Wedges: Why do so many bag a 52*, 56*, 60*?

[Mr. Desmond]

Same setup and similar reasoning [quote name="Jmdmbike" url="/t/60896/wedges-why-do-so-many-bag-a-52-56-60/60#post_763766"]I play a 45 pw, 50 gap, 56 sand and 60 lob. Just put the lob back in the bag as it is difficult to manufacture a lot of different shots with a sand wedge. Hit full shots with my 50 (100 -110 so gets lots of play), full shots and low pitch shots with the pw. Sand wedge from 80 in and lob for situations where I need a high shot with a soft landing. This combo seems to cover all the situations.[/quote]

[bubble]

Originally Posted by BrokeLoser  why the 52, 56, 60 degree ?

Since so many PW's loft right at or around 45* it seems to me that a 50*, 54*, 58* would be the right combo...no?

a 54 and 58 incites you to make a huge number of green side shots with 58.

combining 56 and 60 lets you be more creative on short precision shots leaving the 52° for lower rolling shots the other combo would have pushed a 54° to play.

personnaly my pw is 46° (mx25 reg) but plays easier than my 52° (vockey stiff) enlarging the gap. but it's really easy to cut down on my pw distance.

[labs22]

I'm in process of upgrading my very out of date irons. This new set comes with a gap wedge and I was considering selling it. I already have 52 and 56 Cleveland wedges. Then I checked. PW is 44 and gap wedge is 49. I'm thinking ill be ok with this right?

[UncleRobot]

Originally Posted by darkhunter139

Right now I play 44, 52, 56, 60 but I want to switch to 44, 49, 54, 59 soon.   The distance gap between my PW and 52 kills me.

I had the same problem. The gap between my PW and the 52 was significant. I went on Ebay and purchased a 46 degree Cleveland Forged 588 wedge to replace my PW and now there is a smooth transition from 9 to wedges.

[UncleRobot]

Originally Posted by BrokeLoser

Well, I've decided I'm officially in the market for a 50*, 54*, 58* set....Now I just need to figure out which set to get and where to get them...Suggestions?

Ebay for the Cleveland 588 forged wedges . They are the best out there IMHO. I had every degree of loft in the Titleist Vokey Wedges. (non conforming) The titleist vokeys were my favorite, they were so smooth. When the SM4's came out they did not feel the same as the non conforming ones. The mizuno MPT 11's are also a fantastic wedge.

I have always gone with either Mizuno or titleist but the Cleveland 588 Wedges are the Kitties Titties.

[inthehole]

I hit my 48 degree 110 and my 58 75 yds. I have a 54, but can't get it out to where I need to - the 52 fits the slot better than my 54

[hacker101]

I play 6* apart, so my PW is 44 stock Callaway, 50 and 56 Vokeys love them. Thought about a 60 but that close a 7i bump in run works the very best for me, that was what I grew up with, so not sure a 60 will help..

[SacGolf89]

Mine has been purely based on my yardages.  My PW (45*) is around the 130 yard mark, so I tried a 54 and 60.  That didn't work as the 54 was 100, and the 60 was around 80.  I switched to a 52 and 56, and the yardages looked better.  The 52 is now at 115, and the 56 is at 100, with the 60 (now a TM xFT, was a vokey, same bounce) now around 90.  Around a 10-15 yard gap is what I'm looking for between clubs at worst.  Opposite of my Dad who likes to amp up on club if he is "in between clubs," I like to take it a bit easier so I can get that smooth control, so the 10-15 yard gap is money.

[glock35ipsc]

Mt PW is 44°, so my wedges are 49°, 54° (bent from a 56°), and 59° (bent from a 60°).

[Robbysan]

I like the 58* as the most lofted wedge.  I hit it much more consistently than the 60*, and I am able to use it for the same types of shots in almost every case I can imagine.  The smaller gaps on full shots from the 4* gaps between wedges, and the better consistency make 50*, 54*, 58* much preferred for me.  Try a 58* and 60*, compare them for yourself, and then base the gaps off that would be my suggestion.  The high loft wedge seems to be the most important deciding factor.

[arturo28mx]

For me too 50, 54 and 58

[trickyputt]

I like the 58* as the most lofted wedge.  I hit it much more consistently than the 60*, and I am able to use it for the same types of shots in almost every case I can imagine.  The smaller gaps on full shots from the 4* gaps between wedges, and the better consistency make 50*, 54*, 58* much preferred for me.  Try a 58* and 60*, compare them for yourself, and then base the gaps off that would be my suggestion.  The high loft wedge seems to be the most important deciding factor.

The thread you are responding to ended some years ago. Consider the dates that are displayed. As to your post, I play a 50,54,60. I do this for the gapping, but my gaps are not just full shot, they currently have 3/4 and half shots as well. I have 58 wedges, but the full shot duplicates a 3/4 I make with another club, so I shortened the lob full distance for better coverage and reduced the duplication.

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robbysan

I like the 58* as the most lofted wedge.  I hit it much more consistently than the 60*, and I am able to use it for the same types of shots in almost every case I can imagine.  The smaller gaps on full shots from the 4* gaps between wedges, and the better consistency make 50*, 54*, 58* much preferred for me.  Try a 58* and 60*, compare them for yourself, and then base the gaps off that would be my suggestion.  The high loft wedge seems to be the most important deciding factor.

The thread you are responding to ended some years ago. Consider the dates that are displayed. As to your post, I play a 50,54,60. I do this for the gapping, but my gaps are not just full shot, they currently have 3/4 and half shots as well. I have 58 wedges, but the full shot duplicates a 3/4 I make with another club, so I shortened the lob full distance for better coverage and reduced the duplication.

With wedges, it's different strokes for different players.  My PW is 47°, GW is 51°, but then I go to 56° for a utility wedge.  The 56 is not my SW, it's what serves me as a lofted wedge.  I also have a 54°, but that is my SW and it's only used for greenside bunkers.  I don't carry a lob wedge.

[onthehunt526]

I play 52°, 56°, 60° Tour Edge Exotics Tour Proto wedges at the moment at least that's what I bought... My PW is 45° (Exotics CU, I'm a walking Tour Edge ad in basically what amounts to a Tour Edge Dead Zone)... I don't know but even though I have a 7 degree gap between PW and GW and only 4 between the GW and Sand wedges... it somehow works for me, should I maybe play 50-54-58 sure, but it works for two reasons, I never hit my wedges full, and I'm good at filling the gap with a half swing PW so I basically have two clubs there. There is no rule that says which 14 clubs you must play, it's what FITS YOUR GAME Not what the masses use...

[TimS65]

Quote: it's what FITS YOUR GAME Not what the masses use... onthehunt526

There are no rules other than 14 clubs. Choose what fits your game. I have 5 wedges because they fill the gaps nicely. 44° Benross PW from my normal clubs, 49° Benross gw then 52/56/60 Adams wedges. The gaps work for me: 125, 115, 100, 85, 70.

If my local courses were longer and money was no object then I may change to 54/60 wedges and add another hybrid/wood. But my gaps are OK up to about 200 carry with 3 wood and then 230/240 with driver.

PS: note my SIG block has 15 clubs while I'm playing for fun and working out my distances. Currently trying to choose between 4 hybrid and 5 wood.

[onthehunt526]

Quote: [COLOR=181818]it's what [/COLOR][COLOR=181818] FITS YOUR GAME [/COLOR][COLOR=181818] Not what the masses use... [/COLOR]onthehunt526 There are no rules other than 14 clubs. Choose what fits your game. I have 5 wedges because they fill the gaps nicely. 44° Benross PW from my normal clubs, 49° Benross gw then 52/56/60 Adams wedges. The gaps work for me: 125, 115, 100, 85, 70.  If my local courses were longer and money was no object then I may change to 54/60 wedges and add another hybrid/wood. But my gaps are OK up to about 200 carry with 3 wood and then 230/240 with driver.  PS: note my SIG block has 15 clubs while I'm playing for fun and working out my distances. Currently trying to choose between 4 hybrid and 5 wood.

Exactly on the rule only stating that you may carry up to 14 clubs, not which 14, if five wedges works for you which it apparently does, then so be it... if you wanted to be a traditionalist and only carry a PW and SW so be it... Its the fourteen that fit your game... At the moment, I'm upgrading my clubs and only 13 are actually in my bag... (trying to get my top end squared away) I can only recommend it's whatever wedges suit ones game... But as the OP can see, some players only carry 3 wedges, some carry five, and only a small minority carry 52, 56, 60... to answer the question... When I still carried a 2 and 3 iron (last season), I carried 52° and 58°, (my PW was 49°)... here are the three main points of wedge loft choice... 1) Player Preference 2) Course Conditions 3) Precision at that end of the bag... Higher handicaps (don't listen to much to me I'm around a 10) probably should lean toward 4 wedges because the finesse shots are tricky without a lot of practice... Lower handicaps some will prefer only 3 wedges and replace it with a FW, Hybrid or long iron... because lower handicaps tend to be better at hitting finesse shots inside 100y... You might need four wedges if you are trying to be close to the green a lot... I don't know what your course is like TimS65, but your 5 wedge system seems to work for you.

[bmumper]

My PW is set at 44.  The other wedge in the set is now set at 48 and I carry a 52 and 56 degree wedge

[inthehole]

I hit my 48 degree 110 and my 58 75 yds. I have a 54, but can't get it out to where I need to - the 52 fits the slot better than my 54

Radio edit ... I've reworked my bag & am now using:

45

50

54

58

majority of my greenside chipping is done with the gap wedge.  The 58 is dramatically more controllable than the 60 for me - I'm working on opening the face to give me more options around the green - feels so foreign to lay it down flat or halfway flat, but it's getting more comfortable over time.