A question about wedges.

[Ye Olde Boomer]

When ordering irons with specified alternative shafts and grips, and perhaps custom lie angles, the clubs are orderable individually, at least in the US.
I assume the same is true in the UK.

That brings up a choice.
Do you order your stronger lofted wedges as part of your iron set or do you prefer matching numbered irons and then a matching wedge set?

 

[mikejohnchapman]

Pretty sure you can order by the club.

Tend to match the pitch with the irons rather than the wedges.

 

[Chico84]

Sometimes it depends on the iron set. Some are only sold as a full set, usually a 5i or 6i through to a PW. Other sets you can buy individually, although from what I’ve seen, for this you would probably need to buy in a pro shop rather than online.

Most sets go through to PW although some will also go to SW as well.

 

[jim8flog]

None my clubs below PW (46deg) are of the same make but they all have the same shaft in which is different to the shaft in my irons.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Lofts are stronger now than they used to be ?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I chose my wedges (Ping) to match my irons (partially and OCD choice) and I went with their wedge selection rather than getting the gap and SW choices that came with the set. I also wanted to make sure I had a standard gap from my 46 degree wedge so went 52 and 58 degree

 

[Chico84]

It’s an interesting thought for me as I’m currently thinking about buying some wedges. I have Mizuno JPX 919 hot metal irons from 4i-SW at the moment. The PW is 45 degree and the SW is 55 degree.

I know Mizuno do a matching GW at 50 degree but I do quite fancy a look at the Vokey SM7 now they are down in price and adding a GW and LW at 60 degree too. I also know the proper answer is to go for a fitting and check my gapping but the immediate lure of new shiny things is very tempting!

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

Lofts are stronger now than they used to be ?

Some models are two full clubs stronger from when I started out as a kid. Obviously the reason for more wedges when the nine iron is so strong.
My problem with some strong lofted irons is that the length is too short to launch the ball with that strong-lofted an iron. Easy to fix with custom ordered length and lie angles, though.
At that point one just has to transpose the club numbers in one's head like a trumpeter/cornetist reading from piano music.

I ordered my latest iron set 5-9 only, and matched the wedge set. Older sets in my basement have set-matching PWs.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Some models are two full clubs stronger ...

Really?
??

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

Really?
??

Really. Two full clubs.

 

[Foxholer]

Really?
??

Have you been asleep for the last few couple of decades?

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Really. Two full clubs.

Wow...my 7 iron is 35*, what should it be?

 

[Foxholer]

Wow...my 7 iron is 35*, what should it be?

That's 'normal' according to the 'Maltby definition'.

But about 3 degrees (or more!) weaker than the 'new normal'.

Btw. It's of no real consequence to YOUR golf game, except if you consider willy-waving part of it!

 

[Skypilot]

Quote

Callaway’s Rogue X 7 iron incredibly has a 27° loft – the equivalent of a 5-iron back in the ’90s!

 

[bobmac]

And yet the modern blades haven't gone down this road

Ben Hogan PTx PRO 7 iron (2019)......... 34 deg
Ping Blueprint 7 iron (2019)....................34 deg
TaylorMade Mens P7TW 7 iron (2019).... 35 deg
Titleist 620 MB 7 Iron (2019)..................35 deg
Mizuno MP-20 MB 7 iron (2019)..............34 deg

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

Wow...my 7 iron is 35*, what should it be?

It should be 35º because that what it was designed to be.

1950s/1960s 7-irons were usually 40º, which is just over one club weaker than yours.

Some modern sets have a seven iron stronger than that, though, and are two clubs strong relative to their predecessors.

I would prefer traditional lofts, but there's no point stressing over modern ones because that's what they make now.
In the end, it's just the cosmetics of a sole stamping, I suppose.
We'll all survive these arbitrary changes.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

It should be 35º because that what it was designed to be.

1950s/1960s 7-irons were usually 40º, which is just over one club weaker than yours.

Some modern sets have a seven iron stronger than that, though, and are two clubs strong relative to their predecessors.

I would prefer traditional lofts, but there's no point stressing over modern ones because that's what they make now.
In the end, it's just the cosmetics of a sole stamping, I suppose.
We'll all survive these arbitrary changes.

I didn’t know that...why has no one mentioned it before?

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

I didn’t know that...why has no one mentioned it before?

It happened gradually.
Older players are either tired of complaining about it, or they like hitting a 33º 7-iron as far as they used to hit a 40º one when they were younger.
Younger players don't know anything but lofts getting gradually stronger, so they're not concerned.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

It happened gradually.
Older players are either tired of complaining about it, or they like hitting a 33º 7-iron as far as they used to hit a 40º one when they were younger.
Younger players don't know anything but lofts getting gradually stronger, so they're not concerned.

Why not just buy blades then?

 

[Swinglowandslow]

Quote

Callaway’s Rogue X 7 iron incredibly has a 27° loft – the equivalent of a 5-iron back in the ’90s!

I'm playing Muirfield blades. The 7 iron is 37. The 4 iron is 26,!
I have a set of srixon 785s.
But I love hitting the Muirfields.
I'm not a lot into competitions