PW to match wedges rather than iron set?

[NM Golf]

2 minutes ago, Lihu said:

I just answered the poll with stock set, because I just don't swing fast enough to use only wedges up to 150 yards. In fact, my 50 degree is the U wedge in a set of Ping i20 with a 56 and 60 following and only goes 120.

My guess is you'll only get affirmation with golfers who swing 116+ with their drivers. . .

Not really sure where swing speed has anything to do with this? I just asked if anyone has swapped their set's PW out for a Vokey or similiar wedge. How far you hit your PW (or any other wedge) is irrelevant.

[Lihu]

1 minute ago, NM Golf said:

Not really sure where swing speed has anything to do with this? I just asked if anyone has swapped their set's PW out for a Vokey or similiar wedge. How far you hit your PW (or any other wedge) is irrelevant.

Most people need as much bounce and as "hot" a face as they can get. So, only higher swing speed people can really get away with using a standard wedge setup up through PW distances. I'm not a short hitter at all, but couldn't use a standard wedge to replace a PW.

[NM Golf]

37 minutes ago, Lihu said:

Most people need as much bounce and as "hot" a face as they can get. So, only higher swing speed people can really get away with using a standard wedge setup up through PW distances. I'm not a short hitter at all, but couldn't use a standard wedge to replace a PW.

Pretty sure you are missing the point of this whole thing. What is a standard wedge? The only thing switching to a Vokey style wedge would affect is forgiveness. Not sure how "hot" you can get the face of a PW? Unless you are playing super game improvement irons bounce is a complete non issue. My 47° Vokey is replacing a 47° Callaway they are the same loft and go the same distance (for the most part). The big difference I see is in spin out of the rough, as the Vokey spins considerably more which could be even more beneficial to someone who can hit the center of the face but has a lower swing speeds and struggles to get the ball to stop. Playability is also a big improvement, shots around the green are much easier and the vokey is much more versatile for a wider range of shots.

Edited September 12, 2017 by NM Golf

[Lihu]

6 minutes ago, NM Golf said:

Pretty sure you are missing the point of this whole thing. What is a standard wedge? The only thing switching to a Vokey style wedge would affect is forgiveness. Not sure how "hot" you can get the face of a PW? Unless you are playing super game improvement irons bounce is a complete non issue. My 47° Vokey is replacing a 47° Callaway they are the same loft and go the same distance (for the most part). The big difference I see is in spin out of the rough, as the Vokey spins considerably more which could be even more beneficial to someone who can hit the center of the face but has a lower swing speeds and struggles to get the ball to stop. Playability is also a big improvement, shots around the green are much easier and the vokey is much more versatile for a wider range of shots.

Not trying to be argumentative, but I'm pretty sure there is a heck of a lot more forgiveness with my Ping PW and U wedge than a Volkey with the same loft. That and they're both GI cavity backs which helps on off center hits.

I'd likely hit the Volkeys a few to 10 yards shorter at the same loft angle? For example, the face of my PW is about like my other clubs to 7i. I used to use MP-32, and the face was dead compared to the Pings. I think I gain about 2 to 3 yards just on that with the Pings. Then the bounce is really high for the loft. I'm guessing that translates to something like 5 to 10 yards on the course because it's easier to hit? I pretty much need all the distance and forgiveness when I pull put a PW.

Once I'm inside 100 yards, for sure, I pull out my wedges.

[djake]

Personally if I were to do it all over again I would NOT get the "stock" wedge that comes with the irons.  I really like my current JPX Forged irons as well as the 2015 Ping i irons previously.  But the PW just doesn't fit into the set the same. 

It's like it doesn't know if it wants to be one of the irons or one of the wedges.  Just an odd duck out kinda deal.

Sure Ping designed the Glide wedges off of the 2015 Ping i irons and they were nice but i would much rather have a complete set of wedges from PW loft on down.  Better gap fitting if you buy the wedges separate after the 9 iron in my amateur opinion.

I bought my current T7 wedges (52 and 56) separate from my irons and at the time they fit a huge gapping issue i had from my 2015 Ping i PW to the Mizuno T7 52 and then a nice fit to the T7 56.

When i purchased the Mizuno JPX 900 Forged this year i picked up one solid extra club in distance thus now i have a gapping issue between my PW and 52.  Thus off to get the T7 48 degree i go.  Spending money solves that issue yet it does not solve the "feel" difference between the JPZ 900 Forged PW and T7 wedges. 

Personally i don't care if my wedges match or do not match my irons in appearance or brand.  But i do want all of my wedges to the be same brand, shaft and grip.

[Lihu]

5 hours ago, djake said:

Personally if I were to do it all over again I would NOT get the "stock" wedge that comes with the irons.  I really like my current JPX Forged irons as well as the 2015 Ping i irons previously.  But the PW just doesn't fit into the set the same. 

It's like it doesn't know if it wants to be one of the irons or one of the wedges.  Just an odd duck out kinda deal.

Sure Ping designed the Glide wedges off of the 2015 Ping i irons and they were nice but i would much rather have a complete set of wedges from PW loft on down.  Better gap fitting if you buy the wedges separate after the 9 iron in my amateur opinion.

I bought my current T7 wedges (52 and 56) separate from my irons and at the time they fit a huge gapping issue i had from my 2015 Ping i PW to the Mizuno T7 52 and then a nice fit to the T7 56.

When i purchased the Mizuno JPX 900 Forged this year i picked up one solid extra club in distance thus now i have a gapping issue between my PW and 52.  Thus off to get the T7 48 degree i go.  Spending money solves that issue yet it does not solve the "feel" difference between the JPZ 900 Forged PW and T7 wedges. 

Personally i don't care if my wedges match or do not match my irons in appearance or brand.  But i do want all of my wedges to the be same brand, shaft and grip.

Actually, both you and @NM Golf have good points. If you match anything it should be in the sub-150 yard range. 180 to 220 is rare for most people to expect to hit greens, and also 150 to 180 is not super critical for most golfers. That would be between an 8 and 6 in the summer and a 7 to 5 in like 50F or below temperatures. The point being that there is a lot of play in distances from 150 and above versus below 150 yards.

I might be convinced to switch out my PW and U wedges, but I still feel like my distances will initially be shorter until I get the right set of lofted wedges. For example, I might end up with a 44 degree PW versus my current 46 degree Ping i20 PW and a 48 degree in Volkey instead of a 50 degree Ping UW?

Edited September 13, 2017 by Lihu

[djake]

@Lihu what I have seen from this season of getting irons fitted and purchased.

when I purchased my wedges first I was building my distance from closest to the pin and out, I covered my gaps very well and I got wedges that really fit me nice.  My GiR started going back up and my scoring went down.  To know at a full swing what club to grab at any specific yardage is 110% confidence builder in my game.  I was having serious issues with my old wedges not filling gaps and not hitting the yardage they needed to.  My old 56 degree wedge was relegated to sand only as it was worthless on a full swing, I could not hit it 60 yards and when I did it got so high up in the air I was the mercy of to many conditions I could not control.  So I had to go with my old 52 wedge and really learn to work it but that club could not get more then 80 to 90 yards and it too skied very high.

This summer when I switched out to my new wedges I could hit my 56 at that 80 to 90 yards spot on and work it, draw, fade without it getting into the stratosphere.  My new 52 wedge is that 110 yard hole I used to have and it is ultra dependable.  These two wedges are fun to hit and learn to work in so many conditions

the next club up is the PW, please don't get me wrong it is nice, but the technology on the full set of irons stops with the PW.  Specifically made wedges have more technology stuck into them today.  Look at all of the companies that just make wedges and the companies that really put an effort into their wedges, they are a step up and over the PW that is the "full" set of irons.  I wish I had just gotten all of my wedges up to the 9i the same.

As far as your statement on distance over 150 yards and hitting greens.  To me this just sounds like lack of confidence.  Anytime I grab an iron I think "up and down" no matter how far it is "up and down".  I don't do that or I would be playing on TV but it really does make a difference when swinging when you place that positive thought and believe you CAN get there with any iron in your bag. 

i have always worked on my irons as i really like hitting them a lot.  This forum has pushed me even harder to work on the full swing with all clubs, to attack the green.  My GiR went way up this summer and my scores dropped all getting back to where i used to be 30 years ago. 

Work the full swing and then believe you can hit any green with the 5 iron on down.  You will be a better golfer, i believe that with all my heart!

Your 220 yard statement and hitting greens.  If it is a Par 3 i am breaking out into a sweat, if it is a Par 5 and i am out 220 yards i am super excited and thinking Eagle time.  Oh how goofy that is on my part but super true.  I hate 220 yard Par 3's i love being 220 to 240 out on a Par 5 with my second shot.

All i want for my Birthday is a Mizuno T7 48 degree wedge to fill that 120ish gap i now have (:

[iacas]

I'm one of the currently 11.11%. My PW matches my other wedges… which doesn't match my set.

[jamo]

Mine matches my set. It's a blade anyway (combo iron set), so I've never found a reason to replace it. 

[cutchemist42]

My PW comes from my early 90s Lynx Parallax set. It features the same graphite shafts as the irons do. The SW is from the same Parallax set, but is steel shafted. 

Back then, Lynx didnt make a GW or LW wedge for the set, and there was a  degree difference between the PW and SW to fit a GW. 

My GW and LW match (Nike), but the shape is very different from my Lynx set. I still dont hit the Nike wedges as well as the Lynx wedges. I feel like I never misfit the Lynx clubs, while the Nike wedges will more often be skulled.

Here's a picture of the set....

I wish my set was more uniform, but its a combination of not enough money as well as just being in love with my iron set. I've actually thought old Ping Eye2s match my Lynx shape better than the Nike wedges do.

Edited October 4, 2017 by cutchemist42

[iacas]

5 hours ago, cutchemist42 said:

Here's a picture of the set....

Those are lefty clubs, no?

[cutchemist42]

5 hours ago, iacas said:

Those are lefty clubs, no?

Should have wrote that this isnt my set specifically....just a picture I pulled off a search. Yeah im a righty, and my soles arent that black anymore on a few of the clubs.

[proto]

pw that comes with a set of irons is going to be easier to hit with vs then buying a vokey 46º wedge. the face is going to be bigger and the sole is more likely going to be wider and more forgiving club overall.  i never buy the matching wedge sets that you can get with a iron set. i want more spin and control so i always just buy 9-3 or 9-4. makes it lil cheaper also. now days you can get a shaft in your wedges to match your irons for free. but for me, id say just keep leave it alone. not worth the extra money to reshaft a stock pw unless you buy a vokey or MG wedges or a wedge company.