Considering Dropping 2 Most Lofted Wedges for Just 1, Thoughts?

[WUTiger]

On 4/29/2021 at 5:39 AM, boogielicious said:

It’s whatever works best for you. I carry 51, 54 and 58, but have played around with other combinations. Try it for a few rounds.

@onthehunt526, people like me who started playing golf in the previous century were hitting greenside cut shots with SW for 15 years before the Tom Kite turned us on to the LW.

It wasn't like one of those silly pharma TV ads where someone 48 hours out of heart surgery say, "Gee, I wonder if there's something better than Warfarin?"

We just tried to make the best swing we could with the clubs we had... sometimes a 7i chipNrun, sometimes a PW, sometimes the SW cut.

If you can work the 56* as your main close-in club, go for it. But, I'm sure you have a couple of courses where the 58* goes back in the bag.  Put the LW to the side, but don't chop the shaft for your daughter just yet.

In my revised bag, I have 48*, 54* and 58*. As for the LW, you probably don't need one - until you do. As for me, the 60* LW has always been problematic for something other than greenside shots. The 58* is a lot more stable for up to a 3/4 swing. Not all LWs are created equal!

Nowadays, inside 20 yards it's mostly 58* cut shot (not lob), or 7i chip shot.

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Alternative viewpoint. Ten years ago, my wife and I went on our first spring golf vacation. We showed up at a small resort, and met two golfers from the local college. For both, the highest lofted wedge was a 56*. I asked one how it worked. He said, "Uh, I'm smart enough not to shortside myself. So, why do I need a  lob wedge?"

[onthehunt526]

1 hour ago, WUTiger said:

@onthehunt526, people like me who started playing golf in the previous century were hitting greenside cut shots with SW for 15 years before the Tom Kite turned us on to the LW.

It wasn't like one of those silly pharma TV ads where someone 48 hours out of heart surgery say, "Gee, I wonder if there's something better than Warfarin?"

We just tried to make the best swing we could with the clubs we had... sometimes a 7i chipNrun, sometimes a PW, sometimes the SW cut.

If you can work the 56* as your main close-in club, go for it. But, I'm sure you have a couple of courses where the 58* goes back in the bag.  Put the LW to the side, but don't chop the shaft for your daughter just yet.

In my revised bag, I have 48*, 54* and 58*. As for the LW, you probably don't need one - until you do. As for me, the 60* LW has always been problematic for something other than greenside shots. The 58* is a lot more stable for up to a 3/4 swing. Not all LWs are created equal!

Nowadays, inside 20 yards it's mostly 58* cut shot (not lob), or 7i chip shot.

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Alternative viewpoint. Ten years ago, my wife and I went on our first spring golf vacation. We showed up at a small resort, and met two golfers from the local college. For both, the highest lofted wedge was a 56*. I asked one how it worked. He said, "Uh, I'm smart enough not to shortside myself. So, why do I need a  lob wedge?"

I don’t really need a lofted sand wedge... maybe a strong lob wedge but not a lofted sand wedge.

[tehuti]

I have 45°, 50° and 56°. Simple. As a short knocker I need the extra slots for the top of my bag.

[Morgan Mullins]

Exactly! Mine are 44, 50, and 56 degrees, with a 58 in reserve to be swapped in for the 56 depending on the course. The lob wedge and the accompanying flop shot are unnecessary risks.

[onthehunt526]

Well at least this isn’t 1988, when Sports Illustrated thought there were only 2 wedges when several manufacturers made 60°-62° wedges. 
 

I don’t much use my 60° wedge even from sand, because high tariff shots are not worth it.

[Bob M]

The PW and UW (gap wedge) for my Ping G710s are 44* and 49* respectively. Thus far this year, my only other wedge has been a Glide 3.0 Eye-2 56* (with the same 80 gm Recoil as in my irons), however, after "test driving" a Cleveland CBX 2 54*, with a Recoil 95) I've decided to replace the 56* with a 54* and 58*. I have a CBX 2 58* with the same Recoil 95 shaft on order. I find that the CBX 2 is better out of the sand, gaps better with my UW is and generally more versatile than the Ping. Also, I like that it is somewhat heavier than my PW and UW, which I tend to use as 10 and 11 irons anyway. I'm thinking of the 58* as being a second sand wedge, rather than a lob wedge, and plan to use it for most shots around the green. 

Since this addition still gives me only 13 clubs, I have room to the 58* too. 

[onthehunt526]

I could drop the 2 middle wedges for one on too. The 50 and 54 for a 52… I shot 70 today and didn’t have 1 single 54° wedge shot not one. I hit more 4-irons (3) than 54° wedge shots (0).

[mohearn]

12 hours ago, onthehunt526 said:

I could drop the 2 middle wedges for one on too. The 50 and 54 for a 52… I shot 70 today and didn’t have 1 single 54° wedge shot not one. I hit more 4-irons (3) than 54° wedge shots (0).

I use 51 and 56 to play. (PW is 47).  Practice with both a 60 and 64 because they're hard to hit and help me be sharp. On course I find I rather hit my 56 opened up vs the 60.  I shot 70 too, but still had a few holes left to play. Nice work.

[GubJr]

Late on the topic but I carry 2 wedges other than my PW. 52/56. Just open up my 56 when needed

[onthehunt526]

To tell you to the truth, I wish that I had weaker lofted irons sometimes, would make life easier. At one point in my Exotics days, I carried 5 wedges. My EXi PW (44°), and AW (48°), 52°, 56°, 60° in the CB Pro wedges. I kind of miss the days I carried a 47° PW with my CBX blades… I had a 60° but it just sat in my bag. Never used it. 56° for everything.

[Billy Z]

50, 54, 58 for me. The 54 sw is very easy to get out of the sand with, and often times rather be in sand then rough because of it. 58 for lobs over sand and elevated greens. I only use the 58 when I have to.