Very large distance gap between two clubs

[Chewey56]

Hello everybody! Good day to you all!

I am coming here to ask you a question. i am in a bit of a bind as i have a 30 yard difference between my Cleveland CG15 Wedge and my Callaway X18 Pitching wedge. I hit my cleveland 100 and my PW 130, and i am trying to find a club in the middle so i can hit it about 115 so that i won't be deciding between muscling a 52 degree or babying a PW whenever i am at that distance, which i seem to get into a lot. I am planning on buying a set of new irons, most likely mizuno MP-63s, and the PW in that set has similar specs to the set i have now.

What my golf coach suggested is that i buy a 50 or 48 degree wedge and bend it to be 49 to put it right in the middle. would this be a good idea?

[glock35ipsc]

Your coach is on the right track.  The X-18 PW is 46°, and your next wedge is 52°  A 49° wedge puts it right in the middle with 3° of gap separation, but that is a little tighter than the 4° of gap above and below.

Since the Mizuno PW has the same loft in the PW as the X-18's PW, maybe consider going to a 46° (PW), 50°, 54°, 58° wedge setup instead and continue the 4° gap at the short end?

[WUTiger]

First of all, here are specs of the X18 irons from eHow site:

http://www.ehow.com/info_8033787_callaway-x18-iron-specifications.html

Last year I used the X20 irons up through PW, and had a CG14 in 50.08 as a GW.

PW was 45* and had the same shaft length 35.5" as GW. That said, the PW averaged 120 yards and the GW 106 yards. So, the X20 clubhead appears to launch the ball a little longer than the CG series, when you compare shaftlength and loft.

Now, your X18 PW is 46*, and your CG15 is 52 degrees, so 30 yards difference is even larger than my gap.

This is a time to consider your overall wedge package. You could add a fifth wedge of about 48*; assuming your current gap, 48* might come out about 15 yds. shorter than the PW.

This is one where you need to calibrate your entire wedge package: hit quarter, half and 3/4 shot with the all, and see what the average distance is for each wedge, each length swing. And, calibrate your wedges with the ball you play on course; range balls don't go as far, and will give you data that is less than you would hit your "game" ball.

[MiniBlueDragon]

Originally Posted by glock35ipsc

Your coach is on the right track.  The X-18 PW is 46°, and your next wedge is 52°  A 49° wedge puts it right in the middle with 3° of gap separation, but that is a little tighter than the 4° of gap above and below.

Since the Mizuno PW has the same loft in the PW as the X-18's PW, maybe consider going to a 46° (PW), 50°, 54°, 58° wedge setup instead and continue the 4° gap at the short end?

This.

My set lofts look like this:

For my handicap I see no need to adjust the lofts.

[glock35ipsc]

I like that illustration, very clever!

[MiniBlueDragon]

Nah I just work better visually rather than with numbers. Some people probably find images excessive and are happy with numbers instead but I figured as I'd already done it I may as well share.

[Chewey56]

Good response time guys!

Because of my financial situation at the moment, i think i am going to just buy 1 club to fit in the middle and take my 4-iron out of the bag (i have a 4-hybrid already in the bag as well)

I looked into the varying lofts of cleveland CG15 wedges and found that there is a 50 degree with a 10 degree bounce and a 48 degree with an 8 degree bounce. if i bend the loft of the club, will it affect the bounce as well? or should i take each factor into consideration to decide between the two lofts?

also, could the forged blade of the CG15 and the cavity back of the x18 be affecting the distance gap? i feel if i get an AW from, say, the x20 iron set, would that make it any different than if i were to get a CG15 bent to 49?

[glock35ipsc]

The 50 bent to a 49 will result in 9° of bounce.  Likewise, the 48 bent to 49 will result in........ 9° of bounce.  Pick your poison!

Quote:

also, could the forged blade of the CG15 and the cavity back of the x18 be affecting the distance gap? i feel if i get an AW from, say, the x20 iron set, would that make it any different than if i were to get a CG15 bent to 49?

You would probably notice more difference based on the different shafts than you would with different heads.  Personally I would be more comfortable having like-irons and like-wedges.

[Chewey56]

Perfect! then i think i'll get whichever of the two lofts that i can in a CG15, since i am getting a new iron set soon i will be getting a sort of "player's cavity" as mizuno puts it.

Any of you guys, form personal experience, know the difference in feel/forgiveness in the CG14 and the CG15?

[glock35ipsc]

This is just me, but..... I would get the 48, bend to 49, then using an engraver or with CAREFUL carving, make the 8 a 9, then repaint.

Yeah, I'm a little weird like that.....

[Chewey56]

Originally Posted by glock35ipsc

This is just me, but..... I would get the 48, bend to 49, then using an engraver or with CAREFUL carving, make the 8 a 9, then repaint.

Yeah, I'm a little weird like that.....

^This.

I would if i could.

But, i've also been looking at other options, and i came across the cleveland Niblick, which comes in a 49 degree loft. any of you guys know about that?

[WUTiger]

Quote:

Any of you guys, form personal experience, know the difference in feel/forgiveness in the CG14 and the CG15?

Here's how CG wedge family sizes up:

Blade: CG 10, 12, 15

Slight Cavity: CG 11, 14, 16

When moving into specialty wedges, I tested the CG12 (similar to CG15), and the CG14. I hit both of them well, and ended up going the CG14 route because of the gold gel inserts (I'm 60, and my wrists and elbows like the cushioning).

At a recent golf expo, I hit the CG15 and 16. Both felt good, especially when I used the CG16 56* to put a 20-yard pitch shot through an 8" circle and win a round of golf.

Given my HDCP and amount of practice time, I think I'll stay with CG14s until the grooves really wear out. They're already paid for, plus I sense CG14 has has a little margin of error over the CG15, without being klunky (in comparison, the AW from my X20s was a disaster - sold it off quick),

Note: According to a Cleveland rep, the CG14 was a pleasant surprise. It was designed to be the GI version of the CG12, but dozens of pros bagged the CG14 along with loads of amateurs, and it became their best-selling wedge model ever.

In your case, goes with whatever feels best and can be afforded ($$). Don't be afraid to experiment a little, and take notes on which club does what.

Keep us posted on what you decide!

[Clambake]

If you're going to get new irons, I personally wouldn't do a thing with the wedges until you get the irons and get a feel for your real yardage gaps with the new sticks, otherwise, you may be surprised to find that new wedge you got just became useless.     I also changed irons recently, and found that bending my PW 1 degree weaker and bending the 52 wedge 1 degree stronger filled in the gaps nicely - no new wedge needed!

[Shorty]

Originally Posted by MiniBlueDragon

Nah I just work better visually rather than with numbers. Some people probably find images excessive and are happy with numbers instead but I figured as I'd already done it I may as well share.

You have a 4 degree club in your illustration. Oh...putter.

[MiniBlueDragon]

You have a 4 degree club in your illustration. Oh...putter.

Yeah I figured I may as well add it :-)

[mdl]

Originally Posted by MiniBlueDragon

This.

My set lofts look like this:

For my handicap I see no need to adjust the lofts.

Wait, so your driver is 4˚?!  This is a mistake, no?

[glock35ipsc]

Originally Posted by mdl

Wait, so your driver is 4˚?!  This is a mistake, no?

No, no mistake.  Read:

Originally Posted by Shorty

You have a 4 degree club in your illustration. Oh...putter.

Originally Posted by MiniBlueDragon

Yeah I figured I may as well add it

Green line is his putter, blue lines are his woods, red lines are his irons, and the brown lines are his wedges.

[MiniBlueDragon]

No, no mistake.  Read:

Green line is his putter, blue lines are his woods, red lines are his irons, and the brown lines are his wedges.

Yep, this. :-)