Wedge make-up

[onthehunt526]

OK guys we spent a real good part of the summer debating the long end of the bag...

As some of you may know I just picked up a set of  Exotics E8 irons (4-PW, AW)... The PW is 45° and The AW is 50°. I'm using my CU SW as the SW for the moment... 

This is where we are at in the cold today I got the distances of all of my irons. Here is the part that matters... 8-iron down

8-iron:  149

9-iron: 137

PW: 125

AW: 105

Been really working on keeping a flat right wrist at impact and getting compression, I actually can hit a SW 85 yards in the cold!!!

OK here is the question. Should I go 54-58, 54-60, or 56-60 from here? 

I think at normal temperatures I'd probably get 5-8 yards on each club, so we're around 130 with a PW, 110 with a gap, and 90 with a SW...

I'm thinking I just am looking for opinions on the lofts, I'm open to other suggestions as well...

 

Thanks,

Shane

[mvmac]

How about 55-60?

Either bend the 54 or 56.

 

[Patch]

I carried 4 wedges for a very long time. I also play Tour Edge irons. I just recently took my. 60* LW out to make room for a  4i I am hitting really well. Have not missed my LW at all. I have been opening up my AW to get LW distances as needed which is not very often. 

[Mr. Desmond]

Depends on your game around the green - I play 45-50-55-60.

I primarily treat the 45 and 50 as irons, and the 55 and 60 as my specialty shot clubs.

If you must choose between 54 or 56, I prefer 56.

As to any high lofted wedges, the sole grind/bounce should fit your swing.

Edited October 27, 2015 by Mr. Desmond

[inthehole]

 

OK here is the question. Should I go 54-58, 54-60, or 56-60 from here? 

I think at normal temperatures I'd probably get 5-8 yards on each club, so we're around 130 with a PW, 110 with a gap, and 90 with a SW...

I'm thinking I just am looking for opinions on the lofts, I'm open to other suggestions as well...

 

Thanks,

Shane

My distances are within 5 yds of yours.    Lately I've been going 54 - 58 - 64  (dropped my 4i) ... that 64 is a get out of jail free card from the heavy greenside rough.

[Mr. Desmond]

I was thinking of another combo - 56, 62 - the 62 because of your extreme distance with a 60. You might also look at the length of that shaft - could be long.

I have not seen that many regular golfers have success with a 64 - although there are exceptions as stated above my post. But it depends on which club you use primarily around the greens. If you use a 60 a lot around the greens, stick with a 60. If you use the 56 primarily, the 62 is an option for limited specialty shots - rough, bunker, short chips, high pitches, and from the fairway.

[onthehunt526]

How about 55-60?

Either bend the 54 or 56.

 

Mike,

Which would you bend?

[natureboy]

OK guys we spent a real good part of the summer debating the long end of the bag...

As some of you may know I just picked up a set of  Exotics E8 irons (4-PW, AW)... The PW is 45° and The AW is 50°. I'm using my CU SW as the SW for the moment... 

This is where we are at in the cold today I got the distances of all of my irons. Here is the part that matters... 8-iron down

8-iron:  149

9-iron: 137

PW: 125

AW: 105

Been really working on keeping a flat right wrist at impact and getting compression, I actually can hit a SW 85 yards in the cold!!!

OK here is the question. Should I go 54-58, 54-60, or 56-60 from here? 

I think at normal temperatures I'd probably get 5-8 yards on each club, so we're around 130 with a PW, 110 with a gap, and 90 with a SW...

I'm thinking I just am looking for opinions on the lofts, I'm open to other suggestions as well...

 

Thanks,

Shane

I don't understand the 20 yard gap between the PW and the AW. Isn't the AW supposed to have filled the gap? What is the loft difference between your 8 and 9 irons? I'm surprised 5* between PW and AW produces such a large gap. If it was me, I would go back and get a wedge that carried in the 115 yard range.

How about 55-60?

Either bend the 54 or 56.

 

I would do this, I like the predictability of even gaps switching between clubs.

Edited October 27, 2015 by natureboy

[dave s]

My highest lofted wedge is a Vokey 58* M grind with 8* bounce.  It's my 'go-to' wedge from green side bunkers and rough areas near the green.  It has such a soft grind that I can turn it into a 75* wedge by opening it up. 

Also have the standard 45* PW, 50* AW and a Vokey 54 for fairway shots.  It's the 58* Vokey that takes care of the 'business shots' around the green.

dave

[WUTiger]

... If you must choose between 54 or 56, I prefer 56.

As to any high lofted wedges, the sole grind/bounce should fit your swing.

I carry 46 (iron set) and 50, 54 and 58 (CG14)  right now. I sometimes carry 56 rather than 54 + 58, as 56 comes out of bunker better than 54.

And, definitely pay attention to sole grind / bounce for two higher wedges.

Try out a 60 and see if you can hit it OK. I know single-digit HDCPers who won't touch a 60, and I know 20+ HDCPers who perform magic tricks with the 60. Test it, and go with what works.

Also, do you use some Pelz in your short game -- you vary swing length systematically with different wedges to get a 4 x 4 shot distance matrix .. or, Do you hit everything inside 50 yards with a couple of wedges, using feel....?

The Pelz approach would make even loft gapping between wedges more critical. 

[mvmac]

Mike,

Which would you bend?

Depends on the bounce of the 54 and 56. Typically I would go with a 56 with a good amount of bounce and make that 55.

[Baog]

My distances are similar to yours but with slightly weaker lofts. I play a 47* PW, 53* Gap (52* bent), a 59* SW (56* bent and the trailing edge of bounce is ground down), and a 64* LW cut down to 34".

To me, the trajectory and turf interactions are much more important than loft for my SW and LW. I rarely make a full swing with the SW and never with the 64*. Since the distance varies so much depending on contact and lie I'm much more likely to hit a terrible shot on a big swing than I am with a shorter swing on a lower lofted club.  

[cooke119]

I hit Callaway XR irons and use their PW (44*); AW (49*); and  the SW (54*). The SW has a large bounce and is perfect out of the sand.  I use graphite shafts so I needed a LW with a graphite shaft. I want a special grind so I had a LW made to my specs and had the club ground when I go it. Really fits my game well, especially off tight lies.

I'm reading a book "Your Short Game Solution; Mastering the Finesse Game From 120 Yards and In, by James Sieckmann"", I'm finding it very informative, only a quarter of the way in but picking up a lot of tips.

 

[onthehunt526]

I don't understand the 20 yard gap between the 45° PW and the 50° AW myself... Though I have been working really hard on thumping little wedges forward... I've honestly been working more on the finesse shots, If I'm ever going to be a consistent 5 handicap or so, that part needs work 60-120 yards.

So, I picked up 54° and 58° at a nice price... Hopefully they help my 60-90 yard game a little bit... (I got them fit to me, the first damn fitting I've gotten that actually seems like its going to help)... 

This is a little off-topic but not entirely...

I was surprised to find out, in my Dynamic Fitting that I actually only need 1° upright. I'm a static "Green Dot" in PING irons... But with my swing I'm a yellow/blue... So its off to the fitter to get my irons bent 1° upright.