64 degree wedge

[jckicker18]

I know I'm a little off because I have never had a 64 but I do have a 68.. It's been sitting in the shed a couple years and is now for sale with my old irons and my old 60. I got the 68 honestly with a little kids mentality of trying to find a club that I could suck the ball back with, solely to impress whoever I played with... It took some getting used to but I got it figured out and for a while it was the main wedge I played.. Probably also the main reason my scores were so high. I could hit some beautiful shots with it but very often would skull it 100+ yards witch makes for a misurable hole. I finally decided to get a 60 and liked it so much that it became my go to wedge And I really used it pretty much any time I was within 110 yards... Still yet Hense my terrible scores. At that point it got to where the only time I pulled the 68 out of the bag would be if I needed to get the ball straight up and straight back down with little roll out. But I tried the same shots with my 60 and had so much more spin on the ball that I could get it to stop around the same spots without having to hit such a drastic shot. And the shot in talking about by the way is several feet in the air and no more than 8-10 yards of carry over a bunker to a short/tight pin location. So therefore I retired the 68. But yet still my scores weren't improving as much as I felt they should. I played like that for a couple years wondering what the problem was... In my mind I had a perfect wedge that I could do nearly anything with and a lot of times do it very well... So my 60 started to get a little old and I decided to get in the market for another one... I ended up getting a new 60 plus got a 52 and a 56 to go with them and ever since have had almost effortless improvement. I am not relying so much on one magic club but more or less letting the clubs do what they are designed for. That being said even now from 75 in I still use my 60. If I can get the my stubborn mind to let me go back to hitting some bump and run shots with an 8 iron I should be really on track. I guess my point is that you can get special clubs and fall in love with them and make yourself think that they are doing you some good and at the same time really only be hurting yourself. I am in no way an expert and this is only my opinion that I have formed over about the last 6 years of playing. So if I am wrong feel completely free to call me out on it. Best of luck!

[Mr. Desmond]

Would you mind if I offer advice as to readability?  ^^^^^^^^^^^^

While I am interested in your post, I will not read that long of a paragraph.

More people, studies show, will read a longer post when you break it up into shorter, more friendly paragraphs.

[Hatchman]

I play one when: Short flop shot, wet or hard sand, and tall/thick fescue. Really like it. 60 normally. Like it.

[jckicker18]

Absolutely, let me work on that

[Lihu]

I'm not sure if being able to "suck the ball back" is a good reason to use a 64? My kid can backup anything at or below a PW/9i. I can backup my 60/52 some of the time if I open up the face.

[jckicker18]

I know I'm a little off because I have never had a 64 but I do have a 68.. It's been sitting in the shed a couple years and is now for sale with my old irons and my old 60. I got the 68 honestly with a little kids mentality of trying to find a club that I could suck the ball back with, solely to impress whoever I played with... It took some getting used to but I got it figured out and for a while it was the main wedge I played.. Probably also the main reason my scores were so high. I could hit some beautiful shots with it but very often would skull it 100+ yards witch makes for a misurable hole. I finally decided to get a 60 and liked it so much that it became my go to wedge And I really used it pretty much any time I was within 110 yards... Still yet Hense my terrible scores. At that point it got to where the only time I pulled the 68 out of the bag would be if I needed to get the ball straight up and straight back down with little roll out. But I tried the same shots with my 60 and had so much more spin on the ball that I could get it to stop around the same spots without having to hit such a drastic shot. And the shot in talking about by the way is several feet in the air and no more than 8-10 yards of carry over a bunker to a short/tight pin location. So therefore I retired the 68. But yet still my scores weren't improving as much as I felt they should. I played like that for a couple years wondering what the problem was... In my mind I had a perfect wedge that I could do nearly anything with and a lot of times do it very well... So my 60 started to get a little old and I decided to get in the market for another one... I ended up getting a new 60 plus got a 52 and a 56 to go with them and ever since have had almost effortless improvement. I am not relying so much on one magic club but more or less letting the clubs do what they are designed for. That being said even now from 75 in I still use my 60. If I can get the my stubborn mind to let me go back to hitting some bump and run shots with an 8 iron I should be really on track. I guess my point is that you can get special clubs and fall in love with them and make yourself think that they are doing you some good and at the same time really only be hurting yourself. I am in no way an expert and this is only my opinion that I have formed over about the last 6 years of playing. So if I am wrong feel completely free to call me out on it. Best of luck!

[Valleygolfer]

I'm reading a lot of "skulling" complaints here and that is definitely a mental error and not a club issue. I would say the 64 or anything higher in loft is a situational club. Put the club in the bag if the greens are lightening fast or you are left with a lot of shots under 60 yards. Otherwise learn to flight whatever club is your preference, 50-60 degree, to the distances you need, as stated previously.

[Mr. Desmond]

@jckicker18

Thanks, much easier to read, and good advice.

You may want to use a 56 for those 75 yd shots so you don't have to go balls out at it. Sometimes, golfers tense up for a longer shot. But if you go 3/4 with soft arms, you will find more consistency.

[jckicker18]

I'm not sure if being able to "suck the ball back" is a good reason to use a 64? My kid can backup anything at or below a PW/9i. I can backup my 60/52 some of the time if I open up the face.

Exactly what I was talking about by saying it was a childish move on my part. Looking for style points rather than better shots. For one thing it seems pointless to me now. If you can put the ball where you want it and make it stop then what it's the point of trying to put the ball past where you want it and bring it back to where you actually do want it. Although it's pretty cool when it works out that way. I don't think it's a good reason to get the club, and now I can back up even my 8 iron anyways. My point is that I bought the club for the wrong reasons, then found better uses for it, and then realized that it was not very practical to use even when used for the right reasons.

[jckicker18]

@jckicker18 Thanks, much easier to read, and good advice. You may want to use a 56 for those 75 yd shots so you don't have to go balls out at it. Sometimes, golfers tense up for a longer shot. But if you go 3/4 with soft arms, you will find more consistency.

Good tip and I will definitely be trying that advice as soon as I get another chance. I am offshore at work right now and have golf fever worse than I can remember ever having it. And reading these forums and watching instructional videos is only making it worse. I'm pumped to say the least.

[Hatchman]

Exactly what I was talking about by saying it was a childish move on my part. Looking for style points rather than better shots. For one thing it seems pointless to me now. If you can put the ball where you want it and make it stop then what it's the point of trying to put the ball past where you want it and bring it back to where you actually do want it. Although it's pretty cool when it works out that way. I don't think it's a good reason to get the club, and now I can back up even my 8 iron anyways. My point is that I bought the club for the wrong reasons, then found better uses for it, and then realized that it was not very practical to use even when used for the right reasons.

I get you. Going full on with a 64 can be fun BUT; depending on the lie and surface (I'm pretty steep) I can make the nicest toupe for mysel and actually not gain from it. Bad contact. But love it to an elevated or protected green over water or such except on wet fairways.

[mvmac]

I'm reading a lot of "skulling" complaints here and that is definitely a mental error and not a club issue.

Or technique.

[Valleygolfer]

Or technique.

I was going to include that but if this was the only club that they bladed, it could be the mental components of hitting a high loft club.

[Lihu]

[quote name="Lihu" url="/t/82976/64-degree-wedge#post_1163877"]I'm not sure if being able to "suck the ball back" is a good reason to use a 64? My kid can backup anything at or below a PW/9i. I can backup my 60/52 some of the time if I open up the face.

Exactly what I was talking about by saying it was a childish move on my part. Looking for style points rather than better shots. For one thing it seems pointless to me now. If you can put the ball where you want it and make it stop then what it's the point of trying to put the ball past where you want it and bring it back to where you actually do want it. Although it's pretty cool when it works out that way. I don't think it's a good reason to get the club, and now I can back up even my 8 iron anyways. My point is that I bought the club for the wrong reasons, then found better uses for it, and then realized that it was not very practical to use even when used for the right reasons.[/quote] My son was making his third shot in an attempt for an up and down his shot landed less than 2 feet from the pin pin high, but rolled all the way back to the leading fringe. I started off saying what a great shot, then he dejectedly said that it always rolls back, like it was a bane. I was kind of laughing inside because it was the most ridiculous thing to land that close to the pin from 60 yards only to end up with 2 putts. I made par with a sub par shot from 10 yards, which was from a mishit 3i from a sliced drive that landed under a tree. The irony is that once he figures out what to do with his skills, I won't even come close to his playing level. Just for reference his 60 degree club only goes 80 yards for him, but his 5W is his 270 yard club. You and I are probably doing something wrong with our 60 degree wedge to get 110 yards. . .

[MrFlipper]

Hey Everyone,

I am new to the sand trap and this is my first post.  Question for the community out there.  I currently have a 52,56,and 60 degree wedge.  However I was thinking of replacing one of them for a 64.  My thoughts are for 40 yards and in, it'll give me more confidence.  I swing down a lot, de-loft the club. I seem to always over shoot the green from 40 and in.  plus around the green it will be easier too.  What are your thoughts?

Greetings!

I try a 64 every now and then and have so far not found a place in my bag for it after playing around in practice with it off and on for years.

It seems nice to hit from a clean or sitting up lie but I struggle with hitting it high in the face from lies in rough, which is where I would use it most. Since the loft is so high it's so easy to slide the club under the ball. Plus there is so much difficulty with distance control hitting short distances with full swings. Plenty of threads here for hitting partial wedges correctly, much easier to control distance that way---

The highest loft I carry now is 60 which is plenty for me, I don't even use it for full shots or sand shots, just rare lofty stuff around the greens with a square clubface.

If you have no faith in your 60, maybe try a 64 for awhile, but I wouldn't spend a ton of money on one to try. You can probably get a decent used one pretty cheap to goof around with but make sure it matches more or less your other wedges. Maybe $30 or so. Mine's a Cleveland, not sure if Vokey even makes one.  There aren't that many available from the normal wedge companies.

I'd bet you will end up putting the 64 in an old bag in the garage, but that's a path you gotta find out for yourself. To me the theory sounds good but in practice it's just not worth it.

[Hatchman]

Just happened. My afternoon round afforded me the right opportunity to use my 64/12 wedge with ball sitting up slightly in jucy tall fescue after the ball ran out of the fairway about 3'. Hitting to an elevated pin placement 73 yards out set slightly up sloped on front of green. From ball lie line of sight had hill between ball and green. No hesitation after assessment pulled 64 and hit to 7' below hole for birdie. One of a few times I get to use it.

[ATLBraves]

Greetings! I try a 64 every now and then and have so far not found a place in my bag for it after playing around in practice with it off and on for years.  It seems nice to hit from a clean or sitting up lie but I struggle with hitting it high in the face from lies in rough, which is where I would use it most. Since the loft is so high it's so easy to slide the club under the ball. Plus there is so much difficulty with distance control hitting short distances with full swings. Plenty of threads here for hitting partial wedges correctly, much easier to control distance that way--- The highest loft I carry now is 60 which is plenty for me, I don't even use it for full shots or sand shots, just rare lofty stuff around the greens with a square clubface.  If you have no faith in your 60, maybe try a 64 for awhile, but I wouldn't spend a ton of money on one to try. You can probably get a decent used one pretty cheap to goof around with but make sure it matches more or less your other wedges. Maybe $30 or so. Mine's a Cleveland, not sure if Vokey even makes one.  There aren't that many available from the normal wedge companies. I'd bet you will end up putting the 64 in an old bag in the garage, but that's a path you gotta find out for yourself. To me the theory sounds good but in practice it's just not worth it.

Went to the range and really worked on dialing my yardage in with my wedges. I think it's safe to say that the 60 is the highest wedge I'll play with.