Highest Lofted Wedge In Your Bag

[AMLemus]

> @"North Butte" said:

> I used to have a set of those Adams/Tom Watson wedge, back when they first came out. I liked 'em. And darned sight more affordable than these Vokeys I'm addicted to now!

 

They're definitely a great bang for the buck, but I feel like I'm ready for something that's a bit more performance based now. I've got one Vokey already and I see why they're considered top-of-the-line!

[Springsteennut]

I’m 45,50,54,58 now. I used to be 45,52,56,60 but found I had to much of distance gap between the 45 and 52 so I switched.

[SnapHooker_307]

My highest loft is a 58. I just can not hit anything more than a 58 on a full swing. I can hit about any shot I need to by wiggling the face on the 58 around a bit, but I can't bring myself to use anything higher if I can't hit a full shot with it.

[fundustrial]

I have P(45 deg P790), 50, 54, 58.

50 generally for for 3/4 or full swings, 54 for 3/4 or full swings, chips, and 58 does the majority of the work around the greens.

[andrue]

64* Callaway Sure Out.

 

I used to use it in lieu of pitching (full swing only goes 70 yards) but recent improvements mean I don't use it much for that. But it's freakin' awesome out of bunkers and thick rough. They don't call it 'Sure Out' without a good reason :)

 

If I ever got rid of it I don't know what I'd replace it with. I currently have 64, 60, 58, AP, PW, 9, 8, 7, 6 , 5h, 4h, 3h, Dr, P.

 

I suppose a 2h might be useful but I suspect it'd be the same as a driver only useable from the fairway. I am currently trying to find a 6h to replace the 6i but 6h Big Bertha OS are hard to find.

[LaymanM]

60

[mufasis]

I'm playing a 46* PW so for me I like to have consistent gaps. I play 50* gap, 54* sand and then I go to 60* because I love the versatility and I only need consistent gaps for swing approaching full.

[Chuck905]

49* PW, 55* SW and 62* LW. 62* gets use when I’m short sided or bunkers.

 

Farther distances Ill use the 55* and maintain the same swing tempo so there isn’t any vary in technique.

[eleven bravo]

I have a 60 that I rarely use and a 56 that I replace twice as fast as the 60. A lot depends on the courses and your style of play I guess.

[lyons107]

64 hi toe, great for square face shots in green side bunkers.

[setter02]

46/50/54/58 and been this set up for 12+ years (since I gamed my 695CB's. I also don't believe that Pro's saying that most Am's shouldn't carry anythign higher than a 58 is BS, it's smart. Vast majorty have no idea how to manipulate the face to change loft let alone get into bounces and what they are for. It's staggering to see how many people play bunker shots with a square face and constantly bury the blade, over and over and over... Really high lofted wedges are specialty clubs, thus needed more practice to master. Hard when most can't even get the standard set upts to work properly.

[BearQ]

60*

 

Put in the hours and seasons to learn how to use it. Now I wouldn’t play anywhere without

[Phil Major]

64*

Using this for deep bunker & green side , spinny flops and short spinny chips on fast & hard greens.

[Nixhex524]

> @"North Butte" said:

> > @AMLemus said:

> > I've got a 45PW, 52GW, 56SW, and a 60GW. I'd like to ditch the 60 and get something that's useful both out of bunkers and greenside. Anyone have a wedge that's serviceable for both?

>

> Most people would probably not agree but I find the K-grind Vokeys to get excellent out of sand and somewhat surprisingly quite nice from even tight lies around the green. But I am 100% totally a "use the bounce" guy, sometimes to an extreme.

 

I would TOTALLY agree with this statement on the K grind. I am currently playing a 52/58 set up, may bend the 52 to 51, but I haven't found the need for any other wedges. I do have a 50/56/60 setup and occasionally will just bring the 50/56... the 60 I have is an L grind, 4* of bounce, strictly bunker use only and the 56/10 M grind is good but the 58 K grind is so good from just about anywhere... I have found the wide sole to be very versatile around the greens and superb out of the sand. I picked it up only after reading about the K here and it totally lives up to the hype.

 

I think you should carry whatever wedge you can hit best. If you can hit a 62 or a 64 consistently, then be thankful you are able to and use it all day long. I think we get caught up in what we "should" use based on our skill level sometimes, instead of just using what we play best... sometimes that is a 62* wedge.

[LHGolf4]

I normally play 50, 54, and 58. I recently dropped my 5 wood and added a 62. From 50 yard full shots and chip shots that need to stop quick by the green I have really enjoyed the additional loft on this wedge. By no means am I Phil Mickelson, but I have a decent short game and have no trouble with the 62.

[kwcsports]

I carry a 60

[cavemeister]

A 64, mainly for approach shots as I have alot of 75, 65, 55 yard shots and as an occasional player I don't have to rely on feeling with less lofted club, I can just swing away knowing 78 yards is a full 64 shot. A choke 2 inches down full shot is 68, and a relaxed choke down swing goes 55.

[BYK]

Highest ever? Had a 64 in the bag forever

Now, a 58

[Club Guru]

When I played competitively I played a 46 PW, 52, and 57. I could flop the 57 as well as any 60. This was in my late teens and early 20s.

 

Now at 38 years old I’ve been gaming 50, 56, and 60 for multiple years and I don’t see myself moving back anytime soon. I think it would take more practice time than I have to master the 57 or 58 like a 60.

 

However, at the end of the day I think this discussion is more about bounce.

 

My 50 is low bounce at either 6 or 8 degrees which allows me to get down to balls in deep rough with a full swing (I play out of Olympic Club so we get long wet grass).

 

My 56 is a higher bounce option anywhere between 10-14 degrees. I love having the high bounce option to avoid chunks on chips/pitches and if I have adequate room to stop the ball out of a bunker it’s my go to with lots of forgiveness.

 

My 60 is a low bounce option at 4-8 degrees of bounce. This allows for maximum versatility to hit flops when a situation demands it.

 

Point being, if I changed from a 56 and 60 wedge approach to just a 58 I’d be losing bounce playability options. I also believe courses today typically have more demanding green complexes which requires more wedge bounce versitality.

 

If I leave Nor Cal I always evaluate what wedge and bounce options would be ideal for that location for green complexes, turf firmness, and the height of the fairway/rough cuts. Changes to the set are then made as needed.

 

To each their own.

[dan360]

60° everyday. 64° at certain times. Have been flopping since Phil was in college.

[erock9174]

64*

[AMLemus]

> @Nixhex524 said:

> > @"North Butte" said:

> > > @AMLemus said:

> > > I've got a 45PW, 52GW, 56SW, and a 60GW. I'd like to ditch the 60 and get something that's useful both out of bunkers and greenside. Anyone have a wedge that's serviceable for both?

> >

> > Most people would probably not agree but I find the K-grind Vokeys to get excellent out of sand and somewhat surprisingly quite nice from even tight lies around the green. But I am 100% totally a "use the bounce" guy, sometimes to an extreme.

>

> I would TOTALLY agree with this statement on the K grind. I am currently playing a 52/58 set up, may bend the 52 to 51, but I haven't found the need for any other wedges. I do have a 50/56/60 setup and occasionally will just bring the 50/56... the 60 I have is an L grind, 4* of bounce, strictly bunker use only and the 56/10 M grind is good but the 58 K grind is so good from just about anywhere... I have found the wide sole to be very versatile around the greens and superb out of the sand. I picked it up only after reading about the K here and it totally lives up to the hype.

>

> I think you should carry whatever wedge you can hit best. If you can hit a 62 or a 64 consistently, then be thankful you are able to and use it all day long. I think we get caught up in what we "should" use based on our skill level sometimes, instead of just using what we play best... sometimes that is a 62* wedge.

 

I hear ya! I think I may shift over to that 58* though. I have that 60* thats really good for around the green, but becomes hard to predict when there's anything outside of 30yds. I think looking at a super-versatile 58* that i can use greenside/sand/<50yd approach would be a good move here. Having a gap wedge and a "utility" wedge instead of packing in 3 different specialized wedges.

[COmedic]

58*. I feel it is versatile and can be opened up but has more range than a 60* when I need it.

[rx7mark]

I use 45 (PW), 49 (GW), a mid bounce 52. Then a wide sole 56, which works great out of the sand and with softer condition. I tried a 60, and could hit it fine, but found I could do the same shots with the 56 opened up. And having two clubs for the same shot was sometimes confusing. So I dropped the 60 and just rely on the 56 or 52 depending on the shot and conditions. The other factor is our PNW greens are soft enough to hold with the 56. I have played some courses on vacation where I was thinking a 58-64 would be handy as I struggled to hold the greens.

[Heathbar]

64* ... use it from anything around the green to up to 85-90 yards. speciality club but love having the extra loft around the greens when i frequently put myself in bad spots

[North Butte]

> @AMLemus said:

> > @Nixhex524 said:

> > > @"North Butte" said:

> > > > @AMLemus said:

> > > > I've got a 45PW, 52GW, 56SW, and a 60GW. I'd like to ditch the 60 and get something that's useful both out of bunkers and greenside. Anyone have a wedge that's serviceable for both?

> > >

> > > Most people would probably not agree but I find the K-grind Vokeys to get excellent out of sand and somewhat surprisingly quite nice from even tight lies around the green. But I am 100% totally a "use the bounce" guy, sometimes to an extreme.

> >

> > I would TOTALLY agree with this statement on the K grind. I am currently playing a 52/58 set up, may bend the 52 to 51, but I haven't found the need for any other wedges. I do have a 50/56/60 setup and occasionally will just bring the 50/56... the 60 I have is an L grind, 4* of bounce, strictly bunker use only and the 56/10 M grind is good but the 58 K grind is so good from just about anywhere... I have found the wide sole to be very versatile around the greens and superb out of the sand. I picked it up only after reading about the K here and it totally lives up to the hype.

> >

> > I think you should carry whatever wedge you can hit best. If you can hit a 62 or a 64 consistently, then be thankful you are able to and use it all day long. I think we get caught up in what we "should" use based on our skill level sometimes, instead of just using what we play best... sometimes that is a 62* wedge.

>

> I hear ya! I think I may shift over to that 58* though. I have that 60* thats really good for around the green, but becomes hard to predict when there's anything outside of 30yds. I think looking at a super-versatile 58* that i can use greenside/sand/<50yd approach would be a good move here. Having a gap wedge and a "utility" wedge instead of packing in 3 different specialized wedges.

 

I am currently experimenting with both the 58 and 60 K-grind SM6 wedges in my bag. The 58 is the one I'm really comfortable with for bunkers and on full swing shots. The 60 seems (with only a couple rounds tryout so far) to be hard to predict distance-wise on full swings. But I really like it when I'm short-sided in a bunker. I can go ahead, open it up a normal amount and make an aggressive bunker swing and it will only carry about 6-8 yards then land soft.

 

Not sure I want to give up a space in my bag for two almost identical wedges so I'm thinking the 60 won't be something I carry for long. I like the 58 better all around. I may get it bent to 59 degrees to split the difference. Or just stick with 46 (PW), 50 (GW), 54 (SW), 58 (LW) as my set. Years ago my loft progression was 45, 50, 54 (bent to 55) and 60 (bent to 61) but that was before K-grinds came out and I was bending them as much to add an extra bit of bounce as to add the loft.

[rmgatl]

45, 50, 56 mid bounce. Can flop it ok, but go high as last resort. Try hard to avoid short sided.

I’ve played a 58 ok but noticed I was short more often than long on shots around the green. If I had a 60, might use it once or twice a round.

[icemakr]

46* Pw, 52* Gap, 58*sand, 64* ER

I totally disagree with the premise.

Rank Amateurs need the higher lofted wedges more than Pro ‘s or top Amateurs.

I don’t have the touch to hit nice lofted shots with my 58*. I can hit a very basic chip with my 64* and get the loft & check necessary for firm greens or tight pins.

[siegs07]

58. But I only have 13 clubs in the bag, my home course is short with tiny greens that are tough to hold... I should look into a 64. I just like the simplicity of 46, 52, 58

[ChipNRun]

> @cmrl1986 said:

> Been hearing a lot from pros lately saying that no amateur should carry a loft higher than 58°. To me that's BS, I think it depends on the course layout you frequent, and what your level of play is.

 

_Golf Digest_ did a survey a few seasons back, and half the tour pros carried a 58° as their highest lofted wedge.

 

58° **or** 60°/higher depends a lot on the individual golfer. I've played with 20 HDCPers who worked magic with a 60°, and I've played with scratch golfers who wouldn't touch a 60° - it just didn't work for them.

 

In my case, I'm in my second season of 48/54/60. The 60° works fine for greenside or half swing, but is hot and cold on fuller shots. Next season I may go to 46 PW from iron set, and 50/54/58 Callaway wedges. In past, 58° wedges were passable on full shots, and my three-wedge plan has yardage gaps that cost me about 2 strokes a round.