My Six Wedge Setup

[bhp1404]

One day you should just go to the range and take ONE of your wedges, either the vokey or razr x, NOT BOTH, and just hit it until you can hit that club anywhere from your max distance to a chip. It is a skill that most golfers should have to be able to hit one club many distances. I hit my 56 bladed wedge 100yds for a full swing and use 1/2 and 3/4 swings inside 100yds and i also chip with it. But i also use my 52 bladed wedge for 115 and sometimes for even below 100 depending on pin placement and wind. Controling wedges is an amazing skill and will lower anyones scores.

[mdl]

Originally Posted by Shorty

You talk about feel, but then you talk about specific distances with specific wedges.

That is the opposite of feel.

You should be able to hit any shot from inside 100 metres with perhaps a PW, GW and SW. Add a LW if you must.

I'm just getting to the point where I'm trying to add versatility to me short game and realizing how important that is going to be in taking the step to really being a good amateur (i.e., playing in the 70s regularly at solid courses).  I haven't gotten my PW down inside 100 yards yet (std shot with it goes 135-140 depending on how hard I go after it), but I have been learning how to hit it down to about 100 yards, and then inside really about 70 yards I've really been spending practice time learning to hit low, mid, and high trajectory shots a variety of distances with both my 54˚ and 60˚.

Not to say I'm any Phil or anything and take all these shots on the course yet, but I have started to play around with trajectory a bit more, especially on the green side shots <30 yards, and I already feel like the practice has had a good effect on my longer short game shots in the 40-90 yard range.  Even if I'm mostly hitting a standard mid trajectory pitch all the time and only change trajectory on a 60 yard shot if I've screwed myself and have to hit some ridiculous runner-punch or long range flop or something, practicing different trajectories has definitely already improved my feel with those clubs even for the more stock pitches.

[VMAN]

If it works and you're confident with it, I'm not going to argue with it.  I have four wedges pw, 52,56,60.  the 56 doesn't see much work but I'm considering adding a 64 I've been practicing with.  Just not sure what I take out.

[mosnas]

[The Tin Man]

If possible I would find a park or field where you can hit some "Almost Golf-Balls"  (they wont hurt anything, or go far).

Your not playing golf, you can't "kill" the ball, nobody cares and there's no pressure to perform .....now make friends with your 7 iron and one SW.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by mosnas

To me it seems excessive but heck like VMAN says if it works then go with it.  There are lots of different things that work for all sorts of golf games.  I think it is kind of interesting to see the different set ups that people go with and if it works then keep it don't listen to what critics may say.  Heck Phil Mickleson got poked at for carrying 2 drivers and he won that tournament (I think).

But is it working? I base my doubts on amateurs carrying a ton of wedges hoping to have a club for each specific shot they may encounter during their round who seem to constantly bemoan yardage gaps and the inability to play any shot that requires creativity.

[mosnas]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

But is it working? I base my doubts on amateurs carrying a ton of wedges hoping to have a club for each specific shot they may encounter during their round who seem to constantly bemoan yardage gaps and the inability to play any shot that requires creativity.

I definately agree with you as far as improving your game dramatically carrying that many wedges won't make you any better.  It will just make you more consistent and keep you at the level you are at.  It all depends on what OP is looking for.  If he is looking to drop his handicap a lot then I would recommend removing 2 wedges and at least dropping to 2.

[MasterP]

Seems to me like you could drop your RazrX LW and get a Vokey 60deg to use in it's place.  A full shot with your LW is 60 yards which you could do with a partial shot with another club.  Even then it seems like 5 is still too many clubs for 100 yards and in.  It would be too many choices for me, and I'd try hero shots too often instead of just going with the safe shot.

I'm on the other edge of the spectrum, I only carry 1 wedge, a SW.  Well my PW is a wedge, but only in name only, I think it's like 44deg which is more like a traditional 9i.  Anyway, I use the SW and various other clubs for anything inside 120.

[Stroudie]

Sounds like the best thing you could do is practice. Seriously, just practice. Take your volley wedges down to the range and hit them.... Over and over... When I got my cg16 wedges... I couldn't get them off the floor.. A year later and I'm dying to swap my Cleveland TA7s for AP2s. I use my forged wedges for full swings all the time... When you hit them right, They do feel like butter. It just takes time and practice.

[Bullitt5339]

Sounds like you would be better served going to the practice green for a while and working on different shots with your wedges.  I'm guilty as well, and don't spend near enough time practicing my short game.

I play PW and 3 other wedges, and could get rid of my 50 degree easily if I wanted something else in the bag.  Take your sand wedge out to the practice green and try to hit repeatable shots, using a clock system.  Start with 5-7 o'clock as your swing until you get around the same range.  Then pace it off and write down the distance.  Then got to 4-8 and do the same thing, and repeat until you get up to full, repeatable shots.  I've seen people take it as far as putting tags on their wedge shafts with notes on distances.

Short game is all about practice, believe me, if I took my own advice on this one, I'd be a much better short-game player.  Buying all the equipment in the world won't make your short game better, that's why you see people with beat up wedges and bullseye putters still on tour.  It's all about practice.

I like to tell people that looking in my bag is just proof that you can't buy a good game.

[Timothy Voyles]

Not to be rude but it really sounds like you could just use some time at the range with your driver and learn to hit it a littler farther. Even if you gain 25 yards (which shouldn't be that hard to do with the new tech that's out there) you would open a myriad of options of approach. To not have to go at a green from 180 with a 3h vs an 8i is huge. I'd just learn to up the tempo of your swing and get some distance off the box.

my2c

[allin]

I think adding a 4w is great advice. 64 degree wedge until you hit a LW 75 yards doesn't make sense to me. I doubt you should be chipping with sand wedges at this point anyway? Are you actually turning all of your short shots around the green into pitches? If you are going to carry so many wedges have your irons bent so you have 15 yard gaps. Then you can choke down on the club to take 5 yards off, swing a bit easier to take 10 off. That way adding 5 yards by hitting harder is necessary less often, a plus for newer golfers.

[JoelCochran]

I replaced my 3 wood with a 64 last week and so far it's working beautifully.  I have a strong 5 (basically a 4 wood) which I always hit better than the 3, which has seen very very little action this last year.  On the wedge side, I technically have 5 wedges: a PW (which at 48 I think of as more like a 10-iron), a 52, 56, 60, and 64.  All the wedges will see play in a typical round.

Obviously, I favor a short game heavy setup.  The only "gap" in my set is between my 5 iron and 3 hybird.  The begin said, I don't see the reasoning behind 2 56's, but if it honestly makes you score better then I say go for it.

[Carl Marcus]

I say go with what works. For me, I haven't played anything above a 56* wedge in years.  Just don't need it, even on the occasional hard and crazy fast greens during club champ.  I dropped my 60 when I heard Tom Watson say that he never carried an L wedge, because he never learned how to hit one. LOL.   But because I dropped the L wedge, my sand wedge must be a blade that can be opened up for flop shots.  I play a few courses with too much sand, and in those circumstances I may hit my gap wedge from the bunker.  When I'm playing one of those courses with soft or too much sand, I change my gap wedge from a blade to an old ping i wedge, which has a lot of bounce.

But that's what's great about this game, if you want to use 5 wedges or 1, it's only you that will be helped or hurt. At the end of the day, if you take money instead of pay, you chose the right sticks.

Driver 9* 430 sldr 77gram motore speeder stiff  set to 10.5

3 wood 14* sldr 83 gram motore speeder  stiff set at 14

2-4 hybrid, razr x tour with 85 NV x-stiff

5-pw 2010 ping forged 6.0 project x

gap 52 i wedge bent to 51 or mac daddy 50 bent to 51

sand wedge mac daddy 56

putter  yes tiffany 43 inches, arm lock style

When it's windy, I will put the 4 iron in and take out the 4 hybrid

[Nomo]

Yeah, I think I carry a lot of wedges at 4 (though I often drop to 3).  I usually carry a 47, 50, 54, and 60.  I feel that covers everything.  You could review the bounces you've selected for your wedges, and I bet that would allow you to cut 2.  I think the extra 4w would be great, and certainly the money iron (7i).  In fact, I think my 7i is my most versatile club.  Can pitch, run, vary it from 100-160.

The 4w can be helpful around the green, as you can use it to run one if you are caught in the woods.

In addition, I feel vokey wedges are incredible easy to hit.  If you can't hit them consistently, I'd focus more on striking/practice and less on creating elaborate hardware configs... Be much cheaper and versatile too.  In addition, as others have mentioned, setting yourself up w/ all the basic tools (7i, 3/4w, etc) will allow you to continue to grow and improve.  Limiting yourself w/ a specific hardware config, will limit your ability to improve.

That being said, if you are happy where you are at, enjoying golf.. then keep w/ what you got.

[WUTiger]

... As for the lack of a 3 wood, it is true that I do not have a club I can hit more than 180 from the fairway.  So I end up using the 3 hybrid on any hole over 380 yards, and it is definately getting worn out.  I would love to add a 3 wood, but frankly I have a lot of trouble hitting it from the fairway. ...

Try out dumping either the 60* LW or the 64* XLW. In its place, test a 4W.

A couple of years ago, Golf Digest reported on fairway wood tests. Results showed that the average golfer can hit a 4W more reliably - and sometimes longer - than a 3W. A couple of extra degrees of loft makes a big difference on launch. Also, you can sometimes get good distance from light rough with a 4W.

Give it a try (and, let us know how it works).

Originally Posted by Ochenta

... The point is I don't have to learn how to hit full shots with  "forged" player's club, and I  don't have to hit delicate chips with an oversized, cavity-backed, spring-faced, game improvement club. ...

Check your understanding of the three classes of GD Hot List clubs: Player's, Game Improvement, and Super Game Improvement. GI irons have smaller heads than "oversized" SGI heads. Player's irons have a lot of modifiers, such as "Player's Cavity."

Reality check: Hot List classifies clubs according to perceived marketing niche. If you want a more scientific classification, check out the Maltby Playability Factor (MPF) system. MPF scores come from a six-variable equation based on clubhead measurements. See http://www.ralphmaltby.com/

[Hardballs]

I'm carrying 5 wedges at the mo, Pw 45 Gw 50 2 x sw 56 Lw 62 But I want to lose a sw, I'm just trying to decide on the correct bounce And techniques I need for a versatile sw I can use from sand and fairway!

[Nemicu]

Whatever works I guess.

Personally, I think you need to see a shrink and learn how to play golf. In that order.

But hey -- whatever works.