not a problem for now.

[Typhoon92]

So I click on one of the golf WRX links just to read up about it again and... now I can never even log in over there since they changed the site so I just don’t bother....  I get an email from them that’s a member pm.  I open it and it’s a link to porn.

 

they suck over there

[boogielicious]

1 hour ago, Typhoon92 said:

So I click on one of the golf WRX links just to read up about it again and... now I can never even log in over there since they changed the site so I just don’t bother....  I get an email from them that’s a member pm.  I open it and it’s a link to porn.

 

they suck over there

I tend to avoid them too!

[Darkfrog]

I'm going to give this "Tiger stepping" thing a try. I've got a 54* Edel Trapper wedge with an KBS Wedge R-flex shaft that's not in my bag since I usually carry my 55* with an S shaft. I can compare ball flight of the 54 and 55* wedges to see if there's any difference.

From what I read on the web, I just need to take an 8-iron shaft in a stiffer flex and put it in the wedge head. Am I on the right track here?

I can't find any single X100 Tour Issue 8-iron shafts for sale right now so I might try this with a KBS C-Taper S+ 8-iron shaft which seems to be readily available for purchase.

Not sure if this will really make any noticeable difference, but I'm kind of itching to tinker with this idea.

[Typhoon92]

1 hour ago, Darkfrog said:

I'm going to give this "Tiger stepping" thing a try. I've got a 54* Edel Trapper wedge with an KBS Wedge R-flex shaft that's not in my bag since I usually carry my 55* with an S shaft. I can compare ball flight of the 54 and 55* wedges to see if there's any difference.

From what I read on the web, I just need to take an 8-iron shaft in a stiffer flex and put it in the wedge head. Am I on the right track here?

I can't find any single X100 Tour Issue 8-iron shafts for sale right now so I might try this with a KBS C-Taper S+ 8-iron shaft which seems to be readily available for purchase.

Not sure if this will really make any noticeable difference, but I'm kind of itching to tinker with this idea.

Yup 1 flex stronger and use an 8 iron shaft.

Talk to me about Tiger-stepping | ShotTalk.com

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From what I gather Tiger-stepping involves using 10 cpm stiffer shaft tipped to 8 iron...

 

Edited December 8, 2020 by Typhoon92
Added link

[Darkfrog]

The 8-iron C-taper X-flex shaft I ordered arrived yesterday, so I built a "tiger stepped" 54-degree wedge. I plan to take it out for my round tomorrow along with my normal 55-degree wedge for some organoleptic analysis. When I get a chance, I'll bring both the wedges to a practice area with launch monitors and get some actual ball flight data.

[boogielicious]

4 minutes ago, Darkfrog said:

The 8-iron C-taper X-flex shaft I ordered arrived yesterday, so I built a "tiger stepped" 54-degree wedge. I plan to take it out for my round tomorrow along with my normal 55-degree wedge for some organoleptic analysis. When I get a chance, I'll bring both the wedges to a practice area with launch monitors and get some actual ball flight data.

I had a TT DG S300 8 iron shaft and put it in a gap wedge. I hit it verses my Edel 50 with the KBS HI-Rev shaft. It felt nice, but it was too windy to really tell anything. I will try again with the MEVO and get some data.

[billchao]

19 hours ago, boogielicious said:

It felt nice, but it was too windy to really tell anything.

If it was windy and you controlled it well, doesn’t that actually tell you quite a bit?