Choosing the right wedges (degree wise)

[BigJohn]

Ok. Let me start by saying I dont actually know what my handicap is. I know it says 10 but I have no idea how to truly figure it out. I know I usually shoot between 78-84 with most being about 10 over so I just said 10. That said I am curious as to how I should make the best decision in wedge selection. For my whole 10 year golfing "career" if you will, I have played with a Driver, 5w, 3-pw, 64* LW, and putter. I have had a few SW here and there but i always ended up selling them off or trading them for balls/store credit or whatever. Have not had a SW in 5 years though. I just got a new to me set of nike pro combo tour irons and want to get serious as I can with my golf. My PW is 47* and leaves me with this......I now will be Carrying Driver, 3W, 3-PW, ?W, ?W and putter. That will make my full 13 club limit. Here lies the ? for the longest I have been put in many situations where i needed something between 47* and 64* as one could imagine. I was thinking, before I found out that my PW was 47*, that I would get some "tweener" wedges like a 54* and a 60*. Maybe 55* and 62*. I just dont know what would be best in my situation. I feel like if i went 56 that 9* is a big jump from pw to sw. I dont know. How much difference is 1*? Maybe like a 56* bent back to 55* and a 62*? Maybe I dont need anything over 60*? If thats the case I could go the original 54* and 60*. I am lost!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL. I am just wondering why you have the degree wedges you have. Also I am sure some carry more than 13 clubs. I just dont know why someone adhering to the 13 club rule could carry 4 wedges like pw, gw, sw and lob. any help would be appreciated. Also can you enlighten me about bounce ?

[VolunteerGolfer]

You can have 14 clubs. Maybe 52, 56, 60? I carry as few as one and as many as four. Just depends on what you want to do. Neither is right nor wrong.

[jsocas]

Ok. Let me start by saying I dont actually know what my handicap is. I know it says 10 but I have no idea how to truly figure it out. I know I usually shoot between 78-84 with most being about 10 over so I just said 10. That said I am curious as to how I should make the best decision in wedge selection. For my whole 10 year golfing "career" if you will, I have played with a Driver, 5w, 3-pw, 64* LW, and putter. I have had a few SW here and there but i always ended up selling them off or trading them for balls/store credit or whatever. Have not had a SW in 5 years though. I just got a new to me set of nike pro combo tour irons and want to get serious as I can with my golf. My PW is 47* and leaves me with this......I now will be Carrying Driver, 3W, 3-PW, ?W, ?W and putter. That will make my full 13 club limit. Here lies the ? for the longest I have been put in many situations where i needed something between 47* and 64* as one could imagine. I was thinking, before I found out that my PW was 47*, that I would get some "tweener" wedges like a 54* and a 60*. Maybe 55* and 62*. I just dont know what would be best in my situation. I feel like if i went 56 that 9* is a big jump from pw to sw. I dont know. How much difference is 1*? Maybe like a 56* bent back to 55* and a 62*? Maybe I dont need anything over 60*? If thats the case I could go the original 54* and 60*. I am lost!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL. I am just wondering why you have the degree wedges you have. Also I am sure some carry more than 13 clubs. I just dont know why someone adhering to the 13 club rule could carry 4 wedges like pw, gw, sw and lob. any help would be appreciated. Also can you enlighten me about bounce ?

Hey BigJohn, first of all you are allowed to carry 14 clubs total (not 13 as you stated above). Now going to the wedge set issue. I currently carry total of 4 weges (PW 47, GW 52, SW 56 and LW 60) although now that I'm improving and controlling distances better with 3/4 swings I'm considering going to a 3 wedge set with PW 47, stron SW 54 and a LW 60. That will allow me to put in play the 3 iron again (which I'm starting to hit better than the hybrid).

What I'm doing now is that for short courses I get the 3 wood out of the bag and for long courses I get the 3 iron out, but always carry the 4 wedge set. Hope that helps. Regards.

[ilovecheesypuffs]

Would agree with jsocas, i carry the PW and a 54 and 60, with this i can carry full set of irons and 3 woods, if you start carrying too many wedges things will get confusing when coming to 100 yards in, game is hard enough as it is with worrying whether to take a 52/54/56 for a shot into green :)

[billysandy]

47*, 52*, 58* is what i would go for if I were you. Less wedges gives you less shots to have to practice, and teaches you that each club can do a load of different shots. Also lighter if you carry! Not to mention it is cheaper to buy 52 and 58 compared to 52 56 60 which is also a very common set up

[James_Black]

I carry a 45* pw, 54* sw and a 60* lob wedge.
Works pretty good. My friend used to have a 64* for a long time, he's changed to a 60* now and is a lot more consistent.

[bigoak]

remember that degree of bounce is almost as important as the loft. grinding off bounce lets you open the face and add loft. The Ping Eye 2 sand wedge allows you to add and reduce effecting loft on the club.

[hero12]

I play a 48, 54, and 60. I only play 3 because I don't hit my irons very far, so I can't ditch my 3 or 4 iron. My typical course has a couple long par 3's that I need to hit a 4 iron from the back tees. I would like to care a 48, 52, 56, and 60 because that would mean fewer partial wedges. As far as bounce, from what you said you normally shoot, you should get a sole grind 60 for versatility on delicate shots and a higher degree bounce wedge for sand and deep rough.