64 degree wedge, who has one and who has had one?

[bekgolf]

I'm bored out of my skull and currently housebound with no golf in the future for a few months.  The boredom has brought out an old copy of the short game bible and right now a 64 degree wedge makes sense. 

 

Has anyone been down this path and regretted the purchase?  I would plan to use it for short sided must carry and stop on a dime chips, I have room for it.

[sheamclkel]

I have experienced this same feeling and I do not own a 64 degree.

 

I don't use it all the time, more situationally depending on the course I am going to play, if I can take a longer club out that I will not need then the 64 goes in.

 

It is fantastic to elevate the ball and stop when needed. I also really like it 50 yards and in! As a guy that hits more low flighted shots, this makes it very simple to elevate the golf ball.

[kkennedy]

I've dabbled with one. I would go rounds without using it but when the situation called for it, it performed admirably. I didn't find much consistency using anything more than I would say a 60% shot, but again short sided flops were terrific. 

 

Ultimately, I took it out of the bag simply because I didn't have room for it with my set-up and the hybrid I carry was more valuable. 

 

If you have room in the bag, I would say go for it 

[BYK]

I carry one off and on

It's a fun club to play, especially around the greens

[MelloYello]

One time I had a 60^o that I bent a few degrees weak just to add some bounce. 

 

Seemed excessive to me from a loft perspective.

 

Long story short, anything beyond 60^o seems very unnecessary in all but the most extreme of circumstances. 

[getair23]

I've had one in the bag forever and don't see a time where I would not carry one.  I don't carry a 3 wood (unless needed then I take out the 5w), so there is an extra spot in my bag for the 64*.

[bazinky]

I currently have one in the bag, primarily for use on my home course due to the small, firm greens. Good for short-sided chips and full 50 to 60 yard shots that need to stop on a dime. Biggest mistake you can make trying to do too much with it. For me, it is not a club that responds well when you try and hit it hard, and distance control on partial shots (other than short chips and pitches) is really difficult. 

 

That said, at my home course I end often up with about 5-6 full shots a round (in addition to some chips and pitches) that are a perfect fit for my 64, so it stays in play.  

 

 

[Dan Drake]

I have one and it is very much in contention for a full time bag spot in 2023.  It is a very useful tool, but like every tool, it has to be used to accomplish the job for which it was intended.

 

The "danger" in carrying a HIGH lofted wedge is using it in the wrong situation.  And this can be a VERY easy trap to fall into, because a properly executed shot with a high lofted wedge is somewhat intoxicating and, unlike hitting a driver high & far, it is a shot that almost all of us can pull off, at least occasionally.  

 

Give it a go, practice with it, and use it when it is appropriate and you will have added another scoring weapon to your arsenal.  

Edited December 22, 2022 by Dan Drake

[kenoli22]

I have one and didn't find anything I could do with it that I can't do with a 60.  On full shots for whatever reason it came out low with a lot of spin most of the time.  I haven't had it in the bag for a while now.

[Wham49]

52 minutes ago, bekgolf said:

I'm bored out of my skull and currently housebound with no golf in the future for a few months.  The boredom has brought out an old copy of the short game bible and right now a 64 degree wedge makes sense. 

 

Has anyone been down this path and regretted the purchase?  I would plan to use it for short sided must carry and stop on a dime chips, I have room for it.

I have messed with one from time to time, I do not love the look at adress of it, I have a Cleveland 588 one of the old ones. I settled on a Vokey 62 and love it, fits my eye better, the 64 I found I cant judge the ball off of it very well the 62 I can, play with it sometimes messing around, but if you find one you like could be a great club

[MtlJeff]

1 hour ago, bekgolf said:

I'm bored out of my skull and currently housebound with no golf in the future for a few months.  The boredom has brought out an old copy of the short game bible and right now a 64 degree wedge makes sense. 

 

Has anyone been down this path and regretted the purchase?  I would plan to use it for short sided must carry and stop on a dime chips, I have room for it.

 

I used a 64 for 1-2 seasons and at the end of the day i wasn't crazy about it. The reason being that chipping needed to be just too precise. You have to fly it closer to the hole which means a bit more swing and more variables in play. Too many times i'd short arm it a bit and leave myself longer putts

 

Now....LOVED it out of the bunker. But i wasn't in enough bunkers to make it worth it, especially considering i wasn't awful with a 60 out of bunkers

 

Also a 64 is basically useless from outside like 20 yards. 

 

Unless you're playing with 13 clubs now i wouldn't drop something for one

[cardoustie]

One of the most used clubs in my bag, indispensable really

[iknowbagu]

I had one, very much a one trick pony. I found a 62° far more useful, but even that had limited utility. Right now just running 60° as my highest wedge. I'd play 62° again if the bag composition called for it, never 64°.

[cgasucks]

Don't have need for a 64 since a 56 can do just as well by opening the face with more bounce and compliments my gaps well with my other clubs on full swings.

[f123acez]

62 vokey. Disaster of an experiment that now collects dust. Back to 58 being my highest loft.

[DB Golf]

I inherited a 64 MacGregor Sand-n-Grass when I first started getting back into the game, and I still put it in the bag on short courses. I absolutely love hitting it when I’m short sided and have to get over something—as long as I’m not on a tight lie. 

[Titleist_PT23]

I'd give it a try.  To me, the 64* is useless vs a 60* is just the same as 56* vs 60*.  The statement is completely true or untrue depending on one's skills, practice, etc.

 

Personally, I like to chip, pitch (i.e. anything but a flop or bunkers) with a 54*.  The next club can be anywhere between 58* and 64* and it is all kind of the same; only used for partial shots around the green.  Maybe one day I will try and 89* wedge!

[cardoustie]

3 hours ago, MtlJeff said:

 

I used a 64 for 1-2 seasons and at the end of the day i wasn't crazy about it. The reason being that chipping needed to be just too precise. You have to fly it closer to the hole which means a bit more swing and more variables in play. Too many times i'd short arm it a bit and leave myself longer putts

 

Now....LOVED it out of the bunker. But i wasn't in enough bunkers to make it worth it, especially considering i wasn't awful with a 60 out of bunkers

 

Also a 64 is basically useless from outside like 20 yards. 

 

Unless you're playing with 13 clubs now i wouldn't drop something for one

I think a 64 is great for full 75 yard shots or partial shots inside 50 .. maybe my sole grind is just right for me 

[MtlJeff]

21 minutes ago, cardoustie said:

I think a 64 is great for full 75 yard shots or partial shots inside 50 .. maybe my sole grind is just right for me 

 

If you can hit a 64 degree 75 yards you're an animal my man!!!!!

[azgreg]

I have one. It's in the garage where it belongs.

 

[Drivingrangehero]

I bought one because I have the chipping yips……. It didn’t help 😝 

 

I tried to make full swings with it from 60 yards out, because my half swings were all part of the yips……terrible…….. part of it was being away from the game for a while, but I hit many more fat than I ever have before, my misses are generally thin,  so needless to say it’s not in the bag! 
 

 

 

[postfold]

I have one, but it's rarely in the bag.  It was quite handy to play out of the viciously deep bunkers adjoining firm greens at my home course, but if I'm playing decently that's maybe one or two shots a round.  Didn't really use it for anything else, so that slot is usually occupied by something else.

[ShortGolfer]

I don't swing hard enough for a 64.  I have a Callaway Mac Daddy 60/12 that I've used to dig out of the rough to hit and stop short sided with a full swing.

I have room in the bag for five wedges.  Two low bounce, two high bounce, and a 52/10 mid bounce. 😀 

[JDSPGA]

Ordered one just for the hell of it a few years ago to try. Played one or two rounds and took it out of the bag never to be seen again. Got me into more trouble than good trying to hit hero shots. It's not worth the spot in the bag unless you are Phil Mickelson. But that's just my opinion!

[gator022]

I have a PM Grind 64*.  Carried it for a while and still have it but it’s not in the bag at the moment. I’d echo what most have said here and it’s a situational club. If used properly can be a total get out of jail club.  When I tried to hit full to fuller shots, it was a disaster. Greenside or in a bunker was amazing.

 

I think it can be a perfect “15th club” if you can find a way to rotate it in or out as needed depending on where you play.

[Banker144]

I have one and don’t play without it.  We have a lot of elevated greens and it’s perfect for lobbing high and stopping the ball when you miss the green.  I also use it from 60 yards and in on full shots 

[Roejye]

Bought one a couple years ago for a couple reason. One was for when I short sided myself and two was during that time I was having trouble holding greens in that situation. I bought one of those huge sole ones so it almost looks like a hybrid in the bag, mostly to keep from trying stuff I shouldn't try. It was okay, but very much a one trick pony for me and very inconsistent on anything other than greenside chips. I actually pulled it this year because I played more courses this year and I needed to cover more gaps at the front of the bag and just manipulated the 60 and got roughly the same results.

 

That being said, I'm a big proponent of having specialty tools in the bag if you have the space which you say you do, so why not?

[steventoo]

My favourite wedge of all time is a first generation 64 degree PM Grind. I've retired it and have a 62 degree SM9 in the bag now, but the PM Grind was fantastic: greenside bunkers were automatic and it was a superb short game club, and was perfect for those times when I left myself short-sided and needed a big, high, spinny flop or a short pitch to a tricky pin. And the grind gave me the ability to open it right up and play a high speed swing from a side-hill lie above the green (pretty common at my course) and get it to stop quickly. I couldn't tell you how far it went - I don't think I ever wanted or needed to use it for distance, but it was perfect for creativity and finesse. 

 

I bring it out of retirement every so often. I haven't found another wedge quite like it.

Edited December 21, 2022 by steventoo
Words

[mpf08796]

My brother went down this road with a PM grind 64. Its a niche club at best , but it can come in quite handy at times. He does well with it and his ball striking can be lack luster. Our local course has raised greens and it works well. Go for it

[Dan Drake]

2 hours ago, MtlJeff said:

 

If you can hit a 64 degree 75 yards you're an animal my man!!!!!

Can confirm, is animal…….