Anyone using a 60+ degree wedge?

[SwingMan]

On 10/19/2020 at 6:38 PM, chipa said:

My home course is very hilly with elevated greens as well as adjacent drop offs. Plus the greens are small and hard and if you don't have the right trajectory or spin it will bounce right off. It's hard to hit the ball short and bounce it up because again most are elevated.

 

Taking this into account and my inability to make a decent flop shot by opening the face I've ordered an off brand 68 degree wedge to see if I can pick up 5-6 lost strokes(at least) a round to missing it where I shouldn't.

 

I wonder if anyone else out these is using 60+ degree wedges?

No. The highest I've found useful in the summer on baked greens is a 62, and even then, I rarely put it in the bag. I prefer a great high premium urethane ball and finding a 58-60 with the correct grind, which would be 10-12 bounce, heel and toe and trailing edge relief for me, allowing me to get very creative.

 

I work on technique, and for me, that make me a better all around player. I use Phil technique, James Sieckmann technique, some Stan Utley - it all depends on the shot. I use Phil on really short chips where I need lots of spin. I find it fun.

Edited October 23, 2020 by SwingMan

[chipa]

8 minutes ago, SwingMan said:

No. The highest I've found useful in the summer on baked greens is a 62, and even then, I rarely put it in the bag. I prefer a great high premium urethane ball and finding a 58-60 with the correct grind, which would be 10-12 bounce, heel and toe and trailing edge relief for me, allowing me to get very creative.

 

I work on technique, and for me, that make me a better all around player. I use Phil technique, James Sieckmann technique, some Stan Utley - it all depends on the shot. I use Phil on really short chips where I need lots of spin. I find it fun.

 

It turns out the wedge I ordered was a lot bigger than it looked. I'm a high h.c. but I just can't use large irons. It looks like I'm going to have to go with a 60 degree with 5 deg. of bounce to fit my budget. My technique with a shorter swing is poor to say the least but I'm trying to come up with a handsy half swing to get the clubface open sufficiently. I certainly can't do anything like Phil or Tiger but then again I am just trying to pick up at least 6-8 strokes I am losing every round when I miss it way below the green and either leave my recovery short or bounce it over the green because of the too low trajectory. I feel like if I can do this adequately(and improve in the bunker) I can get down to single digits.

[joostin]

60* max for me.  Got a 64* Acer XB from Hireko for the wife that she consistently hits little flop shots with.  It's pretty compact with a really rounded edge that gets through rough well.  Dirt cheap experiment that worked out well.

 

Edit:  BTW, a 60* wedge turned open by 30* effectively gives you a 78* wedge!  Sole shape will determine how much the leading edge up raises.  

 

Edited October 23, 2020 by joostin

[Celebros]

I've been a longtime 60* wedge user for most all of my close chips.  I recently redid my wedges from 50-56-60 to 50-54-58.  I've yet to find anything that needs more than the 58*.  I own a 64* wedge that I mess around with from time to time, but unless they increase the club limit from 14, it will never justify a spot in the bag.

[Stinger83]

I'm going to order a 62 here soon - but it's only for situational courses with steep runoffs and fast greens. It's a great solution for courses where you need to elevate the ball a lot on half shots 

[Myherobobhope]

On 10/19/2020 at 7:38 PM, chipa said:

My home course is very hilly with elevated greens as well as adjacent drop offs. Plus the greens are small and hard and if you don't have the right trajectory or spin it will bounce right off. It's hard to hit the ball short and bounce it up because again most are elevated.

 

Taking this into account and my inability to make a decent flop shot by opening the face I've ordered an off brand 68 degree wedge to see if I can pick up 5-6 lost strokes(at least) a round to missing it where I shouldn't.

 

I wonder if anyone else out these is using 60+ degree wedges?

Ive been working on implementing the techniques from your short game solution by sieckmann... I’m hitting my 58 wedge higher than I ever have, just because of the technique... I basically default to an open face as I swing through (and also generate a ton of spin)... it works wonders around the green. Highly recommend checking it out if you are having issues chipping.

[Abe21599]

62 sits in the garage bag for when im looking to mix it up, but hardly ever play it.

[iNeedMoreGolf]

When you get good with these type of wedges their is no doubt its helpful.. i had greenside thick rough with maybe 4 yards of green before flag yesterday... took 60... back of stance shaft leaning forwar... few practice swings... popped it right out without the grass making the club get stuck like a standard chip... 6 feet for a putt.. not bad considering could have been a mis chip or skull.

[johny719]

I play between a +1 to 1 handicap on a given year out in Northern California coast. I put the 64 wedge in the bag when I'm playing hard & fast greens (Olympic Club's Lakeside or hilly-elevated greens that usually roll 12+). It doesn't always shave strokes off, especially if you're not used to how far a chip/pitch shot will go... but I use it to increase my "get out of jail" chance if I'm in a really bad situation.

[Fairway14]

On 10/19/2020 at 4:38 PM, chipa said:

 

 

I wonder if anyone else out these is using 60+ degree wedges?

 

I never liked a 58* or  60* but very much enjoy having a 64* within the bag. The difference it is that it is obvious when a 64* is the correct club choice, whereas the 58* or 60* was tempting to swing for too many shots.

[SwingMan]

13 hours ago, chipa said:

 

It turns out the wedge I ordered was a lot bigger than it looked. I'm a high h.c. but I just can't use large irons. It looks like I'm going to have to go with a 60 degree with 5 deg. of bounce to fit my budget. My technique with a shorter swing is poor to say the least but I'm trying to come up with a handsy half swing to get the clubface open sufficiently. I certainly can't do anything like Phil or Tiger but then again I am just trying to pick up at least 6-8 strokes I am losing every round when I miss it way below the green and either leave my recovery short or bounce it over the green because of the too low trajectory. I feel like if I can do this adequately(and improve in the bunker) I can get down to single digits.

Bounce is your friend. Even Tiger and Jason Day said most of us should use 10-12 bounce in their higher lofted wedges.

[Mookieb10]

17 hours ago, chipa said:

 

It turns out the wedge I ordered was a lot bigger than it looked. I'm a high h.c. but I just can't use large irons. It looks like I'm going to have to go with a 60 degree with 5 deg. of bounce to fit my budget. My technique with a shorter swing is poor to say the least but I'm trying to come up with a handsy half swing to get the clubface open sufficiently. I certainly can't do anything like Phil or Tiger but then again I am just trying to pick up at least 6-8 strokes I am losing every round when I miss it way below the green and either leave my recovery short or bounce it over the green because of the too low trajectory. I feel like if I can do this adequately(and improve in the bunker) I can get down to single digits.

I don’t mean to be cruel, but the idea of picking up 6-8 strokes is difficult. I think playing to the green’s middle and managing you miss might help more. It has for me. 

[chipa]

3 hours ago, Mookieb10 said:

I don’t mean to be cruel, but the idea of picking up 6-8 strokes is difficult. I think playing to the green’s middle and managing you miss might help more. It has for me. 

 

My course is hilly and has drop offs next to almost all of the greens to the left where I miss it. In one recent round I lost that many strokes easy, with a triple, quadruple and a couple of double bogey's. 

[cardoustie]

Like you @chipa I have small raised greens with steep run offs and DEEP traps

 

Have about 8 of the 62 and 64 wedges in the man cave

 

Best spin 64.07 Vokey sm2 .. I think I have 4 or 5 of these

 

I Have a 64 Ping Tour W in the bag right now

 

I also have a SM5 62T grind and a SM4 62 and a SM2 62

 

I also have a PM 2019 64 which is very versatile but does not give me near the spin of my Voke’s and PING

[cardoustie]

A 64 opened up and full speed recovery is a thing of beauty 

Like a parachuting butterfly landing on a pillow

 

 

20 hours ago, joostin said:

60* max for me.  Got a 64* Acer XB from Hireko for the wife that she consistently hits little flop shots with.  It's pretty compact with a really rounded edge that gets through rough well.  Dirt cheap experiment that worked out well.

 

Edit:  BTW, a 60* wedge turned open by 30* effectively gives you a 78* wedge!  Sole shape will determine how much the leading edge up raises.  

 

 

 

[chipa]

12 minutes ago, cardoustie said:

Like you @chipa I have small raised greens with steep run offs and DEEP traps

 

Have about 8 of the 62 and 64 wedges in the man cave

 

Best spin 64.07 Vokey sm2 .. I think I have 4 or 5 of these

 

I Have a 64 Ping Tour W in the bag right now

 

I also have a SM5 62T grind and a SM4 62 and a SM2 62

 

I also have a PM 2019 64 which is very versatile but does not give me near the spin of my Voke’s and PING

 

The 64 degree I ordered was way to big for my liking so it's off to the caddies at my local club(it was only $10 I generally only play components). I keep forgetting that I can't play well with large clubheads and my other irons are very small, in fact they appear to be the size of blades from the 70's.

 

I ended up getting a Maltby Tricept 60 degree wedge for $15 on ebay which is probably at least 5 years old but the grooves still look good. It only has 6 degrees of bounce. I would have preferred a 64 degree but I'm on a budget.

 

 

[chipa]

7 hours ago, SwingMan said:

Bounce is your friend. Even Tiger and Jason Day said most of us should use 10-12 bounce in their higher lofted wedges.

 

That's interesting because I see that TW has played wedges with very little bounce. I am wondering if that is just general advice for the weekend hacker like Ben Hogan's advice to keep the right arm close to the body in the backswing when he himself didn't do it. 

 

In my own experience at my home course I need something less because of the numerous tight lies and hardpan that surround many of the elevated greens at the bottom of a hill some 10-30' below the hole. I think it's worth a try due my penchant for scalding flop shots with my 56 and 12 degrees of bounce.

[Luke'sdad]

Have had a Pinemeadow "The last wedge" 68 degree for the past few years. Think it cost me $10.00 out of a used barrel at Play It Again Sports. It has next to no bounce, and has become a very valuable tool for me. Many of the greens at my home course are lined w/old pine trees. Get behind one of those, and most likely you have to punch out, which made holding the greens difficult. W/this 68, just open up my stance, and fire away over the pine trees. Couldn't tell you how many shots that thing has helped me on that specific course.

[cxx]

I used to play at a course with very firm, no maintenance bunkers and elevated greens that were very firm.  I had to adopt a 64 degree wedge to survive.  I later expanded it's use further from the green.  It put a lot of spin on the ball and with continuous use produced really nice shots. Can't just pull it out once a round you need to use it a lot.

 

 

 

[lefthack]

I just picked up a pair of Nike SV wedges, 55 and 60. I haven't gotten to hit either much, but I just decided to up my wedge game, so I got these to try.  I am playing a round tomorrow and will spend a little time chipping on the practice green to see if the 60 will be my new go to around the green wedge, or if the 55 is enough loft.

[Lincoln_Arcadia]

60, but only when the bunker is deep and the pin is tight.

[SwingMan]

14 hours ago, chipa said:

 

That's interesting because I see that TW has played wedges with very little bounce. I am wondering if that is just general advice for the weekend hacker like Ben Hogan's advice to keep the right arm close to the body in the backswing when he himself didn't do it. 

 

In my own experience at my home course I need something less because of the numerous tight lies and hardpan that surround many of the elevated greens at the bottom of a hill some 10-30' below the hole. I think it's worth a try due my penchant for scalding flop shots with my 56 and 12 degrees of bounce.

Yes, it's tough out there. A lot depends on setup. 

 

I play tight lies, patchy and hard ground, but  high bounce is used frequently by better players. In fact, Edel's Wedges are mostly high bounce with lots of relief. I have a 60-6 and a 58-12 in MP-T20. I've played SM7 in 60/12. Titleist Vokey Reps from SoCal were playing the same wedge. 

 

I play in N Texas, known for tight lies and hard ground, and also those patchy lies. I prefer the 58-12 as it allows me to get away with a few things. Heck Phil M also uses a higher bounce wedge as do other pros.

 

I've used low bounce wedges but the leading edge can dig if I'm not careful. I prefer higher bounce.  Depends on grind, as I previously stateed - heel, toe and trailing edge relief reduce the effective bounce of the club. I hit chips, flops, etc off tight lies with higher bounce grinds. The 60-06 can be a bit dicey. I open it slightly and sometime lean the shaft back to engage its bounce or have the clubhead pass my hands on certain shots, play it more towards front of my stance. I bought the 60-06 to use on courses like Bandon. The 58-12 is not great on loose soil unless you place it far back in the stance. 

 

I just play with both of them in the practice area and get creative with using them with different techniques.

Edited October 25, 2020 by SwingMan

[Mookieb10]

18 hours ago, chipa said:

 

My course is hilly and has drop offs next to almost all of the greens to the left where I miss it. In one recent round I lost that many strokes easy, with a triple, quadruple and a couple of double bogey's. 

I understand. I have a Cleveland Rtx 4. I don’t know if they have them up anymore but the 64* low bounce is a great club. I break

it out during dry spells, so it’s either: 

46*, 50, 54, 60 or

46, 52, 58, 64

[Sanzabar]

I use a 64* PM Grind strictly for greenside bunkers primarily. It’s just a comfort thing. I only carry one fairway wood, so it leaves me able to carry an extra wedge.

[Sean2]

I have a 62º and use it regularly. 

[hybrid25]

I wonder what the effective loft 'can' be with a 58-degree lob wedge. I am thinking by opening the face you can really pump up the loft to maybe 62 or 64 degrees, maybe higher? 

[NoTalentLefty]

The best use for a 60 degree wedge? . Holding marshmallows over an open fire. The face keeps the bottoms from being burnt. 

[pinhigh27]

a 68 degree wedge isn't going to save you multiple shots per round. Learn to open your wedge or hit the ball better. 

[harolease]

I use 64 mack daddy. I always have it the bag Use it more often in hilly courses for elevated green.   but find it useful in flat course too   when I’m short sided over traps  sometimes use 64 rather than SW ( though open SW is likely the smarter shot if the green is not elevate)

Edited October 25, 2020 by harolease

[Gsea]

You are looking for a band-aid. You play small headed irons you said, learn to move them.  Hitting a fade is better and more fun than having a burger flipper in your bag. Just my 2cents