Need some Wedge advice

[tigers929]

Hey,

Looking to buy new wedges and I was wondering if I could get some input...

Im about a 15 handicap and I recently purchased a new set of taylormade rocketballz irons.

The iron set includes 46 and 50 loft clubs. I hit my 46 about 130 and I was curious as to the yardages I should be targeting with the two additional wedges I purchase and I was also curious as to what I can expect from the 50 loft club yardage wise. Also input on bounce would be appreciated too.

I am currently looking at 54 and 60 loft wedges (cleveland CG15). Is the 60 loft unnecessary given my handicap?

Thanks for helping out!

[geauxforbroke]

Originally Posted by tigers929

I hit my 46 about 130 and I was curious as to the yardages I should be targeting with the two additional wedges I purchase and I was also curious as to what I can expect from the 50 loft club yardage wise.

You'll just need to hit it to find out. I hit my PW about 130 and my 50* about 115, but that doesn't mean you will. Since your wedges are 4* apart, a 54* would be a logical loft to get.

Originally Posted by tigers929

Also input on bounce would be appreciated too.

I personally prefer low bounce wedges, but most players on here extol the virtues of high bounce. I think for most golfers, the higher the bounce the better.

Originally Posted by tigers929

I am currently looking at 54 and 60 loft wedges (cleveland CG15). Is the 60 loft unnecessary given my handicap?

For a 15 handicap, a 58* or 60* is a tough club to hit consistently. I would say you would be better served to get a 54* and get comfortable with it. Once you've improved not only your full wedge shots, but also pitching technique, then look into a 60*.

Check out this thread for some great instruction on pitching.

[Jakester23]

My 50 goes around 100-110. I also have a 54 and 58 vokey. The 54 has 14 degrees of bounce and the 58 has 11 I think.  IMO if you purchase a high loft wedge with a lot of bounce they are very easy to hit. I used to own a 60 with 4 degrees of bounce and I couldn't do anything with it. The 58 is the complete opposite for me. Now that I got a feel for it I use it almost exclusively around the green. Bounce is your friend search "quickie pitching video" on this site and that thread will tell you all you need to know about bounce and wedges.

[geauxforbroke]

...search "quickie pitching video" on this site and that thread will tell you all you need to know about bounce and wedges.

Or you could click the link in my first post.

[tigers929]

Thanks guys.  I plan on going to golfsmith tomorrow to try out these recomendations

[geauxforbroke]

Good luck!

[GaijinGolfer]

Id agree that how far you hit your 50* is really all on you, depending upon how fast you swing.  Id say that 100-110 yards is a pretty reasonable expectation though.  If it were me, Id go with a 54* and a 58* wedge.  That would give you a nice, even spacing and a 58* would be slightly easier to hit than a 60*.

Im not a believer that you should be a single-digit handicap in order to hit a lob wedge.  Im about a 20 handicap and I love my lob wedge.  Its a great little club for shots around the green.  Its just a club that you have to be careful with because with the extreme loft, it can be a difficult club to hit solidly out of a bad lie.  It used to be my stock go-to club for all shots around the green and sometimes that caused me to either hit it thin and hit a bullet that flew twice as far as I intended, just as it was easier to hit it way fat out of a juicy lie, and have the club slide right under the ball, making the ball go about half the distance I intended.  Now, out of questionable lies I will hit my 54*, which is an easier club to hit solidly because the loft isnt so extreme.  If I need to hit a high shot, I can just open the face up a bit, which engages more of the bounce anyways and makes it even more forgiving to hit out of a bad lie.

IMO, much of why people get into trouble with the lob wedge is they always want to use it around the green and they always want to hit a shot that flies high and lands soft, which is fine but with that kind of a shot, just where the ball will stop depends upon spin and you never know just how much spin you are going to get out of a bad lie.  Given the choice, hitting a low, running shot is a much safer, much more predictable shot.  However, you may not always have the option to run the ball up to a hole, which, IMO, is why a lob wedge is an important club to have in the bag.