Big gaps in the bag???

[mailman]

Lads and ladssess, some advice please.

I hit my Titliest AP1 712 PW about 140 yards but my Mizuno 52 degree wedge goes 100, my Vokey 56 degree wedge goes about 80 and my Vokey 60 degree wedge I use as the need arises under 50 yards. My problem is the big gap between the PW and 52 and trying to throttle back in my PW I find hard to do at the moment (trying to rectify the finer touches to my game BUT that takes time).

So should I drop my 60 and replace it with a 48 degree wedge? The Titliest specs say the PW is at 45 degrees to start with. Only problem is I love my 60 when Im in sand and around the greens etc???

In my bag is a driver, 3 & 5 wood, hybrid, 5-PW, 52, 56, 60 wedges.

This gap was evident in this weekends scramble comp as a lot of our approach shots were around 120 yards in. As Ive tried to grow and improve my game over the last 3 months Ive been trying to give myself full club approaches while coming in to greens and generally try to leave myself either with 140 yards or 100 yards in so I don't have to throttle back on my swing.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Regards

Mailman

[Hammer 4]

Maybe hit a 50* wedge and see what the yardage is with that club..should be closer than the 52*, which I would drop. So, you would have PW @45* 50* wedge, 56* wedge, and your 60. just a thought.

[WUTiger]

Part of what you're facing comes from mixing different makes/models of wedges. Also, your question is a bit sketchy because the AP1.712 PW is the only wedge with a clearly identified model.

Here is your wedge mix:

Wedge	Loft	Shaft Length	Range (Yds)
AP1.712 PW	45°	35.75”	140
Miz ? GW	52°	35.25” *	100
Vokey ? SW	56°	35.25” *	80
Vokey ? LW	60°	35.0” *	50

* From various Miz and Vokey wedge models.

7° loft between AP1 and Miz wedges, 1/2" shaft length difference. Would expect some gap, but not 40 yards.

Are all these wedges to spec in shaft length?

For the LW, some players just use it for half swing or less. From half to full swing, a 60° often only goes higher - not much farther. Depends on your swing and wedge model.

Before you spend $$ on wedges, you might get a swing check to see if you have any problems on how you hit your higher loft wedges.

Of course, you could always do like you said and find a 48° or something similar and drop the 60°. The new wedge would need to be one that splits the distance between the PW and G- don't count on a 48° being an automatic,

See if you can hit short cut shots with 56°... if so drop LW.

Or.. you could pick up a AP1.712 W (50*, a quarter inch shorter than PW). The W is designed to be hit full if you want to. Then, you might look for a 54° and 58° pair to close the gaps that way.

Your chances of hitting a 58° 3/4 or full and getting decent distance may be better than with a 60°.

[lumpuckeroo]

Maybe hit a 50* wedge and see what the yardage is with that club..should be closer than the 52*, which I would drop. So, you would have PW @45* 50* wedge, 56* wedge, and your 60. just a thought.

I would agree with Hammer

[amac]

How are you trying to throttle back your PW?  I was taught to simply grip down about an INCH and that should take nearly 10 yards off your distance.  From there, work on stopping your backswing at the 9 o'clock position.  You will probably continue a little farther, but from that point make your downswing.  That should take another 10 yards or so off.  Another quick thought would be to have your current Titleist PW bent up one degree, making it a 46* wedge.  Your yardage will not change much, maybe 2 - 5 yards.  Combine that with the above mentioned technique and you are closing the gap.

Otherwise, if you have the funds to blow, go buy more wedges.  New stuff is great.

[Draftstone]

I don't know if it is a good idea to do it, but it works for me!

I too have quite a gap in between 2 wedges, so I take my PW, open the face (which reduces loft) and aim a little right since ball wil go left (instead of going straigth, ball starts a little left and fades only a very little. I am left handed, so if you are right handed, reverse all this.). I can reduce distance between 10 and 30 yards depending on how much I open the face, the only thing I have to do is aim more right the more I open the face. This allows me to hit normal swing with my PW instead of trying to hit 3/4 swing with it or 110% swing with my SW.

[Nomo]

I had my 52 changed to 51.  Or get a 50 and see.  But like others have said, probably just work on altering your grip and backswing w/ your pw.  Could ditch the set PW, and get something with a different loft to help bridge the gap.

[tefunk]

Mailman - my very first thought would be maybe a 50, 54, and a 58 with a grind that allows you to open it up more when necessary. Something WUTiger pointed out that I would have failed to consider, is the length of the club. That could certainly affect distances. I've also read the same thing Amac mentioned, in a golf magazine. Using your PW as an example... 140 Yds gripped at the butt end, 130 Yds gripped halfway down the grip, 120 Yds gripped all the way down the grip. Have never really tried this, but makes sense and probably worth a try. Let us know what you wind up with!

[joekelly]

Yeah, I've gotta a big gap too but on the other end.  Cant' find any club to go more than 220 yards, which is leaving me at least 80 yards short. .

[mailman]

Hi guys, That is some fantastic advice about changing distances with grip positioning! I have been popping out to the driving range at my club to practice this and it does seem to produce the desired result of filling that 30 to 40 yard gap! So I'm out this Saturday in one of my clubs regular comps and will no doubt get a chance to give this technique a good going over. I'll report back in due course. Regards Mailman

[mailman]

Quick update for you all.

Since reading the advice above from amaxc and Draftstone Ive been practicing with different grips and opening the face etc and have to say this is filled in the 40 yard gap in my bag beautifully! :) Just by altering the grip position has opened up a whole new world of club distances with a full swing!

Man I love this game! :)

Regards

Mailman

[David L Yskes]

I've had this same issue... my pw ( titleist 735cm ) goes about 120.. Now for wedges I have a 588 52-8, a volkey 56-12 and 8, and a 60-4... The Drop off to my 52, is a lot !!! And I've thought about getting a 48 degree wedge to fill in the big gap... And then dropping my 3 iron....

[nick1998bunker]

My 56 I bent to 55, my 52 got bent to a 49 ( weak tip or something so it was mainly to get the trajectory down, and that works ok. I considered getting a more bladed pw or get mine bent but it works out fine with a 10-15 yard gap.

[Hammer 4]

I've had this same issue... my pw ( titleist 735cm ) goes about 120..

Now for wedges I have a 588 52-8, a volkey 56-12 and 8, and a 60-4...

The Drop off to my 52, is a lot !!! And I've thought about getting a 48 degree wedge to fill in the big gap...

And then dropping my 3 iron....

IIRC my old CM 735 PW was 47 degrees, so why would you buy a 48 degree wedge..?

Specs for the CM 735's       http://www.titleist.com/golf-clubs/irons/2006-forged-735cm.aspx

[nick1998bunker]

IIRC my old CM 735 PW was 47 degrees, so why would you buy a 48 degree wedge..? Specs for the CM 735's       [URL=http://www.titleist.com/golf-clubs/irons/2006-forged-735cm.aspx]http://www.titleist.com/golf-clubs/irons/2006-forged-735cm.aspx[/URL]

I think ball speeds are much higher on large cavity backs then wedges. Considering I have a 3 degree gap with 15 yard difference

[mailman]

Another round under the belt on the weekend and a couple more opportunities to try gripping down the wedge to change my distances which worked an absolute treat! One hole in particular my drive left me exactly 120 in to the pin which I promptly put the ball about 2 feet to the left of the pin leaving myself with a proper birdie chance (which I missed!:). Very happy golfer at the moment. :) Regards Mailman