Wedge fitting?

[Bigjim1022]

I’m curious if anybody has ever had a wedge specific fitting?  Wedges and approach game are two obvious weaknesses in my game.  I’ve been fit a few times for irons but I’m curious if anybody has done a wedge specific fitting and did it help?  Where did you go?  Was it worth the cost of the fitting and/or new wedges or should I just spend more time practicing! 
 

FWIW my options for fitting (that I know of) are club champion basically, so any recs would be appreciated! 

[MattM97]

My current wedges were fit, it's good cause you can get gapping down, lie, length, etc.

 

But I will say the Vokey online fitter is quite accurate if you're completely honest with it. Go through it once to know what they ask for, play a few rounds, note what they want to see, do the online fit again and can be close. I also believe Ping has one now too which is also very accurate.

[Bigjim1022]

1 minute ago, MattM97 said:

My current wedges were fit, it's good cause you can get gapping down, lie, length, etc.

 

But I will say the Vokey online fitter is quite accurate if you're completely honest with it. Go through it once to know what they ask for, play a few rounds, note what they want to see, do the online fit again and can be close. I also believe Ping has one now too which is also very accurate.

Where did you get fit?  Was it much more than figuring out stick distances?  Like did you get fit for shaft, bounce etc?

[MattM97]

1 minute ago, Bigjim1022 said:

Where did you get fit?  Was it much more than figuring out stick distances?  Like did you get fit for shaft, bounce etc?

 

TXG before it became CC, got everything covered, I wasn't a great wedge player then but tested some chips, pitches and full shots. Went through what I'd use each wedge for, tried a few bounces/grinds, options, etc. Everything was covered, I just fit into the Vokey wedge which is a DG S200 and I play DG shafts so wasn't much we had to do for shafts.

 

After I got the wedges came back in and did more of a gapping session to make sure nothing crazy stood out, got one or two bent and been playing them since. When I'm playing well there is definitely a huge difference over my old setup but I still hit bad shots but that's me not the wedges. Will see what I do when I need/want new wedges which may be soon.

[Bigjim1022]

17 minutes ago, MattM97 said:

 

TXG before it became CC, got everything covered, I wasn't a great wedge player then but tested some chips, pitches and full shots. Went through what I'd use each wedge for, tried a few bounces/grinds, options, etc. Everything was covered, I just fit into the Vokey wedge which is a DG S200 and I play DG shafts so wasn't much we had to do for shafts.

 

After I got the wedges came back in and did more of a gapping session to make sure nothing crazy stood out, got one or two bent and been playing them since. When I'm playing well there is definitely a huge difference over my old setup but I still hit bad shots but that's me not the wedges. Will see what I do when I need/want new wedges which may be soon.

I’m debating doing a wedge fitting.  I’ve always just gone with online fitting tool and what I think I need.  Thanks for the reply! 

Edited September 15, 2024 by Bigjim1022

[MattM97]

3 minutes ago, Bigjim1022 said:

I’m beating doing a wedge fitting.  I’ve always just gone with online fitting tool and what I think I need.  Thanks for the reply! 

 

I don't think it will hurt, at least you can test the grinds, bounces and wedges themself, yes it may be inside but you and the fitter can hear the differences, especially if you're just bouncing that sole off the mats.

[Phabs]

I’ve had one a while ago in school by our Titleist rep.  Yes it was useful.  Gapping session made the biggest change - just dialing in yardages and feels for distances with him.  
 

Flying to Dallas this winter to have an Artisan wedge fitting.

Edited September 15, 2024 by Phabs

[BYK]

5 minutes ago, Bigjim1022 said:

I’m beating doing a wedge fitting.  I’ve always just gone with online fitting tool and what I think I need.  Thanks for the reply! 

Unless ya know the fitter is any good, might want to steer clear of CC for something as specific as a wedge fitting.

[Bigjim1022]

6 minutes ago, BYK said:

Unless ya know the fitter is any good, might want to steer clear of CC for something as specific as a wedge fitting.

Well that’s the other concern.  There is a CC that opened up last winter about an hour and a half from me.  No idea how good any of the fitters are.   
 

are there any other options for wedge fitting?  

[Volnut]

8 minutes ago, Bigjim1022 said:

Well that’s the other concern.  There is a CC that opened up last winter about an hour and a half from me.  No idea how good any of the fitters are.   
 

are there any other options for wedge fitting?  

 

You can see if there's any OEM's coming to a nearby course. Good way to get fit off grass. However, you're at the mercy of their schedule and would need to do multiple to try different brands. 

[BYK]

32 minutes ago, Bigjim1022 said:

Well that’s the other concern.  There is a CC that opened up last winter about an hour and a half from me.  No idea how good any of the fitters are.   
 

are there any other options for wedge fitting?  

Yah dunno other than special stuff like Vokey

but I think you’d be wasting your time at cc to be honest 

[Bigjim1022]

30 minutes ago, BYK said:

Yah dunno other than special stuff like Vokey

but I think you’d be wasting your time at cc to be honest 

Agreed.  I did a putter fitting at a CC outside Boston and that was decent enough.  Not sure about a new one up here though sadly 

[AzRoger]

As was mentioned you really want to get fitted for wedges outdoors where you can test different surfaces to get the right bounce dialed in. You will likely have to visit a specific OEM fitting to find that. I went through it with Ping at the Kierland GC in Scottsdale AZ, besides full shots on real turf I was able to test wedges in bunkers and around the chipping green.

Edited September 16, 2024 by AzRoger

[LCG]

7 hours ago, AzRoger said:

As was mentioned you really want to get fitted for wedges outdoors where you can test different surfaces to get the right bounce dialed in. You will likely have to visit a specific OEM fitting to find that. I went through it with Ping at the Kierland GC in Scottsdale AZ, besides full shots on real turf I was able to test wedges in bunkers and around the chipping green.

Totally agree. Hitting off real grass outdoors is a must. IMO Trackman isn’t accurate for yardages indoors, not sure about GC. 
 

Also, it’s good to have an idea about what type of shots you want to be able to hit with what wedges. Do you want to be able to chip with all of your wedges or do you mainly play chips with one specific loft. Also, how do you hit those shots. Do you keep the face square, or do you like to open and close it. I suggest going on the Vokey site and looking at the different shapes of grinds and what those are best suited for. Once you get an idea of what shape is good for what type of shot it’s easy to take that knowledge and use it when looking at different manufacturers. 

[Hawkeye77]

22 hours ago, Bigjim1022 said:

I’m curious if anybody has ever had a wedge specific fitting?  Wedges and approach game are two obvious weaknesses in my game.  I’ve been fit a few times for irons but I’m curious if anybody has done a wedge specific fitting and did it help?  Where did you go?  Was it worth the cost of the fitting and/or new wedges or should I just spend more time practicing! 
 

FWIW my options for fitting (that I know of) are club champion basically, so any recs would be appreciated! 

 

Yes and I wouldn't get fitted for wedges at Club Champion, lol.

 

I just went to a Titleist fitting/demo kind of day last week, but it was a by appointment day at this course.  I've fit for wedges previously and once indoors intentionally and once not so much and to me, especially with figuring out grinds for shorter wedge shots, hitting on a mat does not work for me.

 

Depends on where you live, and sometimes a lot depends on time of year, but keeping an eye out for demo days from various OEMs is a good way to find a wedge fitting - especially Titleist and I think Callaway.

 

I think it's essential and in the short grass and around the greens in particular to dial in grinds.

Edited September 16, 2024 by Hawkeye77

[Bigjim1022]

35 minutes ago, Hawkeye77 said:

 

Yes and I wouldn't get fitted for wedges at Club Champion, lol.

 

I just went to a Titleist fitting/demo kind of day last week, but it was a by appointment day at this course.  I've fit for wedges previously and once indoors intentionally and once not so much and to me, especially with figuring out grinds for shorter wedge shots, hitting on a mat does not work for me.

 

Depends on where you live, and sometimes a lot depends on time of year, but keeping an eye out for demo days from various OEMs is a good way to find a wedge fitting - especially Titleist and I think Callaway.

 

I think it's essential and in the short grass and around the greens in particular to dial in grinds.

That’s my thinking on grinds too, I’ve always chosen grinds based on what I’ve read and had success with in the past but it would be nice to get another set of eyes as confirmation!  

[Hawkeye77]

Just now, Bigjim1022 said:

That’s my thinking on grinds too, I’ve always chosen grinds based on what I’ve read and had success with in the past but it would be nice to get another set of eyes as confirmation!  

 

I had a lot of fun with the fitter last week.  I told him I was probably be boring and just put me down for S in the 60/56 and F in the 52 now that I was going back to 52/56/60 and back to Vokeys.  Told him I hated the D grind, so no point trying that and he asked about the fitting I'd had, the indoors aspect of it and so forth and just smiled and of course I was there to let him do his thing.  So we fitted the 52 and checked a couple of bounce options more than anything and actually ended up with less than I'd had the last time, so there was a change, and it was purely based on what he was seeing and how solidly I was hitting it.  

 

The other two were more critical.  The 56 is my go to around the greens for most shots, I buy into Dan Grieve's 60 is for "emergencies" philosophy, lol, but of course it has plenty of uses. And . . . I have a 56 D grind 12 bounce and 60 M grind 8 bounce on the way, haha.  For the way they sit and what I want to do with them and especially close to the green they were the clear winners in feel/how they sat with my technique and a big difference for me off the grass vs. a mat/carpet.

[Bigjim1022]

10 minutes ago, Hawkeye77 said:

 

I had a lot of fun with the fitter last week.  I told him I was probably be boring and just put me down for S in the 60/56 and F in the 52 now that I was going back to 52/56/60 and back to Vokeys.  Told him I hated the D grind, so no point trying that and he asked about the fitting I'd had, the indoors aspect of it and so forth and just smiled and of course I was there to let him do his thing.  So we fitted the 52 and checked a couple of bounce options more than anything and actually ended up with less than I'd had the last time, so there was a change, and it was purely based on what he was seeing and how solidly I was hitting it.  

 

The other two were more critical.  The 56 is my go to around the greens for most shots, I buy into Dan Grieve's 60 is for "emergencies" philosophy, lol, but of course it has plenty of uses. And . . . I have a 56 D grind 12 bounce and 60 M grind 8 bounce on the way, haha.  For the way they sit and what I want to do with them and especially close to the green they were the clear winners in feel/how they sat with my technique and a big difference for me off the grass vs. a mat/carpet.

Did the fitter change up your shaft?  I’m always wondering how much shaft really matters in wedges.  I’ve always just used S400s but am currently rethinking why whole set up. 

[Hawkeye77]

31 minutes ago, Bigjim1022 said:

Did the fitter change up your shaft?  I’m always wondering how much shaft really matters in wedges.  I’ve always just used S400s but am currently rethinking why whole set up. 

I forgot that.  I'm a little nervous about that one.  I ended up a hair heavier at I think 120 from the 115 I have now and was hitting 105s before that.  My irons are around 85-90 and the difference concerns me a bit and I thought I'd end up lighter, but the results and finding the middle with the lighter wedge shafts on the longer shots just didn't work out.  Have to admit, around the greens, didn't even notice the weight so I'm anxious to get them in hand and start second guessing everything, lol.  To be fair, there weren't too many shaft options available to try with the wedges (and not removable, which was fine be me).  I think they are an S200 (wedge flex - not really sure what it means, but I think like S200 - he said I was around 120g with the shafts) but not real specific on my order - hopefully I'll know in a few days.  They were supposed to be done and ready to ship today but no word on that, so who knows.

Edited September 16, 2024 by Hawkeye77

[BombinJim]

I did an Artisan wedge fitting in August and am receiving my built clubs this week 😎 Will let you know how it goes - but the fitting experience was incredible.

[jedc]

I want a wedge fitting where I can try multiple shaft options, which I know is not the easiest thing to find. I think the shaft is just as important as the grind, but it seems like most people either match irons shafts or heavier/softer versions.