Cavitybackers, what wedges do you use?

[Tim Schoch]

I'm committing to a set of AP1s this season. Cavity back irons through 52*.

 

I'm asking those of you who play these kind of irons, what wedges do you use? Do you blindly go to the blade-type Vokey wedges, or do some of you seek a more complimentary cavity back wedge or SW?

 

I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of Vokey or Cleveland wedges for my game and I don't feel they help my set up. So alternatives is what I'm after.

 

Thanks!!

[1Mordrid1]

I definitely feel the blade style wedges with the right grind give a lot more versatility than a cavity back wedge. I personally play the Mack Daddy PM grind 56 for it's versatility. Tried the new MD4 and loved the spin but I just can't give up the versatility I get with the PM grind wedge. I play the MD3 60 c-grind because I have a lot of firm or tight lies in Phoenix and the bunkers are hard pan under very little sand so I play one with 8 degrees of bounce so I can use the edge to cut through the hard packed sand.

[dunn]

Always played bladed wedges....not a fan of set gw and so forth....

Too springy for touch shots around green

 

Although I don't play AP1....i do play cb irons

 

Have used hokey, Cleveland, and most recently mizuno last few years but just picked up some yururi gekku raw wedges.....pretty good so far

[asw7576]

Non cavity wedges haha

 

Mizuno T4 and Vokey SM 6

[Tim Schoch]

I guess the smart thing to do is experiment with the various bounce options. The blade-like wedges I've used had narrow soles and little bounce. Also, I haven't noticed the springy effect off cb wedges that dunn speaks of above. I like the clubs to all look and feel the same, but that doesn't mean I can't change. Could be a Vokey could become my favorite iron.

[pinestreetgolf]

The vast majority of misses with irons are from the club bottoming out before the ground (i.e. the 85%+ of golfers miss of having the hands behind the ball at impact). Cavity backs are designed to slide and not dig, resulting in a 150 yard 7 iron when you hit it slightly fat and not a 20 yard 7 iron. The problem is that, for some, this very good around the green (if your miss is slightly behind the ball). However, some people, greenside, have different misses (like skulls) that they don't consistently make in the full swing.

 

First, all golf clubs perform the same if you hit ball-first. The sole is irrelevant - the ball is already gone by the time it hits the ground. We only care about bounce and grind when we either 1. miss or 2. have to hit ground-first (like a bunker).

 

Second, you need to figure out what your greenside miss is. Generally you'll be steep or shallow. Steep misses chilli-dip, shallow ones blade. Go to a practice green with a hill nearby. Hit 10 off the downslope left hand only. Hit 10 off the upslope right hand only. You will generally be comfortable off one or the other and absolutely hate one of them. If upslope is good, your steep. Look for wide-soled wedges with high bounce. If downslope is good, your shallow. Look for narrow-soled wedges with low bounce. Wide wedges bounce, narrow wedges slide. If you hit slightly behind the ball with a steep angle you do not want the club to dig (high bounce, wide sole). If you hit slightly behind the ball with a shallow angle you do not want the cub to sit up, you want a flush edge (low bounce, narrow sole).

 

Then there are the "U-Grind" family (PM Grind, ATV, ES, etc...) which fix both shallow and steep misses greenside but stink from distance.

 

For you, I would consider playing your irons set all the way up to sand wedge and then playing a single 60* Callaway PM Grind. Its the best greenside wedge ever made, and your iron set sand wedge can take you in to about 30 yards or so. This is how Woodland plays (distances wedges up to PM for all greenside shots).

[Lancj1]

...so if we accept that cavity backs are game improvement irons and the user needs them for that purpose above blades

...and we also accept that the short game is where we lose or make up most shots

...the only logical reason for a cavity back player making the game harder around the green with bladed wedges is to copy pros

....the priority is getting the ball on the green, avoiding chunking it into the bunker, not feel or touch or grind really

....I'm delighted with my G400 set P,A,S and L wedges and would put em against vokeys or anything else at my (18) level

[Tim Schoch]

The vast majority of misses with irons are from the club bottoming out before the ground (i.e. the 85%+ of golfers miss of having the hands behind the ball at impact). Cavity backs are designed to slide and not dig, resulting in a 150 yard 7 iron when you hit it slightly fat and not a 20 yard 7 iron. The problem is that, for some, this very good around the green (if your miss is slightly behind the ball). However, some people, greenside, have different misses (like skulls) that they don't consistently make in the full swing.

 

First, all golf clubs perform the same if you hit ball-first. The sole is irrelevant - the ball is already gone by the time it hits the ground. We only care about bounce and grind when we either 1. miss or 2. have to hit ground-first (like a bunker).

 

Second, you need to figure out what your greenside miss is. Generally you'll be steep or shallow. Steep misses chilli-dip, shallow ones blade. Go to a practice green with a hill nearby. Hit 10 off the downslope left hand only. Hit 10 off the upslope right hand only. You will generally be comfortable off one or the other and absolutely hate one of them. If upslope is good, your steep. Look for wide-soled wedges with high bounce. If downslope is good, your shallow. Look for narrow-soled wedges with low bounce. Wide wedges bounce, narrow wedges slide. If you hit slightly behind the ball with a steep angle you do not want the club to dig (high bounce, wide sole). If you hit slightly behind the ball with a shallow angle you do not want the cub to sit up, you want a flush edge (low bounce, narrow sole).

 

Then there are the "U-Grind" family (PM Grind, ATV, ES, etc...) which fix both shallow and steep misses greenside but stink from distance.

 

For you, I would consider playing your irons set all the way up to sand wedge and then playing a single 60* Callaway PM Grind. Its the best greenside wedge ever made, and your iron set sand wedge can take you in to about 30 yards or so. This is how Woodland plays (distances wedges up to PM for all greenside shots).

 

Thank you very much for your post. Very helpful. I guess the first stopping point for me was that Titleist doesn't make an AP1 SW. SW is my go-to club for a ton of situations. I need to get over it and approach the challenge strategically, as you point out, and maybe even get more skillful around the greens by treating this as an opportunity not a deficit.

[RobNY22]

I would opt for the versatility of a blade style wedge for bunkers and shots around the green. Everyone’s game and bag setup is different, but since this is your fourth wedge I am assuming you will not be taking too many full shots with it.

[Tim Schoch]

...so if we accept that cavity backs are game improvement irons and the user needs them for that purpose above blades

...and we also accept that the short game is where we lose or make up most shots

...the only logical reason for a cavity back player making the game harder around the green with bladed wedges is to copy pros

....the priority is getting the ball on the green, avoiding chunking it into the bunker, not feel or touch or grind really

....I'm delighted with my G400 set P,A,S and L wedges and would put em against vokeys or anything else at my (18) level

 

I agree with this, but it I'm pretty good around the green and save a ton of shots there. I'd like to get even better and something new is exactly what I need.

[Tim Schoch]

I would opt for the versatility of a blade style wedge for bunkers and shots around the green. Everyone’s game and bag setup is different, but since this is your fourth wedge I am assuming you will not be taking too many full shots with it.

 

That's right, except for bunker shots. My approach shots are scattered, so there's a huge focus on my pitching and chipping game.

[BillyBawShanks]

I use i20 irons now and use Ping Gorge 50, 54 and Ping Tour W 58. I think they blend well together. I’ve always struggled with truer bladed wedges like Vokeys and Cleveland. The Gorges and Tour W (Tour S as well) just seem easier to hit consistently, maybe due to the small cavity they have.

[gvogel]

I'm committing to a set of AP1s this season. Cavity back irons through 52*.

 

I'm asking those of you who play these kind of irons, what wedges do you use? Do you blindly go to the blade-type Vokey wedges, or do some of you seek a more complimentary cavity back wedge or SW?

 

I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of Vokey or Cleveland wedges for my game and I don't feel they help my set up. So alternatives is what I'm after.

 

Thanks!!

 

I play AP1's. I play an AP2 PW - because I prefer that for pitching and also for chipping. I also play an AP2 9-iron most of the time. For wedges I play Vokeys.

[KaiserSoze]

I play the Ping Glide series. Much easier to hit than Vokey.

[Sean2]

I play the MD3 and PM/MD wedges. I like them a lot...I also practice my short game incessantly.

 

I have thought of this often...a golfer's irons that are GI's, or even SGI's, uses wedges that are essentially blades. A wedge with a CB might not be a bad thing. I know Cleveland offers some.

[bmurph]

I had a set of Cleveland blade wedges which I liked but found I hit some pretty bad shots if the ball got too high up on the face on a full swing. So I got a set of rotex 2.0 cavity wedges thinking I'd get some extra forgiveness, and it turns out the forgiveness is negligible. I don't find them to be springy or hot at all, basically the same as the blade version but with a little more width in the sole.

[2Down]

Not the guy as I have Taylor made TM MB blades 5-W in the bag. But my ping 2 56° and 60° are simple as it gets and I can do pretty much as I will with them. Just need to be able to look at a ping eye. Some can’t.

[pinestreetgolf]

I had a set of Cleveland blade wedges which I liked but found I hit some pretty bad shots if the ball got too high up on the face on a full swing. So I got a set of rotex 2.0 cavity wedges thinking I'd get some extra forgiveness, and it turns out the forgiveness is negligible. I don't find them to be springy or hot at all, basically the same as the blade version but with a little more width in the sole.

 

A cavity back doesn’t help a high thin miss. The point of a cavity back with a smooth sole is to slide and the extra weight on the bottom helps elevate shots that are slightly fat.

 

A Vokey L would have helped this miss. It digs when it hits, so when you miss a groove or two high (which is, incidentally, a good players miss) you still hit the ball hard if you go through it. You’ll take a huge divot but lose relatively little ball speed. The CB rotex is Literally built to slide - when you hit it high the club goes right under it resulting in awful shots.

 

There is no such thing as a “forgiving†wedge. They all forgive different misses. You have to identify how you miss to get help from your wedges.

 

Fixing shots that are two grooves thin with a RTX wedge is like fixing a hook with a draw driver.