New wedges

[Brian W]

After being away for a while due to a move and a kiddo taking up a lot of my time, I am back and should be around a bit more.  I have been able to play quite a bit this year and am out on the course a few times a week.  I have recently scored my low round at 80 and feel really good about my game, looking to break into the 70s this summer.  I would like to update my wedges due to my sand wedge having quite a few years under its belt.  I know what the popular wedges are around here but would like to explain my situation anyway.

I am all set with my Cobra Driver, 4w and 3i hybrid.  I just got fitted last year with Mizuno 825pro forged 4-PW.  I notice that the degree of loft on these is quite strong with the PW being at 45 degrees.  This causes a problem for me as I hit that PW about 120.  I can do shortened backswing and choking up swings but they are dangerous as I have a tendency to not bring my hips through correctly and throw my timing off on the half or 3/4 swings and when I choke up, I have had issues with shanking so the idea here is to keep it all full swings on the PW.  Going to the wedges is a different story.  I have good luck with a few different shots with my 3 wedges, Cleveland 2 dot 48, 54, 60.  I use my 60 almost exclusively around the green and the other 2 have various shots based on how far out I am (got a range finder and it is really helpful inside 100 yards).  I use the pitch method, as linked here on so many occasions, most of the time but have found that if I do use a half swing with my feet a little closer and the face opened up just a bit, I can be a little more accurate and dangerous inside 100 yards.  Recently with some better ball striking I can actually get my 48 full swing up to 105 or even 110 but that is rare

At the risk of rambling even more, I am looking for a new set but am worried that if I go with a 50, I will be leaving too much of a gap with full swings where I should be right at home.  Most of the wedge makers out there dont even have a 48 (Edel obviously along with Cleveland and Titleist).  I guess my question is do I need to keep a 48 or just go for a 50 and work on striking better.  That would allow for a 50, 55, and 60 keeping the 5 degree loft difference.  The thing that keeps sticking out in my mind is because the nature of the 825 pro is a game improvement and CB, I feel that I am going to hit them further that what is essentially a MB wedge of the same loft and that is why I put the 48 in rather than something else.  The extra few degrees of loft put me where I should be and keeps my gaps at 120, 100 and 80 (for PW, 48, 54).  Am I just over-thinking this or what?!?

All that said, what would everyone recommend?  I have an Edel putter that I was fitted for and that I love dearly.  There is someone here in town that does fittings for Edel wedges and they also carry the cast ones as well.  They are quite expensive though and I dont know if putting 500 dollars into 3 wedges is the best thing.  I also really like the way the Mizuno wedges feel as I have hit a few of my buddies at various times but I do not see a 48 or very high bounce on them.  I have always hit Cleveland and am used to them but I am thinking there are better options out there.

[TimS65]

Callaway MD3 do lofts in the range you prefer. I have 48/54/60 as my set PW is 44°. They also offer different bounce in each loft. Give them a try!

[Brian W]

  On 6/27/2016 at 1:16 PM, TimS65 said:

Callaway MD3 do lofts in the range you prefer. I have 48/54/60 as my set PW is 44°. They also offer different bounce in each loft. Give them a try!

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I will check them out.  If I remember right, they are designed by Roger Cleveland so that is a good thing based on what I have always used.  Another question that I am now thinking of, what are the different soles (C,W,S) and what do they do?  I see different soles on a lot of wedges and I am not sure which would be right for me.  Or is that something that I should take some swing videos of the different shots I use with my wedges and everyone can chime in.

One of my biggest problems with something like Edel is that the local fitter (at golf galaxy) doesn't seem to even want to talk to you unless you pay for the fitting.  I had some questions and nobody knew anything about them except for the certified fitter and he wasn't too friendly and didn't answer any real questions even though I used him to get fitted for my Edel putter

[newtogolf]

Why not just get the Mizuno JPX Pro 825 gap wedge that was part of your set?  You can find them used at a good price and they will be the right gap for your set.  

[Brian W]

  On 6/27/2016 at 1:48 PM, newtogolf said:

Why not just get the Mizuno JPX Pro 825 gap wedge that was part of your set?  You can find them used at a good price and they will be the right gap for your set.  

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I thought about that too but I think it will cause the same problem but just inside 10 more yards or so.  I guess if I picked up the gap wedge, I could find a better and higher bounce on the 54 and 60 though.  I just like the versatility of having the 3 wedges and I really do not want to adjust the full swings on the PW and GW if I did go that route 

[rehmwa]

  On 6/27/2016 at 1:48 PM, newtogolf said:

Why not just get the Mizuno JPX Pro 825 gap wedge that was part of your set?  You can find them used at a good price and they will be the right gap for your set.  

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I have these (50, 56/14, 60) and they gap out pretty decent with a PW that hits 120

Though my MP15's PW is a 46 I think

46 - 120 yards

50 - 110 yards

56 - 100 yards

60 - 70 yards

though with wedges I try not to get stuck hitting at 100%

(I'm actually wanting to upgrade to a better (more spin) wedge set - I like the way the Mack Daddy 2's hit a lot)

[newtogolf]

  On 6/27/2016 at 1:56 PM, Brian W said:

I thought about that too but I think it will cause the same problem but just inside 10 more yards or so.  I guess if I picked up the gap wedge, I could find a better and higher bounce on the 54 and 60 though.  I just like the versatility of having the 3 wedges and I really do not want to adjust the full swings on the PW and GW if I did go that route 

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I have the JPX 850 Forged irons and use the sets gap wedge.  It is easy to make a full swing and feels no different than the PW.  I also carry a 55* Vokey TVD wedge with high bounce for anything less than 100 yards.  

[Brian W]

  On 6/27/2016 at 1:58 PM, rehmwa said:

I have these (50, 56/14, 60) and they gap out pretty decent with a PW that hits 120

Though my MP15's PW is a 46 I think

46 - 120 yards

50 - 110 yards

56 - 100 yards

60 - 70 yards

though with wedges I try not to get stuck hitting at 100%

(I'm actually wanting to upgrade to a better (more spin) wedge set - I like the way the Mack Daddy 2's hit a lot)

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I think because mine is 45, i wold have to make some adjustment but because I am with you on the not hitting the wedges 100% (at least for the SW and LW) maybe the best bet is the one from the set.  I just like the versatility of having the 3 actual wedges 

I am hearing a lot about the Callaway MD2 or MD3 though.  Maybe I should check out the MD3 at the local store and find out which grind is going to work the best 

[dave s]

I love wedges.  Love being within 'wedge range' on any hole.  Now that I've had the 4 wedges in the bag, 110 to 60 yards is like throwing darts.

My thought on selection is this:  If you gap your wedges reasonably, you'll quickly be able to dial in the full-swing yardages for each without issue.  Knowing how far each goes is probably more important than what loft number is on each.  For example, my ping iron set has W-45*; Utility-50*.  I also carry two Vokey wedges with M-grind soles at 54 and 58* lofts.  I can easily increase loft on the 58* to 64* if needed simply by opening it up.

Your yardage would vary because you hit the ball farther and me, but here are my wedge yardage gaps:

45* - 110 yards

50 - 100

54 - 90

58 - 80 and down.

Really step on them for 5 more yards. Nice and smooth for 5 fewer yards from each.

I've had the same loft numbers on my wedges for 3 seasons.  The yardage for each is very predictable now. To me, predictable yardages trumps loft number on a wedge any day.

dave

[Brian W]

  On 6/27/2016 at 6:13 PM, dave s said:

I love wedges.  Love being within 'wedge range' on any hole.  Now that I've had the 4 wedges in the bag, 110 to 60 yards is like throwing darts.

My thought on selection is this:  If you gap your wedges reasonably, you'll quickly be able to dial in the full-swing yardages for each without issue.  Knowing how far each goes is probably more important than what loft number is on each.  For example, my ping iron set has W-45*; Utility-50*.  I also carry two Vokey wedges with M-grind soles at 54 and 58* lofts.  I can easily increase loft on the 58* to 64* if needed simply by opening it up.

Your yardage would vary because you hit the ball farther and me, but here are my wedge yardage gaps:

45* - 110 yards

50 - 100

54 - 90

58 - 80 and down.

Really step on them for 5 more yards. Nice and smooth for 5 fewer yards from each.

I've had the same loft numbers on my wedges for 3 seasons.  The yardage for each is very predictable now. To me, predictable yardages trumps loft number on a wedge any day.

dave

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This is a great point and why I went with the 3 degree difference with the PW at 45 and the 48.  The problem is I am thinking of upgrading and I want them to be more useful.  Really it seems like I know what I want, just need to figure out what the grind will do for me and my swing.

Sounds like I should bring in my PW and hit some to see 

[dave s]

  On 6/27/2016 at 6:19 PM, Brian W said:

This is a great point and why I went with the 3 degree difference with the PW at 45 and the 48.  The problem is I am thinking of upgrading and I want them to be more useful.  Really it seems like I know what I want, just need to figure out what the grind will do for me and my swing.

Sounds like I should bring in my PW and hit some to see 

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Quick story on the Vokey buying decision for me.  Went to the Vokey wedge site.  So many loft and grind combinations that I had no idea what was best for me.  Picked up the phone, called their place of business and talked to a professional who really understood the wedge grind as it applies to your normal course conditions.  I said, bla, bla, bla, then Firestone and ding, they guy said, 'the M grind will work really well for you.'

My 54 and 58 are M Grind Vokey SM wedges.  I couldn't be happier with how they slide through deep rough around the green but still have the ability to pinch the ball perfectly from the collar of the green or any other really tight lie.  M grind seems to be the best of all worlds on a Vokey wedge for playing on bent grass in a northern climate.

dave

[rehmwa]

  On 6/27/2016 at 6:06 PM, Brian W said:

I think because mine is 45, i wold have to make some adjustment but because I am with you on the not hitting the wedges 100% (at least for the SW and LW) maybe the best bet is the one from the set.  I just like the versatility of having the 3 actual wedges 

I am hearing a lot about the Callaway MD2 or MD3 though.  Maybe I should check out the MD3 at the local store and find out which grind is going to work the best 

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I don't think 45 or 46 would be that much of an effect.  I didn't pick my wedges to get specific loft numbers, I picked the loft numbers to get the yardages I quoted.  Means taking in your PW and hitting it and hitting a lot of wedges to see how you want to stack them down from the PW.

For the new wedges, I'm keeping the PW and GW.  I'm just looking to get the MD2's to replace the SW and LW.  These are neat, if I lean on them a little harder, instead of getting 5 more yards (like I do with my Mizunos) I get less yardage and LOT more spin - which I'd hope to learn to use for my benefit and entertainment.

[WUTiger]

If you're blending Company B wedges into Company A irons + PW, you may experience uneven yardage between PW and GW. Here's what you've got...

JPX.825 Pro irons

• 9  40*  35.75" shaft
• P  45*  35.50"
• G  50*  35.25"

   Cle RTX (original) 588 Wedges

• P  48*  35.5"
• S  54*  35.25"
• L  60*  35.125"

Unless you're planning on moving onto the Web.com tour, just keep your JPX PW and your three RTX wedges. You may have a little yardage bunch-up at the PW-48* bridge, but you know this. Or, maybe not, because...

From my experience with Cle CG14s (I still play them), the Cleveland wedges are not as hot in the face as most other wedges. I was worried that my X20Tour PW 46* was going to bump into the yardage on the 50* Cle GW, because the two had the same shaft length. But, the PW had a hotter face and went about 12 yards longer than the 50*. 

[Brian W]

  On 6/27/2016 at 6:50 PM, rehmwa said:

I don't think 45 or 46 would be that much of an effect.  I didn't pick my wedges to get specific loft numbers, I picked the loft numbers to get the yardages I quoted.  Means taking in your PW and hitting it and hitting a lot of wedges to see how you want to stack them down from the PW.

For the new wedges, I'm keeping the PW and GW.  I'm just looking to get the MD2's to replace the SW and LW.  These are neat, if I lean on them a little harder, instead of getting 5 more yards (like I do with my Mizunos) I get less yardage and LOT more spin - which I'd hope to learn to use for my benefit and entertainment.

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I see exactly what you are saying.  Go for the distances over lofts and use the last 2 wedges that can get more spin to be better on approach pitches and chips.  

[Brian W]

  On 6/27/2016 at 7:30 PM, WUTiger said:

If you're blending Company B wedges into Company A irons + PW, you may experience uneven yardage between PW and GW. Here's what you've got...

JPX.825 Pro irons

• 9  40*  35.75" shaft
• P  45*  35.50"
• G  50*  35.25"

   Cle RTX (original) 588 Wedges

• P  48*  35.5"
• S  54*  35.25"
• L  60*  35.125"

Unless you're planning on moving onto the Web.com tour, just keep your JPX PW and your three RTX wedges. You may have a little yardage bunch-up at the PW-48* bridge, but you know this. Or, maybe not, because...

From my experience with Cle CG14s (I still play them), the Cleveland wedges are not as hot in the face as most other wedges. I was worried that my X20Tour PW 46* was going to bump into the yardage on the 50* Cle GW, because the two had the same shaft length. But, the PW had a hotter face and went about 12 yards longer than the 50*. 

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WUTiger,

Good to talk to you again.  I actually just use the 588 before the RTX not that they are that much different.  I wasn't too worried about the 48 (or 50) bumping into the yardage but leaving too big of a gap.  I do agree that they are not as hot and that is why I bumped up to 48 in the first place.  I am sure the length of the shaft has a bit to do with why as well.  Maybe I am not understanding what you are saying...

[WUTiger]

Brian,

Sounds like you understand well. You always need to hit the wedges - which you have done - to get the true yardage. You did that and know your yardage... so it sounds like you're good to go! 

Side note: I got a Vokey fitting recently, and best mix seemed to be 48, 54 and 58. (The 60 got the ball up a bit too high, and it left too large a gap to the 54.) Again, hit 'em the dirt to make sure, which you have done. 

Brian: I play out of Stonewolf. What's you're home course?

[Brian W]

  On 6/27/2016 at 10:33 PM, WUTiger said:

Brian,

Sounds like you understand well. You always need to hit the wedges - which you have done - to get the true yardage. You did that and know your yardage... so it sounds like you're good to go! 

Side note: I got a Vokey fitting recently, and best mix seemed to be 48, 54 and 58. (The 60 got the ball up a bit too high, and it left too large a gap to the 54.) Again, hit 'em the dirt to make sure, which you have done. 

Brian: I play out of Stonewolf. What's you're home course?

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^{Ya, I think I got the info I need.  I just need to hit as many as possible to see the total yards I hit them and match it up to the 45 PW of my set.  I think I am not going to get the GW from the set as I would like to have a little more versatility} 

^{I have been Far Oaks so not really that far away even though I live in South County across the river.  I know we talked about it before but I would be down to get together for a round}