No Sand wedge so what wedge to buy ?

[orsm]

Evening all, first time poster so here goes,

I have been playing golf on and off for the past 15 years, I've decided to really get stuck in and forked out for some second hand clubs, I bought a set of callaway x16  and the set did not come with a SW

After reading a few reviews and people's opinions it seems that the cleveland cg 15 or 16 are a good choice, but what would be the best degree to get, so far I have seen 52-62

If anyone has any other wedge suggestions please feel free to add your comments.

[saevel25]

Depends on how much you want to spend,

the best wedge with the best options is Titleist SM4, But i play a cleveland CG-16 and really like it.

My tip, if your going to get wedges, get a set were there the same brand and model type. So if you go Cleveland, get like 3 of them, that way your always hitting a club with the same feel.

[orsm]

Thanks for the reply mate, but forgive my ignorance, what's the point in having 3 wedges ? I know they are different settings and if I am right in saying you would pick like a 52 - 56 - 60 ?

As a high handicapper should I not just pick 1 ?

Is there much difference in distance from a 52 to 56 ?

[Derrick Parker]

I use a pitching wedge and a 55 degree SW that is the same brand of Callaway Club and same graphite shaft. I used a Taylormad rac 56 for awhile but didn't like it compared to the feel of my PW so I switched brands by paying too much money for a used club.  I don't care to have a lob wedge because I can lay that SW face flat open for a flop shot or whatever I need to do. I also have another brand 52 G wedge but I don't ever use it.

So, considering that a PW is good from 20-115 yards why carry so many wedges? I say don't. But if I were you I would get an X-16 SW same shaft, same flex as your irons, if you can find one.  I know Callaway preowned has them for just under 40 bucks.

[meenman]

Thanks for the reply mate, but forgive my ignorance, what's the point in having 3 wedges ? I know they are different settings and if I am right in saying you would pick like a 52 - 56 - 60 ?    As a high handicapper should I not just pick 1 ? Is there much difference in distance from a 52 to 56 ?

I would go with a 52 and 56. The 60 degree is not necessary but a lot of us like to carry one anyway.

[joekelly]

One of the problems with wedges, when you carry more than the minimum of 2, is that you are then faced with more decisions at a critical moment.  Use the 48, 52, 56 or 60?  For me often, more decisions means more 'in-decision' which leads to reduced confidence and a poor shot. And truthfully sometimes i actually play better with only 10 clubs in the bag because of reduced indecision.  So, bottom line is that more clubs do not make a better golfer.  My garage is full of clubs from 20 yrs.

[WUTiger]

Here are the club specs for X16 Steelheads, and for CG wedges:

X16	Loft	Bounce	Shaft Length
9i	42 °	- -	36"
PW	46 °	6* ?	35.5"
CG15
GW	50 °,	10	35.5"
GW	52 °	10	35.5"
SW	54 ° , 56 °	10, 14, 16	35.375"
SW/LW	58 °, 60 °	8, 12, 14	35.25"
CG16
	Lofts same as CG15	Same, except no 16.bounce SW or 14.b LW	Same

Note that the shaft length differences are 1/2" between numbered irons up and down the X16 set, and 9i and PW.

I have X20 Tour irons (4-PW) and Cleveland CG14 specialty wedges, so I can speak to your plan.

The X16 PW probably has fairly low bounce - My X20 PW had 6 degrees.

Anyway, you need to find out the distance difference between the PW and the SW, and try to split the difference with the proper GW. The X16/X20 family seems to fly a little stronger than the CG wedges, so the 35.5" length for both X.PW and CG.GW may or may not be a factor. Check it out.

How many wedges to you want? 52 + 56 + 60? | 52 + 58? | 50 + 56?

To get best distance gaps, you may need to trim the shaft on the wedges. For numbered irons, the 1/2" gap is standard. For wedges, however, this is not always the case. Talk to a club fitter about this.

Also check out these articles by club designer Ralph Maltby article on wedges:

• Types of wedges: http://ralphmaltby.com/47
• Wedge fitting: http://ralphmaltby.com/17

Note on 58 ° ... For purists, a 58 ° with 10 degrees of bounce or less is a LW, one with more than 10 degrees a high loft SW.

Also: CG14 wedges are highly similar to CG16s. Some places have two-for-one deals on CG14s, if you can find a shop with a good selection.

[notsohard]

Originally Posted by orsm

Thanks for the reply mate, but forgive my ignorance, what's the point in having 3 wedges ? I know they are different settings and if I am right in saying you would pick like a 52 - 56 - 60 ?

As a high handicapper should I not just pick 1 ?

Is there much difference in distance from a 52 to 56 ?

considering that your X16 PW is 46deg, buy the 50 and 54deg wedges. the difference being about 10 metres between clubs (on average).

then it all depends what your home course is like....i play a links course with over 80 bunkers, so i have the 60 deg as well.

[Dave2512]

Not sure why people think multiple wedges creates a decision dilemma. I carry 4 including PW because each one has a different use. It's more than just loft and distance control. The first thing I consider when looking at my ball from 125 in is the lie. When my ball is greenside and I can't roll up to it I grab all 4. It just takes a few seconds to decide. Anyway retailers are blowing out golf gear this time of year. I've seen Cleveland CG15 wedges as low as $59. If you buy those from a retailer with a rewards program you'll get something back.

[John S]

Originally Posted by orsm

Thanks for the reply mate, but forgive my ignorance, what's the point in having 3 wedges ? I know they are different settings and if I am right in saying you would pick like a 52 - 56 - 60 ?

As a high handicapper should I not just pick 1 ?

It gives you more variety in what kind of shot you can play. Also, wedges are the best way, IMO, to fill your bag up to 14 clubs. If you have driver, 3 wood, 3 iron or 3 hybrid and 4-pw and putter, that is only 11 clubs, 3 other wedges fills that up perfectly! I personally have a Cleaveland 588s in 52, 56 and a 60 and have had that setup since I was a 20 hdcp also. Of course you can play with less than 14 clubs but I think that the more variety of shots you can play, the better. If you are only going to get 1, I would go with a 56. 2, a 52 and 56 and 3, add a 60, unless you have a 5 wood or a 7 wood or something like that.

[cooke119]

I play Ping G15s which have 2* less loft then your "standard" clubs. I play the PW @ 46*; Gap (or Approach) @ 50* and a SW @ 54*. I have a lob but I never use it, I took it out of my bag. As stated above, each wedge has its own place. I think you'll find one wedge that will be your go-to club close to the green, for me it is the SW. I find that I can really control the ball with my SW, while my friend, who also plays the G15s, likes his Gap wedge. Different stroke for different folks. For flop shots I open the face of my SW, e.g., for going over a greenside bunker. Work every time, well almost every tiime.

Start with at least two wedges, a PW and a SW. (Obviously the SW with the larger bounce for getting out of greenside bunkers.) Once you get the feel for wedges down, you can always add a gap and lob if you like.

I agree with Derrick that your wedges should all be the same make and model (shafts, grips, etc.). Feel is everything with wedges, they are your money clubs.

Good luck.

[KrazyTrain18]

For degrees, at least 56, but preferably a 58.  I think it's way more versatile than a 60.  For wedges, the Titleist SM4s are great, but for a bit cheaper the Ping Tour-S is great.

[Jmdmbike]

Probably the most versatile wedge would be a 56 degree with a decent amount of bounce. You can use it for a variety of shots and lies. I use a 56 degree Vokey with 14 degrees of bounce - it gets a lot of play.