Set gap wedges?

[jomatty]

Curious what most people’s preference is for gap wedges.  I’m currently a 6.2 hcp and play ping i500’s with glide 3.0 wedges.  I really like the wedges overall.  The gap wedge (50) has given me some issues though.  I can’t put my finger on it exactly but I seem to just not do quite as well with it as I do with the other wedges, or the i500 pitching wedge.  I’ve ordered an i210 gap wedge to try with the shafts I have in my irons (the wedge shafts are awt wedge flex steel and the irons are i110 steelfiber stiff).  My guess is that the issue may have to do with the shafts more than the head but am curious what others opinion is.  I use the gap wedge for full shots the vast majority of the time, which is why I believe the shafts is causing me the issue.  The 56 amd 60 degree wedges are used far less frequently for full swings, but I haven’t noticed any issue when I have had to make full swings with the stiffer shafts/head combination...

does anyone have a strong opinion on set gap wedges versus matching your gap wedge to your higher lofted wedges?  How about shafts?  It seems that for a club I make almost entirely full swings with that it would make sense to go with the same shafts as my other irons.  But most people seem to go with stiffer shafts.  Really people seem to be all over the place with shafts and wedges, some wanting softer shafts in the lob wedges, while others go the other way.  Any thoughts people want to share in choosing a gap wedge style and shafts for different wedges is appreciated.

[Vater]

For my past two sets of irons, I've gone with a set gap wedge as I treat it like an 11 iron if you will.

 

I have a heavier shaft in my PW and GW than the rest of my irons which feels right to me.

 

Of course I then gap my wedges accordingly and currently go to a 54* SW and 60* LW.

[jons1]

I've always used the set GW because it made more sense to me in terms of the distance gap from pitching wedge, how it would perform, the swing weights, etc.  It becomes the club when wedge is too much but it's the same club with more loft.  Then leave the speciality wedges for around the greens or less than full shots.  

 

With that said, there's no right answer.  Look at the guys on tour... many play Vokey wedges up to GW or PW.

[bnperrone]

Since you play your gap wedge more like an iron, it definitely makes sense for you to match up the shafts. I'm not sure I understand why you got the i210 GW instead of the i500 to match the irons. Was that to match the loft of your glide GW? No matter, when it comes in, have it checked against the irons to make sure the length and swingweight flows. I suspect you'll be very happy with it. I also think you'd have been fine having the glide GW reshafted to match the irons. FWIW, I've personally gone away from wedge-specific shafts entirely and I've found far better distance control and consistency. Tip-soft "spinner" wedge shafts and I do not get along at all.

[1qwik6]

I am playing the i210s down to the 50* U wedge.  I am playing the same shafts all through my irons which is TT XP95 stepped hard 1X.  In my wedges i am playing the Cleveland CBX full face with DG 115 and the transition between the 2 are pretty smooth.  Why would you want to use a 210 50* with and i500 set?

[TourSpoon]

What issues are you having with the current gap wedge? 

 

I play Vokey wedges gap through lw and the only time I have an issue with the gap is when I try to get too much out of it.

[Duffner's Waggle]

I've tried to not use the set GW, but honestly it has never gone well. I hit set Gap Wedges very well. I don't like looking down at blade style wedges like vokeys, etc. so I think the set GW gives me more confidence. In fact, I just ordered the Mizuno JPX 919 Sand and Lob wedges too because I want to see if it helps. My wedge game is ATROCIOUS. Just inconsistent as heck and I usually come up woefully short with either club in my hand. 

[North Butte]

For many years I played DCI 990 irons and for some reason hit a 50-degree Vokey way better than the 49-degree set PW (back when PW's were still 49 degrees). 

 

More recently I've played 718 AP2's that have a 50-degree "W" wedge and gone back and forth between using that set gap wedge versus a 50-degree Vokey. Generally speaking I like the AP2 gap wedge but anything that requires opening up the face (like a really long bunker shot for instance) it just doesn't set up well. But still, I tend to stick with the AP2 "W" wedge with that set.

 

When I played Ping G-series irons I always really liked the 50-degree "U" wedges. Don't know why but I was never tempted to replace those with a Vokey. Probably the best luck I've ever had with a set GW. 

[scooterhd2]

Last 3 iron sets, I've used a different gap wedge. In theory the set wedge should be great for me, as I mostly use the GW for full shots, and use SW and LW for really anything 90 yards and under. I don't have a particular grind or bounce that I am interested in, but for some reason I just havent gotten along with the set GW. I think it may be too light. 

[cgasucks]

Me personally I would prefer to have a Gap Wedge to match the rest of my irons since I use it for full swings 90% of the time for more consistent distance gapping and feel.  Plus it makes my bag more uniform.

[JDMRN81]

Set gap wedges have traditionally been my favorite iron of a set. I wish Ping made a gap wedge for iblades, but the glide 3.0 50* is a great compromise from my experience. 

Edited September 3, 2020 by JDMRN81

[RainShadow]

Ah, the once a year GW thread. 

 

 

[Myherobobhope]

I've been searching for an Adams CMB Gap Wedge recently... My SM7 50 degree is an outlier in my bag (other wedges are SM6s, and it has a different shaft)... I don't love it on power swings, and don't really use it for finesse around the green. It's a weak spot in my bag right now, and one I'm planning on fixing through equipment and practice.

 

I'm REALLY curious about the new Mizuno wedges... I haven't seen them or hit them yet, but the story behind them is interesting... I like the concept of forgiving wedges built to spin, and think the gap wedge might be a good transition from set to specialty wedge for me... 

 

That said, I really want more forgiveness than spin, hence the search for the Adams CMB GW... it will do 80% of what I want (3/4 swings into greens), so it's a good temporary fix while I figure out how to fit that gap perfectly...

 

What I am looking for is a gap wedge I can use to attack pins from 130 yards and in... I want it to generate decent spin, but also have forgiveness built in. I can compensate for less spin, I can't fix the forgiveness. I might change my mind once I finish the book I'm reading (Your Short Game Solution, Sieckmann) but right now, I'm thinking I want my PW and GW to be built for longer shots and my SW and LW built for work around the green. 

[North Butte]

10 minutes ago, RainShadow said:

Ah, the once a month GW thread. 

 

 

Fixed it for ya!

Edited September 3, 2020 by North Butte

[North Butte]

Here's the part that really bakes my noodle...I change my mind about wedges so often nowadays I give a different answer every time the next GW thread comes along. Nuts!

[Flip4000]

8 hours ago, jomatty said:

Curious what most people’s preference is for gap wedges.  I’m currently a 6.2 hcp and play ping i500’s with glide 3.0 wedges.  I really like the wedges overall.  The gap wedge (50) has given me some issues though.  I can’t put my finger on it exactly but I seem to just not do quite as well with it as I do with the other wedges, or the i500 pitching wedge.  I’ve ordered an i210 gap wedge to try with the shafts I have in my irons (the wedge shafts are awt wedge flex steel and the irons are i110 steelfiber stiff).  My guess is that the issue may have to do with the shafts more than the head but am curious what others opinion is.  I use the gap wedge for full shots the vast majority of the time, which is why I believe the shafts is causing me the issue.  The 56 amd 60 degree wedges are used far less frequently for full swings, but I haven’t noticed any issue when I have had to make full swings with the stiffer shafts/head combination...

does anyone have a strong opinion on set gap wedges versus matching your gap wedge to your higher lofted wedges?  How about shafts?  It seems that for a club I make almost entirely full swings with that it would make sense to go with the same shafts as my other irons.  But most people seem to go with stiffer shafts.  Really people seem to be all over the place with shafts and wedges, some wanting softer shafts in the lob wedges, while others go the other way.  Any thoughts people want to share in choosing a gap wedge style and shafts for different wedges is appreciated.

I dont use a set gap wedge since I use my 50 degree for alot of shots and pitches around the green. I wanted the control I feel I get from a dedicated wedge over a set one

[joostin]

Set wedge. There are no Mizuno MP gap wedges, so I currently have a Nike VPC because I like mixing brands. Great for full shots - GW and PW look and feel in line with my irons - but also for chipping with less spin. Those that prefer specialty PW and GW normally state "versatility", but I see a set wedge plenty versatile. No problem flighting low... Greenside bump and runs that I don't want to check as much as SW or LW - using square face, or a little open, or a little closed toe down... Good amt. of bounce for long sand shots.  Shaft-wise I haven't really seen much difference personally in wedges from lighter stiff to X100, as long as head weight feels good (lead tape) on partial and full swings.

 

@Myherobobhope I've always wanted a CMB GW too, but if you don't mind mixing clubs, Adams CB2 is a great feeling & forgiving GW that's findable. Heck any of the Adams would make a great GW, even MB2 is probably forgiving.

[jjfcpa]

I decided some time ago that every time I bought a new set of irons that I was not going to include set wedges, except for the PW.  Gap and Sand are custom Callaway MD5 wedges.  I tried out about 3 or 4 wedges (Ping Glide, Titleist, Cleveland) and found that the MD5's worked best for me.  Learning how to use these custom wedges once and I don't have to worry about loft changes with different sets of irons or grips or shaft differences.  This has worked really well for me and my MD5's are my most reliable clubs.

[uglande]

I would use a set gap wedge but Mizuno doesn't make them for the MP line. They have one now in the JPX 921 Tour irons and I'm seriously thinking about adding it. But first I've got to settle the winner between the SM8 50-08 and the T20 50-07. 

[setter02]

I prefer set GW's as they are full to 3/4 swing clubs only, and like the consistency.

[jomatty]

13 hours ago, bnperrone said:

Since you play your gap wedge more like an iron, it definitely makes sense for you to match up the shafts. I'm not sure I understand why you got the i210 GW instead of the i500 to match the irons. Was that to match the loft of your glide GW? No matter, when it comes in, have it checked against the irons to make sure the length and swingweight flows. I suspect you'll be very happy with it. I also think you'd have been fine having the glide GW reshafted to match the irons. FWIW, I've personally gone away from wedge-specific shafts entirely and I've found far better distance control and consistency. Tip-soft "spinner" wedge shafts and I do not get along at all.

I got the i210 because I got a good deal on it.  I was looking for an i500 or a glide 3.0 and ran across the i210 in new condition for like half the price of either the other ones.  .  I’ve had it for awhile.  Then I got a good deal on the glide 3.0’s that included a gap wedge, so I got them.  Now I don’t know which one to use...

Edited September 4, 2020 by jomatty

[jomatty]

8 hours ago, RainShadow said:

Ah, the once a year GW thread. 

 

 

Maybe I’m just too dumb to use the search function but everytime I found a thread discussing it I clicked on it and it took me to some random different thread.  So I gave up and posted...

[Stanks]

39 minutes ago, jomatty said:

Maybe I’m just too dumb to use the search function but everytime I found a thread discussing it I clicked on it and it took me to some random different thread.  So I gave up and posted...

No shame in it. It's a good question and yeah, it's been covered before. It is all personal preference. I don't particularly care for the set Gap because I am rarely taking a full swing with mine and am opting for a softer flex, different grind and bounce value so I can mess with the ball flight, direction, spin, etc. But I'm doing all that from at most a 3/4 swing. 

So, if you find yourself making full swings with Gap, and you don't wanna really work the ball / open the club face / play it around the green and different options, then rock on with a set wedge. No shame in in. Mizuno makes a great set wedge and Cobra MBs are also solid. Game improvement sets also can have a A or G wedge. Same thing. 

Hope it helped. 

[14max]

I had separate sand and lob wedges but I just went back to set wedges.  I like the consistency with the feel of the set wedges more...

[bnperrone]

11 hours ago, jomatty said:

I got the i210 because I got a good deal on it.  I was looking for an i500 or a glide 3.0 and ran across the i210 in new condition for like half the price of either the other ones.  .  I’ve had it for awhile.  Then I got a good deal on the glide 3.0’s that included a gap wedge, so I got them.  Now I don’t know which one to use...

Ah, that makes sense. I'd say you nailed it in your original post when you pointed out that you use your GW for full shots majority of the time (like your irons) instead of how you use your sand and lob wedge. I suspect you could match either gap wedge to the shafts and weighting in your i500 and be perfectly happy. I really do think the shaft is the key, and I say that having been through the exact same thing. When I first ordered SCOR wedges I got the KBS-produced Genius shafts and had no consistency. Partial shots would sometimes launch farther than full shots, weird spin, etc. The flex level was chosen correctly but the profile was absolutely wrong for me. I was seeing this in real life on the golf course, so I did an indoor session and wound up switching to a C-taper (my irons at the time had OG Royal Precision Rifle shafts, so getting the exact same shaft wasn't possible). It was night and day. I think you're in exactly the same situation.

[RainShadow]

12 hours ago, jomatty said:

Maybe I’m just too dumb to use the search function but everytime I found a thread discussing it I clicked on it and it took me to some random different thread.  So I gave up and posted...

The search function on this site is erratic, at best.

 

[NRJyzr]

22 hours ago, North Butte said:

Here's the part that really bakes my noodle...I change my mind about wedges so often nowadays I give a different answer every time the next GW thread comes along. Nuts!

 

The Tao of WRX

[crazygolfnut]

I have always purchased the set gap wedge because most of the time I use them as an iron.  My PW and GW just continue my iron set and should have #10 and #11 on them. 

[uglande]

I'm not thrilled with either the T20 or the SM8 gap wedge and I'm actually thinking about "creating" a gap wedge -- buying another PW with the same specs as my current wedge but bending it 4 degrees weak. This will add 4 degrees of bounce, but it's already a low-bounce club. I love the feel of my irons and I don't need the spin of a specialty wedge at that loft. 

 

Vijay Singh and another pro golfer I read about (can't think of who) have done something like this. In any case, I would always go with the set wedge (if it were an option in my irons) because my gapper is never used for finesse shots around the green or bunkers. It's for full shots, long pitches and some chipping. 

[JDennis]

I keep my Gw and Sw as a set. The Gw is shafted to match my irons though since I full swing it most of the time. I have never had much luck with getting set wedges to stop on the green like I want, and when I use my Gw it is always going to the green.