The mystery of the gap wedge solved

[jeffc]

Some of you may have seen a previous post of mine about a problem I was having with filling a gap with my wedges,

basically the story goes,after buying a set of Di7 wilson irons I was hitting
the pitching wedge 45* 100 - 110 yds
the sand Iron 55* 70 -75 yards,
My Mizuno 58* sand wedge 70 - 75 yards.

So I bought a mizuno RAW 53* gap wedge.
The result was that the 53* also went 70 - 75 yards.

To say I was brassed off was an understatement.

Whilst at the driving range last night I discussed this with the proffesional who i have lessons with and he offered to measure the loft for me which resulted in;

53* mizuno RAW actual = 54*
58* mizuno MPT actual = 55*
Di7 sand wedge actual = 55*

They all go the same distance?? no sh*t sherlock !!

As I had already discarded the Di7 sand wedge out of my bag he adjusted the two mizuno wedges for a small cost so that they now were;

The 53* RAW now = 52* distance now ~ 85 - 90 yards
The 58* MPT now = 58* distance now ~ 65 - 70 yards
original PW distance ~ 100 - 110 yards.

As a final note the proffesional told me that as gap wedges are quite soft it is worth having the loft checked regularly say every six ot twelve months or if you notice a change in them.

I hope the post doesn't drag on to much and is interesting to folks because for me it just shows you can't always believe what is written on the tin or the bottom of your wedge for that matter.

 

[Imurg]

Well worth getting the lofts checked, especially if your wedges are forged - the mizzy's are. they are softer and will bend with use. Cast clubs are a little more durable in that department and wont bend as much.

Forged irons need to checked periodically too. Again cast clubs shouldn't move that much but with a lot of manufacturers going for softer steels to improve feel, they may well bend more than cast clubs of a few years ago.

And as you've found out - its how far you hit them, not which number is stamped on the sole.

 

[USER1999]

I have been thinking about this a bit recently, as playing off frozen gound with forged heads may well upset the loft/lie angles. I plan on getting mine checked out in the spring, before the season starts for real.

 

[viscount17]

thanks for the tip,
now to find out where, not so much getting them measured as adjusted properly.

checking what the lofts should be this has prompted another question.

as OP, my PW is 45
GW is 49 and SW 54 are these too strong? Would I be better off getting them opened out?

 

[Twire]

as OP, my PW is 45
GW is 49 and SW 54 are these too strong? Would I be better off getting them opened out?

Its hard to tell if there to strong for you or not, we all hit the ball different distances.

How far do you hit your 9iron?

This what I based my wedge selection on.

I hit a 9iron about 135 and working backwards..
My PW (which is 48*) I hit about 120
My SW (which is 56*) I hit about 90

So to fill the gap between PW and SW I bought a 52* which I can hit about 100-110

While ordering the 52* gap wedge, I decided to replace my SW with another 56* and my lob wedge with another 60* this keeps my wedges the same make and model...hopefully that will give me some consistancy.

What was you question?

 

[USER1999]

I would have said that 54 is strong for a sandwedge, and that the norm is more 56. If you struggle getting height from the sand, then changing the loft to 56 may be a good idea. This will also increase the bounce. Wether this is good will depend on your style, and how much sand you have in the bunkers at your track.

 

[andiritchie]

Thats good news you got your wedges sorted,it opens my eyes how far clubs can be banged out of shape over a year.

I get mine done once a year its does not cost me anything perks of buying from the local pro,i think a set of irons checked and altered is around 20 quid

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I'm in a quandry.My coach is adamant that I'm going to need a 60 especially once we've had the bunker lesson next month. I'm unsure as 60 degre wedges and I have a long and oainful relationship and if I'm only going to use it for bunkers I'd rather keep the 56.

He wants me to keep my PW, 52, ditch the 56 and use the 60. To me that gap between 52 and 60 is too big and so I keep saying I'm not comfortable with it. I've decided to see what happens with the bunker lesson and decide from there. I could lose my 3 hybrid or 5 wood to accommodate the extra wedge but the hybrid is more versatile out of longer rough and off the tee and the 5 wood is my go to club on long par 4's and par 5's

 

[Range_Ball]

Homer

I know where you are coming from had the same problem i now carry PW GW 52 SW 56 and a 60 LW. I think this covers me for most short distances on the course i have the same problem that you have with the lob wedge but mine is with my 52 GW not a big fan only because i cant get on with it for some reason.

Regards

RB

 

[HTL]

Go for the 60* Homer, you got the game to play with it. I still love mine.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I like my 52 especially from around 75-80 yards and for pitch and runs around the green. I know the course I'm playing on Saturday I could lose the 5 wood as none of the par 5's are going to be reachable and put the 60 in. Decisions, decisions

 

[jeffc]

Just to throw another spanner in the works , managed to escape to play today and the wedges kept the gaps as I found at the range EXCEPT on the soft mushy fairways we have at the moment they all played shorter.
had dee ha ha - don't you just luuvvv this game

 

[Imurg]

Go 58 instead - split the difference.

 

[RGuk]

jeff.....not being a deliberate pain in the toosh....I'm a bit worried that your PW goes up to 110, but a 55 degree (Di7) manages 75 tops>? or is my Maths dodgy?

I'm pleased you got a result though.

 

[jeffc]

Hi Dave

yeah seems odd but there is 10 degrees difference

 

[thecraw]

Its each to their own I guess when it comes to wedges.

I have a Ping S59 PW, and have just been fitted for Ping Tour W Wedges in 52 and 58 degrees. I have never ever been comfortable hitting a full SW and my game has adapted accordingly. I am more than comfortable gripping down the shaft of a nine iron with a controlled three quarter swing and punching in a 100 yard 9 iron. I can play the same shot with a slightly stronger PW however ask me to hit a Gap wedge or SW from 100 yards and my legs go to jelly!

I use my 52 from everywhere around the green and I tend to let the ball roll out when pitching, if I need height then the 58 degree does the trick.

I honestly cant remember the last time that I had a SW in my bag, it must be going back 10 years anyway as I have carried the Gap wedge and lob wedge for long enough now. Everyone is different and likes to play shots differently, just experiment and decide what you prefer or works better for you.