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Lob Wedge or No-Lob Wedge


rickybooby25

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Most of my golf these days is walk and carry with a short bag (8-10 clubs) so it's 50° and 56° those days. When it's a full bag I love to have my lob wedge in there.

 

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2 hours ago, RolandofGilead said:

I get most of my takes from Geoff Shackelford and the No Laying Up crew,

 

I used to read Goeff's blog all the time. I need to check in on him!

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Driver:  Tour Edge EXS 10.5° (base loft); weights neutral   ||  FWs:  Calla Rogue 4W + 7W

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Wedges*:  Calla MD3: 48°... MD4: 54°, 58° ||  PutterΨSeeMore FGP + SuperStroke 1.0PT, 33" shaft

Ball: 1. Srixon Q-Star Tour / 2. Calla SuperHot (Orange preferred)  ||  Bag: Sun Mountain Three 5 stand bag

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If you can hit a lob wedge with good results then it should go in the bag.  I have used one before, but I do better just opening the blade on a 50 degree wedge (a very thin 50 degree wedge).

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14 hours ago, ThinkingPlus said:

I would think most amateurs would be better served bagging an LW rather than a 4 iron, but maybe that's just my strange thinking.

Using a LW leaves less margin for error.  With your cap I could see why you would benefit from a Lw more.  Not so for Amateurs in the 8-20 cap range.

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Read my first post.  Less margin for error on "normal chips on flat surfaces to flat surfaces.  Only use loft when one needs to get the ball on top of another level in the green and stop it fast.  My chipping stroke is just a a variant of my putting stroke.  My goal is to get the ball o the green and down as soon as possible so it rolls out like a putt.  Everyone slamming me is talking about pitches from 40 to 70 yds.  A CHIP is not a PITCH and vice versa!

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12 minutes ago, dhacker56 said:

Read my first post.  Less margin for error on "normal chips on flat surfaces to flat surfaces.  Only use loft when one needs to get the ball on top of another level in the green and stop it fast.  My chipping stroke is just a a variant of my putting stroke.  My goal is to get the ball o the green and down as soon as possible so it rolls out like a putt.  Everyone slamming me is talking about pitches from 40 to 70 yds.  A CHIP is not a PITCH and vice versa!

A flat 20' chip on stimp 12 greens I am using the most loft I have.

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5 minutes ago, ThinkingPlus said:

...but I haven't played a 4 iron in 15 years.

So use the lowest loft club you have.  It requires practice to learn the rollout for the distance chipped in the air.  Something that someone of your obvious prowess can do quite easily.  I average 75-80% up and down or up and in. 

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1 minute ago, dhacker56 said:

So use the lowest loft club you have.  It requires practice to learn the rollout for the distance chipped in the air.  Something that someone of your obvious prowess can do quite easily.  I average 75-80% up and down or up and in. 

I use everything from my 4 hybrid to my 58° LW.  It is always based on speed, slope, and lie as to which I choose.  I use the higher lofted clubs much more often than the lower ones because of slope and green speeds.

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4 minutes ago, ThinkingPlus said:

I use everything from my 4 hybrid to my 58° LW.  It is always based on speed, slope, and lie as to which I choose.  I use the higher lofted clubs much more often than the lower ones because of slope and green speeds.

that is exactly what my point is.

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22 hours ago, dhacker56 said:

So use the lowest loft club you have.  It requires practice to learn the rollout for the distance chipped in the air.  Something that someone of your obvious prowess can do quite easily.  I average 75-80% up and down or up and in. 

Impressive up/down, up/in percentage!

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On 4/24/2021 at 9:54 PM, azgreg said:

Most of my golf these days is walk and carry with a short bag (8-10 clubs) so it's 50° and 56° those days. When it's a full bag I love to have my lob wedge in there.

 

Last summer I played with a short bag and loved it!  I was thinking about ordering custom irons/lofts from NCW to build a short set, but I was too scared to pull the trigger and play with a short set full-time.

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Driver: Titleist TSR3 (9 degrees) - Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black Patriot 6X (45")

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Irons: Miura TC-201 (4-PW) - Shaft: Nippon Modus3 120TX

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I use a 46, 52, 58 wedge setup.

 

The 58 I utilize for green side bunker shots, or pitch shots where I want the ball to have minimal rollout. I alternate between the 52 and 58 for chipping, depending on the conditions.

 

I'm a weekend hacker, but from a ball striking perspective I'm very comfortable with my 58. 

 

I will say that my ability to score is held back by my short game and approach shot strategy, which I'm really starting to rethink. I need to develop a better understanding of my pitch shot distances, I have a tendency to leave balls either short or beyond the green on less then full length approach shots, and it's not due to my ball striking ability. I'm now thinking that it would be more advantageous to purposely leave myself with a known club length into the green (i.e. a ~125 yard PW shot), rather then trying to get as close as possible for a try with a random distance (~50-70 yard) pitch shot. 

 

I need to dust off Dave Pelz's short game bible and come up with a system to understand my yardages...

 

Anyways, my point is that we have a tendency to focus more on the gear then ourselves. In my specific case, it's me and not the clubs holding me back. I don't think my scores would change much if you changed out my LW for something else. 

 

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On 4/23/2021 at 12:41 PM, Ri_Redneck said:

A Lob Wedge is a tool. If you need THAT TOOL, then you should carry one. If you don't, then you shouldn't. I played for years with a 56° wedge as my highest loft. I could hit soft flop shots with it as long as the lie was suitable. Once I got a 60° wedge AND learned how to use it, I found that I could hit those soft shots in even tighter lies. I found this to be of benefit on some courses, so it became a part of my bag and I dropped a long iron. 

 

Do I use my 60 for chips? Very rarely. I use it for flops and soft pitches on fast downslopes. I use it sometimes for low checkers, but that shot can be hit with just about any wedge. You just have to use the proper one for the distance you have. In greenside chipping, I look at the distance, slope and contour of the green when choosing the club to use. It may be my 60 or it may be a 5i. It all depends on what I need the ball to do.

 

BT

I'm in this camp.  I try to only use my lob wedge only when necessary....that means if I'm using it I made a mistake or my course management skills were poor.  I do make mistakes, and am not a good enough golfer not to.   The 56 gets the heaviest use and will replace that club I'm guessing well before my other wedges.  

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I use a 54 and a 57.  54 is what I use for most of my chipping and the 57 for when I need to stop it more quickly on the green.  If I use lofts higher than that then I start leaving those shots short - going right under them.  But, I think it depends on the person.  If you struggle to get the ball up in the air enough on your short shots, then definitely go to the 60, 62 or 64 if needed to help - there's nothing wrong with that - why not let technology help you out.  I definitely agree that a lob wedge can become a crutch and you can find yourself using it too often, and then you're leaving your chip shots short.

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Well, for whatever it's worth, both Faldo & Baker-Finch advocate use of your highest lofted wedge w/a putting stroke when chipping near the green. Easier said than done for us mere mortals. I found that an old fashioned Northwestern bronze chipper w/no grooves &  large cambered sole is pretty much the easiest club for my challenged chipping game. It'a just difficult at times to find a spot in the bag for it unless I know I will be playing a course w/short grass around the greens. Mix in the anticipated ribbing I ultimately get for having such a club in my bag, lol  But, when I usually have alot of success w/it, makes it easier to take the jabs.

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19 minutes ago, Luke'sdad said:

Well, for whatever it's worth, both Faldo & Baker-Finch advocate use of your highest lofted wedge w/a putting stroke when chipping near the green. Easier said than done for us mere mortals. I found that an old fashioned Northwestern bronze chipper w/no grooves &  large cambered sole is pretty much the easiest club for my challenged chipping game. It'a just difficult at times to find a spot in the bag for it unless I know I will be playing a course w/short grass around the greens. Mix in the anticipated ribbing I ultimately get for having such a club in my bag, lol  But, when I usually have alot of success w/it, makes it easier to take the jabs.

I've honestly never found a *chip* shot (i.e. a short shot that does not have to fly over an obstacle) that I can't hit as well with a big, heavy mallet putter as I can with one of those specialty chippers. And I've tried all styles from the ancient Ping Chip-O to the Callaway two-ball one a few years back to the Cleveland Smart Sole.

 

Then again, compared to the putters people were mostly using 20 years ago my high-MOI putter probably looks more like a chipper anyway! 

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10 minutes ago, North Butte said:

I've honestly never found a *chip* shot (i.e. a short shot that does not have to fly over an obstacle) that I can't hit as well with a big, heavy mallet putter as I can with one of those specialty chippers. And I've tried all styles from the ancient Ping Chip-O to the Callaway two-ball one a few years back to the Cleveland Smart Sole.

 

Then again, compared to the putters people were mostly using 20 years ago my high-MOI putter probably looks more like a chipper anyway! 

I putt everything I can.  Anything from the fringe that doesn't have obstructions plus good lies and down grain from the 2nd cut.  Rolling one up to within a couple feet is usually a good play even if chances of a make are reduced. 😉

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Technically, I suppose, I carry two lob wedges, though I consider my 58* my sand wedge.  The addition of the 64* has allowed me to hit aggressive shots, rather than "finessing", or "feathering" shots.  My short chipping, pitching, and sand game has improved greatly.  I find using my 58 for longer shots has been helpful, as I don't have to manipulate the face as much, and can accelerate through impact more, which helps me make better contact, and impart more spin. 

Granted, I'm a 20-25 rounds a year guy who has limited practice time, so simplifying my game has really helped.  If I had more time to work on things, perhaps the 64 wouldn't be as helpful, but I can't even think about playing without it, now.

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May I ask how much you guys practice with your LW´s?

 

Since I have watched some PGAs practice this particular club a lot and I this year just added a 62 to my 52/58 and plan to excercise it a lot.

 

Because I see the upside with IF I spend practice time with it. 

 

Just curious and I do hope I not offend anyone

 

 

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On 4/25/2021 at 6:54 AM, dhacker56 said:

Read my first post.  Less margin for error on "normal chips on flat surfaces to flat surfaces.  Only use loft when one needs to get the ball on top of another level in the green and stop it fast.  My chipping stroke is just a a variant of my putting stroke.  My goal is to get the ball o the green and down as soon as possible so it rolls out like a putt.  Everyone slamming me is talking about pitches from 40 to 70 yds.  A CHIP is not a PITCH and vice versa!

We're different in when to use loft, but I agree.  A Chip is not a Pitch and my chipping stroke and putter stroke are relatively the same.  Too often people confuse the two.  On the apron to a tight pin 12-15' away on fast greens, I use my 58' leading edge and hit above the equator of the ball or using putting grip/stroke lifting the heel to chip with the toe, which allows me to control distance and spin.  The difference between a chip and pitch for me is measured by how far into the green the ball lands and runs. 

 

A few weeks back ball was 10' off the front apron of a large green, multiple undulations and pin located on small section in the upper left back.  Throwing the ball to the back level wasn't wise due to speed of green.  Two things could happen; ball could easily run off the back or check and spin backwards down to the middle of the green.  I used PW, and hit a low pitch into the middle of the green hitting the 2nd undulation, it released and run nicely up the 5' elevated section and finished 3' from the pin, saved par.  I call that a little pitch because it carried so far into the green and ran a comparable length.

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