Lw full swing?

[VVega]

Following the discussion of “specialist” vs “set” wedges in another thread, I was wondering how many of us use their higher lofted wedges for full shots?

Do you try using your Lw (58-60*) to full shots? Are you successful/ consistent with it?

I used to swing fully with 54/58 (Vokey) but now feel that a partial shot with my 50 (matching the irons) is more reliable and more consistent for the distance.

 

[Curls]

I don’t take a full swing until I get to my 7 iron. I can go all out with an 8, 9 or wedge if the shot requires it, but I’d much rather a ~3/4 controlled swing with a PW than all out with a gap wedge for example. My highest loft is 54, I don’t think I’d ever swing that full.

 

[Sats]

I must admit that if I lets say an 80 yard pitch I'd choke down on my 52* or my PW rather than my LW. However, if I've got trees to go over and that yardage, I'd use my LW, the only thing I have to be careful with is a near hook shot when I do so.

 

[Imurg]

If the shot warranted a normal, full swing 58° wedge then that's what it gets.
Some might want to hit a 3/4 wedge or GW and that might be ok.
But, sometimes es you might need to go vertical.
At the Zoo there was a big fir tree short and right of the 18th green.
Got behind it one day and my options were trying to punt underneath the branches but the rough was almost impossible to judge, chip out and still take another 2 to get down, or blast the lob wedge over the top. It had to be a full swing or it wouldn't have got the distance.
Knocked it to 6 feet and sunk the putt for a birdie.
There's no way a 3/4 or 1/2 anything would have got me in position to have a 6 footer left.
Sometimes you need it and if you haven't practiced it you won't be likely to pull it off.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I use my 60° wedge to pop balls over bunkers and onto greens when the flag is nearby. Never for big shots. That way I can concentrate on just getting the strike clean and the ball just popping a short distance.

In answer to the question, never.

 

[Orikoru]

Would only do a full swing 60 if I was messing about, probably. Or out of a bunker, but my 60 is a club I bought specifically for bunkers anyway, really.

I very occasionally hit a full 56 if the situation demands it, but never in winter as it's pretty much asking to fat it with the wet mud underneath. Next club up, 50, I hit full swings all the time no problem.

 

[DanFST]

I do occasionally. We have a tiered green that slopes away. if the pins at the front, I'll set myself up 75 away and throw a full 60 in there, if I hit the tier it will either stay or spin back.

 

[evemccc]

I like my 60, and use it mostly for 55-65 yard shots pretty much 80/90% of full swing shots, and for bunkers, or for going over bunkers with little green to work with

I tend to use 7/8/9 irons for short chips around the green, with only the occasional 60 in chipping around the green.

For me, with a low bounce 60, I am more afraid of thinning a tentative chip with the 60 so don't use it around the green, and find a committed 90% of a full swing 60 yard shot nearly always has a good-enough result

 

[GG26]

Unless I need to get up and down over a tree or bunker I don’t use my 58 for full shots. I prefer a less than full shot with my 50 otherwise.

 

[garyinderry]

No worries about hitting my Lw full.

Be that to clear a tree or hit to a shelf on the green.

 

[RichA]

Benched my 60/08 when the ground started getting wet and stuck with my SW, which was fine on full shots.
Only recently realised it's 57.5 loft, but as the bounce is massively duff friendly, I think I got away with it.

 

[VVega]

Great answers, thank you!

I did mean a stock shot from Fw to the green without any trouble required anything special, i.e. just hitting the yardage.

Does seem like the consensus to not hit full shots with lofted clubs, especially in winter. Makes sense but to play devil's advocate, a pro told me once that when he plays Pro-Ams and the Am partner is in between clubs, he always advises to hit a max shot instead of "taking off". His view was that most amateurs don't know what their 3/4, 1/2 etc shot actually feels like, i.e. their 3/4 feel is actually 95% full shot etc.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Great answers, thank you!

I did mean a stock shot from Fw to the green without any trouble required anything special, i.e. just hitting the yardage.

Does seem like the consensus to not hit full shots with lofted clubs, especially in winter. Makes sense but to play devil's advocate, a pro told me once that when he plays Pro-Ams and the Am partner is in between clubs, he always advises to hit a max shot instead of "taking off". His view was that most amateurs don't know what their 3/4, 1/2 etc shot actually feels like, i.e. their 3/4 feel is actually 95% full shot etc.

I think the issue with highly lofted clubs is that the margin for error is quite small so if we give it full beans there is more chance of a fat or thin than with a less lofted club. I understand what the pro in your example is saying, who the heck am I to argue with him and what he sees over and over, but perhaps a LW is not the club to do this with?

 

[94tegsi]

Yes. Will generally choose a full swing rather than a partial swing, as that’s what I practice most. Then just depends on which club is required for that full swing

 

[DanFST]

I think the issue with highly lofted clubs is that the margin for error is quite small so if we give it full beans there is more chance of a fat or thin than with a less lofted club. I understand what the pro in your example is saying, who the heck am I to argue with him and what he sees over and over, but perhaps a LW is not the club to do this with?

I don't think it's so much fat and thin.

I think it's more to do with dynamic loft. The margins are way smaller when you are shooting it straight up. Coupled with the descent angle there's little room for error.

 

[jim8flog]

I would say the my full swing stops with a PW but I am quite a short hitter these days and most wedge shots are from under 100 yards anyway.

 

[Ethan]

Hardly ever use my most lofted wedge from the fairway to the green, even if technically at the perfect yardage. I prefer a 3/4 with the next wedge up which has more control and is easier to get right.

 

[bobmac]

If you're close enough to hit a full LW, where would it go if you thin it?

 

[Imurg]

If you're close enough to hit a full LW, where would it go if you thin it?

You have to take that into account when you're playing any shot though.
And in reality a thinned 3/4 wedge is going a similar distance to a thinned fullish Lw..
If you have that mindset you'll never hit a "full" shot again and you'll likely never hit a par 4 green in regulation.

 

[patricks148]

i use my 58 for full shots quite often, esp if thats the yardage i need, or want to stop the ball quickly