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cbwheeler · 05-18-2008, 10:58 PM

I'd be LOST without my 60. Well I'd make a 56 work if I had to, but the courses I play have some disgusting rough around the greens and there are also a lot of short wedges in so a 60 degree wedge comes in very handy. I like the versatility of it. I like having 4 wedges in my bag for any situation, but the 60 is by far the most widely used of the 4.

Surtees · 05-25-2008, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbwheeler

I'd be LOST without my 60. Well I'd make a 56 work if I had to, but the courses I play have some disgusting rough around the greens and there are also a lot of short wedges in so a 60 degree wedge comes in very handy. I like the versatility of it. I like having 4 wedges in my bag for any situation, but the 60 is by far the most widely used of the 4.

Four wedgees in you bag what are they? Sorry but what else do you carry in your bag? 4 wedges a driver, 3/5 wood 3-8 iron and a putter?

TGOH · 05-26-2008, 01:04 AM

I'm gonna guess pitching, gap, sand, and lob.

broken tee · 05-27-2008, 05:11 PM

I think we are missing the point of wedges, some of us me included, we need to get the loft of the wedge. this may be incorrect but you should get my drift. I believe the pitching wedge is 48, Sand wedge is 55 if this is the case then knowing my swing I would fill the gap with a 52 and if I just wanted to pop the ball up and a short distance may be, just maybe a 60, its what I do best in the trap up , down swear

broken tee · 05-31-2008, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by broken tee

I think we are missing the point of wedges, some of us me included, we need to get the loft of the wedge. this may be incorrect but you should get my drift. I believe the pitching wedge is 48, Sand wedge is 55 if this is the case then knowing my swing I would fill the gap with a 52 and if I just wanted to pop the ball up and a short distance may be, just maybe a 60, its what I do best in the trap up , down swear

Well, I did it I bought two wedges both Adams a 52 and a 60. expect them in 5 days. It should be fun learning how to use them correctly.

Surtees · 06-01-2008, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by broken tee

Well, I did it I bought two wedges both Adams a 52 and a 60. expect them in 5 days. It should be fun learning how to use them correctly.

Good to hear Bob let us all know how you go with them and I agree with you about the point of wedgees for the loft and to pop it up and drop it on the green.

Malzahn · 06-06-2008, 12:56 AM

First, let me say I'm new to posting in the forum. I've read for a while, but finally registered.

Now, to my question. I've been golfing for less than 12 months, so I'm still learning. (be gentle) My question is, how many wedges should be in my bag? I have a pw, sw, and a lob wedge that was given to me. A friend of mine said I needed a gap wedge also. Do you guys carry 4 wedges? If not, which ones do you leave out?

Thanks in advance. Love the forum.

-Malzahn

BrianMcG · 06-06-2008, 04:23 PM

Why do you need so many wedges?

Many years ago most golf sets only had one wedge, a pitching wedge. However this pitching wedge had what would be the equivalent loft of a gap or sandwedge of today.

Then comes along a gentleman by the name a Gene Sarazen who developed a special wedge that had a lot of "bounce". You can see bounce in a sand wedge buy looking at the sole of the club from the toe. You will see that the leading edge of the club is higher than the trailing edge. This angle helps the wedge glide through the sand without digging in.

Everyone in the golf world was fat and happy getting rid of their one irons that they couldn't hit anyway and adding the trusty sand wedge. In order to make the sand wedge fit better in the set, they then took some loft off the pitching wedge to basically make it a 10 iron, but they kept calling it a pitching wedge.

Well, things were great for nearly 50 years until golf manufactures decided to pull the wool over everyones eyes and started offering de-lofted irons, claiming that you can hit the ball further with their clubs. Well, when you offer a set that has an 8 iron with the loft of a traditional 6 iron, you should be able to hit it further.

This created a bit of a problem, Now nobody can hit the two or three irons anymore and everyone was left with a pitching wedge that they would hit 150yds (your results may vary). So now everyone needed a "wedge" to fill the gap between their pitching wedges and their sand wedges.

Now companies are laughing all the way to the bank, as they now are having everyone buy these "gap" wedges, and getting rid of their 2 and 3 irons that have lofts that even tour pros can't hit. You then get to replace your 2 and 3 irons with what is called a "hybrid". Companies came out with hybrids simply because they could not get tour pros to hit a seven wood. Driver, three wood, and maybe a four or five wood, but not a seven wood. But with a hybrid you could stamp a "1" on it and a tour pro will play it, and people will clamour out and buy it because its the "new" thing.

So, do you NEED a gap wedge? No not really. If you realy feel that you are always in between your SW and PW and you can't figure out how to hit a soft PW or a hard SW then go ahead and get one. But it is really not needed.

What does someone really need in a set? Well to answer than question I will have to tell a little story from when I played golf in college. One day my coach decided that we would be playing our practice rounds with the following clubs : 3 wood, 4,6,8 irons a sand wedge and a putter. The funny thing was, just about everyone on the team improved their average by a stroke with this limited set. Our coach said it was because it made us think a little more on the course and we were in play more often because we could only drive with our three wood.

Hope this helps.

stevel1017 · 06-06-2008, 10:27 PM

I carry 4 wedges, my pitch, gap (52 deg) sand (56 deg) and a 58 deg for shots over bunkers that have to stop quicker (and those over the small tree straight up in the air shots). The 58 is more of a specialty club, chips are usually with the pitch or gap

Fourputt · 06-07-2008, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Malzahn

First, let me say I'm new to posting in the forum. I've read for a while, but finally registered.

Now, to my question. I've been golfing for less than 12 months, so I'm still learning. (be gentle) My question is, how many wedges should be in my bag? I have a pw, sw, and a lob wedge that was given to me. A friend of mine said I needed a gap wedge also. Do you guys carry 4 wedges? If not, which ones do you leave out?

Thanks in advance. Love the forum.

-Malzahn

Best advice to a new player.... Carry a pitching wedge and a sand wedge and learn to use them... get comfortable with what you can do with them, then make a decision on whether you need to add more, and which ones you might need. 2 wedges are plenty for a beginner.

The guys I know who are really good with their wedges, usually started with just one or two, learned the fundamentals, then only added to or changed the mix when they realized a NEED for it. The real key is to practice and get reasonably good with one or two at most, then you will have the experience to make a better judgment for what YOU need. I've seen more beginners short games ruined by trying to play a 60° LW before they really know what it's for, or what techniques are needed to be successful with it. They get frustrated by trying to use it in situations where they shouldn't because they see Phil or Tiger doing it, never realizing that this is very advanced stuff. And the best use for gap wedge is for bridging the full shot gap between the PW and SW, most useful once a player can hit his clubs about the same distance every time. Most beginners just add confusion when they start trying to use 3 or 4 different clubs for chipping and pitching too soon. Short game success is all about confidence, and being uncertain or indecisive is a sure path to a weak shot. Fewer club choices makes for easier decisions and more confident swings.

My original set didn't even have a PW. My first pitching was done with 9I. Then I got a full set and learned to use a PW and an 8I for chipping and other greenside shots. It was about 10 years after that, when I replaced that first full set that I finally bought a SW to go with the new clubs and learned to play bunker shots properly. I also learned that the SW is a valuable club to have even when not used for bunker shots. I don't recommend waiting that long to get the SW because it is a necessary tool, but I would leave the LW at home until you feel really good about your short game and can really begin to see where the LW should properly be used. A 56° SW can do most of what people try to use a LW can for, and it's more dependable for getting you out of the sand. Right now, after a lot of changing and experimenting, I'm only carrying 2 wedges.... the 45° PW that came with my set of Cobras, and a 56° Cleveland SW.

Summary... I'd keep the PW, get a 56° SW with about 12°-14° of bounce and learn to use both of them. If necessary take some short game lessons to help you develop good fundamentals. Then, and only then, can you decide what else your short game might need based on the YOUR game and the type of courses you play most often. Don't let anyone else talk you into buying this or that just because it works for them (or they think it does

) ... all that does is get expensive.