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

[Esox]

I play some courses with very, very firm sand. A low bounce 60 is the way to go to get out of those parking lots.  I also like the 60 because it allows me to be more aggressive on shorter pitches.

[dubbelbogey]

After thinking about this even a bit more, I'd say the 60 LW would be among the last clubs to take out of my bag if I was, hypothetically, forced to do so. It's certainly in the top half of the bag, at the very least. I would choose to lose any one of the regular irons or one of my two hybrids with much less worry as compared to the 60.

 

[MtlJeff]

16 hours ago, llewol007 said:

Ive done this already to where I carry just a Pw, 52 and 60. The versatility with my 52 just opens the options for me. In the bunker, Im usually opening up a 56 anyways so with the 60, Im pretty much where I need to be specially when talking about greenside bunkers. Really dont need the 56 for me so that opens up one slot or I just carry 13 clubs. 1 club less equals 2 cans of beer. 

 

I'm the same in that the 56 is the club i really have very little use for. It would be the first club i get rid of. I find my "gap" wedge (50-52) more versatile for any number of shots, and the 60 the best one for greenside use. 

 

I currently have a 54 degree "sand" wedge, and it's probably the least used club in my bag

[drb1956]

Every club in my bag is for full swings, except for 52* and my 58* CBX2's. I can hit them full on when needed, otherwise I will be making it up as I go, soft pitches, easy chips and the like. Used to carry 52*, 56*, 60*. I think it make my short game better.

[BallerNate]

Very interesting question! I tried going with the PW (47), GW (52), SW (56), but found shots around the green and shots < 50 yds extremely difficult to control with the 56. Tried practicing and working at it, but after a couple of months I caved and added a 60 to my bag. Still new with the 60, but find it way easier to control short shots onto the green and much easier to get proper lift. If anything I’d probably drop the 56 and just go 47, 52, and 60 before I dropped the 60, but that’s just personal preference.

[CDLgolf]

I could get rid of my 60 and use a 56 but I can't think of another club to add that would be better for me than the 60. I have good gaps through the bag and the 60 is a pretty handy club for several shots from 75 yds and in.

[hybrid25]

2 hours ago, MtlJeff said:

 

I'm the same in that the 56 is the club i really have very little use for. It would be the first club i get rid of. I find my "gap" wedge (50-52) more versatile for any number of shots, and the 60 the best one for greenside use. 

 

I currently have a 54 degree "sand" wedge, and it's probably the least used club in my bag

This just proves the point that various lofts are subjective to personal preference. I carry a 54* sw and it it my 'go to' wedge around the green. I never leave a ball in the bunker with this club, and it gives me confidence to get the ball close to the hole. I also carry a 60*  for the times I need to get the ball up in the air. I can't say enough about how I like my 54*, and it just depends on the golfer.

[Striker Ace]

Yeah I don't find my 60 degree very useful at all so I am considering going to a 50, 54, 58 setup bending my current 56 degree wedge which only has 10 degrees of bounce making it 12 degrees of bounce and using that as a sand wedge. Anyone else use a 58 degree for sand wedge?

[ThinkingPlus]

2 minutes ago, Striker Ace said:

Yeah I don't find my 60 degree very useful at all so I am considering going to a 50, 54, 58 setup bending my current 56 degree wedge which only has 10 degrees of bounce making it 12 degrees of bounce and using that as a sand wedge. Anyone else use a 58 degree for sand wedge?

I use my 58° wedge for short sand shots or for firm bunkers.  I go 54° for longer bunker shots or softer sand.  My 58° has 4° of bounce while the 54° has 8°.  The extra bounce helps a bit in the softer sand and snarly rough. 

[cardoustie]

I want options greenside

 

I carry 5 wedges so I disagree.  I played college golf with a 55 degree Ram Tom Watson wedge and 50 PW .. and I am WAAAAAAAY WAAAAAY better with wedges nowadays

 

Not having a low bounce 58 or 60 (or 64) is giving an advantage to others

 

There are shots I can hit with my 60 that my 56 cannot replicate.  And don’t get me started on the 64 ... on certain courses with specific greens and greens complexes it is a WEAPON !

 

Also I would say I use my 60 and 64 for 85% of greenside shots

 

Though I did just recently get a 2009 TVD M grind 56* with the funky grooves and it is fun greenside

Edited December 12, 2020 by cardoustie

[Shilgy]

On 12/11/2020 at 7:04 AM, tbccgolfer said:

I haven’t played a 58* or 60* in years. As a matter of fact I recently went from a 56* to a 54* sand wedge. The only time I would need a low bounce 58* would be off some hard pan and at the course I play that’s doesn’t exist. But I’m kind of old school and learned years ago how to open up a 56* to give me all the options needed.

?? So you learned how to open up the 56 like we all did in the olden     days but have now switched that to a 54*?   I don’t care if a player is the second coming of Seve,or even Seve himself, but you “might”

be able to open up a lower lofted club but even Seve used a sand wedge rather than a 3 iron out of bunkers. It is more reliable and safer

 

 

On 12/11/2020 at 6:36 AM, cgasucks said:

For years I've been using a PW, SW, LW combo but was sick and tired of choking down on my PW to play distances a GW can do so I got one and got rid of my LW to compensate.  That forced me to open the face of my SW to play LW shots.  I became a much better wedge player because of that.  If tour players can win majors before the LW was invented I think a hack like me can shoot sub 80 golf.

Sure, pros won events before a club was invented. Before Sarazen invented the modern sand wedge someone won those events as well. But no pro is going to play today without a sand wedge....because it is easier and more reliable with the higher loft and bounce and a wider flange.

 

That is why good players use an L wedge of some variety. Whether it is a 60 or 58 or 64 for that matter it makes the game easier.

[Esox]

I have wedges of darn near every loft and bounce but 58.  I currently usually  play 46- 50- 54 & 60 The 6 degree gap between the SW and LW never bothered me because I seldom lean on the lob, using it at 45 yards max. But this thread has me wondering if maybe I would be better off with a 58 degree low bounce lob........ I might use it more for shots out to 80 yards where my 54-14 SW takes over.

Edited December 12, 2020 by Esox
typo

[Esox]

Another thought, If I have a wedge in my hands the odds of hitting the green are well over 95%. All that matters after that is just how close will I be? Most days my worst pitch or chip are better or equal to my best lag putt. So I'll short myself on the long end of the bag, just where is decided by the course and conditions. I seldom need to hit a 3 wood off the deck, its usually the first club to go, because the odds of me needing to, much less actually hitting and holding a green with a 3W off the deck are decidedly slim. Other clubs can lay up just fine, and I can leave myself a better angle from which to get to the pin than I would get from a 3 wood that missed. And I have a bunch of wedges to leave for. lol

 

Edited December 12, 2020 by Esox

[azgreg]

Just for info the last LPGA major winner (Sei Young Kim) and the current LPGA major leader (Hinako Shibuno) have 56° and 57° as their highest loft wedges.

 

Edited December 12, 2020 by azgreg

[b.mattay]

2 hours ago, cardoustie said:

 

 

Not having a low bounce 58 or 60 (or 64) is giving an advantage to others

Totally agree on not having a 58+ degree wedge is giving something up something to others. Especially on tournament courses! The loft and spin is necessary to keep the ball from getting away from you. 
 

I don’t think it needs to be low bounce though. Especially if you are comfortable throwing the toe down on tight lies. I have a very high bounce lob wedge (12 degrees) and can flop it off a putting green no problem. 

[hybrid25]

1 hour ago, azgreg said:

Just for info the last LPGA major winner (Sei Young Kim) and the current LPGA major leader (Hinako Shibuno) have 56° and 57° as their highest loft wedges.

 

Maybe, but they are professionals that can make their ball stop on a dime with pin point accuracy. Many golfers rely on ball elevation to keep the ball closest to the pin. While I find it interesting that these two women don't carry a higher wedge, I don't base my game on what any professional uses or does. My game, and the game of the majority of golfers playing, cannot play like professional golfers.

[azgreg]

4 hours ago, hybrid25 said:

Maybe, but they are professionals that can make their ball stop on a dime with pin point accuracy. Many golfers rely on ball elevation to keep the ball closest to the pin. While I find it interesting that these two women don't carry a higher wedge, I don't base my game on what any professional uses or does. My game, and the game of the majority of golfers playing, cannot play like professional golfers.

I just brought it up because someone else mentioned that all the pros use lob wedges.

[Lemonde]

I want a wedge I can hit exactly 100 yards full shot.  That’s my 58.  The 58 is as good as a 60+ degree and allows for the flop.  

[mholmstrom]

I have a 50, 54, 58 setup. The 58 is a Vokey K grind which is really a 1 trick pony - should be illegal it's so easy to get out of the bunker, unless it's a firm bunker. It's also not very versatile around the green compared to some other grinds. I've been reluctant to kick it out of the bag because it's so magic from the bunker, but of rethinking that as my bunker play improves with my 54. My 54 is everything inside 100 yds. Never had much problem opening up the 54 for all variety of shots, but have also never used a 58 for any greenside chips or distance wedges so i guess I don't know what i'm missing. Might replace the K grind with a more versatile grind and start experimenting with it a bit more. 

[KevSher20]

9 hours ago, b.mattay said:

I have a very high bounce lob wedge (12 degrees) and can flop it off a putting green no problem. 

I’d be digging holes in the green with that. 

[mahonie]

Some years ago I read an article by Roger Cleveland where he stated that for most amateur players 58* loft was the highest loft that could be played successfully. Higher than that and the swing speed required to generate the loft, spin and more importantly, forward momentum, was just too high for amateur golfers to execute consistently with control. There were some stats in the article (which I have looked for but cannot find) that underpinned everything he said and made sense at the time.

[BallerNate]

I would say for my next Wedge setup I would consider going 50, 54, 58 (or even 50, 55, 60) to free up a spot in the bag. But from the experience of trying to use a 56 as my highest lofted club for a lot of this season, I would never go back to that. Just so many shots within 50 yards that are so much easier and more comfortable to execute with a 60 than with the 56...why make the game harder on yourself if you don’t have to? My new setup now is PW (47), GW (52), SW (56), LW (60)...but it’s definitely the 56 I would cut out if necessary.

Edited December 13, 2020 by BallerNate

[hybrid25]

I play 50,54,58,works well. I have been thinking of updating my 58 to a md5 jaws 58 w grind,which prompts me to ask :

Has anyone purchased a like-new wedge from cpo? 

[Skhacker]

Just go 47 pw then 52/58 or 54/60 wedge set up like many pros do. A 2 wedge set up seems to work well for a lot of the best players in the world.

i.e. DJ

[doublepar93]

I used to have 46,50,54,58 set up. Didn’t have much gap between the 54 and 58. Went to a 46,52,58 set up. Absolutely loved it. Now I’m at a 44,50,56 set up since my new irons are stronger lofted. Haven’t missed the 58 at all. I’m more consistent with a 56, and I can open it up if necessary but I never really do.

[Veners]

Possibly not, but I have become so used to chipping with my 58 degree I wouldn't swap that out for a 56.

[BallerNate]

1 hour ago, Skhacker said:

Just go 47 pw then 52/58 or 54/60 wedge set up like many pros do. A 2 wedge set up seems to work well for a lot of the best players in the world.

i.e. DJ

Yeah, will probably go that route next time I change my Wedge setup. Just bought new 52, 56, and 60 TM Milled Grind over the last couple of months and love them, so will game those for a couple of years...but next go round I’ll probably go 54/58 or 54/60 along with a 47-50 PW.

[kiwihacker]

Stopping at a 55/56° wedge doesn't necessarily open up an extra slot. I play 47/52/58. If I switched to 47/52/56 same difference. No extra slot.

 

I play 'traditional' lofted 4-PW. If I played modern loft 5-PW now that would open up an extra slot and I would probably ADD a wedge and play 46/50/54/58. Lol.

 

I have all the woods and hybrids I want at the top end of the bag. 

[martinbns]

I live in the flattest place in Canada, so for me nope.  

[Green1414]

The 3 Vokey’s in my bag are 52, 58 and 64.