chris661
Money List Winner
Thats all fine and well but how often does the average club golfer standing over a shot knowing it has to go 75 yards actually hit it 75 yards and not anything between 10 and 85?
3 wedge set up.
- Thread starter splashtryagain
- Start date
MashieNiblick
Tour Winner
I too wonder about worrying too much that the "gaps" between wedges are equal. For irons you are basically hitting a full shot each time so the gaps should be regular I guess to keep the distances consistent. However for wedges you are hitting a variety of shots with each club. Is 85 yards a 3/4 PW an "easy" GW or a full on SW? That depends on how you like to play and what shots you feel comfortable with. So I'd say gap wise choose clubs you like and that work for you and if that results in 46, 52 and 56, or 48, 52 and 58 I doubt it would make much difference. The question is will the clubs enable you to play the shots you want to on the course.
Imurg
The Grinder Of Pars (Semi Crocked)
Probably rarely but that coincides with the GPS debate doesn't it?
Knowing your yardage to flag/green and knowing how far you hit the ball are your starting points to work out which club to use. With regular gaps between clubs it reduces the need to manufacture a shot - hell most average golfers can't manufacture a shot to save their lives - better players can and that may be why they prefer fewer wedges. Ask Fragger to hit a 3/4 PW instead of a full GW and God alone knows what will happen..(Sorry Frag!).
At the "average" end of the game it's all about improving consistency - how can you be consistent when having to manufacture a shot - when you can't hit a normal shot consistently enough..
Knowing your yardage to flag/green and knowing how far you hit the ball are your starting points to work out which club to use. With regular gaps between clubs it reduces the need to manufacture a shot - hell most average golfers can't manufacture a shot to save their lives - better players can and that may be why they prefer fewer wedges. Ask Fragger to hit a 3/4 PW instead of a full GW and God alone knows what will happen..(Sorry Frag!).
At the "average" end of the game it's all about improving consistency - how can you be consistent when having to manufacture a shot - when you can't hit a normal shot consistently enough..
bobmac
Major Champion
Practice.
Thats why the higher h/cap cant play the knock down 30,40,50, 60 yrd shots.
Don't buy more wedges, practice these half shots and watch your scores tumble
MashieNiblick
Tour Winner
Agree with Bob. Basically from 60 yards in you aren't hitting a full shot with any club so yardages, lofts, etc are irrelevant. You have to learn how to hit the right shots with a variety of clubs. Isn't that just part of the skill set of the game? Like learning to hit a backhand in tennis. If you can't do it you'll never reach a good standard. Unless you want to carry 8 wedges.
Imurg
The Grinder Of Pars (Semi Crocked)
Agreed.
Practice is the answer
But how many of us do. How many of us have the time for meaningful practice.
You posted a thread about this a while back - most of the answers seemed to say that we would practice if we had more time to devote to it. Most don't - for whatever reason.
The 30-60 yard shots are not really what this thread is about though. From that distance you're looking at feel shots no matter how far you hit the ball.
Take a 23 handicapper.
Put him short of the green on the 15th at Augusta. He has 90 to carry the water and 105 to the flag
He has a PW that flies 110 (normally)
A GW that flies 90 (normally) and a SW that flies 80.
What's he going to do?
The SW won't make it. The GW has to hit perfectly to make the carry(just) - anything less and he's in the drink.
The PW is the club but with the little spin a 23'er gets from his Distance ball he's going over the back..
He can take a little off the PW but he doesn't practice knockdowns or 3/4 shots so it's a recipe for disaster - he's either going to chunk it or thin it.
IF his gaps are consistent then he at least has a chance of getting on the green with a GW that flies 95. He has a marging for error of 5 yards before drowning.
If you have equal gaps in your irons then it makes absolute sense to have similar gaps in your wedges - no matter how many you have in the bag. There's going to be a time when you need to use the SW full-on to make a shot or (God-Forbid) a full lob wedge to get you over a tree but still enough length to maybe make the green.
Practice is the answer
But how many of us do. How many of us have the time for meaningful practice.
You posted a thread about this a while back - most of the answers seemed to say that we would practice if we had more time to devote to it. Most don't - for whatever reason.
The 30-60 yard shots are not really what this thread is about though. From that distance you're looking at feel shots no matter how far you hit the ball.
Take a 23 handicapper.
Put him short of the green on the 15th at Augusta. He has 90 to carry the water and 105 to the flag
He has a PW that flies 110 (normally)
A GW that flies 90 (normally) and a SW that flies 80.
What's he going to do?
The SW won't make it. The GW has to hit perfectly to make the carry(just) - anything less and he's in the drink.
The PW is the club but with the little spin a 23'er gets from his Distance ball he's going over the back..
He can take a little off the PW but he doesn't practice knockdowns or 3/4 shots so it's a recipe for disaster - he's either going to chunk it or thin it.
IF his gaps are consistent then he at least has a chance of getting on the green with a GW that flies 95. He has a marging for error of 5 yards before drowning.
If you have equal gaps in your irons then it makes absolute sense to have similar gaps in your wedges - no matter how many you have in the bag. There's going to be a time when you need to use the SW full-on to make a shot or (God-Forbid) a full lob wedge to get you over a tree but still enough length to maybe make the green.
Jonny
Assistant Pro
I will say that for every range hour I spend... I also do an hour on the short game area... and then maybe a little less than that putting.
That's the only way I can score at times as I am known for missing a fairway or 12
That's the only way I can score at times as I am known for missing a fairway or 12
S
Snelly
Guest
I totally agree.
When I have a pitch shot, I decide on the trajectory and pick the club to suit it. Invariably this will be a 54 degree wedge. The yardage is not that important as I can see where I want the ball to land. My only thought is I need to hit this "that far". I then concentrate on the landing area (not the flag) and ensure I concentrate on the ball to maximise the chance of a good contact (ball first). It is a similar thought process to a long putt. I need to hit the putt "that far" so will strike the ball at a speed I think suits. Same for pitching. It is not about yardage = loft of club X. The length of backswing on both long putts and pitches varies with the desired impact speed.
That is what works for me anyway.
Monty_Brown
Tour Rookie
Out of interest, does anyone know how many degrees clubs can be bent to alter the lofts? I realise this may vary depending on material, design etc, but i'm just after a ball park figure. Cheers.
bobmac
Major Champion
I would suggest 2 degrees for cast and 3-4 for forged. That's not easy to say 
Monty_Brown
Tour Rookie
Four f-f-f-f-f-f-f for forged. Cheers bob!
sev112
Tour Winner
Pedant alert.
The normal gap between irons is 3 degrees and half an inch difference in length.
Now, if the difference in distance between clubs is 10 yards, that makes each degree 3 yards plus one for the half inch length.
So a 2 degree gap is only 6 yards.
Except doesnt it actually work that way, cos it's not a linear relationship, it's one involving cosines of the loft angle which vary depending on the angle ?
But it's too late to be doing those sums tonight so i'll take your word for it
sev112
Tour Winner
Get yourself a 64 deg wedge and get it bent to 68degs and then you can hit a full shot
