Carrying same loft wedges, different bounce?

Cheesehead42 · August 5, 2020

I have made the decision to take out my 3 wood. I use it sparingly at-best and when I do, the results are rarely good. I now have an open spot in my bag.

I play a lot of different courses that giving the time of year, can be in a variety of conditions. I am toying with the idea of carrying 2 58* wedges. The Vokey K grind w/ 14* of bounce for approach shots and 58* T grind with 4* of bounce for chipping, tight lies and hard pan bunkers.

Has anyone tried this? Thoughts?

nlinneman20 · August 5, 2020

Not the worst idea I've heard, I also play diff courses and even if I didn't I live in STL where the ground could be rock hard from weeks of 90 degree temps (like it was a month ago, man you should have seen my drives roll), or soft from constant rain (like it is in some areas now).

DaveGoodrich · August 5, 2020

I often carry a 58-12 D grind for full swing approaches and soft sand, and a 60-04 for tight lies and hard bunkers.

TourSpoon · August 5, 2020

I think its more popular to have 2 different grinds between 2 different lofts (ie: 56/10, 60/04) than it is to have 2 of the same loft. But if you have the room for it in your bag why not? Each club should have a purpose in the bag and if it doesn't then you really are carrying extra weight. I recently dropped my 3 iron that overlapped with my 2 hybrid because I would hit a stinger every now and then on a windy day from the tee. Well that shot was twice a year so I ditched it and spaced out my wedges for more scoring opportunities. I went from 48-54-60 to 46-50-54-58. Every wedge has a job and that job was more valuable than that 3 iron ever was even though it was a total rush to hit it on the screws.

bnperrone · August 5, 2020

My exact specs differ slightly, but I do basically the same as @DaveGoodrich said above. There are a lot of waste areas in coastal SC, and most of the time they're like hardpan so a low bounce lob wedge is highly valuable. I have three typical swings for each wedge that overlap from wedge to wedge, so it isn't like the different bounces are going to screw me up.
All that said, if I were you I might consider making the low bounce wedge 60* or even more loft. Why not? You've already got the same loft elsewhere, and plenty of companies make that. It seems like that would provide more versatility while providing the same benefits you're looking for.

Jwin323 · August 5, 2020

Surprised Phil never thought of this.

mootrail · August 5, 2020

Coincidentally, I just started carrying two 58s. My favorite loft and wedge is a 58° (10°) PM Grind. I like it so much, I turned my 60° PM down to 58° (8°) for my beater.

I've been throwing random closet clubs into my bag lately, but one club I never tried is a 58° (6°) Smart Sole 3 S wedge which I kinda snuck out of my brother's bag. My wedge game is good, but this club has been unbelievable chipping from around the green and the low bounce and wide sole make hardpan lies a breeze. I was only carrying two wedges, a 50° and a 58°, so no worries adding a second 58°, even if it's a one or two trick pony.

ChipNRun · August 5, 2020

One of the GolfWorks Academy instructors had a similar idea with 56* SWs.

One had 14-degree bounce and was used out of bunkers, and the others had 8-degree bounce, with shaft cut an inch shorter, and was used as a LW.

dubbelbogey · August 5, 2020

I've never done this, but I like the thinking.

I think using the sole's bounce (and the variation in bounce in different clubs) is as important, if not more so, than loft in certain conditions.

Personally, I mix up my wedge bounces among clubs of different lofts.E.g. 56-14, 60-4, but if you have the space, no reason not to give your idea a go.

setter02 · August 6, 2020

I would be more on the carrying your LW and SW with different grinds/bounces and learn how to manipulate the club head. If you are at the point where you want to carry 2 wedges of same loft but different bounce, you should be able to do this. Also, get a 4wd then as that will come up eventually to the 'can't hit a 3wd' complaint.

mootrail · August 10, 2020

After three rounds, carrying two 58s is over. The yardages are just too close obviously and for me the bounce difference was a non factor. On to the next experiment.

Cheesehead42 · August 10, 2020

Good to know. I just got a 14* Bouce 58* Vokey and am waiting on a 4* bounce 60* to arrive. If nothing else, it was worth a try.

straightkashe · August 10, 2020

I recently switched over from a 60.04 vokey to a 58.08 M grind and tbh I have mostly positive but sometimes mixed feelings. From 55-100 I looooove the consistent turf interaction of the 8 degrees of bounce but I craaaave that 4 degrees of bounce on tighter lies around the green.

If I were to go play Winged Foot or Harding Park tomorrow I would honestly find a way to get a high-toe in the bag or something to give me solace on tighter lies or buried lies around the green.

TourSpoon · August 10, 2020

Just catching up on this thread and I saw the "one trick pony" comment and that made me think "different horses for different courses" as a valid option. I tend to think versatility, but I also know that if I go to another part of the country that features baked out hard pan as the norm, I would need to make some adjustments in my wedges just for those rounds.