SM9 60K vs 60 LBK... tell me your experience!

[toastinato]

Long story short, I gave the 60T a try since I play a high bounce 56. Turns out my game isn't good enough for those specialty shots since I'm a bit steeper. I do enjoy higher bounce wedges but decided to give the LBK a try to see if I can find something in between that has a wide sole but also low bounce. Was wondering y'all's experience with either the standard K or the LBK. 
 

I also get a bit indecisive when it comes to deciding what I should do with my 56 and 60. I use the 56 for full shots, around the green and in bunkers. My 60 I really only use around the greens. Do y'all find it useful to use both the 56 and 60 in the sand or do you guys just stick to one? I'm struggling on deciding what the 60 is used for in my game. Thanks in advance! 

Edited August 17, 2023 by toastinato

[Pnwpingi210]

have you tried the d grind?

 

I have a 60 t grind and 60 d grind.

 

The 60 t grind is only in the bag in courses that are super baked out or have really hard packed sand. I’d say 1-2 rounds per 10.  It’s a nice to have.

 

The 60 d grind is the work horse.  I use it short side, in the fairway, in the rough, out of soft sand on short bunkers.  Can lay it open and hit a flop if needed.  The only thing it’s not great for is the clippy shots with nip.   I don’t use it for full shots.  If I had to pick one, I’d take the D grind.  

 

Edited August 17, 2023 by Pnwpingi210

[toastinato]

7 hours ago, Pnwpingi210 said:

have you tried the d grind?

 

I have a 60 t grind and 60 d grind.

 

The 60 t grind is only in the bag in courses that are super baked out or have really hard packed sand. I’d say 1-2 rounds per 10.  It’s a nice to have.

 

The 60 d grind is the work horse.  I use it short side, in the fairway, in the rough, out of soft sand on short bunkers.  Can lay it open and hit a flop if needed.  The only thing it’s not great for is the floppy shots with nip.   I don’t use it for full shots.  If I had to pick one, I’d take the D grind.  

 

I have not! I had a 60 in an S grind that I didn't hate, but I didn't love it. I think my biggest concern was that I already play a 56/14D so I wasn't sure if it was useful to have my 60 in the same specs. 

[Pnwpingi210]

6 minutes ago, toastinato said:

I have not! I had a 60 in an S grind that I didn't hate, but I didn't love it. I think my biggest concern was that I already play a 56/14D so I wasn't sure if it was useful to have my 60 in the same specs. 

Ah yes.  If you already have the d grind in 56 it might be duplicative in a 60. 
 

I do have a 60 standard k.  It’s good in the winter/soggy season and great a full shots but not nearly as versatile as the d or t grind.  Best if used square face only

Edited August 17, 2023 by Pnwpingi210

[toastinato]

10 minutes ago, Pnwpingi210 said:

Ah yes.  If you already have the d grind in 56 it might be duplicative in a 60. 
 

I do have a 60 standard k.  It’s good in the winter/soggy season and great a full shots but not nearly as versatile as the d or t grind.  Best if used square face only

Yeah I think I like to believe that I need to hit that "special" shot more than I actually do. Very rarely do I need to hit a high flop. What I guess I am most concerned about are those short sided shots or greenside bunkers that need to get up high and stop quick. Is that something that the 56/14 is good at or do you find yourself needing a bit higher loft for them? I catch myself in that situation a bit. 

[awtryau89]

I have used the K. Very good from bunkers and square faced shots. Not very versatile. My preference in standard grinds is the M. It has enough bounce to eliminated digging and a lot of versatility. Enter the LBK. Best of all worlds for me. Doesn't dig, still great out of the bunkers and the leading edge sits low enough to manipulate it for most shots. Side note, I hate the D grind. Way too much bounce and cannot get the leading edge low unless you real manipulate it. 

[RightHandRough]

I have a 60 regular k, big fan of it as I'm not going to be opening it up or doing too much with my 60. My 56 is my go to around the green unless I'm short sided or in the bunker. The 60k is the specialty tool to me, not the swiss army knife.

[tlinnert]

I have the 60 degree k grind with 6 degrees of bounce. Amazing wedge design and incredibly versatile. The way the sole is designed allows you to open it up and use the sole the way you would use bounce. Can also use the leading edge as needed. Best of both worlds. 

[DaveGoodrich]

With a 56D, I would normally suggest a low bounce 60.  But if you are steep, then the T may be just too low. The leading edge in the T stays low, even when it's laid open.

I don't have direct experience with the low bounce K (I'd love to find a deal on one to experiment with).  But the low bounce K is wide. So the leading edge should come up when you open it.  That will help prevent digging when it's soft. But if you play it square, it should let you keep the leading edge down when its firm. 

It's not going to be the club for the "super flop" from firm lies.  

 

I play a 58D and a 62T (bent from 60). I never hit the 62 full. Which one I use around the green is completely lie dependent.  Actually, the secret to the T grind is not to use it 😂 (except for when it's the perfect tool for the job, which is usually a few times per round for me).  

[toastinato]

Thank you all for the responses! Really appreciate the time taken to write up your experiences. 
 

i got to test the 60 LBK today. It was pretty soft out there. So I got to test it with my steepness. I hit some really good shots within 60 yards. But, I also chunked a few lol I can tell it's still got that sharp leading edge, but I'm going to partially blame that on it being pretty soft out there. I also tried to use it out of a bunker. It definitely digs much more than my 56D, as expected. I think it could be a real weapon in normal conditions. I wish I tried the 60K out of the bunker with more of an open face. I should've utilized the bounce more out of the bunker. I think it might be the move for me. Since I use a 56D, the 60LBK gives me a bit of versatility. I can tell you could manipulate the face a bit, utilize the leading edge if needed, short sided shots, bunkers, and even 50 yard shots if you use the bounce. So far I'm happy with it! Will continue testing. 

Edited August 18, 2023 by toastinato

[RobS]

To answer your last question first, I use both my SW and my LW out of the sand depending on the conditions and the shot.  SW for soft sand with a good amount of depth and longer bunker shots.  LW for short bunker shots I need to stop quickly and/or hard packed sand.  

 

As far as the K grind goes in the 60, it depends on your technique and conditions.  The standard K is going to be a square face club for most players everywhere except the rough and bunker unless you play in soft conditions.  I find the K to be a great club for bunker shots, out of the rough and on full shots but don't love it around the greens in tight conditions as I have a shallow angle of attack with my short game shots.  I currently play the low bounce K and have played similar style wedges for years.  I like that I can play it square off the tightest, firmest lies but can open it slightly to add bounce when needed which is often.  It's a great wedge around the green if you are comfortable manipulating the face for the shot and conditions.  It's a good bunker club but best paired with a higher bounce SW to give you options.  Its potential weakness if on fuller shots as it can dig if you're not really precise with your low point.  I typically play the longer shots in my LW range with my other wedges so it's not much of an issue for me but for a player that likes to play full or close to full shots with the LW, it may not be ideal unless you play off hardpan like conditions.

[Potch]

I have both a 58* LBK and a 60* T in the bag.  Been a long-time user of the LBK; it's my go-to club from the bunker and I've had no issues with it on full shots. I had an extra spot in the bag and added the T - I find it's significantly better than the LBK for opening up the face around the green, but more things can go wrong on full swing with it. But other than manipulating the face, I think the LBK is a great wedge. Kind of wish they made a 56* version of it.