Wedges, match to iron set or not?

[Mr. Desmond]

Try the Tour Gorge before you commit to the set wedge in the two highest lofts

[billchao]

Taking a shovel to this thread.

I've been thinking about replacing all my wedges and getting fit for them, but the one thing I'm not sure about is whether I should replace my PW or not. It's a Mizuno MP4 and I use it primarily for full and flighted shots, but rarely for partial shots or around the greens. I really like it for what I do with it.

I'm wondering though if I'm limiting myself because I'm not using this club for more options. Maybe because it's basically an iron, that's the reason I don't use it for more finesse shots? Part of me thinks having more options in the bag and my game can't hurt, another part of me wonders if that's really worth spending $150 on a club I don't really need.

Thoughts?

[arturo28mx]

Some Pro’s use a specialty wedge (46 degrees) instead of their set pitching wedge because the specialty wedge gives them more spin and allows them to make a greater variety of shots. I think for amateurs the set pitching wedge is fine. I do prefer a specialty wedge as a gap wedge, not the set gap wedge, because I like more weight in my short wedges. 

Edited July 28, 2018 by arturo28mx

[Mr. Desmond]

On 7/28/2018 at 9:46 AM, billchao said:

Taking a shovel to this thread.

I've been thinking about replacing all my wedges and getting fit for them, but the one thing I'm not sure about is whether I should replace my PW or not. It's a Mizuno MP4 and I use it primarily for full and flighted shots, but rarely for partial shots or around the greens. I really like it for what I do with it.

I'm wondering though if I'm limiting myself because I'm not using this club for more options. Maybe because it's basically an iron, that's the reason I don't use it for more finesse shots? Part of me thinks having more options in the bag and my game can't hurt, another part of me wonders if that's really worth spending $150 on a club I don't really need.

Thoughts?

I assume the MP4 PW, since it is almost 6 yr old, that it has a traditional loft of about 47-48. I use my Gap (which is 50 and comparable) for running chips around the green, and like you, for full, partial, flighted shots, depending on conditions. I think of the last 2 wedges in a lineup, traditionally the 54-60, as specialty wedges with a grind and bounce that offer versatility, so I would not be concerned about replacing your PW, but to focus on sand and lob wedge and what fits your swing - steep or shallow, and the types of shots you tend to create around the greens - look at the grind.

[Shindig]

On 7/28/2018 at 7:46 AM, billchao said:

Taking a shovel to this thread.

I've been thinking about replacing all my wedges and getting fit for them, but the one thing I'm not sure about is whether I should replace my PW or not. It's a Mizuno MP4 and I use it primarily for full and flighted shots, but rarely for partial shots or around the greens. I really like it for what I do with it.

Why don't you use it for partial shots?  I would suspect it's a lot more versatile than my W (44.5 degree Ping G-400) and I use that for full shots, flighted shots (which I think of as a 3/4 shot), half shots (gets me about 55 yards) and quarter shots (40 yards, give or take from run).  

Is it that you can't get the shot to come off or that you don't like doing that shot with clubs from your iron set?

I also have measured half and quarter shots with my 9-iron and 8-iron for what it's worth.

[billchao]

On 7/28/2018 at 3:13 PM, arturo28mx said:

Some Pro’s use a specialty wedge (46 degrees) instead of their set pitching wedge because the specialty wedge gives them more spin and allows them to make a greater variety of shots.

Those are both perfectly good reasons for me to get one.

10 hours ago, Mr. Desmond said:

I assume the MP4 PW, since it is almost 6 yr old, that it has a traditional loft of about 47-48. I use my Gap (which is 50 and comparable) for running chips around the green, and like you, for full, partial, flighted shots, depending on conditions. I think of the last 2 wedges in a lineup, traditionally the 54-60, as specialty wedges with a grind and bounce that offer versatility, so I would not be concerned about replacing your PW, but to focus on sand and lob wedge and what fits your swing - steep or shallow, and the types of shots you tend to create around the greens - look at the grind.

The MP4 PW is 46°. My wedge set right now is 50°, 56°, 60°. I'll probably go 50°, 54°, 58° if I get new wedges. If I'm like most people I'd end up with three different grinds on those wedges.

I need a new GW for certain and a new SW, but my LW is newer so I can keep using that without giving anything up TBH. Even if I go 50°, 54°, 60°, I almost never hit my LW full anyway so the extra 2° isn't going to hurt my game.

I guess it really comes down to whether I feel like I can hit all the shots I need to with my set PW versus a specialty wedge.

10 hours ago, Shindig said:

Why don't you use it for partial shots?  I would suspect it's a lot more versatile than my W (44.5 degree Ping G-400) and I use that for full shots, flighted shots (which I think of as a 3/4 shot), half shots (gets me about 55 yards) and quarter shots (40 yards, give or take from run). 

The answer is dumb - because I never mapped it. I used my Mevo and mapped my partial wedge shots and wrote them in a notebook I carry in my back pocket on the course. I don't generally use my PW inside of 100 yards (with some exceptions) because I know what combination of swing I need with another club to hit a variety of distances.

10 hours ago, Shindig said:

Is it that you can't get the shot to come off or that you don't like doing that shot with clubs from your iron set?

The only other thing I can think of is I rarely hit a long running greenside chip, so the PW just doesn't come to mind much as a greenside option. I kind of prefer to fly my ball closer to the hole. I can't say for certain if that's actually a good strategy or not. I don't like to chip with irons and I think of my set PW as an iron.

---

I thought of something as I was typing this response and based on some of the feedback, I'm probably not going to replace my set PW with a 46° wedge (though I'll work on incorporating it into my game more). I just don't think I'm good enough for it to matter and I'm already playing a blade for a PW so I don't think I'll see much difference from the club design by switching to a blade-style wedge.

Thanks for the input, guys.

[Mr. Desmond]

38 minutes ago, billchao said:

Those are both perfectly good reasons for me to get one.

The MP4 PW is 46°. My wedge set right now is 50°, 56°, 60°. I'll probably go 50°, 54°, 58° if I get new wedges. If I'm like most people I'd end up with three different grinds on those wedges.

I need a new GW for certain and a new SW, but my LW is newer so I can keep using that without giving anything up TBH. Even if I go 50°, 54°, 60°, I almost never hit my LW full anyway so the extra 2° isn't going to hurt my game.

I guess it really comes down to whether I feel like I can hit all the shots I need to with my set PW versus a specialty wedge.

Thanks for the input, guys.

Personally, I like your 50, 56, 60 setup. I play fast greens and like a little more loft. I don't think of a 45-46 club as a specialty wedge - I think of it as an iron. My specialty wedges are  56 and 60 with different grinds, although I use the 50 for long bunker shots and running chips. The Gap typically does not have a "creative" grind. Good luck. I went to the Glide 2.0 Stealth recently in 50, 56ES and 60SS, and am finding them very agreeable and versatile - nice looking head and excellent stopping power.