High Lofted Wedges - who's a fan??

[Myherobobhope]

1 hour ago, J_Tizzle said:

 

I just fall back to the try it and find out what works for you. 

 

I think they're less popular on tour for a number of reasons, the guys have multiple wedges in the same loft they change for the conditions of the course (they can easily swap in a low bounce 60* from the tour truck when they have tight lies, or switch to higher bounce/grinds if conditions necessitate), they're also the best players in the world so their skills don't hurt either, so that allows them to manipulate the club in ways we just don't possess the skill/time to learn.  Thats one of the big things I actually like about the 64*, I don't have to manipulate it at all for high shots around the green, where you might open up your 58* to hit a 20 yard pitch into a green, I can just square face a 64*.  It takes a while to get the hang of for sure and not for everyone, but I think its found the way into my bag for sure.

I’ve never really seen the need for one, but maybe I’ve just never played the right course enough... if it works for others, that’s great.

 

I find the concept of a specialty club to be fairly interesting... I’m working on building a secondary driver as a specialty club, simply because I think that’s the best use of my 14th slot.

 

I pretty much exclusively open my wedge within 10 yards of the green, and not very often. I’m fine with my options from farther away, so a 64 would end up being used maybe once every five rounds. I could and would put it to work in other spots, but it’s main purpose would be short lob shots that I currently hit with an open 58.

 

honestly, if I were adding a 5th wedge, I’d add a chipper... the bump and run out of my clubs rough is one of the hardest shots to get the distance right on.

 

all that said, if a high lofted wedge works for you, great! It’s amazing how many different bag setups work and what people choose to play with.

[nsxguy]

2 hours ago, Pepperturbo said:

I am NOT going to mess with them because I tested them when they were first introduced.  Didn't see the value then and don't today. 

 

It's OK PT. Relax. Don't worry.

 

Nobody's going to try to make you play a 64* wedge.

 

That mean bald guy didn't mean any harm.

[Pepperturbo]

25 minutes ago, nsxguy said:

 

It's OK PT. Relax. Don't worry.

 

Nobody's going to try to make you play a 64* wedge.

 

That mean bald guy didn't mean any harm.

LOL - I have to laugh, the men I've encountered in-country years back are way beyond the mean or tough talking kiddies online today.  My point is I don't get rattled over differences. 

[Hairpie]

Highest loft I've ever carried is a 60 and only started that in the last 3 years. I've always been able to open my 56 enough to get the job done. I've always felt a 60 is a club that most amateurs probably shouldn't even use. It took me (a former scratch player) alot of practice to get comfortable with the 60 and I see way to many players pull it out for literally every shot inside of 50 yards. I've reached a point where I only put the 60 in the bag if I'm playing a course with alot of elevated greens, heavy greenside rough, or bunkers with extremely steep faces; otherwise the 56 works just fine.

Edited March 4, 2021 by Hairpie

[evilelf]

I have played a 58* for about 5 years.  I have two; high and low bounces and they really do make a difference depending on the conditions, though I try to play as much bounce as I can get away with.  Over the last couple of seasons, I have come to discover how much the wedge will go through the turf effortlessly on pitch shots with an open face.  I play the shot a bit steeper than normal, hit behind the ball (even on tight lies) and the open face allows the club to just slide right under the ball.  With that technique, I think I am adding way too much loft to the club because my misses are always short.  To further the experiment, I purchased a 54* PM Grind that I am eagerly waiting to play with here in Ohio.  I am hoping it will get the ball rolling faster on chip shots, yet prevent my high face short pitches.  I figure I will still be approach the ball with a dynamic loft of well over 60*.

[J_Tizzle]

14 hours ago, Pepperturbo said:

LOL - I have to laugh, the men I've encountered in-country years back are way beyond the mean or tough talking kiddies online today.  My point is I don't get rattled over differences. 

 

No attempt at trolling and I'm not rattled I can assure you.

 

I was just disagreeing with the idea that a high lofted wedge has no place in a "highly skilled" golfers hands.  Same can be said for literally any club in your bag, why do you carry a 9 iron when you can just open up an 8 and take a little off it...

 

Having the clubs in your bag that allows you to shoot the best round you can that day and outside the norm options was kind of the purpose of the thread.

[J_Tizzle]

15 hours ago, Myherobobhope said:

I’ve never really seen the need for one, but maybe I’ve just never played the right course enough... if it works for others, that’s great.

 

I find the concept of a specialty club to be fairly interesting... I’m working on building a secondary driver as a specialty club, simply because I think that’s the best use of my 14th slot.

 

I pretty much exclusively open my wedge within 10 yards of the green, and not very often. I’m fine with my options from farther away, so a 64 would end up being used maybe once every five rounds. I could and would put it to work in other spots, but it’s main purpose would be short lob shots that I currently hit with an open 58.

 

honestly, if I were adding a 5th wedge, I’d add a chipper... the bump and run out of my clubs rough is one of the hardest shots to get the distance right on.

 

all that said, if a high lofted wedge works for you, great! It’s amazing how many different bag setups work and what people choose to play with.

 

I'll tell you what, my dad added a Square Strike wedge as he's TERRIBLE at chipping and its been a game changer for him.  He even takes full swings with it and hits it about 75 yards and loves it.  Last time we played he hit 2 flagsticks out of the fairway from about 60 yards and trust me when I say, that is like having 5 hole in ones a round for him, lol.  

[evilelf]

3 minutes ago, J_Tizzle said:

 

I'll tell you what, my dad added a Square Strike wedge as he's TERRIBLE at chipping and its been a game changer for him.  He even takes full swings with it and hits it about 75 yards and loves it.  Last time we played he hit 2 flagsticks out of the fairway from about 60 yards and trust me when I say, that is like having 5 hole in ones a round for him, lol.  

 

I think most golfers would benefit by playing super high bounce wedges.  It is painful for me to watch some of the guys I play with.

[Myherobobhope]

3 minutes ago, J_Tizzle said:

 

I'll tell you what, my dad added a Square Strike wedge as he's TERRIBLE at chipping and its been a game changer for him.  He even takes full swings with it and hits it about 75 yards and loves it.  Last time we played he hit 2 flagsticks out of the fairway from about 60 yards and trust me when I say, that is like having 5 hole in ones a round for him, lol.  

Wedges are the only strength of my short game... and I'm still thinking it might be a fun addition. I'll have to see if I can pick one up on the cheap... 

 

I really want to play a match in the club championship with a square strike in the bag.

[J_Tizzle]

14 minutes ago, Myherobobhope said:

Wedges are the only strength of my short game... and I'm still thinking it might be a fun addition. I'll have to see if I can pick one up on the cheap... 

 

I really want to play a match in the club championship with a square strike in the bag.

 

 

I've played in enough random tourneys and get matched with tons of people, I've played 3-4 times with a guy with a chipper, and I tell you what, every one of them has been a magician with them, lol.  The Square Strike is a good one from what I've seen, they are very upright, so it is a little different when I've fiddled with my dad's Square Strike, but it has a lot of merit for sure.  

[wakit300]

I have played with a 60° since they started making them.  I use it from 80 yards and in, as needed, it's a mainstay in my bag.

So a few years ago I ventured into 64° land and came to the same conclusion.  When there was a short side or need for a flop type shot, the 64 made them so much easier ... BUT I found I was only using it a max of 2-3 times per round, sometimes not at all.  I couldn't justify removing another club to make room. 

Now if I played regularly at a course that had severely elevated, undulated, fast greens (like Concession!) I'd probably move things around to add one but can't foresee that in my future.

[95124hacker]

For me, it comes down to trading off the benefits of having a 17* hybrid in addition to my 19* vs a 64* wedge in addition to my 58*, in terms of strokes gained.

[J_Tizzle]

37 minutes ago, 95124hacker said:

For me, it comes down to trading off the benefits of having a 17* hybrid in addition to my 19* vs a 64* wedge in addition to my 58*, in terms of strokes gained.

 

My thoughts exactly, I like more wedges than more long clubs as I'm much less accurate from 230 yards than I am from 100 and in.  I can skank my 3i anywhere from 190-240, lol, but missing my wedges by 50 yards, thats a bigger issue.

[Rich Douglas]

I have a 70-degree LW I dabble with once in awhile. There's no real advantage in using it around the greens over my 60-degree LW, but it IS amazing out of the bunker. Point-and-shoot.

 

My SW is part of my single-length set, so it's more of a 12-iron than a sand wedge. At an 8-iron length, it's not very utile for finesse shots. Thus, my 60-degree LW gets a lot of duty.

Edited March 7, 2021 by Rich Douglas

[J_Tizzle]

On 3/7/2021 at 4:01 PM, Rich Douglas said:

I have a 70-degree LW I dabble with once in awhile. There's no real advantage in using it around the greens over my 60-degree LW, but it IS amazing out of the bunker. Point-and-shoot.

 

My SW is part of my single-length set, so it's more of a 12-iron than a sand wedge. At an 8-iron length, it's not very utile for finesse shots. Thus, my 60-degree LW gets a lot of duty.

 

Oh boy, 70* does sound a little wild, even when I have a 64* in the bag, lol.

 

I have been spending time as the weather improves working on my wedges with a Mevo+ and the 64* goes a max about 70 yards, and I can kinda lazy arm it 45-50 yards.  If I have to hoist it up it goes about 65 yards with a 110% swing, which is actually helpful to some capacity knowing I can hit it about as far forward as I do up in the air as my home course has tons of big mature trees that can end up in the way even on good shots in the fairway.  

 

Going from 50/55/60/64, to 52/58/64 will take a little longer to get my gapping down, but I can do everything with a 58 that I could with a 60, the 50 vs 52 is only a couple yards difference on full swings and going from the set U wedge to a MD5 it is more playable, and the 64 is slowly becoming a club I grab once a round maybe, to 3-4 times a round (for full/partial shots as well as chips).  

[Rich Douglas]

34 minutes ago, J_Tizzle said:

 

I have been spending time as the weather improves working on my wedges with a Mevo+ and the 64* goes a max about 70 yards

Interesting, because a lot of players won't use the LW on full swings, opting instead to use shorter swings with an SW. Because I have single-length irons (5-iron through sand wedge), the traditional LW feels too different on a full swing, while my sand wedge--the same length as the rest of the irons--does not.

[J_Tizzle]

55 minutes ago, Rich Douglas said:

Interesting, because a lot of players won't use the LW on full swings, opting instead to use shorter swings with an SW. Because I have single-length irons (5-iron through sand wedge), the traditional LW feels too different on a full swing, while my sand wedge--the same length as the rest of the irons--does not.

 

I guess I meant full for my wedge swing, lol.  Plus it's just a personal thing for me, I like firm hit wedges, but that could also be why I'm not a great wedge player :).