Some advice please

[139sroberts]

Hi Guys,

I have some birthday money left over and would like to take this opportunity to plug the gap between my 48* Pitching Wedge and 60* Lob Wedge. I have done some research here and other places, and i believe these are my options:

1) Buy a 54* and be done with it;
2) Buy a 56* (or 52*) now and, maybe next month, buy a 52* (or 56*)

Any recomendations?

Thanks,

Steve

 

[TonyN]

All depends on your distances.

What distance are you looking to gap? is it massive?

I would reccomend getting the 54 and be done. you can always club down the shaft for a 56* type shot or open face slightly same as you could with ya 48 for a 52* type shot.

 

[Parmo]

I agree with Tony on this one, a 54 would be best and as Tony mentioned you can always add a couple of degrees by opening up the club face. I carry 3 wedges a PW, 52 & SW and have no real problems, ideally a 60 or 58 would be nice but places in my bag are on limited access so they have to be in action more than the odd time to justify being in there.

 

[139sroberts]

Between 110 - 80 yards i am comfortable with my PW. Anything less than 50 yards my LW is great. However, i have i seem to more regularly find myself in the 80 - 50 yard range wanting something a little more suttle than my PW but beefier than my LW.

Thanks for your response.

Steve

 

[Cernunnos]

If you haven't got a sand wedge already (56') Get a 54' As that was the old fashioned Sand wedge set up years past anyway.

If you didn't have a lob I'd say 54' & 58' is the solution, which leaves room in your bag for another club at the other end & doesn't mean too much of a gap. Or of course it does also free yourself up to get a 64' for deep pot bunkered links style courses at a later stage still.

Though your perfect set up should be 48' 52' 56' 60'

 

[RGuk]

sroberts,
It seems to me that your PW is the old loft of 48*. After the introduction of "mainstream" LWs at 60* most players would simply use PW, a classic 56* SW and add the LW. The gap wedge scene (50-54*) all came about because the lofts on PWs were getting rather too low. This happened to me when I upgraded from 1992 clubs to 2006 model Macgregors!
I don't think it'll make any difference whether you go for 54 or 56, it's seems a bit OTT to carry 4, so get one to fill the gap (yes, SOON!) and decide if you want a classy SW at 56 with proper bounce or can manage out of bunkers with a 54 which won't have so much bounce probably.

TBH the difference in FULL shot between my 52 and 56 is all of about 12-15 yards, so chances are no matter how many wedges you have, you'll still have to "feel" the distance.
I've given up carrying the LW since the best shots with this are not the full....therefore I can simply conjure up a SW.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Had a similar problem. Had a 45 degree PW with my R7's and didn't like the chunky SW with the set. Decided I needed something more than my trust 60 Vokey LW so invested in a 52 CG12 from Cleveland with zip grooves. It was a brilliant choice and is great from 60-80 yards (one bounce and stop - even get the odd one to zip back like the pros).

GM had kindly given me a Ben Hogan Apex SW for writing the first ever forum blog but I've just superceded that with a RM TP 56 degree with Z grooves. Brilliant out of all kinds of sand and around the green. Played a brilliant lob on Tuesday. Of the green, had a bunker to go over and about 8 foot to the flag. Opened it right up and hit a flop perfectly to 2 foot and made par

I think for perfect balance a 52 and 56 is the way to go

 

[bernix]

I changed from a 56° to a 54° and I am very satisfied with the change because I had a tendency to be short on my sand wedge shots from the fairway. Now this problem seems to be solved. From the rough it always depends on how good the contact is

 

[139sroberts]

Ok, taking all these comments into consideration, i have decided to go with a 56* now, with a view a to getting a 52* later in due course.

I have my eye on the Titleist - Vokey Oil Can Spin Milled Wedge from www.direct-golf.co.uk for £70 However, i see i have two options with the 56* a) 10* bounce and b) 14* bounce.

I am not entirely sure which one to go for! I am thinking go for the one with the lower bounce as i have more trouble getting the ball to hold on the green with my PW and this i assume will help.


Steve

 

[chipsandegg]

Just learn how to use your pitching wedge as it can do everything you could ever need and send me your birthday money so i can go on the lash

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I would seriously look at the callaway and TM wedges too

 

[Cernunnos]

Yeah, there are a lot of shots you can do with a club like a pitching wedge to get the ball to land shorter, choke down, put more wristcock in the action, play the club open with an open stance, Even play it off your front foot.

Then if you want an extra few yards you can play the club back in your stance, you can even ease the butt of the grip into your palm, or even close the face down a bit.

However for some of these especially opening up the club face there is a lot of swing & hope involved unless you practice the shot regularly. I use closing down a 6 iron off my back foot a lot to get through narrow gaps between & under trees. This shot although shoots out hot & low does check up nicely.

Having PW(48) SW(56) LW(60), means there will be an 8 degree difference between the PW & SW & a 4 degree difference between SW & PW.

PW(48) Gap/Sand(54) is 6 degree's differance then LW(60) is again 6 degree. Maybe not the regulation 4 degrees, but add a little shot making & its a solution. One I'm considering.

 

[RGuk]

i see i have two options with the 56* a) 10* bounce and b) 14* bounce.

14 is bonkers....go with the 10.

 

[RGuk]

Just learn how to use your pitching wedge as it can do everything you could ever need

Yeh.....sure.....if you are a really assured player.

No harm in having a few choices. I hit 105 short pitches this aftenoon (21 balls, 5 x a tube) with 56, 52 and PW. Floaty high ones with a 48* club is quite an ask.

 

[Cernunnos]

i see i have two options with the 56* a) 10* bounce and b) 14* bounce.

14 is bonkers....go with the 10.

Depends how you use your wedge & the sort of sand you have in bunkers & whether you like to open up the face a lot or not...

My lob wedge has 4' bounce, so that I can get the ball up nicely off bare lies & it doesn't put on too much bounce when I open right up out of pot bunkers, or over close hedges & bushes, when I don't actually need to get too close.

So in conclusion I like low bounce on my lob & a reasonable amount on my Sand wedge.

Oh & if you move your club forward or back in your stance either puts on bounce or takes it off.

 

[andiritchie]

you would be better getting fitted for your wedges with your local pro,bring your pw and 60 and they can get the gap filled properly also the lie angle as the more lofted the club the more the lie will take affect, they would even bend the lofts to get it spot on to, as with my 52 56 and 60 have all had one degree more loft put on them to get them correct

pw-125
gw-105
sw-85
lw-65

 

[Cernunnos]

you would be better getting fitted for your wedges with your local pro,bring your pw and 60 and they can get the gap filled properly also the lie angle as the more lofted the club the more the lie will take affect, they would even bend the lofts to get it spot on to, as with my 52 56 and 60 have all had one degree more loft put on them to get them correct

pw-125
gw-105
sw-85
lw-65

That's a good tip. Have had my irons & woods fitted, but never thought about having my wedges. There again very little had to be done when I had the irons & woods fitted. Looks like I'm one of the few Mr averages that they had in mind when they put together the clubs in the first place...

I'm due some new wedges as my Sand & lob wedges are starting to get a bit worn & I'm after a gap or a different solution, will see what they have to say. And I fancy trying some NV Drew wedges this time.

btw where did you do your meassurements of distances with the wedges, on the range or off turf ?

 

[andiritchie]

i got my distances on my clubs range and the pro had one of those laser rangefinders, was interesting day really also they get the correct bonuce for all the wedges for all differnt shots you likely to play

 

[RGuk]

pw-125
gw-105
sw-85
lw-65

That's a really good mix.

I'm on 115, 95, 80/85-ish and (guess) 60. Whatever the justification for carrying lots of wedges, there is such a confidence boost from having (and knowing) you can club decently. Filling my gap with a 52* has been great....and it's a lovely club for dinking it around the greens. TM RAC Satin.....so sweet.....

 

[HomerJSimpson]

PW = 105 - 85
52 = 85 (with 3/4 swing) - 60
56 = 60 (3/4 swing) - 40

I then use PW for the majority of pitch and runs from around the green and the 56 for lofted shots. However the 52 is great for low punchy shots from 20 yards short. One bounce and instance check