3 iron or 4th wedge?

[gaspasr]

Read a lot but never post, but need some help with bag setup.

 

I bought new MP 59's last year to replace very old DCI 990's. My pitching wedge loft went from 49 to 46, and I now have a 7 degree (and 30 yard) gap between my new pitching wedge and my old cleveland 53 degree gap wedge. I've really struggled with distances 110-120 as I just don't have a club for that distance. My hybrid goes about 230, 3 iron about 210-215, and my 4 iron about 200.

 

So my question is this: Is it better to have a gap from 200-230 and add the 4th wedge (50-54-58) or keep the 3 iron and just go 52-58 on the wedges?

 

Thanks for any input.

[Grumpy bumpy]

Wedge. There are so many more advantages to having another wedge. If I have a distance gap at 220 yards, I'll lay up to 100 yards out and hit a wedge.
Because I am not a long hitter, I lay up a lot, to a yardage I am much more comfortable with. That is where the 4th or 5th wedge is a nice addition.

[JJ2210]

I play 4 wedges as well. 48, 52, 56, 60. More important to get precise inside 140 yards than 250 out. For reference, I play a 15 degree 3 wood, then 20 degree hybrid, then down to a 4 iron.

[chickenpotpie]

Hank Haney himself questioned my logic for carrying a 3 iron (glorified 2 iron in his opinion, which has limited uses)....that was good enough for me. I carry an extra wedge now.

[SDkristick]

This offseason i made the switch from having 4 wedges to 3 wedges. For me I felt that my game would benefit with having an extra club in the other end of the bag. If your going to play with only 3 wedges you really need to be confident with hitting half shots and 3 quarter shots with your pitching wedge.

[dcr147]

Do you want to score better or be a poser??

[Ti-Père BBQ]

I switched recently from 4 wedges (that I played for 3 years) to 3 wedges. I've found that I have so much success when I'm using my PW on chipping/pitching (especially chipping) than my 50° Gap wedge whom I usually uses only on full swing.

[snookybusby]

What about bending your pitching wedge back a little to like 48 degrees. Or if you want a 52 which leaves you with 46-52 gap, you could bend your 46-47 and have a 47-53 gap. Same size gap. I would think about bending them a little to achieve the result you want.

[misplacedtexan83]

You answered your own question. You said you don't have a 110-120 club so it is time to get a gap wedge that fits what your set up is now. Try choking down on the hybrid to see if it drops the distance to fill the 200 plus

[kendall.boudreau]

4 wedges. Im not sure what you play for irons but your 4 might not even be a true 24 degrees. I go 14.5 in my 3 deep to an 18 utility and then 22 degree 4 iron i think it is. Works for me. 50-54-58 on the other end.

[D-Fuzz]

I am sort of on the other side of this equation. When I get to those 120 & down yardages, it is all about feel. I almost never take a full swing. My 52* ranges from 80-110 yards comfortably, 120yds if I really need to juice one. My PW is 120-135. Anything inside 80 is likely my 58*, unless I am hitting a low bump and run. When I am playing & practicing a lot, I more feel the distances by what I see, the yardage number just gives me a reference. For longer distances, I play more to the numbers because it is harder to feel the distances. That's why my yardage gaps are a little tighter at the top end of my bag.

[MelloYello]

It's not a philosophical question. You can't find an answer for yourself here, but I'll tell you what I have personally experienced.

Some people like having extra wedges, but it can become quite confusing. Golf is not about yardages, it's about [i][u][b]shots[/b][/u][/i]. Start thinking more in those terms and you'll find it easier to piece your bag together. Can you hit a soft lob? Easy pitch? Low bump-and-run? How are you going to hit that 50-yd knockdown? Some people bump a PW in there, others baby a LW. Clearly you could use a 50, 52, 54 or 56 as well, right?

What are you comfortable doing? That's the question!

Another issue I always hate dealing with when switching around wedges is trying to re-learn all my distances. Even just simple changes in bounce angles will change distances. What kind of grooves are on the club will have an effect as well. Keep in mind that the design of a wedge has a lot to do with exactly what it's going to produce in yours hands. It's not just a loft issue, it's a question that just as precise as finding the right loft and shaft combination in your driver, fairway, hybrid, etc.

I love my PW and I love my LW and between them I get most of my approaches done. I've never been quite able to settle on what to do in between; whether I want a friendly, easy-out-of-the rough, no fail, high bounce club that is rather imprecise, or something more aggressive with a sharper leading edge that I can carve in there with a lot of spin. Those are two wildly different preferences yet both types of wedges exist. You're not going to hit a Vokey 56* exactly the same yardage as a CG 56*. Find a wedge that you really like and you'll start to build around [i][u]that[/u][/i] club. Which result you tend to be more comfortable with tends to help make these sorts of decisions. So again, it's person to person.

It takes quite awhile to become really confident with a wedge and practically any shot inside of 120 yards will be something that demands a little finesse so if you're not regularly using all those clubs it can actually become quite a disaster carrying 4 or 5 wedges.



That being said, I'm really not sure how important a 3-iron is to scoring well. I played today and hit 3-iron 1 time. It was a beauty; 226 right out of the center of the face and right down the pipe.

Didn't do a thing to stop those 3-putts though!

[richard t]

+1 on the above. I hardly ever think in terms of yardage inside 120. I look at the shot. It could be 9 iron, PW,SW or LW depending on the lay of the land. Bump and run this time, soft lob the next. I enjoy my 3 iron and use it. Tried 4 wedges and it just did not work for me. Questioned myself too much. Something you just have to work out yourself.

[matchavez]

[quote name='gaspasr' timestamp='1393198310' post='8730118']
Read a lot but never post, but need some help with bag setup.

I bought new MP 59's last year to replace very old DCI 990's. My pitching wedge loft went from 49 to 46, and I now have a 7 degree (and 30 yard) gap between my new pitching wedge and my old cleveland 53 degree gap wedge. I've really struggled with distances 110-120 as I just don't have a club for that distance. My hybrid goes about 230, 3 iron about 210-215, and my 4 iron about 200.

So my question is this: Is it better to have a gap from 200-230 and add the 4th wedge (50-54-58) or keep the 3 iron and just go 52-58 on the wedges?

Thanks for any input.
[/quote]

I'm curious... a lot of opinions straight to wedge, one about bending, and one saying not so fast...

Can you share your full bag composition, as it is now?

[360_CS]

What is easier to hit a 3/4 hybrid or a 3/4 pitching wedge?

[jb93]

If you play and practice a lot, then comments above about hitting "shots" may work for you. If you don't, then you may find value in knowing you can more reliably control scoring distances by selecting the right club. I am personally happy with 50, 54, 58. I rarely use the 58, but there is more scoring value in being able to hit a high shot over a trap to a tight pin than having 3 clubs that I can hit 200+...none of which will likely get within 40 feet of the hole on regular basis.

[dagoose383]

Go with another wedge. They call them scoring clubs for a reason.

Or if you rearrange your gaps then you could probably stick with the 3 iron, but my vote would be for the wedge.

[cehb]

All comes down to personal preference of course but I could never justify leaving my 3 iron out for a 4th wedge.

I play a 47/54/60 combo but I have experimented with just about every combo imaginable and keep coming back to it. I'd hit my 3 iron on average at least 4-5 times a round, 2-3 times off the tee on tight/short par 4's (and the occasional 5), I seem to frequently wind up 3 iron distance out on par 5's and because I'm generally playing longer courses it quite often gets pulled out on a long par 3.

I have a gap of about 25 yards between my 47 and 54, it's not of great concern with me because I'm pretty comfortable with partial wedge shots but even if I was uncomfortable, course management could see me pretty much eliminate shots in that uncomfortable range. It sounds simple but it's so true, if you are uncomfortable about a certain distance then just don't hit it there in the first place!

Of course if you get limited use out of your 3 iron then a 4th wedge isn't going to hurt, but in my particular case I'd hit my 3 iron more often than a 4th wedge by a factor of about 5:1. As said above, it's a whole lot easier to knock 10% off a PW than it is trying to baby a hybrid or 5 wood (particularly with a forced carry involved) or nuke a 4 iron.

Personally I'd opt for the 3 iron and spend a couple of afternoons working on partial PW shots. Choke down an inch, note your distance, swing at 90% and note your distance, then choke down and swing at 90% at the same time etc. In no time you'll have 4 or 5 different shots and yardages for that awkward range.

[gaspasr]

Thanks everyone for the input, greatly appreciated. My current setup is:

Vrs covert performance driver 10.5
Taylormade V steel 3 wood
Titleist 909 19 degree hybrid
Mizuno MP 59 3-pw
Cleveland 588 53 and 57.

[KILLEDBYASHANKEDWEDGE]

Both , lose the hybrid.

[Dan Drake]

Get a hybrid that goes 220, drop the 3 iron, and add the wedge.

If you aren't on tour, there just aren't that many times where you will say to yourself "Gee, I wish I had a 230 yd club here, my 220 yd club just won't do."

[kendall.boudreau]

I find it much easier to choke down on a hybrid and take an easier swing from 210-220 where your margin for error is much bigger than 115 yards in. When it comes to 130 and in you need to be confident that you can hit it within 15 feet every time. (not that we always do, but you need that confidence) I guess for me, I have more confidence knowing I have 4 wedges to choose the desired shot I want to hit. If I am 210-230 out on a par 5 or a long 3, I am happy with anything on the green, and usually satisfied with anything green side for an up and down. Rarely is it really important to "dial in" the distance from there.

[msh645]

I'll play devil's advocate for a minute. Ever think that less wedges could improve your game? i.e. Do you have hit a shot and say I really should've hit one more (or less) wedge. Would the one less choice eliminate pulling the wrong wedge? Obviously you'd have to get better at feeling how hard you need to hit it, but this might be a good thing as I don't think you should hit wedges 100% each time. They are clubs built for accuracy not distance. Now I haven't tried this as I currently play 4 wedges (46, 52, 56, 60) and the top of my bag is Driver, 3w, 19* Hybrid, 4 iron (24*). I'm a 7 hdcp, and play a relatively short course.

Just throwing it out there.

[brockgolf44]

[quote name='gaspasr' timestamp='1393198310' post='8730118']
Read a lot but never post, but need some help with bag setup.

I bought new MP 59's last year to replace very old DCI 990's. My pitching wedge loft went from 49 to 46, and I now have a 7 degree (and 30 yard) gap between my new pitching wedge and my old cleveland 53 degree gap wedge. I've really struggled with distances 110-120 as I just don't have a club for that distance. My hybrid goes about 230, 3 iron about 210-215, and my 4 iron about 200.

So my question is this: Is it better to have a gap from 200-230 and add the 4th wedge (50-54-58) or keep the 3 iron and just go 52-58 on the wedges?

Thanks for any input.
[/quote]

I used to have a 3i and then the 54/58 combo. At the time my PW was my 145 club and my 54 could go 115-118 if I really needed it to but it was a really a 110 club.
I started to keep some stats on how close I hit my approach shots in the 130-115 range...and it wasnt pretty. 2 things jumped out. 1.) first and foremost, I wasnt making many (enough) birdies. Thats the range a good player should get a birdie on 1-4 times. 2. I was actually losing strokes 1-4 times due to trying to hit some sort of 3/4, punch, finesse, etc..PW that would miss the green. Or trying to muscle up on a 54 with results of hitting it thin, or even hitting it flush but putting so much spin on it that I couldnt keep it on the green. While its frustrating missing birdie opportunities from that distance, its unacceptable to lose a stroke from that distance.

So I looked at my 3iron that I seldom hit, realized that while its cool to hit a 3 iron once a week, its much cooler to stick a 125 gap wedge and then tap in a birdie 2-3 times a round.

What Im getting at is, keep some stats of your next 4 or 5 rounds based on what would be your GW distance and also how often/well you hit the 3i. I think youll have your answer after that.

[kendall.boudreau]

I think a good set up (which is what I am trying to do) is go Driver, 17 degree 4 wood, 3-PW, 52-56-60. I think that covers all the necessary gaps.

[brockgolf44]

[quote name='msh645' timestamp='1393252012' post='8733788']
I'll play devil's advocate for a minute. Ever think that less wedges could improve your game? i.e. Do you have hit a shot and say I really should've hit one more (or less) wedge. Would the one less choice eliminate pulling the wrong wedge? Obviously you'd have to get better at feeling how hard you need to hit it, but this might be a good thing as I don't think you should hit wedges 100% each time. They are clubs built for accuracy not distance. Now I haven't tried this as I currently play 4 wedges (46, 52, 56, 60) and the top of my bag is Driver, 3w, 19* Hybrid, 4 iron (24*). I'm a 7 hdcp, and play a relatively short course.

Just throwing it out there.
[/quote]

Contrary to my last post, I also agree with your post (in theory). The reason I used to have a freakin 35 yd gap between my PW and 54 was because I did not want to walk up to a green side shot and have 3-4 clubs in my hand with a million of options of types of shots to hit. So about 7 yrs ago I ditched the 51, 56, 60 setup and went to 54/58. I solely practiced with my 54 around the greens for anything that didnt require an extreme flop or "putter motion" chip like with a 7 iron.

I got really good with a 54 wedge. I could a variation of shots and knew that club really well. Now that I have added the GW back to my setup I am just disciplined in continuing to practice with that 54 and try to only use the 50 for full (ish) shots. I just consider it my 10 iron.

I would recommend this for alot of people that struggle with their short game. Grab a 54, 55, or 56 and just beat the hell out of it on the practice/chipping green

[theLeftyBeast]

I use a 3i and three wedge approach (47,53,59). It's easier for me it seems to knock down a gap wedge with controlled spin than to hit a full 56 which spins too much. Then it's also very important not to make mistakes from the danger zone. That's where the three iron comes in. If im playing in a tournament and im on the back nine and need 230 that is where i want my three iron. Nobody wants to hit a knockdown hybrid under the gun. If you practice a lot keep the three iron

[kendall.boudreau]

I do the same thing, but wouldn't it just be easier if we all smartened up and hit it into spots that we weren't in one of our gaps or forced to hit a full on sand wedge? If only right?

[matchavez]

I asked myself the same question. Your bag mimics mine, so I'm glad I asked. Here's what I'm doing, and maybe it'll help.

First, you're asking what club to drop now. I'll tell you I won't make that decision until I get to the course, or at least know who I'm playing with (normal or back tees).

You'll see in my sig that I carry a 21º driving hybrid. It's handy for exactly that 215 distance we're discussing. I'm also getting new irons to replace the cool but painful irons I currently have, and the PW on that is also 46º - thus I plan on buying the Gap on that as well. 51º, but I'll probably bend it up a degree later... no bigger for now. I'm also going to carry two additional wedges below -- I'm going to a 54 and 58º. And this is the part where you say "wait, that's 15".

Yes. Likely I'll pull the 21º most days, but if there's a long course, I may pull the 54º wedge instead. Either way, I'm still covered. The new set of irons moves the 4 iron up to 23º (maybe yours does too?) and there's going to be a lot less of a gap there. If I want the DHy, it's a simple choice to ditch an iron -- it could be either the 4-iron, or the 54º.

However, my point is two-fold.

#1 - your 4-iron might also be stronger than your prior set, and it may have you covered. If it does, go 50/54/58.
#2 - there's nothing bad about maintaining a few extra clubs that you have to decide day-of.

Good luck!

[minteq]

For me the pw, 56, 60 combo works best. I added the 712U 3 iron, I use that more than I would a gap wedge. I like the driving iron for tight holes, punch outs etc.