Wedge setup

[Fore444]

Hi everyone, 

I’m quite new into golf, been playing since last year, currently at hcp 20.

After playing a while with my set of TM Sim Max irons I’m starting to feel like a few more short game options would be good on top of the strongly lofted 43.5 degree PW and 54 SW. Does it make sense to go for the sim2 AW and LW since they should feel similar and at 49 and 59 exactly fill the loft gaps? Or should I rather switch to dedicated wedges like the SM8, MD Jaws etc. in eg. 48, 54, 60 and replace the SW. Also, bounce of the Sims is 9 degrees on AW to LW, wouldn’t it make sense to eg. have a high bounce SW and low bounce LW for variability?

I was happy slowly figuring out my setup on the long end of the bag, but with all the options on wedges with bounce, grinds etc. I’m just confused what would fit my game.

[gentles]

I would look at getting the sim gap wedge and then look at a dedicated sand and lob wedge. Your gap wedge will be mainly a full swing club so you want it to look and feel like your iron sets. 
 

As for the sand and lob, one option is to get a higher bounce sand and lower bounce lob wedge to give you a couple options.

 

as you improve you might look to get a specialised gap and even pitching wedge but I’d say the sim would be fine for now

[Sean124]

1 hour ago, gentles said:

I would look at getting the sim gap wedge and then look at a dedicated sand and lob wedge. Your gap wedge will be mainly a full swing club so you want it to look and feel like your iron sets. 
 

As for the sand and lob, one option is to get a higher bounce sand and lower bounce lob wedge to give you a couple options.

 

as you improve you might look to get a specialised gap and even pitching wedge but I’d say the sim would be fine for now

I agree with this. A 20 handicap with a low lofted PW will probably benefit most from a gap wedge that matches the set. 
 

Traditional 54 (higher bounce) and 58 (mid to lower bounce) wedges would probably round that out nicely. I wouldn’t get too hung up on the details beyond that. You’ll figure out what works and adjust from there. 
 

My wife is probably a 30 hdcp and gets along fine with a similar setup with my old Vokeys and a PXG 0211 gap wedge that matches her irons. 

Edited July 16, 2021 by Sean124

[teedub21]

I'd get the set gap wedge and for now skip on a lob wedge, but thats just me.  Maybe replace the 54 degree "sand wedge" with a more specialty SW at 56 degrees.  

[Pepperturbo]

At your stage, I would not make a big deal out what wedges to carry.  Pick wedges with High bounce and lofts that fit the spread in your bag.

[ChipNRun]

Most beginners hit simple square-face wedge shots. Set wedges are fine for this.

 

After a couple of seasons, you could try some specialty wedge grinds if you wanted to try more exciting shot-making. (Caution: exciting has payoff when it works, but major pain when it doesn't)

 

And LW should be the last one you add. Wait a couple of seasons. It's an unusual club, and usually takes quite a bit of practice to master.

[betarhoalphadelta]

I agree with what's said... At this point the set AW will fit nicely. For the most part, high-cappers like us probably benefit more from having LESS options than more... It's all about learning to execute with one club, and then you can look at other things down the road.

 

That said, I'm not exactly doing that. My clubs stock had a 40* 9i, 45* PW, and 50* GW, with 4* gaps down the rest of the set. When I had them built, I had them bend the PW to 44* and the GW to 48*. I then bought [and hopefully will arrive today] wedges from Sub70 in 52/10, 54/12, and 60/6. 

 

My view is that the PW and GW will basically be played as 10i and 11i clubs, essentially. I.e. their primary purpose will be full swings rather than "wedges". Frankly, for the set they're replacing, the PW is basically what my 9i loft used to be, and the GW is about what my PW loft used to be... Currently from range work with the new clubs, my rough estimate is that the 9i is 150y carry, PW is about 140y carry, and GW is about 125-130y carry (could be off +/- ; I don't trust range rocks OR my range's distance markers).

 

From there the 52 will be my primary short game club. From ~120 in, that will be the one I grab most of the time. The goal is to be GREAT with that club, and so I want to learn it like the back of my hand... The 56 will be used for sand and fluffy lies in the rough, as SoCal muni courses are very hard ground so that much bounce doesn't play well off tighter lies. And then the 60 will be used mainly when I really need loft and to control runout, and I chose the low bounce because I may need to play it off tight lies. 

 

Will it work? I guess we'll see, right? But if you don't want to follow the advice everyone else has given, and that I've given [but don't follow myself], it gives you another look at potential options.

[TarHeelGolfer2325]

Like a couple others have said, the set A (gap wedge) would be most beneficial to you. It will provide more forgiveness than a “specialty” gap wedge and help with gapping. From there, I’d think about what is more important as a 20 HCP. If you are a higher handicap that has really good distance and your strokes add up on your approach shots, chipping and putting then I’d go 54 and 58. 54 is great for anything from a full shot to a chip around the green. I use my 58 as my lob and sand wedge. 
 

Opposite of that, If you need more options in the longer clubs…I’d go with a set gap wedge, then a 56 degree (mid/standard bounce). It can be used for anything around the green and in the sand. Gives you another club to put in another hybrid or wood. 

[Shushwap]

Cbx 2 for a sand wedge... any high cap should not be looking at vokeys or anything along those lines...

Put forgiveness in your short game with the Cleveland CBX 2 Wedge. It provides off-the-charts forgiveness thanks to a new Hollow-Cavity, while the Dynamic Sole boosts all-around versatility. The Cleveland CBX 2 is a forgiving, versatile wedge optimized for golfers who play cavity back irons

why do people play cavity back irons only to play blade wedges..

I think more people could benefit from more help with there wedges 

I love mine and u will never pry them put of my hands.. 

my wedge is by far the best part of my game 

[Hat Trick]

Simple is better...  Gap wedge to match your set and a 56 with about 10 degrees bounce to handle all your other work.  Then you don't have to decide between a 54 and 58.

[Fore444]

Thanks for all your feedback, looks like I should look at the Sim2 gap wedge to close the distance gap between PW and SW for full shots, hopefully that feels very similar to my original Sims from last year.

 

As a younger, rather athletic type of player in my late 20s distance is not really the issue in the long end, but consistency and precision. Therefore I don’t see the need for one more club here, since distance gaps are quite even from Driver to 3W, 5W, 4H, 5 iron…

 

As of now I do almost all approach shots within 100 yards with the 54SW and really like to play around with shot types, open face etc., not just hitting straight, square face shots, which so far worked out ok for my level (well, with some drastical mishits of course every now and then). But this was exactly the intention for a LW, not having to play the SW quite floppy when short sided and with fast greens (with high risk and varying return), but be able to move to more of a standard chip that still lands soft and sits faster, that can be repeated more often then “specialty shots”. 
I guess everything that brings more consistency to my game would help, since my spread of scores is huge at the moment, from low to mid 80s at best, to over 100 when things don’t work and I lack consistency again.

[SwingMan]

On 7/16/2021 at 5:15 AM, Fore444 said:

Hi everyone, 

I’m quite new into golf, been playing since last year, currently at hcp 20.

After playing a while with my set of TM Sim Max irons I’m starting to feel like a few more short game options would be good on top of the strongly lofted 43.5 degree PW and 54 SW. Does it make sense to go for the sim2 AW and LW since they should feel similar and at 49 and 59 exactly fill the loft gaps? Or should I rather switch to dedicated wedges like the SM8, MD Jaws etc. in eg. 48, 54, 60 and replace the SW. Also, bounce of the Sims is 9 degrees on AW to LW, wouldn’t it make sense to eg. have a high bounce SW and low bounce LW for variability?

I was happy slowly figuring out my setup on the long end of the bag, but with all the options on wedges with bounce, grinds etc. I’m just confused what would fit my game.

 

Unless you have wedge game, forget the Lob Wedge for now.

[driveandputtmachine]

As others have said, get the set Gap Wedge.  Then get a sand wedge.  I would not recommend a golfer with a handicap over 10 getting a lob wedge, with some exceptions.   Never, never, never get a low bounce wedge, your repeatability of swing being a high handicapper is low and a low or even some mid bounce wedges will cost you shots.  Sure every once in awhile you'll hit a good shot with it, but maybe 1 out of 6 or so shots, the other 5 with cost you at least one shot, sometimes two.

 

Now, I have a friend that was a 29 handicapper, he wanted to get better.  He played college soccer and is a pretty good athlete.   He wanted a practice and planner to help him get better.  We started with putting and practicing.  He dropped down to a 25 with putting practice once a week, his three and four putts dropped dramatically.  He was much better from inside of 10 feet as well.   

 

Next was chipping and pitching, he got good enough where he was making better contact and hitting 8,9,pw,GW,SW for chip and pitch shots.   He lowered his handicap to a 20.   I told him at that point he could get a LW (which for him is 58*) with a high bounce and he plays straight forward shot with it.  Trying to play a hero shot he sees on TV, he does not have that skill set, and most golfer over a 5 handicap do not have that skillset either.  It is a way to waste shots.