60 Degree wedge

[Hackinator]

Who uses the 60deg as their primary wedge around the greens?

I hardly ever use this club except when I need to pop it up over some obstruction, which means perhaps once a round or sometimes not at all.

But recently I was working with 60deg at a chipping area, and I was surprised at how well I was hitting it.

Shots were landing really soft. Even my mishits landed soft and I wouldnt have been penalized too much.

There was very LITTLE roll, which is what I am looking for.

 

Also, what is the max distance you would use a 60 deg? I tried some full swings and I was surprised because I think I still only flew it about 40 yards ..lol

Thanks for any info.

 

 

 

 

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[indianagolf2]

Stan utley used to on tour...hes considered best short game teacher golf or right there. He holds records for fewest putts 9 holes with 6...holed out wedges and bunch 1 putts. I use a 58 bent to 59. Do what your comfie with.

 

[BenHoganSlam1953]

My 58 (medium bounce) goes about 80 yards when I make an easy full swing. If I open it a bit (making it a 60 degree) it will go about 70 yards.

Around the green I use it about 50% of the time in combination with my 54 (high bounce).

[GeorgeHWB]

I used to use the 60 for nearly everything around the green as recommended by several short game teachers. I stunk out loud.

 

When I went to chipping primarily with a 47 degree wedge I got much, much better.

 

I think most amateurs would be better off keeping short game shots as close to the ground as is possible given the terrain and obstacles.

[xmanhockey7]

I use it more than any other wedge around the green. Won’t try to hit it much past 70. I used to have a 64. Loved it

[BirdieDoc]

I have a 58 I use when I short side myself or need to get over a trap. If it's a normal chip and run I'm using my 50. If it's a long chip or even a pitch I'll sometimes break out my pw. As said above I try to get the ball rolling as much as I can if the green allows it. More consistent, not as pretty, but more consistent.

[jobin]

For me, when chipping, using the 56* wedge means greater chance of error, compared to the 47* pw, since clubface presentation is less and less as the loft gets higher. Try chipping with a 70* wedge vs a 47* and see the difference.

I'm not talking about results but only margin for error. The ultimate consequence of chipping with the 47* will be more face on the ball and result of lower flight and more run on the green. Even pros will 'chip' with a putter, or hybrid, when faced with high stress shots near the green and no crud to pop over.

High stress = chili dip or worse. It's happened to me!

[AB1981]

This is a hard subject to make generalizations about. We all play so many different styles of courses and have different ability levels. The courses I play on misses pin high it would be next to impossible to get up and down ever with a PW or even GW without manipulating the face way open. I also played a couple courses on vacation recently with huge multi tiered greens where to me trying to run the ball up and down those slopes makes no sense. Really and truely a 56 or 60 isn't more difficult to hit, they are just another club. Now you could argue that a pitching motion is more prone to error than a simple chipping/putting style motion for a lot of golfers and I could buy that. But like I mentioned, just won't let you get up and down in a lot of situations. Anyone desiring to be a decent golfer needs to learn a good pitching motion with a 56-60 degree wedge to score well and may be the primary short game weapon depending on your course/conditions. I think where a lot get messed up with the 60 is they try and hit lob/flop type shots all the time with it. Those are a different can of worms.

How often do you see pro golfers hitting bump and runs with 8,9, and pw? I see it very seldom other than short sided situations when they have no chance to carry the ball on the green and stop the ball by the hole. Even the lower shots they do hit is almost always with a sand wedge flighted down. I play to a 2 and have played with a lot of good golfers over the years and can't remember playing with anyone decent whose primary chipping club was lower lofted than 54, most fall in 56-60.

Forgot to mention full swing 60 for me is 90yds.

[indianagolf2]

Very much agree with this.

[JJK947]

It takes considerably more skill to use a lot of loft all the time. But the versatility and precision is what you get for the work it takes to get competent. Like said above, most really good players all the way to tour pros are using 56-60 for almost everything inside 100 yards. If you have any doubts in your mind about contact in your short game you're pobably not going to be effective with a lot of loft. Most people that don't have a ton of time to practice would be better off using something 50-54 degrees for more consistency.

[MelloYello]

Who uses their LW as their #1 club around the greens?

 

A quiet majority.

 

I think the most interesting question is what good player doesn't? I've heard Sei Young Kim doesn't use a LW but I can't confirm that's actually true. I can't think of a single high-level male player that doesn't effectively use LW for a great percentage of their short game.

[BeCu_Ping]

I do use the LW as my main wedge around the greens. Actually rotate a 58 deg and/or 62 deg pending green conditions/type.

[oikos1]

Use it all of the time. An excellent option if you know how to use it.

[Hackinator]

Thanks for the info guys.

 

I think I am going to have go back the chipping area and practice more before fully employing but I want to gradually use it more and more.

Watch out Phil Mickelson, I am coming after you.

 

 

[Obee]

I hit 95% of my short game shots with one of two wedges:

75 - 80% of shots inside 50 yards: My low bounce (6*) Cleveland RTX-4 60* LW

15 - 20% of shots inside 50 yards: My full-sole, high bounce (14*) Cleveland RTX-4 56* SW.

5% of shots: Some other club, usually 52* for a very long shot where I have LOTS of green (70 or 80 feet or more) to work with, AND the greens are soft/receptive.

[ztiberiusd]

In the summer, I use my 60* for the majority of shots around the green. It has 7 degrees of bounce but it's a lot easier to control on the greens and my one is pretty old so it doesn't spin too much, which I almost find helpful. In the winter when the turf gets a lot muddier I'll use my 56* which has 16 degrees of bounce. Doesn't get caught up in the mud as much, plus since the greens are slower I don't need as much stop. I'll occasionally use a 52* for longer chips or pitches with more run. And then every once in a while I'll pull PW or 9i if I have a lot of green to work with, but since I never practice with those clubs around the green I find I always hit them way too far or way too soft.

[TheCityGame]

I use my 54 for most everything around the greens, and anything inside of 105 yards.

BUT, I have a 60 with 4 degrees of bounce and when I use it, it's because I need it. I might only use it once per round, but every time I use it, I'm using it because I won't be able to get the 54 to stop near the hole.

With such low bounce, it's very tricky to hit off soft lies, but it's great for firm turf, for "sliding under" a ball that is sitting down, for popping the ball up out of a thick lie, hardpan, It's the "short side" club. The 54 is the regular chipper.

When I practice, I often spread balls in pairs around the practice green and "do a lap" with the 54 hitting one ball, then do a lap with the 60. This will really give you a feel for which club is better for what shot.

[LCP]

You just have to get good with real short wedges. I use it around the greens about 75% of the time. With fast greens typically between 11-14 and pretty tight pins, it's really all that works a large part of the time. Nothing can make up for loft there. I screw the shot up sometimes, but most times it would be screwed up with a sand wedge or gap wedge too as a result of a swing fault-- usually back is a little stiff and I blade it, or I decelerate on a really delicate short one, or my weight balance gets off or I get lazy and drop my shoulder on my downswing and chunk it. I can get high 80's out of it, swinging normally on a full swing, or low 90's out of it if I deloft it a bit. BTW, it's a wide sole high bounce wedge. It's easy to use unless you're on the dirt, and the bounce helps with slight mishits unless you're on hardpan. With the right grind, opening it up some on any decently plush lie is easy.

[Hackinator]

So do you mean this is not a club to use on hardpan or dirt, then which club would you use in that case?

Also, what about fluffy lies? I fear I might get to under the ball and get no distance or possibly completely miss it .. lol.

Would you recommend this for a fluffy lie, if not which club would be best for a fluffy lie chip.

 

[juststeve]

My general rule is to keep the ball as low as possible and to get it on the ground rolling like a putt as quick as circumstances permit. Not having 60 to 70 hours per week to work on my game I am not particularly motivated to pick the club the pros pick. Therefore seldom would I chip with a lofted club when a less lofted club will do.

Steve

[Hackinator]

Here is a photo after hitting 15 chips w/ lob wedge from 25 to 30 yards. The lie was pretty decent.

I had to put a pretty aggressive swing, or at least for chipping it felt aggressive compared to my normal way I chip.

 

I kind of fatted around 5 of them, but also had some good ones. Surprisingly didnt hit any thin.

Overall, I would say I did better than I expected w/ the 60deg.

Feeling better about actually using the lob wedge.

I guess I should have hit my 50deg, my normal club for chipping so I have a comparison, but I just forgot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LCP]

If I use it on hardpan or dirt, I use it delofted and in the back of my stance. Then it comes out like a gap or sand wedge.

For fluffy lies, meaning rough where the ball is sitting up, I'll use the 60, but know that it's going to come out like an open faced 60, which sometimes I want. If I don't want that, I'll use the sand wedge, knowing it will come out like a 60. For fluffy lies in general, I just figure the lie is like using the next more lofted club in the bag. For hardpan, it's the opposite -- it's like using the next less lofted club in the bag given how you have to set up.

[Lefthook]

There are shots around the green where you can be successful with anything between a 3w and a lob wedge .... and a putter. You have to go with the shot you feel you can pull off.

Most of the time that's a lob wedge for me, but there are days where I prefer to hit the bump and run with a pw. With a lw you have to have very good control of low point and effective loft, so you can control the carry. WIth lower lofted clubs it's more about controling how hard you hit it.

As far as keeping the ball to the ground goes..... I find it difficult to hit a lofted club towards a hole that slopes away from me. But lofted into a green that slopes upwards is quite easy. You hit it short and it rolls further, you hit it further and it rolls shorter. So different pin placements have different margins for error depending on which club and shot you use. Sometimes the shape of the green will favor a lofted shot, sometimes not. But bottom line is to hit a shot you are comfortable with. You need to belive that you can get it close. Nothing beats that.

[Hackinator]

The lob w that I own is marked as low bounce. It seems I might benefit from high Bounce so now I have an excuse to buy a new wedge. Looking at Macdaddy 4 as a possibility.

 

 

 

[GoGoErky]

I just watched his swing expedition episode with Chris como. Pretty good stuff

[nsxguy]

Not me. My 56* SW is my club of choice about 70-80% of the time. Thes rest of the time it's based on how much green I have to work with.

Some tour pros use a single club around the green virtually 100% of the time but they are,,,,,,,, well,,,,,,,,,, pros.

There is a very recent thread here about what club to chip with. I'd say it depends on the skill level of the player AND how much practice time he puts in. But most instructors, especially for higher handicappers, will suggest getting the ball on the ground and rolling asap. Personally, when I first started taking the game seriously, I used to fly the ball as close to the hole as possible. After watching better players getting it on the ground and experimenting myself I'm convinced that's the way to go. Much more consistent (results).

As for the 60* wedge I hit it about 75 yards,,,,,,,,,, although that's the max and I seldom like to "push" a very lofted club.

[Buzzkill]

I’ve had a 60 degree for a few weeks now with low bounce. Bought it mainly for winter play here when conditions are firm. It’s been more of a liability in my bag during soft conditions until yesterday. Increased bounce from 4 to 6 degrees - it’s now a weapon. Of course, I only use it when short sided. All my other clubs are in play when around the green from 5 wood thru GW.

[Myherobobhope]

I was on a quest for cheap wedges, and picked up 2 SM6s for $60 each from my golf pro... Didn't have much say in what I got, so I ended up with a 58 degree K grind with a wide sole. I usually play a more aggressive wedge that I can open up and tend to only use it when short sided... Ended up falling in love with this wedge using it as is. Letting the bounce and grind work for me on regular chip shots, it goes high, lands soft and then rolls out a bit... I've basically stopped using my 54 around the greens because I like the 58 so much...

Whenever I rebuild my wedge setup, I'll probably look for the same thing in a 54/56 and get a more workable 58/60 wedge. I rarely hit the 58 more than 10 yards... I'm comfortable with a "full" swing of 70 yards with it, but tend to use my 54 for shots like that...