Do you really need a wedge with more loft than 55 or 56 degree in your bag...

[azgreg]

This wedge does not approve of this thread.

 

Edited December 11, 2020 by azgreg

[gripandrip]

2 hours ago, Myherobobhope said:

I play 50, 54, 58... I could easily drop a wedge. I could also easily drop a hybrid, utility iron or my three wood.

 

you get 14 slots. After about 10-12, my bag starts to get more specialized. I played with 12 for awhile. It was fine.

 

If you would use a different club more than a lob wedge, drop the lob wedge... your 14 is different than my 14.

I play the same combination. Could I drop the 58? Sure, but I have no need to as the rest of my bag is pretty well gapped. If I would need to add another club somewhere, the 58 would be the first to go to make room. I currently carry D, 3W, 3-PW, 50,54,58

[scooterhd2]

How many WITBs (post 1980) have you seen without a 56+ wedge. I'm sure a handful exist but I do not recall one. Once Tom Kite put in and started winning, everyone copied the move. And that's because it works. So much easier to hit a high soft shot when you need something to stop quickly, verse the unpredictability of trying to hit a checky wedge low on the toe and praying it comes up with zip.

[Chadwickog]

It's probably the way I grew up playing where you basically just had a PW and a SW (no, I am not that old) but when I picked the game back up 5ish years ago I experimented with having more wedges and higher lofted wedges.

 

Cutting back down to PW, GW, and SW (56) has massively improved my short game.  PW and GW are full swing approach clubs, the 56 is a do-all.  I have no problem opening it up and getting out of bunkers deeper than my head, and its great for short chips and can set it up for a pitch and run as well.

[ThinkingPlus]

58 minutes ago, azgreg said:

This wedge does not approve of this thread.

 

Otherwise known as the broken nose wedge.

[CallawayOffCenter]

For most and the average weekend hack, yes they definitely don't need anything higher than 56*. It's most always a negative strokes gained club for a large majority of people. Once you learn how to really use the loft and play different shots it can be a weapon and a God send. Also, I'm in AZ so most courses have little rough, mostly hardpan dirt. Once I added a low bounce 58* in my bag, the dirt has become my favorite lie lol. Easy to hit nippy spinners with only 6* of bounce. YMMV of course, just a ramble. 

[GSDriver]

Depends on player and their skill level.

 

I used to carry just 2 wedges past PW....a 52* gap and 58* lob wedge.  For grins picked up a 64* wedge, and find I like it a lot.

 

Each to their own.

[Abh159]

For me, my 60 degree is a necessity. I use it probably 7-8 times around. Basically anytime I'm within 80-90 yards of the green it's coming out, and I use it almost exclusively around the greens (with the rare exception of a bump and run shot). The loft/bounce combo makes it way more versatile when compared to my other wedges. I'm sure I could learn to use my 54 degree for these shots but I don't really see the benefit in that. I don't even know what I would replace the 60 with if I were to get rid of it.

 

A 7 wood I would hit the same distance as my 3 iron? No. Another wedge and then start carrying a 48, 54, and a 50 or 56? No. A spare putter in case I snap my current one over my knee after another 3 putt? Maybe 😀

[pinestreetgolf]

1 hour ago, scooterhd2 said:

How many WITBs (post 1980) have you seen without a 56+ wedge. I'm sure a handful exist but I do not recall one. Once Tom Kite put in and started winning, everyone copied the move. And that's because it works. So much easier to hit a high soft shot when you need something to stop quickly, verse the unpredictability of trying to hit a checky wedge low on the toe and praying it comes up with zip.

 

That's not why Kite won with it.  He won with it for full shots, not for short game shots.  He was able to implement the Dave Pelz clock system (Dave was his coach at the time) to four wedges instead of two or three.  He won by one shot on incredibly slick greens.  For over four years, he was the best full-swing wedge player on Earth and it is directly due to having four wedges and nobody else using the clock system.  You even hear Mickelson say on a hot microphone "Pelz short" and so forth.  The more wedges you have, the more distances you can easily hit a golf ball consistently.

 

Now, everyone on this board is "more of a feel player" *eye roll* than these guys and I get that but that is the real purpose of the lob wedge.

 

Its not a debate of whether a 60 or 56 is better around the green.  That is dumb debate, it is 100% player specific.  Whether or not to use the clock system with 2-3-4 wedges is an interesting debate - I think it probably does, which is why I play a LW.  My waist high backswing goes about 41 and my full backswing 80, both with virtually zero roll.  No other club can hit those shots.

Edited December 11, 2020 by pinestreetgolf

[rkillian]

58 is the most loft I've ever played and it's not a full swing club unless I need and think I have a shot over a tree. If I can carve out time to practice I do just fine with it. But it also really depends on the grind. I had an MD4 X grind 58 that I didn't get along with. The Vokey D grind I have now is easier to hit for me. On paper they should have been similary. 12 measured bounce, heal and toe relief. The middle of the sole on the Vokey is wider though and that seems to help more with a square faced shot.

 

 If I'm not practicing its a club I should generally stay away from unless absolutely neccessary. Without practice I am prone to blade it or get too steep and under the ball resulting in coming up short. I try to use my 52 more often than not and I try not to take full swings with it either but it does become neccesary. My go-to wedge was an MD4 54 W grind. I found it was pretty automatic. Going from a 48* Mavrik Pro to a specialty 54* was too big of a full swing gap. So my wedges aren't 100% set right now. I may go 52/56/60 or stay 52/58 where I am now. Or maybe 53/58 with the same length shafts. Needs some further experementation. 

[Ri_Redneck]

7 hours ago, Rapidcat said:

....if you can open up your 55 or 56 degree wedge because the grind enables it and you have the skill/technique?

 

The advantage to "capping" your wedges at 55 or 56 degrees can be only 3 wedges needed: mid 40 degree PW, c.50 degree GW then your 55/56 degree SW.

 

So your SW does double duty as a lob wedge.

 

Naturally this opens up a slot in your bag for another club.

 

Some will say more wedges and so greater versatility at the short end of your bag is more important. Maybe less wedges though simplifies your decision making per shot and builds your familiarity and so execution with the lesser number of clubs.

 

What are the considerations? Technique? Grind? Simplified club selection vs versatility?

I played with 52/56 setup for years (46* set PW) and it was fine till I started playing courses with crazy fast green. The 60 gives an extra level of stopping power when you have to use trajectory with spin to stop on crazy slick greens. I'm able to swing a bit harder when flopping the 60 and that gives me added spin in those situations. Incidentally, I hit flops with all 3 of my wedges depending on the what kind of release I want in the shot.

 

BT

[Chief Penguin]

Do I need a lob wedge?  No.  I started the year with a 46, 50, 54 vokeys and a 58* TM milled grind, which I bought because I had literally never played another brand of wedge besides vokey in my life.  I didn't care for the TM so I gave it to my brother.  I ditched the 50* around August because for the yardage I hit that club, its easier for me to take a short swing with the 46* and control spin by swinging faster or slower.

 

My 54 M grind is a fine club that can do nearly anything pretty well, but in late summer the ground is hard here and on some courses with tight lies around the green where you need to deloft and hit down on the ball to avoid blading it, a low-bounce lob wedge will give you quite a bit of forgiveness.  Also for the hard sand we have.

 

So I was carrying only twelve clubs (D, 3wood, 3 hybrid, 4-9, 46, 54, putter) and I don't feel like a 5 wood would help me, so why not?

[8602081]

Can't give up my lob wedge..

 

I use it for everything under 80 yards from the green..

 

I sometimes take out sand wedge or gap wedge..

 

 

 

[Bubbtubbs]

30 minutes ago, pinestreetgolf said:

 

That's not why Kite won with it.  He won with it for full shots, not for short game shots.  He was able to implement the Dave Pelz clock system (Dave was his coach at the time) to four wedges instead of two or three.  He won by one shot on incredibly slick greens.  For over four years, he was the best full-swing wedge player on Earth and it is directly due to having four wedges and nobody else using the clock system.  You even hear Mickelson say on a hot microphone "Pelz short" and so forth.  The more wedges you have, the more distances you can easily hit a golf ball consistently.

 

Now, everyone on this board is "more of a feel player" *eye roll* than these guys and I get that but that is the real purpose of the lob wedge.

 

Its not a debate of whether a 60 or 56 is better around the green.  That is dumb debate, it is 100% player specific.  Whether or not to use the clock system with 2-3-4 wedges is an interesting debate - I think it probably does, which is why I play a LW.  My waist high backswing goes about 41 and my full backswing 80, both with virtually zero roll.  No other club can hit those shots.

This is sensible.

 

I rarely use the 60 but the situations where I do need it generally would be far more difficult to execute using an opened 54 or 56, especially if I need a relatively precise yardage. It's also my "low" bounce (7°) club for hard bunkers or dry turf around the green. 

 

For me, if I'm considering dropping a wedge, it's a question of going 48 (P), 52, 56, 60 or 48, 54, 60 with the 54 doubling for chipping and fluffy sand duties and relying more heavily on a clock-face swing for gapping, but I doubt I'd consider removing the lob wedge.

[scooterhd2]

32 minutes ago, pinestreetgolf said:

 

That's not why Kite won with it.  He won with it for full shots, not for short game shots.  He was able to implement the Dave Pelz clock system (Dave was his coach at the time) to four wedges instead of two or three.  He won by one shot on incredibly slick greens.  For over four years, he was the best full-swing wedge player on Earth and it is directly due to having four wedges and nobody else using the clock system.  You even hear Mickelson say on a hot microphone "Pelz short" and so forth.  The more wedges you have, the more distances you can easily hit a golf ball consistently.

 

Now, everyone on this board is "more of a feel player" *eye roll* than these guys and I get that but that is the real purpose of the lob wedge.

 

Its not a debate of whether a 60 or 56 is better around the green.  That is dumb debate, it is 100% player specific.  Whether or not to use the clock system with 2-3-4 wedges is an interesting debate - I think it probably does, which is why I play a LW.  My waist high backswing goes about 41 and my full backswing 80, both with virtually zero roll.  No other club can hit those shots.

 

You can implement the clock system with any 4 clubs.  9 iron, PW, GW, SW will work fine too. The advantage of the LW is that it can be played shorter than the 1/2 or 1/4 swing SW. 

 

And that's where it shined for Kite. Like his famous holeout on #7 at Pebble Beach in 92.

 

 

[pinestreetgolf]

Just now, scooterhd2 said:

 

You can implement the clock system with any 4 clubs.  9 iron, PW, GW, SW will work fine too. The advantage of the LW is that it can be played shorter than the 1/2 or 1/4 swing SW. 

 

And that's where it shined for Kite. Like his famous holeout on #7 at Pebble Beach in 92.

 

 

 

Have you read Pelz's book (or three chapters in his monster book) about working with Kite?

 

The advantage of the LW is two-fold.  First, it stops based on height and not spin compared to other clubs, which means that the distance on wet and dry greens is identical (spinning wedges run further on wet greens, stopping due to apex/height green moisture doesn't matter).  Second, it is ideal if you have to land the ball on a hump in the green instead of a valley or flat spot.  It has much less chance of spinning back because its trajectory into the hill is higher.  Pelz really goes deep in his Short Game Bible on why Pitching-Sand-Lob-X (Four total) is optimal.  You can disagree with it, but the little "Hey I like a 54*!!" doesn't add much to the discussion when he has studied it so exhuastively.

 

Pelz recommended that he also add a fifth wedge, which Kite did not do.

[RoyalMustang]

My thoughts (having only been playing again since July and having started at a time when most bags didn't have anything over a 50-degree PW): 

 

I do think a lob-style wedge can be useful: a few degrees with the same swing is useful at times, no doubt.  

 

However, here is why I have a 56 as my highest degree wedge; practice time!  A wedge isn't like other clubs where you are typically making 3/4 to full swings and know that (for me at least) a normal 8-iron is 165, a normal 7-iron is 175....wedges require me to figure out all shots between 100 yards full swing and 10 yards pitch.  

 

I can't spend hours a week learning the feel and distance of different wedges. I can learn that 56 with varying degrees of face opening up and backswing.  I can practice on the pitch and putt only with that club.  That way, I only have to learn one club.  I have experimented with a 60 degree, but when I pull it out, I can't make the same swing as the 56, or it will be too short.  Plus, the ball interaction is quite different. 

 

For me it is simply easier to pull out that 56 at all times and figure how to make the right swing with one club.  No need to introduce more variables and more learning into the equation.   When I go into my back yard, I can practice a variety of swings with that 56. As soon as I shift to the 60, everything requires recalibration: it is almost like moving from a 40-year old Ping Zing to a Scotty Newport 2; the Newport 2 has more heft and the ball just goes 10-15% further.  If you swapped from one to the other, all of your putts would be long (or short).  Same with the wedges for me.  

 

If I had 20 hours a week to practice, it might be different, but the more I play the pitch and putt with that 56, the more it feels like the "right" club to play any shot I want and learn it.  

 

I will add that the last 2 rounds I played were with the 56 as my loftiest club and I had great results.  Using the 60 was costing me shots due to the unfamiliarity with the distance and feel.  I could just move to the 60 as my all-around greenside club I suppose, but the 54 or 56 feels more versatile in terms of getting the ball high with a steep pitch and keeping the ball low with a bump and run pitch.  This probably all ties into the person who taught me golf as a kid, who stressed learning how to hit a few clubs in different situations vs relying on tech to get the right shot. He could shoot under par with 4 clubs in the bag (he putted very well with his driver!). 

Edited December 11, 2020 by RoyalMustang

[Myherobobhope]

45 minutes ago, rkillian said:

58 is the most loft I've ever played and it's not a full swing club unless I need and think I have a shot over a tree. If I can carve out time to practice I do just fine with it. But it also really depends on the grind. I had an MD4 X grind 58 that I didn't get along with. The Vokey D grind I have now is easier to hit for me. On paper they should have been similary. 12 measured bounce, heal and toe relief. The middle of the sole on the Vokey is wider though and that seems to help more with a square faced shot.

 

 If I'm not practicing its a club I should generally stay away from unless absolutely neccessary. Without practice I am prone to blade it or get too steep and under the ball resulting in coming up short. I try to use my 52 more often than not and I try not to take full swings with it either but it does become neccesary. My go-to wedge was an MD4 54 W grind. I found it was pretty automatic. Going from a 48* Mavrik Pro to a specialty 54* was too big of a full swing gap. So my wedges aren't 100% set right now. I may go 52/56/60 or stay 52/58 where I am now. Or maybe 53/58 with the same length shafts. Needs some further experementation. 

I think this is a great point... Lob wedge adds options and fills gaps between 0-100 yards... What are you going to replace it with that adds more options to your bag? The key is to have confidence in hitting it for pitches, and not just chips... Sitting at 75 yards and having the choice between a high, full swing lob wedge, a 3/4 sand wedge and a a bump and run pitching wedge is awesome and allows you to adjust to what is in front of you... It requires some dedication to learning your distances, and getting consistent with less than full swings, but ideally it should add options for you around the green. For me, that's way more important than another club I can hit over 200 yards. 

[scooterhd2]

6 minutes ago, pinestreetgolf said:

 

Have you read Pelz's book (or three chapters in his monster book) about working with Kite?

 

The advantage of the LW is two-fold.  First, it stops based on height and not spin compared to other clubs, which means that the distance on wet and dry greens is identical (spinning wedges run further on wet greens, stopping due to apex/height green moisture doesn't matter).  Second, it is ideal if you have to land the ball on a hump in the green instead of a valley or flat spot.  It has much less chance of spinning back because its trajectory into the hill is higher.  Pelz really goes deep in his Short Game Bible on why Pitching-Sand-Lob-X (Four total) is optimal.  You can disagree with it, but the little "Hey I like a 54*!!" doesn't add much to the discussion when he has studied it so exhuastively.

 

Pelz recommended that he also add a fifth wedge, which Kite did not do.

 

that is exactly what i said in my first comment that you disagreed with...

 

 Once Tom Kite put in and started winning, everyone copied the move. And that's because it works. So much easier to hit a high soft shot when you need something to stop quickly, verse the unpredictability of trying to hit a checky wedge low on the toe and praying it comes up with zip.

[Ri_Redneck]

2 hours ago, azgreg said:

This wedge does not approve of this thread.

 

Thanks for posting this. I've been looking for a new set of wedges and had forgot about these guys. Just ordered a set (52,56 & 60) of their gold limited edition wedges w/ $25 off at checkout.

 

BT

[Myherobobhope]

8 minutes ago, pinestreetgolf said:

 

Have you read Pelz's book (or three chapters in his monster book) about working with Kite?

 

The advantage of the LW is two-fold.  First, it stops based on height and not spin compared to other clubs, which means that the distance on wet and dry greens is identical (spinning wedges run further on wet greens, stopping due to apex/height green moisture doesn't matter).  Second, it is ideal if you have to land the ball on a hump in the green instead of a valley or flat spot.  It has much less chance of spinning back because its trajectory into the hill is higher.  Pelz really goes deep in his Short Game Bible on why Pitching-Sand-Lob-X (Four total) is optimal.  You can disagree with it, but the little "Hey I like a 54*!!" doesn't add much to the discussion when he has studied it so exhuastively.

 

Pelz recommended that he also add a fifth wedge, which Kite did not do.

Oh man, time to start shopping for a 62 degree wedge! (not really) I'd honestly get more use out of another sub 100 yard club in my bag than my hybrid, utility and three wood... I could easily combine those three into 2 clubs and not really miss anything... Sub70 699U Pro in 18 degrees! I'll call Jason!

[ChipNRun]

 

6 hours ago, Rapidcat said:

....if you can open up your 55 or 56 degree wedge because the grind enables it and you have the skill/technique?

 

The advantage to "capping" your wedges at 55 or 56 degrees can be only 3 wedges needed: mid 40 degree PW, c.50 degree GW then your 55/56 degree SW.

 

So your SW does double duty as a lob wedge.

I can play 56° as the top end wedge. I used a SW for greenside cut shots and perimeter pitches for 20 years before the LW appeared in the late 1980s. But, I've added a LW for a couple of shots I can't handle with a SW (in my case 54°).

 

My first LW appeared in an iron set I got in 1994. Down in Dallas, TX area we had unusually fine-bladed bermuda (more friendly than most bermuda), and the LW was great for popping the ball into tight pin positions. Once I moved north to the tight lies of SW Oklahoma, LW mishits produced 60-yd. bullets that flew the green. Little LW the next few years. 

 

Basically, 60° LWs have never worked for me. The C-grind and S-grind (Callaway system) 58° wedges are useful from fluffy, fairly even lies. Inside 20 yards, I now use either a 58° cut (not lob) shot or a 7i chip and run.

 

My compromise spot has been a 48° - compromise between GW and PW. And, my wedge matrix has squares for half and 3/4 9i shots in case 48° range comes up short.

 

6 hours ago, Rapidcat said:

Some will say more wedges and so greater versatility at the short end of your bag is more important. Maybe less wedges though simplifies your decision making

This depends on how you approach the short game. Are you a mechanic or a feeler?

 

By mechanic, are you at least a partial Pelz matrix person? Do you go out occasionally and hit 7:30, 9:00 (and 10:30) shots with all four wedges and chart the distances? These are his distance wedge shots use from about 30 to 100 yards from the green. You can either choke down on grip to shave a couple of yards, or deloft to add a couple of yards, if you fall between exact yardage cells.

 

I have a somewhat flat backswing that stops near the ear, so my 10:30 distance is really a full swing. (Pure Pelz says 10:30 is 90% swing, but the difference between 10:30 and full is too little for me to bother with.)

 

 

By feeler, are you someone that just goes by tempo and feel inside say 70 yards? I played in a scramble with a young pro who played this way, and his close-in touch was amazing. A lot of the feelers use primarily one wedge loft for short shots.

 

For me, I'm mostly mechanic once I get outside 20 yards from cup.

--------------------

Interesting take on 56*. One of the Golfworks Academy instructors carried two 56* SWs. One was a high-bounce he used for bunker shots, and the other was a low bounce with shorter shaft that he used as a LW.

 

[forrester_fire]

4 hours ago, nitram said:

Even if you hit it only once or twice a round, it's still a viable option. It is a different critter, just learn to hit the damned thing.

 

If a short game guru like Stan Utley personally moves to the 60 after playing his entire golf life without one, there's a good reason.

 

 

 

 

That's a really easy thing for a scratch golfer to say...

[pinestreetgolf]

4 minutes ago, scooterhd2 said:

 

that is exactly what i said in my first comment that you disagreed with...

 

 Once Tom Kite put in and started winning, everyone copied the move. And that's because it works. So much easier to hit a high soft shot when you need something to stop quickly, verse the unpredictability of trying to hit a checky wedge low on the toe and praying it comes up with zip.

 

I know.  That's why I asked if you had read the book.  Very few people have.

[Krosch3]

I play 52,56,60. 
I am now walking due to winter a bit and dropped a hybrid, 4 iron, and the 56 to lighten the load. 
primarily  chip with my 52(my go to around greens).

uf you practice often, a 60 is a great club. If you don’t practice, not a great club for most. 
56 is a much more versatile club for most I would say personallly.

[elwhippy]

Need at least 58 and currently using an RTX 4 60 Mid as my home course has deep bunkers and firm sand. A less lofted wedge is fine for pitching and chipping but I will take extra loft in a bunker for control.

[nitram]

11 minutes ago, RoyalMustang said:

My thoughts (having only been playing again since July and having started at a time when most bags didn't have anything over a 50-degree PW): 

 

I do think a lob-style wedge can be useful: a few degrees with the same swing is useful at times, no doubt.  

 

However, here is why I have a 56 as my highest degree wedge; practice time!  A wedge isn't like other clubs where you are typically making 3/4 to full swings and know that (for me at least) a normal 8-iron is 165, a normal 7-iron is 175....wedges require me to figure out all shots between 100 yards full swing and 10 yards pitch.  

 

I can't spend hours a week learning the feel and distance of different wedges. I can learn that 56 with varying degrees of face opening up and backswing.  I can practice on the pitch and putt only with that club.  That way, I only have to learn one club.  I have experimented with a 60 degree, but when I pull it out, I can't make the same swing as the 56, or it will be too short.  Plus, the ball interaction is quite different. 

 

For me it is simply easier to pull out that 56 at all times and figure how to make the right swing with one club.  No need to introduce more variables and more learning into the equation.   When I go into my back yard, I can practice a variety of swings with that 56. As soon as I shift to the 60, everything requires recalibration: it is almost like moving from a 40-year old Ping Zing to a Scotty Newport 2; the Newport 2 has more heft and the ball just goes 10-15% further.  If you swapped from one to the other, all of your putts would be long (or short).  Same with the wedges for me.  

 

If I had 20 hours a week to practice, it might be different, but the more I play the pitch and putt with that 56, the more it feels like the "right" club to play any shot I want and learn it.  

 

As a beginner, you're on the right track. Quite frankly, your honesty is refreshing and you seem to have a grasp on your priorities. Anyone who can't/won't devote the necessary time to become proficient with a LW doesn't need to mess with it. But once you reach a ball striking level/maturity in your game to where you realize you need more loft (not spin), you'll be able to use a LW to your advantage and not your detriment. 

 

I like to tell everyone that having a LW in your bag is like having a condom in your pocket on date night. It's better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. 

 

Good luck with your game and thank you for your post. 🍻

[nitram]

13 minutes ago, forrester_fire said:

 

That's a really easy thing for a scratch golfer to say...

 

There was nothing easy about learning to properly use and hit a 60. It took a large investment in time to become proficient with it to where I could trust it, especially under pressure. I spent almost 30 years with a simpler wedge setup where 57* was my tallest wedge and I was perfectly content to play that way, until I started getting my butt beat by  competition who could hit a few shots I couldn't and it was due to them having more loft, period.

 

To this day I personally use my 56 for most wedge shots. I see no reason for a guy to change to a LW if he cant't or won't put in the time to learn how to use it correctly. It will cost you more strokes than you'll gain until you do.

[ChipNRun]

Side note to Nitram on South Canadian Riviera. I lived in Lawton twice, and due to my Marine reserve status, my home course was Fort Sill GC.

18 minutes ago, nitram said:

But once you reach a ball striking level/maturity in your game to where you realize you need more loft (not spin), you'll be able to use a LW to your advantage and not your detriment. 

 

A side note on loft and spin. A high descent angle can help stop the ball almost as much as spin can. If you have good clubhead speed and have trouble getting any close-in backspin, it may be the ball you're playing.

• Surlyn. Durable cover on distance balls, but doesn't spin that well in close.
• Ionomer. Modest spin close in mid-range balls.
• Urethane. Higher spin in upper end balls; can be problematic for golfers with lots of off-center hits.

Golf instructors advise people that want some check-spin close in to go with ionomer or urethane. Inside 30 yards you're not swinging that hard, so you need help from a cover that grabs the grooves a little. One reason LWs are handy is you get that steeper descent angle that - with some spin - can stop those shorter shots fairly quickly.

 

(This assumes you practice the LW; be sure to have  good left-side lead so you don't pop it up short.)

 

Edited December 11, 2020 by ChipNRun
(spelling)

[rkillian]

26 minutes ago, Myherobobhope said:

I think this is a great point... Lob wedge adds options and fills gaps between 0-100 yards... What are you going to replace it with that adds more options to your bag? The key is to have confidence in hitting it for pitches, and not just chips... Sitting at 75 yards and having the choice between a high, full swing lob wedge, a 3/4 sand wedge and a a bump and run pitching wedge is awesome and allows you to adjust to what is in front of you... It requires some dedication to learning your distances, and getting consistent with less than full swings, but ideally it should add options for you around the green. For me, that's way more important than another club I can hit over 200 yards. 

While I'm not quite sure I had much of a point in mind, thanks anyway haha. I have room in the bag right now and even if I went 52/56/60 that would take me to 13 and that may be what I do next. But I do have to say, using a 52 for as much as possible inside 100 yards and moving to the 58 only when it seems its truley called for is working ok. I know what a half swing with each does which is helpful.  For me and where my current journey through golf is, options can ge a blessing or a curse.