Wedge set up with no lob wedge

[Sats]

I am nearing the point where my MD3 wedges are looking a bit worn and need upgrading. I have a pw/52/58 set up in my bag and I'm considering going PW/50/56 instead - as I think 56º of loft will be fine as both SW and LW.
Does anyone else use a 56 as their LW?

 

[MarkT]

52-58 always seemed to be the way forward 10 years ago, if I was changing things now I’d go 50-56 as latter plenty for bunker/flop shots and pitching wedge is so strong. Weirdly/not weirdly all the great bunker players I know play a 56

 

[Sats]

52-58 always seemed to be the way forward 10 years ago, if I was changing things now I’d go 50-56 as latter plenty for bunker/flop shots and pitching wedge is so strong. Weirdly/not weirdly all the great bunker players I know play a 56

That is an interesting fact

 

[bobmac]

Depends on your ability to open up the 56 and what type of course you play but if your PW is 45, then 50, 56 should work well. It's worked for me for many years

 

[Sats]

Depends on your ability to open up the 56 and what type of course you play but if your PW is 45, then 50, 56 should work well. It's worked for me for many years

I'm fairly confident at opening the club face up - now I've said that I'll lose that skill!!

My PW is 45º and I sometimes find I have to either hit a softer PW or smash my 52º for certain distances, especially at 100-120 yards.

 

[Foxholer]

Don't forget to consider the bounce of wedges!
A high or medum bounce 56 is likely great for bunker play, but not ideal for flop type shots from tight lies.
Conversely, a low bounce 58 works well for flops, but less well for soft sand.

So it's important to consider how you are most likely to use your wedges, not simply how far they'll go - as you might for rest of irons.

 

[jim8flog]

I only carry 52 54. The 54 may get switched to 56 when the sand in the bunkers gets refreshed.

The 54 is a Cleveland RTX 3 and the sole design is great for varying the bounce to suit the type of shot I will be playing.

For flop shots from tight lies I use the 52.

 

[AmandaJR]

I have always gone 50/56 and found it perfectly adequate. On the occasion I've stuck a lob wedge in as an experiment I've never really found the need to use it.

 

[Beezerk]

I have always gone 50/56 and found it perfectly adequate. On the occasion I've stuck a lob wedge in as an experiment I've never really found the need to use it.

I currently have 50/54/58 but I rarely use the 58 so I'm thinking of going 50/56 as well. Do you have a high bounce 56 for bunkers, if so how do you find it around the greens for those little dinky chips?

 

[patricks148]

I have 52/12 and 58/14, the 58 being my SW.

I will be needing to change my wedges at some point, might go back to 50/56 ,which is what I had before but there were a couple of pot bunkers if you were in the wrong part was difficult to get out of with the 56, not so with the 58, but they have made the bunkers much easier to get out of with the course changes.

 

[AmandaJR]

I currently have 50/54/58 but I rarely use the 58 so I'm thinking of going 50/56 as well. Do you have a high bounce 56 for bunkers, if so how do you find it around the greens for those little dinky chips?

10 degree bounce on 56 which seems good for me. Happy with tight lies and only recent struggle has been compacted, concrete like sand. I realised in the end I had to accept the ball would come out lower as opening the face resulted in too much bounce.

 

[Bratty]

I've got Ping Glide forged from Precision Golf. PW is 45°, so we went 50° with 8° bounce, and 56 bent to 55° and 60°, both 10° bounce. I've found full out shots with the lob wedge tricky, but for the fiddly short-sided shots, it's great... and I leave myself too many of those! ? I did try the 56° open face shots, but struggled with them. If you can manufacture shots with two wedges, then great. If not, a third wedge is helpful.

 

[Oddsocks]

Urgently running 46* pw, 52 & 58 which is what I’ve used for years. I had strong words with my 58, even purchased the same wedge in a high bounce 56 which I introduced to the 56 and told it to get its act together, it’s been well behaved ever since.

The 58 is a tour grid (sounds a marketing ploy) but will play off tight lies through to fluffy bunkers but
but you never when it’s going to act up again. I’m tempted to try the 56 but I have this voice in my head “ don’t be that 3 wedge person “…. I just can’t to it

 

[The Fader]

My PW is 45*

My wedges are 50*/09. 54*/10 and 58*/06. Gapping is perfect for me.

I can get all the "flop" I need without scaring myself with a 60* or higher lob wedge

The lower bounce on the 58* helps off tight/bare lies and works well on compacted sand.

 

[Golfnut1957]

I generally hit everything around the green with my 54. I might hit running shots with the 50 and supper floppers with the 58, but my go-to club is the 54.

However, the real reason for carrying four wedges is for full shots. I hit my 58 about 80 yards, and anything less than that is generally a chip and run with an 8 or 9. I'm not very good at hitting half wedges 60 yards or less, although I have been having a little bit of success recently, but ironically that has been with the 54 rather than the 58.

If I desperately wanted to put something in at the top end of the bag I might consider taking the 54 and 58 out and putting a 56 in, but I don't, and I like the gapping this set up gives me.

 

[KenL]

Weirdly/not weirdly all the great bunker players I know play a 56

What about pros like Luke and Phil?

Distance for me is a lot to do with it. We have greenside bunkers with faces 4 or 5 feet high. A 58 or 60 can only be an advantage, especially if the pin is close.
Sand is course also, a huge amount of bounce is not required.

 

[PJ87]

I am nearing the point where my MD3 wedges are looking a bit worn and need upgrading. I have a pw/52/58 set up in my bag and I'm considering going PW/50/56 instead - as I think 56º of loft will be fine as both SW and LW.
Does anyone else use a 56 as their LW?

I did the same thing.

After lockdown 3 I was like shall I add a 60 for bunkers? First round back I played my best round of bunker play with it.. so was delighted

Very rarely would pick to play a flop so isn't a problem

 

[MarkT]

What about pros like Luke and Phil?

Distance for me is a lot to do with it. We have greenside bunkers with faces 4 or 5 feet high. A 58 or 60 can only be an advantage, especially if the pin is close.
Sand is course also, a huge amount of bounce is not required.

Meant my golfing mates, I’d love to include Phil as one of them but I can’t. Obviously depends where you play but don’t imagine most of us play anywhere with impossible bunkers to escape from

 

[KenL]

Obviously depends where you play but don’t imagine most of us play anywhere with impossible bunkers to escape from

Thanks, good point.
Sweeping statements on here that anything over 55 degrees should be banned or nobody needs more than 56.
I doubt they face proper bunkers or linoleum like lies over banks or bunkers.

 

[Roctar]

Thanks, good point.
Sweeping statements on here that anything over 55 degrees should be banned or nobody needs more than 56.
I doubt they face proper bunkers or linoleum like lies over banks or bunkers.

Try the left bunker greenside on the 12th hole on the Hotchkin course, probably the deepest bunker you’ll ever play out of (before the changes). Got out with a 55°.
I’ll reiterate my sweeping statement that with the right bounce, grind and ‘TECHNIQUE’, (just in case you didn’t read that bit on the other thread) a 56 is more than enough, even on linoleum lies.
Learn your wedge.