Which Wedge Route to Take?

[afromau5]

Hi All,

I'm relatively new to the game, started in April this year. I've broken the 100 once (98) and regularly getting between 100-109ish at the moment.

I'm using a set of Wilson Staff Di11 irons which have strong lofts - PW is 43 degree.

Above this I have a bit of a mix - Titleist DCI PW (48), Cleveland CG16 (52), Cleveland CBX2 (56), Cleveland CG16 (58) - I only really use a 58 in the bunker or for a lob shot and find 58 easier to hit than a 60 and guess there isnt much difference.

Now the Titleist 48 is old I want to replace so whilst im at it, im not sure if I change the others too so i'm considering a few options.

Option 1

Just get a different 48 and keep all other wedges the same.

Option 2

Go down the route of 46, 50, 54, 58 - Ideally get them all as a CBX2

Option 3

Remove a wedge and go 46, 52, 58 (or 48, 54, 58)

 

[jim8flog]

One of the wedges I have always carried in 40 years of playing is 52 and for many years it was in fact the only wedge in the bag.

These days I only have 52 medium bounce and 54 high bounce in the bag but my PW is 48.

I understand a lot of new golfers find it easier to change loft rather than to learn how to turn a 54 into a 58+ or a 52 into to a 48.

Given what you have and how you use them simply by a new 48.

 

[SurreyGolfer]

Very similar position to you in terms of experience so by no means an expert. I have Wilson Deep Red 2 irons with a PW (46 deg) and SW (54 deg), no other wedges in the bag. My approach has been to use SW for bunkers only and use PW alone for pitching and chipping and I'm now pretty consistent with it. Do I sometimes struggle to get the ball stopped (e.g. chipping over a bunker with a flag really close to the near side of the green)? Yup, but I feel like that is worthy trade off right now for me vs more wedges that I can't hit consistently. Over the winter I'll work on being able to use the SW for chipping and then if I need to plug the gap with a 48-50 I might do that in due course.

So I think what I would say is if you are crystal clear on how/when to use each wedge you already have and are consistent with them, I'd go with option 1. However if you struggle to pick/hit the right wedge consistently for the right scenario I'd be tempted to play a few rounds without your 48, see how you get on and if there gap there that needs filling or not at this point in your journey.

 

[bobmac]

46, 52, 58 all day long.
Your 43 is essentially a 9 iron so PW,GW,SW
Low, medium and high
KISS

 

[SteveW86]

I’ve just had a wedge fitting today, and came away with a 52 and a 56.

Started by hitting my PW to get my starting point, a standard shot was coming out at 125 yards. On full shots a 52 was coming out at 110 and the 56 at 95 so nicely gapped. I like to open the face up so we decided that 2 wedges was enough and we played around with the grinds to make the clubs versatile for me. All my full shots were done with a trackman, very happy with the numbers in both distance/dispersion and spin.

Then out to the short game area to play around with the chips/pitches around the greens to make sure I was comfortable with the way both clubs interacted with the grass on different types of shot.

I ended up having a tough choice between the Taylor Made MG3 and the Vokey Sm8 but in the end went with the Vokeys, so now I am impatiently waiting for them to arrive.

I will now have an extra space in my bag, as I had 4 wedges but will only be carrying 2 from now on.