Do you carry a Lob wedge or is 56 Degree enough?

[NRJyzr]

I use a Cleveland 1 dot 56 as the highest lofted wedge - the heel and toe relief let you open it up for flops and its bounce in the center is enough for all but the very softest of sand

 

I find any wedge higher in loft creates confusion for my simple mind and causes me to make bad decisions...after all it wasnt too long ago that a 56* wedge was the highest lofted anyone used....

 

The "56* was highest loft anyone used" was actually just a small point in time. In the 60s and prior, many sand irons were 58* or 60*. The 56* is just a product of loft creep, same as the 46* PW.

 

People tend to fixate on the 56* SW for various reasons, but it's just a moment in time.

[cmartinezcharry]

50, 54 and 58 sm5 vokeys

[jslane57]

I use a Cleveland 1 dot 56 as the highest lofted wedge - the heel and toe relief let you open it up for flops and its bounce in the center is enough for all but the very softest of sand

 

I find any wedge higher in loft creates confusion for my simple mind and causes me to make bad decisions...after all it wasnt too long ago that a 56* wedge was the highest lofted anyone used....

 

The "56* was highest loft anyone used" was actually just a small point in time. In the 60s and prior, many sand irons were 58* or 60*. The 56* is just a product of loft creep, same as the 46* PW.

 

People tend to fixate on the 56* SW for various reasons, but it's just a moment in time.

You may be correct, as thumbing through the Wilson catalogs, prior to 1957 there was simply no mention of loft, only length of clubs. Sarazen's first SW was created around 1931, and the ones with his name over the years were in around the 55 degree range. In 1957 Wilson's most lofted SW was 57 degrees. By '58 it was down to 55 degrees. The next year they advertised a wedge of more than 55 degrees was 1986 when they offered a TK 60, which was 60 degrees. The other SW were all 55 degrees. So That one moment in time may have been 30 years, and just 30 years after the invent of the club. The lob wedge is simoky not that old, but it has been around long enough that the modern professional has had one their whole golfing lives. And the older pros, they may have very well bent 55 degree wedges and grinded the flange to effectively have had LW for years as well. PW creep left the SW alone it seems, but it didn't take long for dual and gap wedges to fill the voids...

[NRJyzr]

I use a Cleveland 1 dot 56 as the highest lofted wedge - the heel and toe relief let you open it up for flops and its bounce in the center is enough for all but the very softest of sand

 

I find any wedge higher in loft creates confusion for my simple mind and causes me to make bad decisions...after all it wasnt too long ago that a 56* wedge was the highest lofted anyone used....

 

The "56* was highest loft anyone used" was actually just a small point in time. In the 60s and prior, many sand irons were 58* or 60*. The 56* is just a product of loft creep, same as the 46* PW.

 

People tend to fixate on the 56* SW for various reasons, but it's just a moment in time.

You may be correct, as thumbing through the Wilson catalogs, prior to 1957 there was simply no mention of loft, only length of clubs. Sarazen's first SW was created around 1931, and the ones with his name over the years were in around the 55 degree range. In 1957 Wilson's most lofted SW was 57 degrees. By '58 it was down to 55 degrees. The next year they advertised a wedge of more than 55 degrees was 1986 when they offered a TK 60, which was 60 degrees. The other SW were all 55 degrees. So That one moment in time may have been 30 years, and just 30 years after the invent of the club. The lob wedge is simoky not that old, but it has been around long enough that the modern professional has had one their whole golfing lives. And the older pros, they may have very well bent 55 degree wedges and grinded the flange to effectively have had LW for years as well. PW creep left the SW alone it seems, but it didn't take long for dual and gap wedges to fill the voids...

 

 

For what little it's worth... ;)

 

My post is not borne of personal observation, but based on reports of a fellow golf forumite from another forum, who has a rather large collection of classic wedges. He's reported a great many of the classic sand irons in his collection are 58° or even 60°.

 

I'm surprised that 55° wedges were being sold in the 50s, since the PW was said to be 52° or even 53° in those years (per another golf forumite's research, back in the day). Perhaps an early dual wedge, or a way to stretch out the gaps a bit at the bottom of the bag. :)

[jslane57]

I use a Cleveland 1 dot 56 as the highest lofted wedge - the heel and toe relief let you open it up for flops and its bounce in the center is enough for all but the very softest of sand

 

I find any wedge higher in loft creates confusion for my simple mind and causes me to make bad decisions...after all it wasnt too long ago that a 56* wedge was the highest lofted anyone used....

 

The "56* was highest loft anyone used" was actually just a small point in time. In the 60s and prior, many sand irons were 58* or 60*. The 56* is just a product of loft creep, same as the 46* PW.

 

People tend to fixate on the 56* SW for various reasons, but it's just a moment in time.

You may be correct, as thumbing through the Wilson catalogs, prior to 1957 there was simply no mention of loft, only length of clubs. Sarazen's first SW was created around 1931, and the ones with his name over the years were in around the 55 degree range. In 1957 Wilson's most lofted SW was 57 degrees. By '58 it was down to 55 degrees. The next year they advertised a wedge of more than 55 degrees was 1986 when they offered a TK 60, which was 60 degrees. The other SW were all 55 degrees. So That one moment in time may have been 30 years, and just 30 years after the invent of the club. The lob wedge is simoky not that old, but it has been around long enough that the modern professional has had one their whole golfing lives. And the older pros, they may have very well bent 55 degree wedges and grinded the flange to effectively have had LW for years as well. PW creep left the SW alone it seems, but it didn't take long for dual and gap wedges to fill the voids...

 

 

For what little it's worth... ;)

 

My post is not borne of personal observation, but based on reports of a fellow golf forumite from another forum, who has a rather large collection of classic wedges. He's reported a great many of the classic sand irons in his collection are 58° or even 60°.

 

I'm surprised that 55° wedges were being sold in the 50s, since the PW was said to be 52° or even 53° in those years (per another golf forumite's research, back in the day). Perhaps an early dual wedge, or a way to stretch out the gaps a bit at the bottom of the bag. :)

From what I can tell, the only difference between the early PW and SW was the flange. Not the loft so much. After all, I believe Sarazen took a PW with around 54 degrees and added bounce to create his SW. He got the idea to add lift to his PW from airplanes. Only later would the SW loft join in to a matched set...

[luddy65]

Ive been playing 50 and 56 for years...never missing a lob wedge.

[Bboland72]

47/52/54/60 currently, but will be replacing the 54 with a 56 and I keep the 60* for shots requiring very little bounce.

[North Butte]

I have never practiced enough to become comfortable with opening the face of a wedge to add loft. I will open it slightly to expose the bounce but not enough to make a 56 play like 60.

[JoeFrigo]

im 46* PW, 52 , 58.... my chipping and pitching has improved tremendously when I focused on using my 52 for everything around the green except when I really need to hit a high, soft shot b/c little room between green and flagstick. 58 is a different bounce for bunkers and getting out of deep lies. Hardly ever use it if at all for a full swing

 

use to carry pw, 50, 54, 58.. For me the 50 was a waste of a club b/c I only used it for full swings and I rarely had 135 yards to the stick

[gpleonard]

43* PW - 50* Vokey and a 58* Vokey. Keeps the confusion down to a minimum.

[CJPenny]

If you can hit all the shots you think you need with a 56*, by all means use that. But I have two or three shortsided shots per round where a 60+ degree wedge is absolutely needed

[Raj70]

I have a few different wedge setups, but the 60* is always part of the equation.