Dropped the PW for a 46.08F, why did I wait so long?

I love my 745s but just never quite got along with the PW. I'm not sure if it was the shape or just a mental thing, but I feel like every other shot was a misshit. But I just stuck with it, telling myself I'm not good enough to play a true blade style-wedge at 46.

Finally, after a horrid stretch of PW shots, I decided to pull the trigger on a 46.08F SM6. I pulled the 745 head, cleaned up on the shaft, threw on the 46 head in 10 minutes.

Two rounds in and I can't understand why I didn't do this long ago. I'm a decent, not great, ball striker but I have more confidence with this setup than any PW I've ever hit. An added bonus, I now have another weapon for bump/run chips around the green. I never felt comfortable on anything less than 3/4 swing with my previous PW setup. I just feel like the vokey 46 is sooo much more flexible and my confidence on partial shots with it is much higher.

I'm probably giving up a few yards over the stock 745 PW (also was 46 degrees), but the added versatility more than makes up for that. I'm also very comfortable shaving a few yards off of the 9 iron if need be.

I've always had vokeys in my gap/lob wedges and always hit them very well. My 52 is my favorite club in the bag. Now, I have a feeling the 46 will be giving it a run for it's money.

If you hit your gap wedge well and have contemplated making this change, I would absolutely encourage you to try this.

Many players have gone this route for the exact reasons you describe.

However, for many players the traditional wedge used as a pitching wedge brings additional spin, which some do not like/need.

If it works for you, go with it.

Good it's working.

I'm the opposite. Would like to have a 52 with a CB and a hair more bounce. Course has gotten soggy and I ruined my last round with the 52.

Good it's working.

 

I'm the opposite. Would like to have a 52 with a CB and a hair more bounce. Course has gotten soggy and I ruined my last round with the 52.

Generally with wedges I'm trying to make sure my divot is in front of the ball and with my shallow swing I'll more likely thin a shot than it it fat. That's why I do prefer the F grind in the 08 bounce.

Despite the low bounce, I feel the F grind does a really good job of not digging too much in most conditions, the full sole has just enough width to prevent that for my swing. In downright SOGGY conditions, it will definitely dig though and a really good strike is needed.

Many players have gone this route for the exact reasons you describe.

 

However, for many players the traditional wedge used as a pitching wedge brings additional spin, which some do not like/need.

 

If it works for you, go with it.

Exactly. I'm one who fights spin. I prefer the set pw so I can get some rollout on a short chip. It's mostly the damn sticky Bermuda greens I play on. They are like Velcro when I hit a wedge into them from any distance.

Always thought about doing this, but never had the guts. My bladed 52 is also my favorite club and I'm so much more comfortable with that over my PW. However, I am afraid of losing distance.

Always thought about doing this, but never had the guts. My bladed 52 is also my favorite club and I'm so much more comfortable with that over my PW. However, I am afraid of losing distance.

Dropped my Staff PW years ago and switched to a Vokey 46. For me, it's gobs better.

They should make an "SM" full iron set, with lofts through 22*

Yes but Red SM2 !!

Good to hear man! I game the 48F and love it too!

I currently have a 48* vokey in the bag instead of the PW, I have a love/hate relationship with my set PW...

I'm much preferring the vokey at the moment, it's so much more versatile and I seem to have so much more confidence with it over any shot, even the bump and runs around the green.

If it is working for you, terrific. I would find a six degree gap, too large. I play my PW at 48*, my gap wedge at 52*, and my SW at 56*.

If it is working for you, terrific. I would find a six degree gap, too large. I play my PW at 48*, my gap wedge at 52*, and my SW at 56*.

That's another pro for the vokey 46. Much more comfortable with partial shot distance control with the 46 vokey vs. the set wedge. Makes that gap more than manageable.

I've gone 4 degree gaps at 46-50 and I see that working well if you prefer full shots on wedges. For me, anything under 130 and I'm not playing a full shot. I will club up and take the 3/4 shot wedge distance every time.

Im contemplating the other direction with my 50 degree. I want to buy the 790 AW as I never use my 50 around the green, it's only for full shots. I try to keep my green side wedge game simple. 58 for shots I want to stop right away, and 54 for bump and runs. I've had a setup of 4 vokeys before 48, 52, 56 and 60... It was too confusing as to which club to hit. I like limiting my options, plus I feel as though my game has improved a lot with the consistency of the 58 and 54 always being there due to how much I hit them.

I too have a 46* wedge that I throw in once in a while just for a change, it is a Cleveland RTX2 46* with 8* of bounce, it really works well, my current wedge (iBlade) is 46* as well and it is working amazingly well, I don't see this one going anywhere any time soon...but that said, the 46* wedge is a great option for those that struggle with the "set" PW.

Im contemplating the other direction with my 50 degree. I want to buy the 790 AW as I never use my 50 around the green, it's only for full shots. I try to keep my green side wedge game simple. 58 for shots I want to stop right away, and 54 for bump and runs. I've had a setup of 4 vokeys before 48, 52, 56 and 60... It was too confusing as to which club to hit. I like limiting my options, plus I feel as though my game has improved a lot with the consistency of the 58 and 54 always being there due to how much I hit them.

I have the same philosophy around the green with the 52/60 as you do with the 54/58. Keep it simple, 2 options.

But I much prefer partial shots on further approach shots. Would rather 3/4 the 46 from 120 than stretch the 52 there. Plus, keeps the spin/trajectory under control. Full wedge shots can get a little high and spinny for me.

have fun spinning those full wedges off the green.

Man I love my s55 PW from the fairway and rough. anywhere from 120-145

I also love my 50* sm2 but never chip with it. Bump and runs are 54* shots and others are 58 or 62's

I'm the opposite I guess. I tried a 47 Ping a long time ago and found I prefer the squarer lines of a PW on full shots

have fun spinning those full wedges off the green.

Ha, not sure if this was mocking my post about full wedges being too "spinny" or serious.

Regardless, I agree - that's why a 3/4 shot and clubbing up is preferred.

Public courses I play are really soft on the greens especially this time of year. Wedge shots crater basically, one hop backwards is all you get.

I've done the same, play a Cleveland 48* rtx 2.0 cb. Fought with it for a little while then I put a little bit of lead tape on the toe (rtx 2's are so heel balanced) it's been money ever since.

I just dropped my PW for a 46* Cleveland CBX - happy as. Just needed a bit more bite - my PW is about 9 years old!

Did the very same myself 2 months ago. Never look back. Gotta be careful in soft conditions yes, as the added spin can kill u on full shots, but i feel i can be twice as accurate with the 46 vokey

They should make an "SM" full iron set, with lofts through 22*

They do, theyre called the mb ???

OP Update. Played Dubsdread at Cog Hill this weekend with this setup and just further validated this decision. I'm playing significantly better from the 140-120 range with this setup and I also found it useful on a bump and run ship. Would not have felt confident using the set PW for that shot.

My thought is this- at 46 degrees there is still enough loft that even though the vokey is a blade-style club, miss hits really aren't that penal. As long as I make decent contact, the ball is still going to go about as far as I intended.

I did this last year with my set PW, replaced my 49 degree PW with a 50 degree Engage - full shots are very similar to before (I swapped a blade for a blade, so little change in forgiveness), but gained lots more options round the greens - even if for bump and runs I will still default to an 8 or 9 iron.

They should make an "SM" full iron set, with lofts through 22*

 

They do, theyre called the mb

The SM full set should have at least 6* of bounce through all lofts ;)

Did the exact same thing, dropped by JPX-900F PW for a SM6 46 degree F grind PW. Love the cleaner topline and just fits by eye down by the ball better.

So seen a lot of threads on this lately so thought I'd provide an OP update. Egg on my face a bit, but you live you learn.

After (2) years with the Vokey 46.08F setup, I'm back to the stock 745 PW.

Two main factors drove the change:

1) I now carry a 50 (instead of a 52), which is very close to the 46 in max distance. I get the partial shot versatility I had with the 46 in my 50. They are just too similar in performance to justify having both in the bag.

2) I can’t deny it- the 745 PW is much easier to hit.  The stock 745 PW does provide better consistency on full shots. Doesn’t have the versatility that the vokey did, but I cannot deny it is better on full shots

Bottom line - if you carry a gap wedge and a sand wedge below the PW, you likely don't need the versatility that the vokey 46 would offer. You already have that in those lower clubs. Take the consistency of the set PW. If I was still playing 46-52-60 no doubt the vokey would still be in the bag. But now at 46-50-54-60, the versatility just isn't need at the 46 spot.

Double post