Wedge Loft Set-Up

[MikeLowry5]

When putting together a set early this summer I didn't know what I was looking for and looks like I may have screwed up/ Currently I have four wedges that I play (52/56/60/64).

After reading up and looking at the specs on my irons I realized the pitching wedge has a 45* loft which leaves me 7* of difference between that and the gap wedge.

It would appear that doing something like a 50/54/58 would have been optimal however I absolutely love the 64* and use it around the greens alot.

Any suggestions? It wouldn't be the end of the world having to re-tool however I would probably be looking at a $100-$150 loss after selling the current wedges on Ebay.

[Marinemike]

Leave it like it is. You know your distances. Changing clubs won't change anything about your short game except maybe that you'll be wrapped around the axle even more about distances associated with having 2 degrees of loft difference when you decide which club to catch ugly fat from 105 yards.

[Bosock]

I agree with Marinemike. I have been slowly putting together a bag of clubs and one of my dilemmas has been my wedge setup. Heard 60 is a must, yet others go 47, 54 and 58. Was very confusing. Then talked to the local area golf pro and he informed me no particular setup works for everyone as we all hit the clubs differently. If you hit your wedges long then you might want a 60-64. If not then a 56-58 might do. Also on your flop shots what club you most comfortable with. Basically what he communicated to me was that if i could hit a 60 for 60 yards i might want to put that in my bag. If not, then i might want to go with 56-58. He was far more technical in his explanation, but basically, what he said was, which ever clubs you can feel most comfortable in and you can minimize gaps in your short short game and feel comfortable with the technical shots (flop shot) then that is the setup for you. It will be different for everyone, and may not necessarily mean you need a 60 and 64. If you do not feel you have any blaring gaps, you hit your current club setup well, and you love your 64 for the speciality shots up close, nothing wrong there roll with it.

[Marinemike]

One other thing...If they're forged, and you just can't leave it alone, get them bent. It'll save tons of time and money. 2 degrees is totally doable.

[Stacey_E]

I believe I'd just tweak the lofts on the wedges you have now. You could change them to 46, 51, 56, 60, 64 (my current makeup) or 45, 50, 55, 60, 64. I'd just go with whatever works with your particular wedges. Remember that adding loft degrees adds bounce in the same amount of degrees, and removing loft removes bounce. Its probabaly not a big issue when only changing 1 or 2 degrees anyway. Good luck!

[shankapotamus]

I agree with Marinemike. I have been slowly putting together a bag of clubs and one of my dilemmas has been my wedge setup.

Who told you that? I have never heard anybody say that.

[MikeLowry5]

I believe I'd just tweak the lofts on the wedges you have now. You could change them to 46, 51, 56, 60, 64 (my current makeup) or 45, 50, 55, 60, 64. I'd just go with whatever works with your particular wedges. Remember that adding loft degrees adds bounce in the same amount of degrees, and removing loft removes bounce. Its probabaly not a big issue when only changing 1 or 2 degrees anyway. Good luck!

Thanks for the insight!

Have any additional info on how to look for a good fitter in your area? The only place I know of is Golf Galaxy but don't exactly know what I am looking for either.

[Dub]

When putting together a set early this summer I didn't know what I was looking for and looks like I may have screwed up/ Currently I have four wedges that I play (52/56/60/64).

I tried the 64* and really wanted it to work out. Turns out it just wasn't the stick for me.....at all. It could have been a bounce issue, too, though. My 64* was the thin sole option and only had 6* of bounce (when square).

I now play the configuration in my sig line and it works out so much better. The 58* is a peach. I love it from sand to tight pins as well as greenside flops (open the face and it yields the same results as the 64* did). The 58* also offers options on full shots that the 64* did not. I'm really liking gaming 4 wedges now, however I'm still zeroing in on my actual distances. Range time doesn't really help due to range balls. I'm having to get my data from on-course play with my game balls. I really....really like the 4* gaps between wedges. It's been the best array I've ever gamed in 15 years of golf.

[kingofcars08]

Yeah bud I use the same wedges as you 50, 54, 58, 64 vokeys, I will either game all of them, and take out my 4 iron, or I will leave my 4 iron and take out either the 54 or the 58 for a round, because I found it easier to manipulate the yardages between those clubs. Imagine that you probably would only hit your that certain wedge twice per round anyway, most holes if you play longer courses you should have longer irons in, and would be using it for par 5's and pitch shots. But I think if you have a Hybrid you can hit easy to replace the 4 iron, those are great loft intervals.
I play the following yardages
46*- 125-35
50*-105-25
54*-90-105
58*-70-90
64*0-65
Hope this helps...

[Bosock]

Actually Shank, I might have overstated "must have". However, in the various forums (sandtrap, bunkershot, digest as well as this one) I have been going through researching my clubs it is common to see several people state that the 60 wedge is there best club and couldn't live with out it. I took liberty and injected that to mean a "must have". My point though, based on one of the only two pros i have actual contact with, was that wedge selection, like most thinks in golf, is very subjective and individualised. Basically, wedge selection depends on how the person hits his clubs and plays the game. For instance, I do not hit my irons or wedges with the greatest of distances and therefore i will probably be going with a 45/47, 52, 58. OP and Sand, if you took my post as meaning that a 60 wedge is a must, sorry for the confusion. Hope this post cleared it up a bit. Good luck on filling out your wedges Mike. I have a rough draft of what I am doing with mine, not actually solidified as still researching a bit, but believe what i mentioned above might be the way i go. Is tough, specially when you cant demo the clubs...not around here anyway.

[FHopper]

The 09 Burners have such strong lofts that I feel like I am only playing three wedges even though my bag has four clubs called wedges. 45* seems like a 9 iron to me, but I am really old.

[Ghetto P]

I'd dump the higher lofted wedges unless you really practice with them a bunch.

[Marinemike]

The 09 Burners have such strong lofts that I feel like I am only playing three wedges even though my bag has four clubs called wedges. 45* seems like a 9 iron to me, but I am really old.

It's a little off the topic, but yeah, this is something that gets to me...that there is even a club called a gap wedge is caused by creep in the iron lofts combined with the basically non-negotiable loft of the sand wedge.

[ctyankee]

Yeah bud I use the same wedges as you 50, 54, 58, 64 vokeys, I will either game all of them, and take out my 4 iron, or I will leave my 4 iron and take out either the 54 or the 58 for a round, because I found it easier to manipulate the yardages between those clubs. Imagine that you probably would only hit your that certain wedge twice per round anyway, most holes if you play longer courses you should have longer irons in, and would be using it for par 5's and pitch shots. But I think if you have a Hybrid you can hit easy to replace the 4 iron, those are great loft intervals.

Certainly I agree with the flexibility depending on the golf course but I really don't know anyone that plays four wedges and I play on a course with the smallest greens I've ever played - so pretty much everyone plays with three wedges. As you don't list what's in your bag my question is: what are you giving up when you play four wedges? Since you list a 46* perhaps it is your 9 iron - but since you hit a 54* about 100 yards it would seem that 125 is your full pitching wedge distance - not your 9 iron distance. Just curious.

It also seems odd that your 46* is 10 yards of variation when your 58* is 20 yards of variation. That seems counter-intuitive as you should be getting more variation in carry and roll from a 46* than a 58* wedge. Obviously you're an accomplished golfer so I'm wondering why you don't drop the 64* and just open the face up on a 60 degree, as needed.

[sean_miller]

Certainly I agree with the flexibility depending on the golf course but I really don't know anyone that plays four wedges and I play on a course with the smallest greens I've ever played - so pretty much everyone plays with three wedges. As you don't list what's in your bag my question is: what are you giving up when you play four wedges? Since you list a 46* perhaps it is your 9 iron - but since you hit a 54* about 100 yards it would seem that 125 is your full pitching wedge distance - not your 9 iron distance. Just curious.

Wouldn't someone tend to hit their PW for full shots (smaller distance range) than their 58, which is probably their go-to club for many shots?

Either way, thank you for selecting the lady on the front of the cart as your avatar instead of the airbrushed and creatively photographed lady golfer ESPN was offering on the back end of the cart.

[ET-Taylor]

I use 46*, 52*, 56* and my favorite club in the bag 60*

[NormH3]

Perhaps I'm way off base, but whatever happened to choking down, opening/closing the face or partial swings. Carrying 4 wedges just seems like overkill too me. I'm just sayin'.

[ctyankee]

Wouldn't someone tend to hit their PW for full shots (smaller distance range) than their 58, which is probably their go-to club for many shots?

Thanks Sean. Yes a little bit of selective editing there.

You may be exactly right as to your point about only using the PW for full shots. Hopefully KingofCars will chime in as that's the beauty of these forums, the ability to learn from good golfers. But, just to play devil's advocate while we wait, I think that someone that plays 4 wedges has already answered the question as to whether they have a go-to wedge in their arsenal. That's further supported because if there was one, there should be a yardage overlap with the other wedges (KingofCars lists none). I also play all Vokey wedges. 60* 0 - 75 (money shot = 60 yards) 54* 65 - 100 (85) 48* 95 - 125 (110) So, based on yardage alone my 54* would be my go-to wedge - but honestly if the conditions are good and the course is dry I don't think of it that way. However, if the course is soaked, I'm going with the 54* from 65 yards every single time.