Wedge thoughts

Hey guys, I am about a 13-14 handicap and I don't hit the ball very far so short game is really important for me to score well. I had to have surgery on my left hand a few years ago which means I can no longer swing a club very hard (can really only do 3/4 swings now) and reducing the weight of clubs is very important to being able to play pain free. I recently got fitted for irons for the first time and I ended up in Taylormade M6s with Tensei Blue CK 70R graphite shafts. With the new irons I decided for the first time in a LONG time I was also going to also invest in new wedges and try to setup a 50*, 54* and 58* wedge setup, I feel like I am on the right path with my wedges but need your advice on one of them.

I will give you guys some background that hopefully will help explain my situation, sorry if this is too much info.

My setup after I got the new irons was the M6 AW, Vokey SM5 56*-10 S grind and Vokey SM4 60*. I really didn't like the M6 AW, partially because I think the graphite shaft in it was too light and the head felt really weird and inconsistent on full swings so I recently purchased a 50* CBX2 Steel Wedge Flex to replace the AW and after on round and a few range sessions I really like this club so far. I also just got a great deal on a Taylormade Hi-Toe 58*, so I purchased that as well to replace my Vokey LW which I only used for specific chips/sand shots but maybe once every 3 rounds, felt like the 58* would be a more useful club for me than a 60*, but neither the 60 or this 58 are full swing clubs for me, just around the green. So now after these purchases I hit M6 PW about 100 yds, hit my CBX2 GW about 90 yds, but I NEVER take a full swing with my 56*, mostly because I don't have the skill to hit it consistently and 60-70% are fat, 10-20% are skulled, so really all I used my SW for is bunker shots (average here) and for chipping, but if you asked anyone I play with they will tell you I chip way above my handicap with that club, I adore chipping with my Vokey.

So my question for you guys is I want to get a new 54* so I can have the 50, 54, 58* wedge setup but I am a bit torn on what to get. Would love your thoughts on Option 1, should I get a 54* Vokey with the knowledge that I will have no club I can take full swing within 90 yds and in but I know and love the feel for chipping? Option 2 Do I get the CBX2 which gives me the ability to hopefully be able to hit a full sand wedge at around 70 yds but maybe I lose a bit of feel on chipping? Option 3 do I get a Hi-Toe 54* and hope it is easier to hit a full shot than a Vokey 54*, and try to get really consistent chipping feel because I think going forward I will chip a lot more with the 58* Hi-Toe than I did with the 60* Vokey, so then I would have a SW and LW that were both Hi-Toe's for consistency.

Sorry this is so long, I read a bunch of posts on here which is what led me to going with the 50,54,58 instead of my previous 50,56,60, but I am quite torn on this 54 so decided to post my first question on the forum.

I’d go with a 54* D if you like the Vokeys, more bounce to help you with the fat shots, plus it’s great out of the bunker

Or you could try the F grind in 54/14 for full shots.

Personally, I would go option 1 since that's what you seem to want to be more comfortable with and learn to knock 10 yards off your 100yard club for those 90 yard shots.

How often are you 90 yards out that needs a full swing? If it's pretty often during a round then maybe you should add that full wedge club and perhaps drop a club at the top of the bag and keep the 54.

For me if you like the CBX2 so much I would go with them. I just put in CBX2's 54* and 58* replacing MD4's and I couldn't be more happy. What I like is that they are consistent between the two clubs, both hit great out of sand and chipping and the full shots are solid.

Thanks for the input guys.

GC70, I like your comment about the D grind, just watched a few reviews on it and it seems like based on what I heard I clearly have a steep swing which is why I am hitting it fat, so maybe a D grind will allow me to have a SW I can trust swinging a full swing a majority of the time and give me the feel I am used to with chipping.

Hey SniperBBB,

So I am quite comfortable with that 90 yard club and can easily make that my 80 yd club with a slight choke down, for example my PW I have always also choked down on a bit so it is a 110 club but I hit it as my 100 club with a nice easy smooth swing.

My big issue is that I OFTEN find myself around 60-70 yds, and this is where I would love to have a GW I can hit 80-90yds with a full swing and a SW I can hit 60-70 yds with a full swing. Right now if I have a 60 yard shot I can bump and run it up there with a PW, but if there is something in my way (bunker etc.) I honestly have no shot, I will often try a high flighted pitch shot but I have very little control over this shot, and on tight lies it is even harder to do.

So I really just want to replace my 56* SW with a 54* SW. Hopefully that makes sense.

Thanks Aaron, it is nice to hear someone is happy with the setup, I will say my first ever hit with the 50* CBX2 was dead straight with awesome loft so that has given me pause because before this current search I was all about Vokeys.

So do you guys think if I go with Option 1 and buy the D grind SM7 or 8 (might try to get a deal on a SM7 if I can), is it kind of messed up that I have a

CBX2 GW

SM8 SW

TM Hi-Toe LW

I don't mean from an astehtics perspective, don't care about that, more about feel for the clubs etc. Based on what i have read so far it seems like people talk about play the right wedge for you, brand doesn't matter etc, but then if the have a Whats In The Bag, they always have the same brand for all their wedges.

Hey guys, just to close the loop on this discussion (although if you have additional thoughts please share), I read a lot of stuff this afternoon and decided I would be happy with the Vokey 54* F or D grind as GC70 had suggested.

I hunted around a bit and got a good deal on a SM7 F grind (couldn't find a D grind), so I ordered that, should have it next week. I think if I like it I will probably try to get a SM7 or SM8 58* in a D grind and then decide between that 58* and the hi-toe 58*.

I will update this after a couple of rounds so that in case someone is reading this later they might find that helpful.

Good luck with your wedges! I think you could only get the SM7 D though WedgeWorks.

The M6 AW fizzle is just one of those things in golf. In iron sets I have played or tried, sometimes the set AW was solid, other times it's a clunker. ...

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BR, you can get a more consistent yardstick with your specialty wedges (G, S and L) if they are the same model. IF you has CBX2 in 50, 54 and 58 you would get better continuity in your yardage matrix for partial shots.

And, when you work on your yardage matrix, calibrate it with the golf balls you play on course. Range balls often are made to be somewhat limited in distance, and don't give you a good read on how far your ball will fly.

Also, the LW loft is critical. Some people can play the 60* and make it work, others just can't get it going. I switched from a Callaway MD-PM 60*/10 for a MD4 58*/8 over the winter. I find the 58* is much more reliable on 3/4 swings.

If you struggle with full shots with a 54*, don't count on doing it with the 58*. Also, realize that quite a few golfers don't use the SW or LW for full swings.

Once the COVID rules loosen in your area, consider getting a short-game lesson and/or wedge fitting. A pro could give you some tips on how to use the SW more fully, and all your wedges. This could help you resolve the full shot vs. chips problem you worry about. Also, the sole grind and bounce on a SW can influence how well it works with your swing + normal turf conditions.Note: A mix of SM7 and SM8 wedges would work well if you like Vokeys. The 54* F-grind is a tempting club.

I'd also go with 54* D if it were me.

Never thought of a wedge lesson but maybe once that starts up I will think about it, could be a valuable investment.

After some deliberation I ended up buying two SM7s, a 54* F Grind and a 58* D grind, both have been shipped and I get them mid-next week. I played my first full round with the 58* Hi-Toe yesterday and I actually really liked chipping with it and it was "ok" out of the bunkers, but it felt very different than my current SM5 SW, so I think it makes sense to have 2 SM7s for continuity of feel.

I wish I had the cash to buy the CBX2 in 54 and 58 as well and then I could decide what is the best combo for me but given that I have now bought a 50* CBX2, a 58* TM Hi-Toe, and both a 54 and 58* SM7 in the last 2 weeks means my golf club budget for this year is blown :(

BR... Don't feel bad about the extra wedges. I must confess, the three Callaways in my bag aren't the only nearby wedges: I have prior-gen TE CB Pro.S 50* and 58* wedges leaning against the wall next to my computer. (And... the 50* still has the cellophane on the head!)

If you're curious about a Vokey 50*, you could probably get pretty close to even trade to an SM7 for that TM Hi-Toe.

Anyway, let us know what your final bag mix looks like!

Hey guys,

So after going through a bunch of iterations I ended up with the following 3 wedges in my bag and have now had 4 rounds with them

SM7 50* 12 F Grind

SM7 54* 14 F Grind

SM7 58* 12 D Grind

(I ended up selling the CBX2 and Hi-Toe)

I would not have ended up here without the advice from you guys so I really wanted to say thanks. I have hit more full wedge shots, with ALL 3 WEDGES!!!, in these 4 rounds than I had probably in the last 2 years. They haven't all been awesome obviously but my confidence with the swing is night and day.. In fact my misses have not been about hitting them fat/skulled but about distance control which I think will come with time.

For anyone else who ends up reading this and is in the same boat as me, going to the correct grind/bounce for my swing has given me the ability to chip around the greens with just as much confidence as I had before, the biggest difference being where before I would hit 75-80% of my chips with my 56* and the rest with my 60*, I probably have averaged 60% of my chips with the new 58* SM7 and the rest with my 54* SM7. However, the biggest change for my game is that I now have 3 wedges I can take full swings with which is a revelation for my game.

Thanks again guys, I have read this board for years and my first time posting was extremely helpful.

Conclusion.. if you like Vokeys for your short game (chipping, sand etc), try to get the right grind/bounce and you can actually hit full swings with them... who knew :)

UPDATED WITB (keep in mind I am 5' 5")

Titleist 917D driver with Diamana x5ct lite shaft cut down to 3W length (+ lead tape to bring swing weight back after cutting)

Taylormade M6 3W - R flex stock shaft

Taylormade M6 3H + 4H - R Flex stock shaft cut down 1/2"

Taylormade M6 5i-PW - Tensei Blue Graphite Shafts - cut down 1/2" , 2* flat

Titleist SM7 50, 54, 58* - Wedge Flex stock shaft

Scotty Golo S Putter - 33"