Who needs four wedges?

Four wedges for me. Have used this for maybe a dozen years and wouldn't ever sacrifice one for a long club. Current set-up is 46 (PW), 50, 54, 58.

I don't carry a 3 wood so have a space in the bag and to me it's as simple as this.......your pitching wedge in your set goes X. With two extra wedges you have two more "exact" full shot distances inside X. With three wedges you have three. 50% more options in what is a critical area of the game. I'm a massive believer in this game being all about 150 yards in and wouldn't ever sacrifice this flexibility for a wood or hybrid that I'd hit a couple of times a round trying to hit a green at 200 yards (and probably failing).

All that said, it's what works for you. The length of course you play most golf at is a big factor too.
 
I have 4 :D

p/w, 52/7, 56/12, 60/5

The key to mine is the bounce spread, this gives me confidence which at my level is huge.

I was on a very flat lie in a very deep ravine at Blackmoor yesterday and my 60/5 gave me the confidence to get it vertical very quickly and fly it to green close to the pin.

My gap wedge is my most used club for delicate feel chips around the green.

Sand wedge is for..Erm...bunkers and more fluffy lies in rough.

Pitching wedge 100 in and bump & runs as it keeps my hands forward, I've tried 8 and other irons and they don't work as well for me as my p/w.

So 4 for me and I'm very happy with that.
 
Fyldewhite said:
Four wedges for me. Have used this for maybe a dozen years and wouldn't ever sacrifice one for a long club. Current set-up is 46 (PW), 50, 54, 58.

I don't carry a 3 wood so have a space in the bag and to me it's as simple as this.......your pitching wedge in your set goes X. With two extra wedges you have two more "exact" full shot distances inside X. With three wedges you have three. 50% more options in what is a critical area of the game. I'm a massive believer in this game being all about 150 yards in and wouldn't ever sacrifice this flexibility for a wood or hybrid that I'd hit a couple of times a round trying to hit a green at 200 yards (and probably failing).

All that said, it's what works for you. The length of course you play most golf at is a big factor too.
Click to expand...

+1 except my PW is 45°..

Years ago a Pro asked me how many times I would hit a green from 200+ yards.
My answer was not that often.
He asked whether I would prefer 2 clubs capable of missing the green from there or 4 clubs to help me get close once I've missed it?
Various lofts and bounces for various shots.
Practice enough and you get to know which works in which scenario.
People say there is too much choice with 4 wedges but that's only because they probably pick the wrong club for the wrong job because they haven't practised enough..
 
I've got 4 (50, 56 & 60 after PW).

I like having a 60 in the summer for either deep bunkers or shots over aforementioned bunkers when I miss greens

I've almost got the yips with 80 yard shots at the moment though..... :rofl:
 
I also have 4. Needed when I made the switch from Blades, to covert 2.0 irons with strong lofts.

PW is at 44 degrees! This carries 121.
50 degree Vokey. carries 100
56 degree Vokey carries 80.
60 degree Vokey carries 50. And is manipulated all round the green.
 
DanFST said:
I also have 4. Needed when I made the switch from Blades, to covert 2.0 irons with strong lofts.

PW is at 44 degrees! This carries 121.
50 degree Vokey. carries 100
56 degree Vokey carries 80.
60 degree Vokey carries 50. And is manipulated all round the green.
Click to expand...

Interesting how people approach things in different ways. I would never think of using a 60° wedge around the green unless I needed to get the ball up & down quickly. Stan Utley, the short game wizard says get the ball on the ground as soon as possible.
 
Maninblack4612 said:
Interesting how people approach things in different ways. I would never think of using a 60° wedge around the green unless I needed to get the ball up & down quickly. Stan Utley, the short game wizard says get the ball on the ground as soon as possible.
Click to expand...

a 60* wedge with low bounce can be useful in wet sand
 
Maninblack4612 said:
Interesting how people approach things in different ways. I would never think of using a 60° wedge around the green unless I needed to get the ball up & down quickly. Stan Utley, the short game wizard says get the ball on the ground as soon as possible.
Click to expand...
You can get the ball on the ground quickly with a 60.
Just like everything in life, people see things in different ways. There is no one way to play the game.
 
delc said:
In answer to the topic header question, nobody would need 4 wedges if club manufacturers hadn't jacked down the lofts of their iron sets so much. In the old days I could manage perfectly well with just the standard pitching wedge and sand iron. :mmm:
Click to expand...

Some of us cope with the modern lofts quite nicely and only 3 wedges to do so. Even in the old days of blades I could have done with a gap wedge.
 
Interesting to see some of the lofts on modern irons. There is so much variation between one PW and another.
These are my Ping eye+ 2 lofts that I use

PW- 48.5
SW- 53
LW- 58

Ping did some re-jigging in the early days. Below are the lofts from the Eye 2 irons that preceded mine

PW- 50.5
SW- 57.5
LW- 61

Quite a marked difference really
 
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