On the verge of replacing my wedges - talk me out of it.

[jjfcpa]

I've been using Callaway Mack Daddy wedges for years.

In 2018, I purchased some RTX-4 wedges, 56* and 60*. The 56 is the low grind.

This morning, on a whim, I took the RTX-4 wedges to my usual short game area and compared the RTX-4 56* with the Jaws MD5 58* (W grind) wedge. They both have a similar regular graphite shaft.

I was super impressed with the RTX-4 wedges and how they performed. Really nice balance, great turf interaction, spin seemed much better because they were checking up on 10, 20, and 30 yards pitches. I have to admit that I tried them back in early 2019 and did not like the feel that much, but since then, I've really spent a lot of time working on short game and now they feel so nice.

Sometimes, when switching to a new club, there's a false sense of pleasure just because it's new and different. Just wondering if that's what's going on here or are they really that good? I plan to take the 56* on my round tomorrow and see how it performs. Anyone moved from Mack Daddy to RTX's have anything to share?

[forrester_fire]

I think wedges, more than any other club, are about the shape, the grind, and the confidence they inspire. Since there's very little variation from wedge to wedge, unlike other clubs, I don't think the "Honeymoon phase" is as pronounced. Put the Cleveland in the bag for a few rounds; they may suit your game better than the MD5s.

[LoopySwing13]

I wasn’t hitting my wedges all that well, so I bought new ones. As soon as the new ones came in, I started hitting mine great. So now I sold the new ones I was going to use.

 

New stuff is fun but unless it’s worn out it’s just shiny and different.

[Hougz79]

It really isn't the WRX way to talk someone out of a new purchase....

[scooterhd2]

ZIPCORE. problem solved.

[dmeeksDC]

I agree with the OP on the RTX4 wedges. They feel a little better balanced to me vs the MD4. I have not tried the MD5. I do like Callaway wedges. I only have the RTX4 in a 58 low grind because I find it excellent for tight lie pitches. It has a Tour Issue S400 shaft in it. Maybe the Clevelands are a little heavier overall vs the Callaways?

[Pepperturbo]

Wedges, like irons, are scoring clubs. Once I am comfortable with each club, including wedges, changing without solid reason is not likely. That's like fixing something that doesn't need fixing. My wedges are nearly five years old and putter was bought in 2011. Trust in each of my clubs is important as I rely on them. All I want to think about during golf is what I need to do to properly execute the desired shot.

Talking someone out of changing equipment is NOT my job, as my game and expectations are different from yours.

[jjfcpa]

Not till August 4th.

[kcsf]

I go through more wedges in my bag than any other kind of club. I've tried 'em all, with moderate success until I purchased the MD5 Jaws 50 and 54 in the last 2 weeks. Now this could just be the honeymoon phase of all club purchases, but darn if these aren't working out amazingly well.

 

With that being said, my opinion will always be play what works for you, giving you the best opportunity at scoring the lowest. (I'm a hypocrite though as I'm playing tiny blades that probably cost me 1-2 shots a round, so keep that into consideration as well!)

[jjfcpa]

I've had good results with the MD5 Jaws; however, I screwed up when I replaced my 58* MD4 for and MD5 and got the S grind instead of the W grind. Just had too much turn interaction and I messed up a number of pitches. I went back to the MD4 58* W grind and all was good. However, the RTX-4 56* seemed to give me more spin so I could fly ball a little closer to the hole and still get it to check up nicely. I also found that it was much easier to do a bump and run with it. I'm sure that 2* made a little difference, but I wouldn't think it could make that much difference. If anything, the 56* RTX-4 seemed to just impart more spin on the ball.

I don't take a big divot... more of a shallow divot, but the RTX-4 just felt very, very, balanced. I found it easier to make controlled, small pitches on the fringe of the green with the cup only 10-15 feet away.

Tomorrow will be the real test. I'll play 18 with it and see how it performs. I'm going to take the MD5 58* with me just in case the results aren't as expected.

[Ger21]

UPS just dropped off a pair of RTX-4's, to possibly replace my Yururi Tour's. Testing starts at 7:00 AM tomorrow

[dmeeksDC]

I’m with ya on the W grind at the 54 spot, but I do like the Callaway S grind at gap wedge. And so many players are raving about the MD5 that I really need to try one. It is one of two ‘player’ wedges that interests me, along with the Mizuno S18. Another I am curious about is the CBX2. Looks like a nice ‘get out ot jail free’ club that could compete for the gap wedge spot.

[RobNY22]

Last year I made the move from RTX 2.0 to Glide Stealth looking for more forgiveness and streamlining the transition from my irons to wedges. After a rough start to the season with wedge play, I switched back to RTX and wonder why I ever moved away from them.

[jjfcpa]

So I played 18 with the RTX-4 in the bag. It was probably the fact that I didn't have the MD5 58* in the bag that gave me the jitters and I didn't really hit any good shots with the RTX-4. When I got home I did some comparisons (in front of a launch ch monitor) and found that the MD5 provides a little better length and accuracy. I think the newness of the RTX-4 in my practice session may have misguided me a bit. I think the MD5 is still the right one for my bag. However, I am going to eliminate the 58* and just go with a 48* S grind for my approach club and a 54* W grind for my sand and lob wedge. I do like the 58* but in front of a launch monitor, the 58* and 54* are practically the same performance with the advantage to the 54* in distance. I've practiced enough with the 54* that I can open it up and get plenty of spin when I need it.

I think I read the Jack Nicklas played with just one wedge and I can see some advantage to doing this as long as you can cover all your distances. Since I'm a notoriously short hitter, I really need a PW, GW, and SW/LW in the bag. So I'll go with the set PW, a MD5 48* S grind and MD5 54* W grind. This simplifies my selection a little bit and should eliminate some wrong choices.

[hypergolf]

I recently switched from SM7 to RTX4.

First of all, you can get them at crazy cheap price right now.

Second, they perform similar to the soon to be released Zipcore (check out youtube - TXG)

Third, their performance and feel is on par with my SM7 but I got them with Modus Wedge 115 with no up charge.

I custom ordered 50*, 54* and 58* after getting fitted, which should arrive hopefully next week.

[Oqvist]

isn´t wedges like putters? As distance is not important its just reinventing the wheel. 15 year old wedges perform as good as new ones?

[MattM97]

15 year old wedges will perform as good as new ones if their grooves are not worn out. I just threw in some "new" Callaway wedges I got cheap used, my buddies said it was stupid for me to buy new wedges, then they see how my shots are stopping around the pin and their balls are running off the green.

[Tree Levino]

Wedges are about gapping, consistency, and turf interaction. You need to be able to hit numbers. Chipping and bunker shots are very important - I do those with my highest loft. No way I’d ever only have a 54 for that. Short sided in a bunker with a lot of bounce you’re basically resigning yourself to not being able to put it close. The problem with strong “pitching wedges” is that your club is actually a 9/pw and you are forced to have a traditional PW at 48* and then go up from there. I’d map out your full swings with your monitor on PW, 48, 54 and see what the carries are and then decide if it gaps properly or if you are missing a distance then hit your feel wedge shots (3/4 etc) and see if you can hit the important numbers you often leave yourself into a hole.

 

I think short hitters often make the mistake of using too few wedges and opt for a bunch of woods that often go similar distance. I play with a few older guys like this. Maybe they have 3W, 5w, and a few hybrids in the bag. They might hit it 200 off the tee and they have 200 left into the hole. No matter which wood they choose, they are mostly relying on roll and might put it on the green 1/10 times leaving it short in the fairway often. Might leave yourself a 20-50 yard pitch in. It’s a bad cycle really - I hit it short so I need strong lofted “distance irons” (which often don’t go that much further because loft actually helps they players get the ball airborne), which then forces you to have weird wedge gapping, but then they hit it short so opt for a bunch of woods trying to make up some distance but hit these inconsistent distances and then have bad options in the scoring end up try to get it close for their par/bogey.

 

Rant but marketing irks me sometimes as it makes it tough for my dad and FIL (both 63) to know what to do.

[Pepperturbo]

@MattM97 - Back around 1994 (26 yrs back) I purchased a few sets of three (10, 11, 12) original snake eye wedges designed by Ernie Vadersen, about $175ea, then. Smith & Wesson made his wedge forgings, among other clubs. Best wedges I have owned since. My last set is still leaning up against the office wall. They were used extensively too, grooves worn, yet, to this day, I can still practice with them and spin the ball too.
I quit using them because the thin layer of face chrome wore off in the center of the face. My point grooves are not a biggest factor in spinning the ball, it's SS and how the ball is impacted. Grooves are important when it comes to moisture on the ball or clubface. Wedge Guy Wedge Guy: What do grooves really do?talked about wedge spin in some of his articles.
It really got interesting when we moved to the same tests with an identical wedge, but with nothing more than the face milled perfectly flat. (NO GROOVES) Same robot, same clubhead speed and shaft angle at impact.On a dry ball, spin was reduced by an average of only 12-15%, or less than the variance from shot to shot on a market-quality wedge.Launch angle, carry distance and ball speed showed practically no difference.But when you introduced moisture into the equation, you really see why we need grooves on the face of our wedges and irons.Spin decreased by as much as 75%Launch angle averaged almost 10 degrees higherThe combination of the higher launch and lower spin added up to 12-14 yards to carry distance.

[jjfcpa]

Wow, you just described my game... Driver, wood, wedge, putt. However, if I would move up to the senior tees, then it would be Driver, iron or wood or hybrid, and putt.

Right now, I play the men's tee just because all my playing partners do, so I don't really mind having to work harder for up-and-down to save par. Keeps my game sharp so that when I do move up to the senior tees, I do a lot better if I ever leave myself short of the tee.

[Used2PlayALot]

I've never understood this mindset.

I would still be using my DCI's from 1996 if they were not stiff shafts.

I hate to upgrade equipment

[Lincoln_Arcadia]

Likely won’t really know until you’re actually playing? Hang on to the Mack Daddy’s.

[paragrafik]

I’m all about trying things till you find something you like or are comfortable with. Don’t look for approval outside of yourself.

[jbrunk]

Going from W grind to single dot is probably the biggest change here. I’ve played Mizuno wedges with high bounce 56 with low bounce 60 for a long time, then switched it this year to mid 56 and high 60. I’d make sure the RTX 4 low works as well out of bunkers and deep rough before making a change.