Using Only One Specialty Wedge

[Nelson.br.1515]

I find myself playing my 58* wedge for 95% of any shots around the green or any not full shots. I decided to go ahead and just buy the set sand wedge since it is just a distance gap filler club for me. Just a random hypothetical…if you could only play one speciality wedge in your set (other wedges had to match your iron set) what would you play? Brand, loft, bounce sole grind? 
 

For me it’s a PING Glide 3.0 58.08 Eye 2, love how versatile it can be. 

[eric61]

For me it'd be a 58 degree Vokey SM8 in the M grind. 

 

I like a high-bounce and a low-bounce specialty wedge, but the M grind is the most versatile for me. Easy to play open and closed. 58 degrees is great out of the sand, and 8 degrees of bounce isn't perfect but it'll help. Anything I can't get to with the 58, I'd use my set gap wedge at 51. It's a big gap, but I think I could mostly make it work.

[lefthack]

My 52 does 90% of my wedge duties unless in soft sand or fluffy rough, then it's my slightly high bounce 56. It works for everything 110 yards and in. 

 

My "typical" set is a 4-PW and 2 spec wedges, 52/56.

[Bye]

I’m not sure I could, but if I had to it would probably be a 56 Vokey M grind.

 

It would definitely be limiting though.

[OnTheBag]

19 minutes ago, lefthack said:

My 52 does 90% of my wedge duties unless in soft sand or fluffy rough, then it's my slightly high bounce 56. It works for everything 110 yards and in. 

 

My "typical" set is a 4-PW and 2 spec wedges, 52/56.

I'm not hitting my 56 that far, but similar concept to my game.  I use my 52 and PW around the green more than anything else.  My 56 is for the sand or a full shot from 75 yards and in.  I currently have a Callaway PM Grind 56/10.  I'd like to have a Mizuno 56.  My 52 is a Mizzy S18 and I hit it more consistently than the Callaway.  Must be a match between the grind and my swing angle.

[lefthack]

I don't think I've ever hit my 56 full swing. My 52 works great off the tee, there are 2 short par 3's that are either 52 or PW at McKay. But I have used it for sand.

 

I just got a 48 and 52 from Haywood and I replaced my set PW. I will order a 56 next payday to round out the set. Really like the Haywood's.

[Smalldivot]

25 minutes ago, lefthack said:

I don't think I've ever hit my 56 full swing. My 52 works great off the tee, there are 2 short par 3's that are either 52 or PW at McKay. But I have used it for sand.

 

I just got a 48 and 52 from Haywood and I replaced my set PW. I will order a 56 next payday to round out the set. Really like the Haywood's.

How well does the grind on hay woods work on soft turf?

[OnTheBag]

40 minutes ago, lefthack said:

I don't think I've ever hit my 56 full swing. My 52 works great off the tee, there are 2 short par 3's that are either 52 or PW at McKay. But I have used it for sand.

 

I just got a 48 and 52 from Haywood and I replaced my set PW. I will order a 56 next payday to round out the set. Really like the Haywood's.

My set is Mizzy MP-18's 5-PW (I use Ping G400 3H and 4H).  I have no complaints at all.  I break out the old Eye2's several times a year and like those as well, but the Mizzy's are by far my favorite.  There is a 6° gap between my 46° PW and the 52, but it seems to work without leaving a gap.  I have tried using a 58 and 60 but at my age I never learned how to use it correctly.  I'm the king of the bump and run with a PW or 9i.

[lefthack]

31 minutes ago, Smalldivot said:

How well does the grind on hay woods work on soft turf?

 

So far it seems to work really well. The courses are soaked right now, but I have been loving the feel of these.

 

Granted, I have not played a ton of different wedges as being lefty makes demos tough. But these seem to be working well for me.

 

Eventually I'll get around to hitting most everything of interest. Mizuno's are real high on the list. But Josh Haywood has been awesome, so I don't mind tossing money at him and his crew.

[Kingcat990]

1 hour ago, lefthack said:

I don't think I've ever hit my 56 full swing. 

 

It's feast or famine. I hit my 56 full pretty often. I always find myself where that's the appropriate club for my distance. Once in awhile, I will skull it. Boy. Makes me want to walk off the course and into traffic after that. 

[lefthack]

2 minutes ago, Kingcat990 said:

 

It's feast or famine. I hit my 56 full pretty often. I always find myself where that's the appropriate club for my distance. Once in awhile, I will skull it. Boy. Makes me want to walk off the course and into traffic after that. 

 

My 56 is a 12 bounce. I can say I've put a little behind it in a trap, but I know I've never hit it off a tee. 

[cgasucks]

For me, it's a 56d SW with a lot of relief on the heel since I open the face a lot to manipulate the loft to that of a LW.  I also like to have it with bounce on the low side since I have a shallower attack angle as my wedge game improved.  

 

I don't care about the make and model, they're all the same to me but would prefer a wedge with really deep and durable grooves.

[Bsudgolf]

Playing off of a 44° PW if I had to use just one specialty wedge it would be my CG14 52° I can make it work from anywhere from 110yds in. If I went to anything else there would be way to much gap for me to make it work. 

[SammyShaf]

I play 712mbs.  I could probably drop my gap wedge and lob wedge and get by with my 56*ATV wedge.  I use my PM Grind spatula for most touch shots, so I can relate to enjoying the eye 2 sole.   

[WristySwing]

16 hours ago, Nelson.br.1515 said:

I find myself playing my 58* wedge for 95% of any shots around the green or any not full shots. I decided to go ahead and just buy the set sand wedge since it is just a distance gap filler club for me. Just a random hypothetical…if you could only play one speciality wedge in your set (other wedges had to match your iron set) what would you play? Brand, loft, bounce sole grind? 
 

For me it’s a PING Glide 3.0 58.08 Eye 2, love how versatile it can be. 

 

Some sort of high bounce, cambered sole thing.  I currently have that in my D-grind vokey and it is my go to.  I had Ping Glide 2 ES 54 and 58 before that and they were money.

[Ger21]

Assuming you can get a set gap and SW, then a 60° low bounce wedge.

 

If my set stops at PW, and I only get one more than a 56-12 or 56-14 SW.

[cgallery]

I've played around with half sets every once in a while and honestly I would be fine with 54 being highest lofted.. mid bounce with a little heel relief. I use my 54 out of the sand anyway and don't ever really need to hit huge floppers. Even if you need to open it up a little and hit a high one, it's possible too. 

[hagimihale]

Tend to use my SW (54* Mizuno S18, 12* bounce) on most shots around the green.  Lay it open a bit more on tighter lies.

 

I do use PW a lot on shots where I want to run the ball up to the hole.

[llewol007]

I play a 52/58 combo but for me the most used is my 58 degree. I can work my PW to cover anything from 125 to about 90 yards. I have the 52 now more for having full wedges versus 3/4 and to shoulder kinda shots. The 58 really gets me in the rest of the way. I would say learning to use a 58 if you really only needed one wedge would probably be it. Easy to get out of bunkers and for anything inside 80 yards I’m good

[texcellence86]

I just recently switched to this setup. Mainly because I finally found a 3i I could hit. Once I knew this club was not leaving the bag I then worked on my wedges. I used to play a SM6 52* and used it 99% of the time for full shots but hated the turf interaction. Went the same route as the OP and bought the T100 "set" 50* and bent it to 52*. Turf interaction was night and day for me, sold my 60* as I almost never used it and now go with the specialty wedge in 58*.

 

This set up allows me to make decisions much easier while playing instead of constantly being in between clubs and second guessing shots.

[Lasorcier]

My set gap wedge is at 51*.  So I use a 56*.  I use it for anything 100 yards and in (assuming flat terrain and no wind).

[ShortGolfer]

I got a 58*  11 bounce, W grind  for tiny fast greens surrounded by thick rough and practicing in the back yard but from a typical course I'd be fine with the  49* AW and 54* SW in my bag.

Edited December 10, 2021 by ShortGolfer

[Bsudgolf]

1 hour ago, llewol007 said:

I play a 52/58 combo but for me the most used is my 58 degree. I can work my PW to cover anything from 125 to about 90 yards. I have the 52 now more for having full wedges versus 3/4 and to shoulder kinda shots. The 58 really gets me in the rest of the way. I would say learning to use a 58 if you really only needed one wedge would probably be it. Easy to get out of bunkers and for anything inside 80 yards I’m good

What is your PW loft? This is my set up as well playing off a 44 PW. But I think I'm gonna add a 48 between My P and 52.

[rkillian]

I've kinda said this before but my approach has changed slightly. Around the green my most used wedge is my 56 but I will I use a similar check-down process to get to it first:

 

Can I putt it? No > Can I bump it with my 23* hybrid? No > Can I chip and run with and Iron or my 52? No > Use 56 unless short-sided, green is very elevated, or requires a more open-faced shot.

 

That said, my iron set tops out at a 48* AW. I really don't think I could choose to get by with just one specialty wedge after that. I would however be willing to try a set matching wedge if one had existed. 

[wakit300]

Yeah, that's not gonna happen for me.  My iron set does not provide a gap/#11 and I use all my non-set wedges (50,56,60) for full, 3/4 & 1/2 swings into greens.  As far as around the greens, I use whatever the shot/lie demands - no restrictions.

[RoyalMustang]

I love the feel of my 58 JAWS with the open grind. I can make anything from 25 yard flop shots to 95 yard full swings with it.  I hit the wedge shot of my life last week with it: 55 yards out, crazy short-sided and I couldn't be long without sending my ball way, way down the green.. I opened up the face, stayed relaxed and patient with the hands, and spun it to within 5 feet of the pin.  

I just got this club (had a Vokey 60 that I wasn't getting along with; great swings but if I wasn't loose, a high risk of a thin shot) and think that I may want to focus my wedge swings on it.  I will keep my 54 and 50 for full swings though as that gapping goes to 105 and 115.  

My coach recommended I just take the 58 and learn bump and run by closing the face in addition to open faced shots with spin and height.  Rather than learn multiple wedges that is.  

 

If playing a 6-club round, I certainly could live with this and my PW. I would just open the face of my PW to bring full swing distance from 135 down to 100; I honestly doubt it would cost me many strokes.  

I would probably go driver, 3H, 7-iron, PW, 58, and putter for that bag.  

Edited December 10, 2021 by RoyalMustang

[llewol007]

41 minutes ago, Bsudgolf said:

What is your PW loft? This is my set up as well playing off a 44 PW. But I think I'm gonna add a 48 between My P and 52.

Yes you are in the same predicament I’m in now. I recently grabbed a set of hot metals and the pw is 44. I now have a 54/58 and can cover the yardages with opened Pw and learning distances using hands to shoulder and hands to ear. I’m able to cover the same yardages now. 

[MMB1500]

I played all last season with just a speciality gap wedge (50 degree). There were definitely times when I needed something with more loft around the greens, but overall I don't think it really affected my scores too much.

 

It also had advantages, in that it really simplified my decision making and also forced me to be a lot more creative with my short game shots. 

Edited December 10, 2021 by MMB1500

[MrCook]

This is a tough one. My set PW is 44 so I need a GW, but I'd definitely play the set GW in stead of a specialty. It's a full shot club for me anyway, would just lose a bit of spin and feel on greenside chipping. After that, I'd merge my 55 with higher bounce and a bit of relief and my 60 with lots of relief into something like a Vokey D with high bounce and lots relief, in hopes it would cover both bases. I'm not so much concerned about the loft, I use my 55 around the greens 9 out of 10 times anyway. But in the few situations where a 60 with low bounce comes in handy, I really want low bounce.

[TallGuy90]

I use to just play a 54 SW. moving to TM m2 Irons and might need to at 48