Lob wedge and older guys

[mark m]

Why do I get the feeling that the intended definition of "old guy" in this thread is somewhere around 38?

 

Could be. Maybe he was playing with Tiger and Tim Clark?

[marte]

Maybe those old guys were just having a bad chipping day. Happens, even to good chippers

[Sean2]

I am an "old guy" and my favorite club is my lob wedge.

[MPStrat]

Anyone that says lob/sand wedges are easy to mis hit is using leading edge, which in that case I would agree with you

[bph7]

Anyone that says lob/sand wedges are easy to mis hit is using leading edge, which in that case I would agree with you

 

Exactly. It's 100% bad technique. I chip/pitch from anywhere with a 58 and never have any problems and I basically never practice chipping.

[larrybud]

"always" using a lob wedge is as wrong as "always" using a hybrid. The lower the loft you use, the larger error tolerance there is on the shot. Also, the lower the landing angle on a shot, the straighter the ball will take that first bounce.

 

BTW, I bet you don't make more than, oh, 50% of your 5 footers...

 

My Futura X5R is money within 7 feet.

 

The PGA Tour Average is around 50% at 5 feet and nera 85-90% from inside 3 feet. Your an 8 handicap, no offense but I doubt you are better than the PGA Tour Players.

 

It's 50% from 8ft not 5ft. Most guys on tour are 80% from from 5'. A ton are over that. 75th guy on tour is 82.5%

 

200th is only 64 percent from 5 feet. The op is probably more like 40 percent, otherwise he wouldn't be an 8

[Santiago Golf]

"always" using a lob wedge is as wrong as "always" using a hybrid. The lower the loft you use, the larger error tolerance there is on the shot. Also, the lower the landing angle on a shot, the straighter the ball will take that first bounce.

 

BTW, I bet you don't make more than, oh, 50% of your 5 footers...

 

My Futura X5R is money within 7 feet.

 

The PGA Tour Average is around 50% at 5 feet and nera 85-90% from inside 3 feet. Your an 8 handicap, no offense but I doubt you are better than the PGA Tour Players.

 

It's 50% from 8ft not 5ft. Most guys on tour are 80% from from 5'. A ton are over that. 75th guy on tour is 82.5%

 

200th is only 64 percent from 5 feet. The op is probably more like 40 percent, otherwise he wouldn't be an 8

 

He said he was more like a 4-5 now. Still if he is money from inside 7 feet those putts must be for bogey and par. Is ball striking must be horrendous.

[garyt]

The "old guys" may have realized for them the chance of skulling a Lw across the green every now and then costs them more strokes than using a hybrid and coming up a bit short with a hybrid. They may know they're just as likely to 2 putt from 5" as from 12". That one LW they chip in each month isn't worth it.

[596]

One word sums up why they are doing what they are doing................

 

Percentages!

 

They are playing the odds.

[Obee]

Take the LW to Bandon.

 

Report back.

 

I took my LW to Scotland and Ireland. Used it plenty.

 

 

[Hateto3Putt]

Older Guy = A guy who's age is a higher number than than his Lob Wedge loft.

[Soloman1]

The problem with a lot of old guys is they can't get the "up" part anymore of the "up and down" with lob wedge...

[jslane57]

Older Guy = A guy who's age is a higher number than than his Lob Wedge loft.

Haha! Is this why new lob wedges with more and more loft keep getting introduced? I guess 64 is the new 56:)

[finleysg]

Older Guy = A guy who's age is a higher number than than his Lob Wedge loft.

 

I only have one more year to go on my sand wedge, then, but still have 5 left on the lob wedge.

 

On an unrelated note, not everyone who foregoes a lob wedge for a given shot is doing it out of fear or a case of the yips. There are a ton of good chippers using 7, 8, or 9 irons. I know I am far more dangerous (to my competition) with a running shot, so if that is a viable option, I'm going to take it.

[JohnnyMIke]

"always" using a lob wedge is as wrong as "always" using a hybrid. The lower the loft you use, the larger error tolerance there is on the shot. Also, the lower the landing angle on a shot, the straighter the ball will take that first bounce.

 

BTW, I bet you don't make more than, oh, 50% of your 5 footers...

 

My Futura X5R is money within 7 feet.

 

The PGA Tour Average is around 50% at 5 feet and nera 85-90% from inside 3 feet. Your an 8 handicap, no offense but I doubt you are better than the PGA Tour Players.

 

It's 50% from 8ft not 5ft. Most guys on tour are 80% from from 5'. A ton are over that. 75th guy on tour is 82.5%

 

200th is only 64 percent from 5 feet. The op is probably more like 40 percent, otherwise he wouldn't be an 8

FWIW. I've been practicing my short putts like mad, have a rolling average of 50% from 6', and am a 17 index right now. you can lose strokes in any number of places. Not defending the OP as the post was tendentious and pointlessly pot-stirring.

I know guys who think putting is easy and anyone who can get some decent GIR numbers should be breaking 75. It all depends.

I do agree that the folks I know who struggle with chipping (which is a strong point of mine, along with sand play, relative to the mediocrity of my general game) tend to ignore the bounce of their wedges.

I would never be without my 58 around the greens and, on most courses, use the 64 quite a bit as well, though it's mostly the 58 and 52 with the occasional 8i chip and run.

[BrianL99]

 

FWIW. I've been practicing my short putts like mad, have a rolling average of 50% from 6', and am a 17 index right now.

 

I would never be without my 58 around the greens and, on most courses, use the 64 quite a bit as well, though it's mostly the 58 and 52 with the occasional 8i chip and run.

 

 

Just my opinion, but your handicap would start going down, as soon as you ditch your 64* and stop using so many clubs around the green.

 

Watch those guys on TV, they're good ... & you'll very seldom see them using so many different clubs around the green ... & they get to practice with them every day.

[Santiago Golf]

FWIW. I've been practicing my short putts like mad, have a rolling average of 50% from 6', and am a 17 index right now.

 

I would never be without my 58 around the greens and, on most courses, use the 64 quite a bit as well, though it's mostly the 58 and 52 with the occasional 8i chip and run.

 

 

Just my opinion, but your handicap would start going down, as soon as you ditch your 64* and stop using so many clubs around the green.

 

Watch those guys on TV, they're good ... & you'll very seldom see them using so many different clubs around the green ... & they get to practice with them every day.

 

Well, you should use different clubs around the green, but it depends how you go about it.

 

I recommend amateurs have one wedge to chip the ball and one club to pitch the ball.

 

The 64* is going to be the debate, it depends if it's truely necessary. Most amateurs will open the club up to much and it becomes pretty pointless.

[JohnnyMIke]

FWIW. I've been practicing my short putts like mad, have a rolling average of 50% from 6', and am a 17 index right now.

 

I would never be without my 58 around the greens and, on most courses, use the 64 quite a bit as well, though it's mostly the 58 and 52 with the occasional 8i chip and run.

 

 

Just my opinion, but your handicap would start going down, as soon as you ditch your 64* and stop using so many clubs around the green.

 

Watch those guys on TV, they're good ... & you'll very seldom see them using so many different clubs around the green ... & they get to practice with them every day.

I don't want to pick on you too much about it, but I play my ball down and in, so 50% from 6' actually represents a bit of work. If I picked em all up, it'd be 100%, wouldn't it?

I pretty much chip with the 58 and the 52 with the primary determinant being the differing bounces rather than the loft.

My main issue is longer shots going astray; I had a super rare 9 holes of no penalty strokes at all on Sunday and shot +1 (37) with 16 putts. Two weeks ago, I shot 95 with 31 putts on brilliant chipping, but with a slew of penalties.

In fact, your comment underscores my point: different aspects of the game are difficult for different folks. For me, putting is just much harder than chipping; it takes more practice and the results come more slowly. Now that my putting has improved a little, I'm trying to straighten out my long game. Get that in place, and perhaps I will be shooting 75.

I actually think I've done rather well to take my index from 26.x to just a hair over 17 in 16 months. Frankly, I'm dumbfounded by all the posters in various threads that claim to have been playing for 5 months and broken 90. That staggers me.

[JohnnyMIke]

FWIW. I've been practicing my short putts like mad, have a rolling average of 50% from 6', and am a 17 index right now.

 

I would never be without my 58 around the greens and, on most courses, use the 64 quite a bit as well, though it's mostly the 58 and 52 with the occasional 8i chip and run.

 

 

Just my opinion, but your handicap would start going down, as soon as you ditch your 64* and stop using so many clubs around the green.

 

Watch those guys on TV, they're good ... & you'll very seldom see them using so many different clubs around the green ... & they get to practice with them every day.

 

Well, you should use different clubs around the green, but it depends how you go about it.

 

I recommend amateurs have one wedge to chip the ball and one club to pitch the ball.

 

The 64* is going to be the debate, it depends if it's truely necessary. Most amateurs will open the club up to much and it becomes pretty pointless.

Cally PM grind. My course and another I play on have greens that run fast will all kinds of nasties around them and for certain shots it just can't be beat. Little lobs, short sided bunker shots, and a severe down hill lies in the rough are it's forte. the 58 is all purpose with the 52 being the choice for uphill, longer runouts, and very windy days. 8i chip and run for shots that are mostly run, and only have a couple of feet of rough or choppy fringe to be cleared before rolling.

[Santiago Golf]

FWIW. I've been practicing my short putts like mad, have a rolling average of 50% from 6', and am a 17 index right now.

 

I would never be without my 58 around the greens and, on most courses, use the 64 quite a bit as well, though it's mostly the 58 and 52 with the occasional 8i chip and run.

 

 

Just my opinion, but your handicap would start going down, as soon as you ditch your 64* and stop using so many clubs around the green.

 

Watch those guys on TV, they're good ... & you'll very seldom see them using so many different clubs around the green ... & they get to practice with them every day.

I don't want to pick on you too much about it, but I play my ball down and in, so 50% from 6' actually represents a bit of work. If I picked em all up, it'd be 100%, wouldn't it?

I pretty much chip with the 58 and the 52 with the primary determinant being the differing bounces rather than the loft.

My main issue is longer shots going astray; I had a super rare 9 holes of no penalty strokes at all on Sunday and shot +1 (37) with 16 putts. Two weeks ago, I shot 95 with 31 putts on brilliant chipping, but with a slew of penalties.

In fact, your comment underscores my point: different aspects of the game are difficult for different folks. For me, putting is just much harder than chipping; it takes more practice and the results come more slowly. Now that my putting has improved a little, I'm trying to straighten out my long game. Get that in place, and perhaps I will be shooting 75.

I actually think I've done rather well to take my index from 26.x to just a hair over 17 in 16 months. Frankly, I'm dumbfounded by all the posters in various threads that claim to have been playing for 5 months and broken 90. That staggers me.

 

It doesn't surprise me. Some people are great listeners and learners, and are also natural athletes. You tell them what to do, they do it.

 

I remember a story of a football player at Oregon who played golf for the first time ever his sophomore year and shot 86 his first time out. He had hit balls on the range maybe 5 times he said. He ended up walking on the golf team his senior year.

[JohnnyMIke]

FWIW. I've been practicing my short putts like mad, have a rolling average of 50% from 6', and am a 17 index right now.

 

I would never be without my 58 around the greens and, on most courses, use the 64 quite a bit as well, though it's mostly the 58 and 52 with the occasional 8i chip and run.

 

 

Just my opinion, but your handicap would start going down, as soon as you ditch your 64* and stop using so many clubs around the green.

 

Watch those guys on TV, they're good ... & you'll very seldom see them using so many different clubs around the green ... & they get to practice with them every day.

I don't want to pick on you too much about it, but I play my ball down and in, so 50% from 6' actually represents a bit of work. If I picked em all up, it'd be 100%, wouldn't it?

I pretty much chip with the 58 and the 52 with the primary determinant being the differing bounces rather than the loft.

My main issue is longer shots going astray; I had a super rare 9 holes of no penalty strokes at all on Sunday and shot +1 (37) with 16 putts. Two weeks ago, I shot 95 with 31 putts on brilliant chipping, but with a slew of penalties.

In fact, your comment underscores my point: different aspects of the game are difficult for different folks. For me, putting is just much harder than chipping; it takes more practice and the results come more slowly. Now that my putting has improved a little, I'm trying to straighten out my long game. Get that in place, and perhaps I will be shooting 75.

I actually think I've done rather well to take my index from 26.x to just a hair over 17 in 16 months. Frankly, I'm dumbfounded by all the posters in various threads that claim to have been playing for 5 months and broken 90. That staggers me.

 

It doesn't surprise me. Some people are great listeners and learners, and are also natural athletes. You tell them what to do, they do it.

 

I remember a story of a football player at Oregon who played golf for the first time ever his sophomore year and shot 86 his first time out. He had hit balls on the range maybe 5 times he said. He ended up walking on the golf team his senior year.

not saying I don't believe it happens, it just staggers me. I've always been a fairly sh!tty athlete despite being fairly strong and flexible. I will say that I've seen some pretty good athletes take up golf, and while they may have progressed well, ain't a one of em was remotely close to breaking 90 on a 74/140 course the first (or 10th) round they played (playing by USGA or R&A rules).

I guess it all depends on ones own experience; after all, the one thing I've always been good at any sport is power/distance, so it never surprised me that someone could take up golf late and still get to 115mph CHS and hit a well struck drive 300. That seems faaaaar easier to me than being 85% from 6' on greens that stimp 12+, because for me, it is!

[gsea33]

Because blading the ball over the green or chunking it and leaving it short are way too easy. Also, the old guys were probably playing a distance ball, which just doesn't do off a LW what a tour ball does. Old school rule is the get the ball rolling ASAP. The old guys are probably wondering why a kid is only using his LW from everywhere and being happy with 5 feet to the hole when he could be tapping in some or making the chip shots with smarter club selection...

 

Actually, they were using ProVs and leaving themselves 12 footers. Idk why you are so intimidated by putts within 5 feet, they are pretty easy to hole if you have any skill at all....

 

U must suck at putting every thing within 5 feet and you are an 8 cap.

[joeshmo]

what the heck is a lob wedge?

is it before or after a sand wedge..

I'm serious. I have no clue.

Sorry I'm an old guy....

[JohnnyMIke]

what the heck is a lob wedge?

is it before or after a sand wedge..

I'm serious. I have no clue.

Sorry I'm an old guy....

more loft than a sand wedge. Presumably it has less bounce and perhaps a narrower sole as well, but it's primarily the loft that determines it. Most folks' lob wedges are 58 or 60. I use a 58 as a sand wedge and have a 64 degree lob wedge

[northgolf]

what the heck is a lob wedge?

is it before or after a sand wedge..

I'm serious. I have no clue.

Sorry I'm an old guy....

more loft than a sand wedge. Presumably it has less bounce and perhaps a narrower sole as well, but it's primarily the loft that determines it. Most folks' lob wedges are 58 or 60. I use a 58 as a sand wedge and have a 64 degree lob wedge

 

The sonic boom you just heard was the joke going past you.

[JohnnyMIke]

what the heck is a lob wedge?

is it before or after a sand wedge..

I'm serious. I have no clue.

Sorry I'm an old guy....

more loft than a sand wedge. Presumably it has less bounce and perhaps a narrower sole as well, but it's primarily the loft that determines it. Most folks' lob wedges are 58 or 60. I use a 58 as a sand wedge and have a 64 degree lob wedge

 

The sonic boom you just heard was the joke going past you.

the faint buzzing in your ear was the subtle irony of my deadpan reply escaping you

[jslane57]

what the heck is a lob wedge?

is it before or after a sand wedge..

I'm serious. I have no clue.

Sorry I'm an old guy....

more loft than a sand wedge. Presumably it has less bounce and perhaps a narrower sole as well, but it's primarily the loft that determines it. Most folks' lob wedges are 58 or 60. I use a 58 as a sand wedge and have a 64 degree lob wedge

How many gap wedges do you carry? Just messing. Sometimes I use my 8-iron as my 9-iron:) Knowing how your clubs are numbered and lofted is not intuitive for many folks. I was golfing with a guy (newbie) one day who was trying to club off me. I'd hit a 8-iron and he would say, you just hit a 8? Ok, I don't hit it as far as you, so I'll hit a 9. This happened a couple of times. He honestly thought the higher number meant farther distance. After the round I gave him a quick lesson how a set was made up and lined all the clubs up and he had never considered it that way. And why does Ping call it's gap wedge a U wedge? Hogan call it's gap wedge an F wedge and it's pitching an E wedge. It's all wacky...but it's all good...

[harolease]

In 30 years The next generation will be carrying a flop wedge 64 degrees and higher and slam dunking the ball into the hole and wonder why the older guys are still using a LW to get ball to 5 feet??

[jut111]

I look at it this way. Why do course architects build greens with slope and pitch? To make it more challenging to roll the ball in the hole I'd argue. When your in the fairway from say 140 out, are you not trying to execute a shot that lands and stops asap? So when chipping why not take slope out of the equation as much as possible? Now if you haven't practiced technical aspects of executing such a shot then maybe a chip with an iron is your safest play. But once you've mastered solid mechanics with a high lofted wedge, it becomes the higher percentage option imho.

[jslane57]

I look at it this way. Why do course architects build greens with slope and pitch? To make it more challenging to roll the ball in the hole I'd argue. When your in the fairway from say 140 out, are you not trying to execute a shot that lands and stops asap? So when chipping why not take slope out of the equation as much as possible? Now if you haven't practiced technical aspects of executing such a shot then maybe a chip with an iron is your safest play. But once you've mastered solid mechanics with a high lofted wedge, it becomes the higher percentage option imho.

If your theory is that the ball only moves while it is in the air, I guess this works. But no, I don't play for my 140 shots to stop ASAP. I land them in safe spots and plan for them to roll a little. If there is slope, I try to use that to land my ball on and have it roll towards the hole. Same with chipping, I don't want them to stop ASAP. I read the breaks and try to get them rolling toward the hole as well. Trying to get the ball to stop on a dime is the lesser percentage play when you don't have to...