4 wedges. Really?

[haplesshacker]

Rather than hijack the continuing debate on the long end of the bag thread, I'd thought I'd start a new one.

So, you think that your using a four wedge set up? Well perhaps in mordern parlence, but historically?

Not so long ago a PW was 52 degrees or there abouts. Which meant that the pros were carrying 2, maybe 3 wedges. PW, 56 and perhaps a 60.

Fast forward to today and some PW's are a degree or two out from an old 8 iron. So therefore going by todays lofts. Old pros, would be, in todays terms be carrying an 8 wedge, 9 wedge, PW and an SW, and perhaps a 60. Which makes 4 or even 5 wedges!!

Bearing this in mind, and todays stronger lofts, is 3 or 4 wedges in a modern set up really that excessive?

Our modern bags in old money are only 2 or 3 wedge set ups at most.

The problem has come about because club makers are squeezing the established 4 degrees between each club in an iron set to 3 degrees. Which is why we apparently need more 'wedges' and perhaps lack options at the other end of the bag beacause of this.

To those that say that Seve or Faldo never used to have 4 wedges are perhaps missing the point regarding the actual lofts on these clubs, and instead are focusing on the iron number. ie. 8, 9, PW etc.

I just thought that was an interesting comparison.

 

[kid2]

Rather than hijack the continuing debate on the long end of the bag thread, I'd thought I'd start a new one.

So, you think that your using a four wedge set up? Well perhaps in mordern parlence, but historically?

Not so long ago a PW was 52 degrees or there abouts. Which meant that the pros were carrying 2, maybe 3 wedges. PW, 56 and perhaps a 60.

Fast forward to today and some PW's are a degree or two out from an old 8 iron. So therefore going by todays lofts. Old pros, would be, in todays terms be carrying an 8 wedge, 9 wedge, PW and an SW, and perhaps a 60. Which makes 4 or even 5 wedges!!

Bearing this in mind, and todays stronger lofts, is 3 or 4 wedges in a modern set up really that excessive?

Our modern bags in old money are only 2 or 3 wedge set ups at most.

The problem has come about because club makers are squeezing the established 4 degrees between each club in an iron set to 3 degrees. Which is why we apparently need more 'wedges' and perhaps lack options at the other end of the bag beacause of this.

To those that say that Seve or Faldo never used to have 4 wedges are perhaps missing the point regarding the actual lofts on these clubs, and instead are focusing on the iron number. ie. 8, 9, PW etc.

I just thought that was an interesting comparison.

Well said hapless.....
My current set of S2's has a PW at 43 deg.....Try filling the gap between that and a SW.....
Now that iv changed for the i15's my PW will be 46 deg which im a little more comfortable playing to be honest....

I know that everyone will debate that its only 3 degree's but try hitting that club fromm 100mtrs and ill airmail nearly all greens that are in front of me...
At the moment thats a club that ill use from 115-125mtrs.

Thats why i started the other post mainly to see peoples opinions on what they play....And im aware everyone is different but there has to be a common ground somewhere....

I think that club manufacturers have alot to answer for

 

[SharkAttack]

It's now getting to the point that the manufacturers should just put the lofts rather than a number on their clubs. That way you would be able to get a pretty much matching set when you change in stead of as has been pointed out 3 or 4 degrees between supposedly the same club.

Shark

 

[Toby_LeRhone]

My current set of S2's has a PW at 43 deg.....Try filling the gap between that and a SW.....

How about the Cobra S2 49* Gap Wedge? Should do the trick.

 

[haplesshacker]

I did notice that in this months GM, that Cleveland have done exactly that with their new irons. They've put the iron number and loft on the sole of each club.

If anyone demos a club (6 iron) from different club makers and chooses the one that goes furthest, needs to look into the lofts first. Before just choosing the one that goes furthest.

Perhaps the club makers will stop competing on length with their iron marketing and instead concentrate on disperson. Or we'll end up with 6 irons at 21 degrees!!

 

[sev112]

OK - so let's see where this ends ...

45 deg stamped W, a 48deg PW, 52 deg GW, 56 SW, 60 LW, 64deg

So 6 wedges is what we all should be playing now

Dave pelz would be pleased

 

[haplesshacker]

It doesn't really matter what you call them. You can call all your irons wedges if you really want to. Though the fact remains that in your bag you will have something in the mid forty, the late forty, the early fifty, and the mid fifty and possibly the late fifty, degree clubs.

Some used to be called 8 or 9 irons, now they're wedges. Does it matter?

 

[Oddsocks]

I refuse to carry that amount of wedges, my stock is 46, my new addition pair are 52 & 58. My wedges are 6* equally spaced and 3 wedges should be enough to carry out the range if shots I'm able to play, if not then balls to it, literally

I think "personally" the are far to many players trying tobplay shots they can play me included, so why complicate things by having do closely gaped wedges

 

[Ethan]

25 years ago, a PW was about 50 degrees and a SW 56, and nobody carried anything longer until Tom Kite started carrying a 60 degree. Then that caught on, and as the PW loft strengthened, a gap opened up between it and the SW, hence the gap wedge, usually 52 degrees. Many of the world's best short game experts never used more than a 56 degree wedge.

 

[haplesshacker]

I'm not disagreeing with whatever number of 'wedges' folks want to carry. Just that perhaps our opinion of what a wedge is.

Though if your iron gaps are say, 3 or 4 degrees between them, why settle for a gap of 6 degrees in your scoring zone clubs?

Just playing devils advocate Oddsocks.

 

[Oddsocks]

Totally agree, let's work on the principle that my irons are spaced at 3* this is not just for height, but also flight and length. Generally wedges are feel and personal preference and that's key. You would normally pull out 56*+ if you was playing a lob over a hazard but depending on distance you would would just want accurate distance through feel.

Generally I know what I'm trying to play with my current wedges:

Stock wedge is 90-110 yards
52 vokey is 90- in
60 is for greenside lobs, or pitch and stops in the summer

If I play my 60 from 50 yards it's a cock up waiting to happen, to much loft with no feel gives either a duff or thin, but my 52 I will generally play from anywhere 90 yards down including closed face pitch and runs from as little ad 10 feet, and I'm pretty good with it most days.

Off 15 do I need choices or consistency, it's an obvious answer for me. My 60 has been replaced with a 58 although I may keep the 60 just until the 58 clicks and I know a 52 on 3/4 easy swing will carry minimum of 80 yards. Why try spinning the ball 10 feet back from a part the pin chip. To me choices equal flash , and the f in flash can also stand for f***up.

All of my purple patch rounds this year have been playing the percentages

 

[ScienceBoy]

I have found that for my game having a variety of bounce options at the short end outweighs the long end of my game.

I currently have 13 clubs, I need to fill the long end with something, I expect with will be Driver, 3 wood and a hybrid above a 4 iron. For my game I like having a 47, 52. 56 with lots of bounce and a 60 with very little (5 degrees, a correction from my last post) for getting to tight pins over a hazard in the summer. I expect when I finally decide on my set I will swap it out for winter or soggy golf.

I tend not to go for par 5s in 2, I like to lay up and wedge it in (also the par 5s on my course are well guarded and very tough to hold), I also hit my irons a long way as I am 25 and pretty strong and fit from 10 years of rugby.

I think someones bag reflects the style of their game, I think anyone who has more hyrbids and woods understands their limitations and has the clubs to hit the shots they need.

 

[Imurg]

I have 4 wedges and only 3 fairway clubs because I know I'm unlikely to.hit a green from 200+ yards. I'm confident enough in my short game to rnable me to get up and down from around the green more often than not. Having 4 wedges of differing bounce and loft gives me more chance of being able to play the required shot without having to manufacture one.
I thought about moving to a 47, 52, 58 setup but 6 degrees between cluns equls nearly 20 yards. Therefore you have to manufacture a shot somewhere. With 4 wedges I don't. And as Hapless says, a lot of them aren't really wedges anyway.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

PW is 46 and I also go 52 and 58 for an even spacing. Personally I have no issue with a 6 degree gap and can control my distances for the in-between shots pretty well by gripping down the shaft or making 3/4 or 1/2 shots. I certainly wouldn't carry a 60 anymore. I use to go 52, 56 and 60 in the summer when the greenside rough is heavy but to be honest the 60 cost as many shots as it saved. Keeping it simple and only having 3 wedges to choose from saves the indecision

 

[USER1999]

Got loads of wedges, and use them all.

I find the opposite. Too many fairways that all go the same distance. Don't need 3w and 5w as they are identical 90% of the time. Ditto for different loft hybrids, and thinking about ditching the 4i too. May be for another (5th?) wedge. Only really ever use it from under trees, and the way the comittee are cutting and burning that may not be an issue soon.