Why 4?

[Swinger]

There is only one par 5 that I need anything more than a 3 iron to get to.

I use my 3 wood on that and also use it off some tees.

I do sometimes drop a wedge and stick a 1 or 2 iron in the bag.

 

[BROOKIE]

I agree totaly with Richart,19,22 TM hybrids,and 52,56 Miz
wedges,as well as my PW.By the way played yesterday without
my driver and hit 15/18 farways so maybe less is better.

 

[jammag]

I carry 4 wedges at the moment, 48 52 56 60, I play on quite a short course and this gives me options. Saying that though I barely use the 52GW also have no confidence with it and I have looked to drop it for another club up the order as such but it wouldnt offer me no benefit. I have a driver 3w 19.5fybrid then my 4 iron starts at about 24degrees I think so no real need for it in my eyes.

Suppose I could drop the GW in order to fit in a Chipper

 

[bobmac]

I was just asking if it's easier for a handicap golfer to fill a 3 wood / 3 iron gap or a wedge / Sand wedge / lob wedge gap.

How many handicap golfers can nail a 2 iron?

/Devil's Advocate

Thats why I said

If you only have 3 wedges (say 46, 52 and 58) then you could fill that gap with a 2 hybrid/5 wood.

 

[HRC99]

I've carried four wedges for years and used them all and it worked for me as I didn't really have much of a gap at the top end. That meant I could carry an extra wedge for free which was fine.

Since the start of the year and, with some improved ball striking, I decided to put my 3 iron back in the bag to help out on our par 3s which can be 200 yards. I can get there with a 4 iron, but I have to drill it and, if it's into the wind, I'm struggling. This has necessitated losing something and my 47 degree wedge is the one that has gone.

I do agree with Bob that 4 wedges should not be an automatic or default option but your bag should be built around what you need to score well at your home course.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I carry 4 wedges (PW,GW,SW,LW) based on advice from my coach and club pro.
The gap between my 3W & 4i is filled by my rescue, which I use from tee and fairway.
As such my distances are: 3w 240yds, rescue 225yds, 4i 210yds (measured and verified by my coach).
The wedges all have different bounces and lofts to provide me with the opportunity to play different shots from different lies/distances etc.

The other reason I carry 4 wedges is that I just really like experimenting with shots and have more fun that way.

 

[funkyfred]

Bob is your issue about distance gaps? I have probs with accuracy in my long game so don't have a driver at present. My PW is strong at 45 degrees and my wedge play is rapidly becoming the strongest part of my game. When I do get a driver I'll probably have the following set up.

Driver, 3 wood, 3 hybrid, 4-PW, GW, SW, LW.

I hit my 4 iron 200 yards, my current 3 iron 210 and my 2 hybrid 225. I assume I'd probably hit the 3 hybrid 215. Now I hit my 3 wood about 245 leaving a 30 yard gap but how often am I going to want to play a 230yard shot?

I get your point but since I've introduced a lob wedge my scores have got better and distance at the other end of my bag isn't a problem. I might be a 28 handicapper but what gets me in trouble is poor shots off the tee not shots from 100 yards in.

If you are a 28 handicapper and hit your 3 wood 245 yards there MUST be something wrong here. Think the majority of high single figure people on here would be delighted to hit their 3 wood 245 yards.

The majority of people from 10/20 would be delighted to hit a DRIVER that distance!

Nope nothing wrong in that, Tigers distances are not to dis-similar to mine (25h/c) but i understand what you are saying.

Going back to the orininal post, i dont carry a driver as i dont have the confidence to hit it consistantly straight, but would only use it 6 times around my course any way.

As for the wedges, up until about 6 weeks ago I'm was a bit like Smithy only had 2, a pw + sw but bought a gap wedge that i must say has helped me out a few times, still hit the occasional bad shot with it, but believe i have made the right decision in adding it to my bag.

 

[Region3]

One post said something like "3 clubs is more than enough options inside 100yds", or words to that effect.

I have 4 wedges including the 47° PW that came with my irons, but I only use 3 of them inside 100yds. I feel that if I take that much off my PW it won't have enough spin to hold the green. In fact I could call that 2 because I don't use my lob wedge for anything more than about 10yds off the green.

At the long end I go from 4 wood to 3 iron, but anything from 200+ I wouldn't expect to hit the green any more than 2 or 3 out of 10, so close enough is good enough.

 

[freddielong]

Wedges?

If you carry 4 wedges you have to have a gap somewhere in the bag.

Say for example driver, 3 wood, 3-pw.

How do you fill the gap between 3w and 3 iron?
You need to either force the 3 iron or manipulate the 3 wood by choking down on the grip, shortening the swing or swinging it softer. Not easy.

If you only have 3 wedges (say 46, 52 and 58) then you could fill that gap with a 2 hybrid/5 wood.

The reason I ask the question is I see so many people with 4 wedges who cant even hit one properly and certainly cannot manipulate a 3 wood.

I say bring back the 4/5 wood and forget this nonsense about carrying 4 wedges, just because the pros do.
Carry 3 maximum and learn your distances.

Or do you know differently?

I have lost count of the times I have said people should start to plaay with a half set and learn to play golf shots rather than just hit their clubs, and I get shouted down every time

So i 100%agree dont just have the clubs, know why you have the clubs and learn to play as many shots as you can with them

 

[StrangelyBrown]

I was just asking if it's easier for a handicap golfer to fill a 3 wood / 3 iron gap or a wedge / Sand wedge / lob wedge gap.

How many handicap golfers can nail a 2 iron?

/Devil's Advocate

Thats why I said

If you only have 3 wedges (say 46, 52 and 58) then you could fill that gap with a 2 hybrid/5 wood.

But I have that, I don't think that I have any big yardage gap...

My clubs are..

D 10.5
3W 15
H 21
4i 23
5i 25.5
6i 28.5
7i 31.5
8i 35
9i 39
pw 43
gw 48
sw 56
lw 60

And I'm quite happy with those gaps, even if the hybrid and 4i are very close. Horses for courses though, what feels right for one person may feel wrong for someone else

 

[Tiger]

Actually when you think about it those who claim to play 4 wedges actually play 3 because a modern day PW is actually a 9 iron.

 

[patricks148]

I have 3 but tbh I could easily get away with 2, PW and SW.

I find it's longer clubs I need as the distance on a lot of the courses up here varies according to the wind sometimes up to 4 or 5 clubs distance. Stroke index 1 at Tain for instance you could be going in with 2 iron (Hybrid) or 7 iron for the 2nd shot depending on the wind.

 

[Lawrence22]

Actually when you think about it those who claim to play 4 wedges actually play 3 because a modern day PW is actually a 9 iron.

My PW (Callaway diablo edge) is actually 44 degrees. As a lot of others have said theirs are 47, does this make mine even stronger than a 9 iron?
I also have a 48 gap and a 54 sand in my bag. I had debated getting a lob for round the green but at the level I am at I think I would thin it way too often.

 

[znuffzz]

Doesn't it also depend on the course you play most?

this

 

[StrangelyBrown]

Actually when you think about it those who claim to play 4 wedges actually play 3 because a modern day PW is actually a 9 iron.

Tis a good point, but I can only go with what's stamped on the sole of the club

 

[bobmac]

Actually when you think about it those who claim to play 4 wedges actually play 3 because a modern day PW is actually a 9 iron.

Tis a good point, but I can only go with what's stamped on the sole of the club

Isn't your 21 deg is a 3 iron?

 

[StrangelyBrown]

Actually when you think about it those who claim to play 4 wedges actually play 3 because a modern day PW is actually a 9 iron.

Tis a good point, but I can only go with what's stamped on the sole of the club

Isn't your 21 deg is a 3 iron?

It's a hybrid, but I guess it's a 3 iron replacement.

My point all along is that I have 13 clubs from 10.5 to 60 degrees, four of which could be classed as 'wedges' and I have no appreciable distance gap at either end.

 

[bozza]

I used to only carry 2 wedges till not long ago (pw and 58*) so i ended up getting a 52* wedge but to be honest it aint really made much diffrence.

For me having 4 wedges would just confuse the hell out of me (not that it takes much doing!)

 

[Oddsocks]

Pitching wedge (47 degrees), 52 and 56 here.

close to this. stock 47, 52 & 58. Changed over christmas from 47/52/60 as the 60 didnt get used alot.

At the moment im still on only 13 clubs, but the gap between driver and 5 iron is nicely spaced:

Driver
3w
5w
4h
5-pw
52/58

i dont feel im out by only carrying 13, and im hoping if the improvements carry on the 4h will go soon in favour of a 4i, but the swing changes need to settle in first as the 4h goes a country mile off the deck.

 

[daveyc2k2]

I currently have PW (46 I think) 52, SW (56) and 60. I have decided to take the 3 iron out of my bag as this doesn't get used much and I have a 3 and 5 wood to bridge the gap. Can always hit a soft 5 wood or a strong 4 iron if need be.