Wedge Gapping Golf Galaxy

[bluelinegolfer]

Anyone used Golf Galaxy and their staff for a wedge gapping session.  Thoughts? pros/cons??

[st1800e]

Haven’t done that, but hitting wedges of mats, often worn out mats, is a far cry from hitting off turf.  So the result is often suspect.  

[grochol17]

12 hours ago, bluelinegolfer said:

Anyone used Golf Galaxy and their staff for a wedge gapping session.  Thoughts? pros/cons??

 

Hitting off of a mat tends to result in higher launch and lower spin than off of turf, so I'd be worried about how you go about getting proper gapping when your launch conditions are off.  I've never done it, so maybe they have figured it out, but that would be something I'd want to know the answer to before paying them any money for the session.

[bluelinegolfer]

4 hours ago, grochol17 said:

 

Hitting off of a mat tends to result in higher launch and lower spin than off of turf, so I'd be worried about how you go about getting proper gapping when your launch conditions are off.  I've never done it, so maybe they have figured it out, but that would be something I'd want to know the answer to before paying them any money for the session.

I tend to agree that hitting off mats is no where near the same.  At the same time I would probably lean that these places like GolfTec, Club Champion, PGA SuperStore, Golf Galaxy and for that matter the simulator makers have probably figured out how to account for the difference in turf and mats otherwise I think their business of fittings, gap sessions, ball fittings, etc would be obsolete by now.

 

[grochol17]

35 minutes ago, bluelinegolfer said:

I tend to agree that hitting off mats is no where near the same.  At the same time I would probably lean that these places like GolfTec, Club Champion, PGA SuperStore, Golf Galaxy and for that matter the simulator makers have probably figured out how to account for the difference in turf and mats otherwise I think their business of fittings, gap sessions, ball fittings, etc would be obsolete by now.

 

 

I wouldn't be so sure that they have figured out how to account for the mats.  Or, at the very least, I'd assume that it is dependent on how good the fitter is rather than assuming that the industry as a whole has figured it out. 

 

My guess is that, rather than fitting for absolute distances, you could fit relative distances to get the gapping right.  Let's say you want 10 yards between your short irons, then you would start with say your 9i as a reference point and then adjust your PW to be 10 shorter than whatever distance the LM says for your 9i, make your next wedge 10 shorter than your PW, etc.  I would guess that would be pretty good unless the issue with spin off of mats gets weird as you go to shorter club. 

 

Maybe @Howard_Jones or @Stuart_G has some insight about wedge gapping indoors...

[bluelinegolfer]

5 hours ago, grochol17 said:

 

Hitting off of a mat tends to result in higher launch and lower spin than off of turf, so I'd be worried about how you go about getting proper gapping when your launch conditions are off.  I've never done it, so maybe they have figured it out, but that would be something I'd want to know the answer to before paying them any money for the session.

Honestly, I don't know why I even want or need to do it.   I think I am gapped pretty good at the bottom of the bag.   Mavrik 9 iron (36*), Mavrik PW (41*), Mavrik AW (46*), Mavrik GW (51*), Callaway Jaws SW (56*).   I am probably just wasting my time.

 

[Stuart_G]

18 minutes ago, grochol17 said:

Maybe @Howard_Jones or @Stuart_G has some insight about wedge gapping indoors...

 

Nothing I've had the chance to validate - but if it were me, I'd try hitting them tee'd up a small amount.  Likely more accurate numbers than directly off the mat.

 

e.g.

https://www.sennagolftee.com/

 

[Mikey_HACKilroy]

Sometimes we just need an excuse to go do some golf activity like a fitting, gapping or something else. 😄 😄

[Howard_Jones]

20 hours ago, grochol17 said:

 

I wouldn't be so sure that they have figured out how to account for the mats.  Or, at the very least, I'd assume that it is dependent on how good the fitter is rather than assuming that the industry as a whole has figured it out. 

 

My guess is that, rather than fitting for absolute distances, you could fit relative distances to get the gapping right.  Let's say you want 10 yards between your short irons, then you would start with say your 9i as a reference point and then adjust your PW to be 10 shorter than whatever distance the LM says for your 9i, make your next wedge 10 shorter than your PW, etc.  I would guess that would be pretty good unless the issue with spin off of mats gets weird as you go to shorter club. 

 

Maybe @Howard_Jones or @Stuart_G has some insight about wedge gapping indoors...

What we get is numbers "all else equal", in this case from the same mat. 
If gaps from PW to GW is 10 yard indoor, we expect it to be the same out door, again "all else equal, now from the same turf hitting PW vs GW...So just like a bending machine operates in RELATIVE numbers (for loft and lie), NOT TRUE numbers, its kind of the same we deal with with launch monitors. We get a "relative compare" between 2 clubs used under the same conditions, but it does not mean it will be those numbers outdoor, (launch, spin, descent and carry), but the RELATIVE difference should be "true" enough. (10 yard gaps if thats the return values) 

Edited August 16, 2023 by Howard_Jones