Wedge Fitting - your experiences

[Grant85]

I've got an unexpected budget and considering investing in a new gap wedge and sand wedge. (likely a 50 and a 54)

My current thought process is to go for Vokey SM7s given my past experience with a Vokey, their reputation and the range of options available with lofts / bounce / grinds etc.
While I wouldn't mind considering other manufacturers, I would want to avoid a chrome finish - due to glair on the more lofted wedges. So having hummed and hawed at some other ranges, I feel the brushed steel Vokeys will be ideal.

The grind options are wide ranging, and so match that with the bounce options and I have no idea what a suitable, or my preferred, set up would be.

Wondering if anyone has experience getting fitted for these, and if they have always been fitted on a mat or on turf? It seems to me that wedges would be the club that you would want to be fitted on turf, but possibly that is less realistic than I think given any fitter will likely be using a launch monitor.

Plus, does anyone have any great experiences in Scotland (ideally west, but not adverse to going further afield) that you would recommend for wedge fitting.

Cheers

 

[clubchamp98]

I went to Titleist at Celtic Manor.
Couple of years ago .
Vokey SM5 50 54 both with high bounce 10/14 I play parkland mainly.
The fitting was great started on mats and lie board to see where on the sole my strike was.
It’s amazing what different shafts do to the trajectory.
When we were ok with the fit we went to the grass range to hit balls ,check divots etc.
Very comprehensive fit I enjoyed it.
The fit really depends on the type of turf / sand you mainly play.
So you have to be very honest with yourself and listen to the fitter after all you are paying for his advice.
I struggled at first with such high bounce 14* sw when opening the face the lead edge looked very high.
But I soon got used to them with a bit of practice.
Had to change my lofts this year as my AP3 irons have stupid strong lofts which left me a big gap.

 

[Grant85]

I went to Titleist at Celtic Manor.
Couple of years ago .
Vokey SM5 50 54 both with high bounce 10/14 I play parkland mainly.
The fitting was great started on mats and lie board to see where on the sole my strike was.
It’s amazing what different shafts do to the trajectory.
When we were ok with the fit we went to the grass range to hit balls ,check divots etc.
Very comprehensive fit I enjoyed it.
The fit really depends on the type of turf / sand you mainly play.
So you have to be very honest with yourself and listen to the fitter after all you are paying for his advice.
I struggled at first with such high bounce 14* sw when opening the face the lead edge looked very high.
But I soon got used to them with a bit of practice.
Had to change my lofts this year as my AP3 irons have stupid strong lofts which left me a big gap.

Cheers - my home course is a moorland, so generally softer ground as well.

Do you feel your wedges leave you at a disadvantage if you were to go to a links course, or during a very dry spell?

I'm guessing Gleneagles would be the comparable Titleist venue up here.

 

[patricks148]

Cheers - my home course is a moorland, so generally softer ground as well.

Do you feel your wedges leave you at a disadvantage if you were to go to a links course, or during a very dry spell?

I'm guessing Gleneagles would be the comparable Titleist venue up here.

i play at a links and my wedges are 52/9 58/12 and don't have any issues, though you do have to be a bit steeper

 

[clubchamp98]

Cheers - my home course is a moorland, so generally softer ground as well.

Do you feel your wedges leave you at a disadvantage if you were to go to a links course, or during a very dry spell?

I'm guessing Gleneagles would be the comparable Titleist venue up here.

No I have got used to them .
Under normal conditions I play hands forward slightly but in the summer we just had didn’t really change much.
I did find that if I put my hands forward slightly I hit down more on the ball and really spun the ball more.
I think that was just exceptional circumstances and you need to fit for your normal playing conditions.
Good players will adapt so in hard ground conditions I just played a 70yd shot to go 60yds as it was stopping quicker.
Actually played better as I have a habit of being short on these shots!

 

[Grant85]

i play at a links and my wedges are 52/9 58/12 and don't have any issues, though you do have to be a bit steeper

No I have got used to them .
Under normal conditions I play hands forward slightly but in the summer we just had didn’t really change much.
I did find that if I put my hands forward slightly I hit down more on the ball and really spun the ball more.
I think that was just exceptional circumstances and you need to fit for your normal playing conditions.
Good players will adapt so in hard ground conditions I just played a 70yd shot to go 60yds as it was stopping quicker.
Actually played better as I have a habit of being short on these shots!

Cheers folks. Yeh - I guess you will likely adapt to whatever conditions / club you have in your hands if you play / practice regularly.

It's the grinds I'm more concerned about getting right and even just understanding what ones will be preferential.

 

[garyinderry]

You are not disadvantaged using high bounce wedges on links turf unless you are looking to lay the club flat and play a super lob shot.

Bounce is your friend when you know how to utilise it.

 

[patricks148]

You are not disadvantaged using high bounce wedges on links turf unless you are looking to lay the club flat and play a super lob shot.

Bounce is your friend when you know how to utilise it.

I think Phil Mick used high bounce on his Lwedge, you can still do it on links, but you have to be aggressive with it

 

[patricks148]

Cheers folks. Yeh - I guess you will likely adapt to whatever conditions / club you have in your hands if you play / practice regularly.

It's the grinds I'm more concerned about getting right and even just understanding what ones will be preferential.

grinds just confused me far too many options, so just go with what ever suites my eye

 

[clubchamp98]

Cheers folks. Yeh - I guess you will likely adapt to whatever conditions / club you have in your hands if you play / practice regularly.

It's the grinds I'm more concerned about getting right and even just understanding what ones will be preferential.

The grinds are more of a preference really .
Read them through on the website and just think do I play big lob shots like Mickelson or more conservative shots.
Your fitter will go through your preffered shot type and will recommend a grind.
They may be different for each wedge depending on your game.
Enjoy it and let us know how you get on.

 

[Grant85]

Re: Grinds. I have seen some videos that show huge differences for various shots. I'd guess if there was no limit to the number of clubs, you could imagine some pros (and even some amateurs) having multiple wedges of the same loft.

But it will be good to go through the fitting process and then know what kind of shot my club might be suited to.

 

[clubchamp98]

Re: Grinds. I have seen some videos that show huge differences for various shots. I'd guess if there was no limit to the number of clubs, you could imagine some pros (and even some amateurs) having multiple wedges of the same loft.

But it will be good to go through the fitting process and then know what kind of shot my club might be suited to.

Imo most ams would not know the difference.
We are not consistent enough.
Once the sole is in the grass I don’t think it makes any great difference.

 

[User20204]

What handicap are you ?

 

[jim8flog]

My personal experience with Titleist was poor (not the fitting).

I ordered mine with a shaft to match my irons . When it arrived they had fitted they wrong shaft. When the replacement arrived it took me quite a while to work out why it was not working well - right make of shaft but wrong size of shaft ie an 8 iron shaft had been fitted instead of a PW shaft.

 

[User20204]

I'm guessing Gleneagles would be the comparable Titleist venue up here.

Checkout Titleist Thursdays, also they do fitting at clubs all over the country as they have "product specialists" that cover all parts of the country.

 

[clubchamp98]

What handicap are you ?

7.5 at the moment but had a nasty ankle injury last year and it’s gone up.
Played off 4/5 last couple of years
Got down to 1 years ago but age and everything’s catching up.
Hope to get down again this year now I am injury free.
I fancy myself to win something off 8 before I go down hopefully!!

 

[garyinderry]

Imo most ams would not know the difference.
We are not consistent enough.
Once the sole is in the grass I don’t think it makes any great difference.

Someone who hits down quite steeply will know instantly if they are using a low bounce wedge. they can easily take huge big divots.

Opening up and big soled high bounce wedge in a packed bunker is a one way ticket to bladesville.

 

[clubchamp98]

My personal experience with Titleist was poor (not the fitting).

I ordered mine with a shaft to match my irons . When it arrived they had fitted they wrong shaft. When the replacement arrived it took me quite a while to work out why it was not working well - right make of shaft but wrong size of shaft ie an 8 iron shaft had been fitted instead of a PW shaft.

That’s very poor.

 

[clubchamp98]

Someone who hits down quite steeply will know instantly if they are using a low bounce wedge. they can easily take huge big divots.

Opening up and big soled high bounce wedge in a packed bunker is a one way ticket to bladesville.

I was referring to the grind not the bounce.

If your swing is offline by a degree or two it changes the sole turf interaction so grinds are just a marketing ploy to me.

 

[User20204]

7.5 at the moment but had a nasty ankle injury last year and it’s gone up.
!

Sorry I was meaning the OP.