Less Wedges more?

[upanddown]

Hi, currently bagging 45* PW, 50 gap, 54 (bent to 55), 60.  Wedge play is not a strength of my game and I sometimes wonder if deciding between the 55 or 60 on less than full shots, bunker shots is hurting my game.  Anyone just go 50, 56? Thanks

[cals]

I’ve been in the same situation and thinking about using my 45° PW and then going 51° 57°. 6° gaps throughout keep it more manageable. 

[tleader]

I go:

50 - set wedge for full shots

54 - less than full shots and square faced chips

60 - bunkers, open faced shots. 
 

Variety of bounce/function makes it easier to choose which wedge to use for the specific shot/conditions. 

[Billy_shears]

A good piece of advice that I was given was pick a go to chipping wedge and stick with it. It used to be my 50 but once I got more comfortable with wedges and got a little more experimental I moved to 54. I think that advice was great because I got comfortable with one wedge and learned exactly how it performed and it became predictable which really boosted my confidence and gave me the chance to learn more about what chipping style worked for me. Once I was comfortable with my 54 as my go to wedge it made it so much easier to see how my other wedges came into play. Wedge play can be complicated because you have 2-4 wedges to pick from and each one performs a little differently and is going to benefit you in different situations. For me using my wedge in the middle as my go to made it easier to adjust to the other two and learn where I can benefit from more or less loft, bounce etc. plus like i said it keeps it predictable. My set up now is sm9 50f, 54s and 60m. My 50 is mostly full swings and occasional chipping, 54 is still my go to and from sand, 60 is my get creative club. Gives me a little extra loft and has lower bounce so it helps in a tighter lie or if I need to get over an obstacle like a bunker. It also comes in handy in deep bunkers or wet sand 

Edited November 16, 2024 by Billy_shears

[ago33]

I go

47- 11 bounce - x7

53- 11 bounce - x7

57- 13 bounce - s400

61- 5 bounce -s400

 

I have every shot covered with the different bounce angles in the 57 and 61, along with being able to flight down a 53 with minimal spin if the ball is going into the wind. 
 

I’d recommend getting a SW that you love that works 80% of the time, and then a LW that compliments it based on your course conditions. Ideally, you should never use a lob wedge because that means you are out of position. However it happens a few times a round so it’s a necessary evil. 

[upanddown]

Thanks all but my real queston is... is anyone stopping at 56* to keep it simple?  Maybe even carrying less that 14.

[9ClubberLang]

I play 48, 54 the majority of the time. I'm in the UK though so don't have hard, fast greens where I play. 

 

The minimalist thread (currently on the first page of this board) is a great resource for ideas on less than 14 clubs.

 

There is many a wise pro that recommends the average golfer would do well to stop at a 56.

[Kai Slater]

19 minutes ago, upanddown said:

Thanks all but my real queston is... is anyone stopping at 56* to keep it simple?  Maybe even carrying less that 14.

Yes, I stopped at the 56* as it's proven to be all I need and all I can handle.  In my case, being proficient at anything higher lofted is very difficult and I'm just not good enough to play with lob wedges.

 

I also carry less than 14....I go with 9 clubs and a putter.  It's worked very well for me since I only hit clubs that I have confidence in.  The 9 clubs that I carry each have a specific job and purpose and they happen to be the only clubs that I can hit very well most of the time.

 

Actually, I really only use 8 clubs for full shots as my 52* wedge is only used as a "chipper" around the greens.

[ShortGolfer]

If you are really bad a bunker shots the 2019 rules change allows you to take a 2 shot penalty and drop the ball out of the back of the bunker, even if you missed a stroke in the bunker.

One can always take a stroke and distance penalty to avoid bunker shots as well.

 

I have a Vokey 56M to play with a minimalist set but lately I've been carrying five wedges.  Two 58s, one low and one high bounce.🙂

The new course I've been playing has fast elevated greens.  If I can't see the landing spot when I'm close to the green I'm pulling a lob wedge!

Edited November 16, 2024 by ShortGolfer

[Thrummyfox]

? 

[edwelly]

I switched to a 54* / 58*a couple of years ago, and my scores have dropped. I still have GW and a PW, but I only use those for full shots. 

Having the 54* as my main pitching/chipping club has made decision-making a lot simpler. 

 

-Erik

[5underdouble]

I stop at a 58° bent to 57° as my highest lofted wedge. I never really found myself using a 60 when I had 48/52/56/60 so I made some changes and went to 50/54/58 and have found it has made it easier to know what club to pull around the green. 

[Zjhl2024]

I find myself rarely need to use my 60, my 56 kind of fills all the jobs in the distance shorter than my 50 --- even for the bunkers too

[animalgolfs]

Depends on green firmness and greenside difficulty IMO

 

More check on chips/pitches using 56 v 54 IMO things like that should be the determining factor

[hammergolf]

3 hours ago, upanddown said:

Hi, currently bagging 45* PW, 50 gap, 54 (bent to 55), 60.  Wedge play is not a strength of my game and I sometimes wonder if deciding between the 55 or 60 on less than full shots, bunker shots is hurting my game.  Anyone just go 50, 56? Thanks

Not trying to be a jerk, but you already admitted to not being a good wedge player. No offense, but that is not due to the lofts of them. My advice would be to practice and find a consistent yardage and shot you can hit with each wedge and stick to that. Around the greens find the carry to roll ratio with each club and stick to that. In the bunkers use the same carry to roll ratio. 

[596]

44 

50

56

 

I see no reason to add anything else.  I never hit a full wedge.  And I very rarely open the face of anything.  

[goin'low]

 i am about to test a 3 wedge setup with 46, 52, 58. It'll give me room to add a hybrid to my set

[PJE]

48 gap set wedge. Good for full shots or low runners

56 medium bounce. I usually use this for the sand but some other green side shots too. 

58 degree low bounce. I chip with it.

I don’t usually hit full shots with the 56 and 58.  

Since, I play driver and 4 wood, I usually have 13 clubs in the bag so this lets me sub in course specific clubs as necessary, e.g., driving iron etc. 

 

I think this set up works for me because I have good distance control with the 48 and I can hit high and low shots with the 56 and 58.  

 

 

[drvrwdge]

Forever I wanted more options at the top

of my so I played 52/58. Been playing 50/54/58 for a while now but honestly I think I could do everything I need to with the 52/58 and go back to what I had at the top. 2 hybrids or a hybrid and a utility iron. You should be able to dial Back your PW enough, even if it’s 44 degrees, to cover anything down to 115. A 52 would then give 125 full down to 75ish comfortable. Then the 58 goes from 105 all the down, bunkers, flops and general chips and pitches around the green. 

Edited November 16, 2024 by drvrwdge

[KeepCalmandCarry]

3 hours ago, upanddown said:

Thanks all but my real queston is... is anyone stopping at 56* to keep it simple?  Maybe even carrying less that 14.

I stop at 54*, only carry eight sticks! Like @9ClubberLang suggested, check out the “minimalist”/half-set threads on here!

[J_Tizzle]

I'm pro more wedges vs less, but you have to learn how to use them.  I go 45/50/54/58/62 and the top of my bag is driver/3wood/3h/4i/5.5i.

 

I think the options at the bottom of the bag is much more important than at the top.  But you gotta practice and learn how they all behave.

[speedeuphoria]

4 hours ago, upanddown said:

Thanks all but my real queston is... is anyone stopping at 56* to keep it simple?  Maybe even carrying less that 14.

I was playing pw(47) 52/57 and that was great. Less choices and 60 was normally a bad choice.

 

Edited November 16, 2024 by speedeuphoria

[Pepperturbo]

On 11/16/2024 at 4:45 AM, upanddown said:

Hi, currently bagging 45* PW, 50 gap, 54 (bent to 55), 60.  Wedge play is not a strength of my game and I sometimes wonder if deciding between the 55 or 60 on less than full shots, bunker shots is hurting my game.  Anyone just go 50, 56? Thanks

I can make any wedge loft work but rely on 3, a SM10 F47.11, F52.12 and M58.8 or T58.4; depending on the course, I swap 58's.   Due to the fact I practice at least 4 days a week, I don't see lofts as the issue that prevents improved scoring. 

 

Countless people say wedge play is not their strength.  The only reason that aspect of their game is hampered, they lack short game practice.

Edited November 30, 2024 by Pepperturbo

[grant.burke]

5 hours ago, upanddown said:

Thanks all but my real queston is... is anyone stopping at 56* to keep it simple?  Maybe even carrying less that 14.

I did 50/56 with my recent wedge update, then I couldn’t help myself when the V grind 60 came out recently from Vokey. The 60 is fun to play around with but I’ve found little to no need on the course - at least my course. Also, I feel like 12 is a good max amount of clubs unless you’ve got some speed and need more at the top end; even 10 or 11 is good if you know you’re game and have most everything covered. 

[AC in TX]

Less - I've tried a 60 degree wedge several times and as with a 3 wood, it just does not work for me. 

[Ger21]

8 hours ago, upanddown said:

Thanks all but my real queston is... is anyone stopping at 56* to keep it simple?

I dropped my 60 last fall, going 45 50 56. I really only used the 60 when short sided, and it cost me just as many strokes as it saved, if not more. And I could hit most of the same shots with the 56.

I've since added a 64, but don't carry it all the time. Depending on the course, I'll swap it for a hybrid or 7 wood.

For me, the LW has always been a specialty club, so it's easier to take it out.

[gator022]

7 hours ago, hammergolf said:

Not trying to be a jerk, but you already admitted to not being a good wedge player. No offense, but that is not due to the lofts of them. My advice would be to practice and find a consistent yardage and shot you can hit with each wedge and stick to that. Around the greens find the carry to roll ratio with each club and stick to that. In the bunkers use the same carry to roll ratio. 

Adding to this, I learned that always grabbing the 58 or 60 around the green isn’t smart. Unless I need a soft landing shot because I’m short sided or something, the 54-56 range wedge seems to be more reliable for me. If it’s firm and requires what I’d call a cute lob wedge shot, often I grab a hybrid or fairway wood and use it like I would a putter. Quite often get inside 3-5 feet.

Edited November 17, 2024 by gator022

[Tommy56]

6 hours ago, KeepCalmandCarry said:

I stop at 54*, only carry eight sticks! Like @9ClubberLang suggested, check out the “minimalist”/half-set threads on here!

Minimalist player here also.  54º is my only wedge.

[alexc93]

I have always gone set PW (current is bent to 44), 50°, 56°. Sometimes I wonder if I should go 50, 54, 58 but I use my 56 for everything 80 yards in and feel extremely comfortable with it. 

[hammergolf]

1 hour ago, gator022 said:

Adding to this, I learned that always grabbing the 58 or 60 around the green isn’t smart. Unless I need a soft landing shot because I’m short sided or something, the 54-56 range wedge seems to be more reliable for me. If it’s firm and requires what I’d call a cute lob wedge shot, often I grab a hybrid or fairway wood and use it like I would a putter. Quite often get inside 3-5 feet.

Agree. I learned a carry/roll numbers system years ago from a former tour player who had the best wedge game I’ve  ever seen. 

8 iron is a 4. For every 1yd of carry it rolls 4yds 

 

9 iron is a 3. For every 1yd of carry it rolls 3yds

 

PW is a 2. For every 1yd of carry it rolls 2yds

 

SW is a 1. For every 1yd of carry it rolls 1yd

 

LW is a .5. For every yds it carries it rolls .5yd

 

My short game has been a strength of my game ever since. It’s also great because I don’t have to change technique at all. I just change the club I use. So if I have a chip or pitch, I step off the distance from my ball where I want to land it, then the distance from the landing spot to the hole. Then I divide the total distance by the distance to my landing spot and select my club. For example, if I have a shot and my landing spot is 4yds, then the distance from my landing spot to the hole is 4yds, (4 divided by 4=1) so it’s a SW shot. If my landing spot is 4yds, then the distance from my landing spot it 8yds (8 divided by 4=2) it’s a PW shot.