Advice on what clubs to have in the bag(driver /lob wedge)

[nykfan4life]

Keep in mind theese are two different questions, and not a choice(i have room for both clubs)


Recently i went tot golf galaxy and the man there told me for my age[15] and ability[80mph swing speed] i shouldn't even carry a driver, and i should focus on iron play. the latter is problably true, but i'm not sure about the former. I mean, he problably knows more about it than i do, and hes not trying to rook me into buying more clubs(actually less), but i wanted to know what you thought? should i carry a driver?


Also i was thinking about carrying a 60 degree wedge because i want more touch on close shots and often skull it with my sand wedge when i try to open the clubface. Do you think this is neccesary for my ability(i wouldnt have to get rid of any clubs for this, and i could have this while carrying a driver)?

[golfchief]

He gave you sound advise. If you want a driver it should be like a 12deg until you can keep it in the fairway.
You really don't need a lob wedge if you can't hit your SW. the lob is not a club that will change your game over night, it's takes alot of work which you don't seem to be willing to put into your SW.

[rmgr]

I bought a LW a couple of months ago and just recently started using it. You have to get the feel for it because if you don't hit it right it will only go a couple of feet.

I also have a driver and 3 wood which I don't use very often. I barely ever use the driver.

[lamebums]

Keep in mind theese are two different questions, and not a choice(i have room for both clubs)

The guy's suggestions are generally good advice, and odds are it will help you out. I suggest however taking all your clubs out to the course anyway and seeing how you do with them. Play a few rounds hitting driver off the tee, then try playing some with your 3 wood. Just find out what's better for you. If the 4 degree driver, 1 iron, and 73 degree lob wedge works best for you, then by all means use it, although it's pretty unlikely it will help your game. But if it does, more power to you. (Thing about an 80mph swing speed though, if you do pick a driver, get more loft. At least 12 degrees.)

Same with the lob wedge. I personally believe it belongs in everyone's bag for tight shots out of the green and difficult lies. But I will admit the 60 has caused its share of heartache around the green when I miss. I'd still say have one, though, but ultimately, find out what works best for you. You're probably skulling the sand wedge a lot because either 1) you're lifting up or 2) the club has too much bounce on it and your swing path is flat. My own situation? I found out that I can't keep the ball in the fairway with my 3 wood, so I might as well bash the driver anyway. Better to be long and in the trees than short and in the trees. I however rarely use my lob wedge unless I absolutely have to (lob over sand to say, a tight pin with downhill behind the hole), I'll just open up my pitching wedge to get a little more loft instead, most of the time.

[nykfan4life]

thanks for all the advise. I'm not currently using driver, and don't think i will


Still, about the lob wedge, i hit my SW well, its just its got a lots of bounce for sand, but i dont skull it that often.

I wanted the 60 degree because even when i hit my sand wedge like i'm supposed to(which i always do when i'm close enough to use a 60 if i had one), it doesn't pop high enough and i get a lot of roll.

What i'm trying to say, i guess is that i can hit my sand wedge but i think a lob wedge would be better for tighter and closer shots that i wind up skulling because i have to open up my sand wedge clubface.

[lamebums]

What i'm trying to say, i guess is that i can hit my sand wedge but i think a lob wedge would be better for tighter and closer shots that i wind up skulling because i have to open up my sand wedge clubface.

Opening the clubface increases the loft, and that can increase the bounce. Just for the record, what is the bounce on your sand right now?

But I am all the way on getting a lob wedge.

[nykfan4life]

Opening the clubface increases the loft, and that can increase the bounce. Just for the record, what is the bounce on your sand right now?

18 degrees. I bought it to try to help out my sand play(i also do have a very steep, big divot after impact, hop and stop approach shot.), but i have found it is not very good for chipping.

If i got a 60 degree i would get 8 or 12 degrees(i plan to get another CG10) Which do you think would be appropriate. (I'm also looking at the Taylormade Y cutter groves wedges)

[lamebums]

18 degrees. I bought it to try to help out my sand play(i also do have a very steep, big divot after impact, hop and stop approach shot.), but i have found it is not very good for chipping.

With a steep swing I'd usually suggest more bounce, since it will help prevent digging. More bounce is better out of fluffy lies, rough, sand, etc. Less bounce is better out of the fairway and in any other tight lies (hardpan, hard sand, etc.)

For the sake of versatility I'd suggest getting one with eight degrees of bounce, since you'll have a high bounce and a low bounce wedges for both kinds of lies.

[nykfan4life]

With a steep swing I'd usually suggest more bounce, since it will help prevent digging. More bounce is better out of fluffy lies, rough, sand, etc. Less bounce is better out of the fairway and in any other tight lies (hardpan, hard sand, etc.)

yeah, my point was i would be using the 56 from the lies you mentioned, and i would use the lob for greenside chips

[sjhwilkes]

I use my sand wedge a fair amount as it's the perfect club for my local par 3 course. I have to keep the ball pretty far back in my stance though.
I bought a lob wedge earlier in the year and agree with LMGR that it takes a load of practice to use. After a few hundred balls on the range and chipping area I'm just getting the hang of it - with a full swing it's 80 yards, or with a tiny chop down onto the back of the ball it's 5 feet - I like it a lot now.

[bwinger79]

thanks for all the advise. I'm not currently using driver, and don't think i will

If you are a beginner with an 80mph swing speed, dont waste your money on the lob wedge yet. The extra 4 degrees of loft isnt going to help you hit the ball that much higher. The problem is technique, not the loft.

[Fourputt]

If you want to improve your game, get good with the clubs you already have. A lob wedge is a club for experienced players, and until you are fairly proficient with a PW, GW or SW, you are mostly wasting your time with a LW. As you get more loft, precision ball striking becomes more crucial, and the penalty for failure is disastrous. If you ever skull or chunk your SW, then just multiply that about 5 times with the 60° LW and you will have a close estimate of your potential success rate.

My recommendation, get a good 56° SW, then a gap wedge that fits in between that and your PW, and practice your short game with them. Once you really understand how they work and what you can do with them (you'll be surprised), then you'll have the expertise to decide if you need a LW or not. Nobody else can really tell you that, certainly nobody here who has never seen you play. I've played with guys who use the LW for everything they do around the green and that is often the weakest part of their game... they just don't give themselves enough options... don't use enough imagination.

I would learn to use the driver before I'd ever get a LW, but also learn when NOT to use either club, even when they are in your bag.

[nykfan4life]

ok, fair enough, but on that note, anyone have any tips for helping me chipping with the SW?

i can pitch with it alright, but chipping often ends up in a skull(i though it was because of the bounce), if its my technique then some advice would be appriciated

[Jeepthrills]

I bought a LW a couple of months ago and just recently started using it. You have to get the feel for it because if you don't hit it right it will only go a couple of feet.

Or it will go 75 yards when you want it to go 10. His advice does make sense. The LW is a great club to have and the shot can save you strokes. However, it takes a lot of confidence to take a full swing to make a ball go a relatively short distance. You need to weigh the risk/reward with that club. As far as the driver, I don't advise ditching it, but I would start with a 3 wood or a hybrid off the tee. Use the Driver at the range until you feel good over it. Nothing can kill a score faster than a drive that starts right and slices further from there into the woods leaving you at 3 on the tee. At the same time, hitting a 5 iron off the tee and giving up 100+ yards is not great for the score either.

[Fourputt]

ok, fair enough, but on that note, anyone have any tips for helping me chipping with the SW?

One real key is to be sure that your weight is about 75% on the left foot... and don't shift it at all during the stroke, keep it on the left side.. A good chip is a arm and shoulder stroke, no lower body at all. Play the ball back in a slightly open stance. Playing it back helps take some of that bounce off the SW. Keep your head down... peeking is the cause of almost 100% of my chipping mis-hits. I have always had a bit of wrist cock and release in my chip stroke, but that isn't usually recommended. I got started that way 30 years ago, and it just feels comfortable to me (and it works for me).

What other wedges do you have and what lofts? I split most of my chipping between my SW and my 50° gap wedge. Once in a while I will use the PW or 8I, and even my 25° hybrid on rare occasions.

[nykfan4life]

One real key is to be sure that your weight is about 75% on the left foot... and don't shift it at all during the stroke, keep it on the left side.. A good chip is a arm and shoulder stroke, no lower body at all. Play the ball back in a slightly open stance. Playing it back helps take some of that bounce off the SW. Keep your head down... peeking is the cause of almost 100% of my chipping mis-hits. I have always had a bit of wrist cock and release in my chip stroke, but that isn't usually recommended. I got started that way 30 years ago, and it just feels comfortable to me (and it works for me).

thanks, i'll try it tommorrow in the backyard

just PW and SW. I'm getting a new iron set which includes a PW and GW, and the lofts are 48 degree PW 52 degree GW 56 degree SW