How Many Older Players Are Carrying A 60* Wedge?

[ProV1Killa]

How many of you who learned how to play before lob wedges became prevalent have chosen to put one in the bag?  If you did do you think it helps you shoot lower scores?

 

Personally,  I've held off putting one in as I learned to play with the old 2 wedge setup and am comfortable creating most the shots a 60 helps with with hand and setup changes.  With-that-said, working on a new bag and technology kind of opens up a spot.  The question is another club on top for longer par 3s and approaches, or a 60 for more short game touch would be more beneficial.

[kwcsports]

I've used a 60 deg since the 80's. Bought a Ram Tom Watson 60. One of the best clubs in my bag, I'm almost 58 BTW.

[HeadCovered]

17 minutes ago, ProV1Killa said:

How many of you who learned how to play before lob wedges became prevalent have chosen to put one in the bag?  If you did do you think it helps you shoot lower scores?

 

Personally,  I've held off putting one in as I learned to play with the old 2 wedge setup and am comfortable creating most the shots a 60 helps with with hand and setup changes.  With-that-said, working on a new bag and technology kind of opens up a spot.  The question is another club on top for longer par 3s and approaches, or a 60 for more short game touch would be more beneficial.

You mean 3 wedge? You must have a PW surely? So you have 2 other wedges? 
Yup I use a 51 and a 60 (it’s a 58 bent towards 60). 
It works great. Full swing I’m very specific to a yardage, so I can halve that for the short pitch shot, and around the greens it helps to elevate the ball over bunker rims at eye level and really helps to check it on slick greens, cut the legs under it on sliced lob shots, etc etc…. I love my lob wedge. Works on little short shots from the fringe too. 
 

[Kmagnuss]

I took the 60° out of my bag last week.  I just don't practice with it enough to justify it taking up a spot in the bag... and of all my clubs it has the highest chance of ruining a round.  Something about hitting a nice, easy 70 yard shot about 10' high and 50 yards past the green gets old.

[darkhelmet]

With stronger iron lofts, I have 46/50 PW/AW in my set, and then 54 & 58 at the bottom.

 

54 is a high-bounce sole that I like to use to hit all kinds of 1/2 to full shots, plus some chips depending on the lie.  58 is standard bounce, tends to be more of a specialty club, like needing to hit a really high bunker shot or chipping/pitching off of a downhill lie.  Don't really hit many full shots with it.

 

Played around over the years with different loft variations, but never more than 60^o.  60^o seemed to always slide under the ball too easily, so I've usually gravitated back to 58^o as the highest lofted club in my bag.

Edited October 20, 2023 by darkhelmet

[Gysse]

With a 60, or 58, you must be prepared to practice, then it Will pay of.

[TwistedSister]

1 hour ago, ProV1Killa said:

How many of you who learned how to play before lob wedges became prevalent have chosen to put one in the bag?  If you did do you think it helps you shoot lower scores?

 

Personally,  I've held off putting one in as I learned to play with the old 2 wedge setup and am comfortable creating most the shots a 60 helps with with hand and setup changes.  With-that-said, working on a new bag and technology kind of opens up a spot.  The question is another club on top for longer par 3s and approaches, or a 60 for more short game touch would be more beneficial.

I have always carried one but now it is bent to 59*

[Ajota]

1 hour ago, Kmagnuss said:

I took the 60° out of my bag last week.  I just don't practice with it enough to justify it taking up a spot in the bag... and of all my clubs it has the highest chance of ruining a round.  Something about hitting a nice, easy 70 yard shot about 10' high and 50 yards past the green gets old.

Sold mine to my buddy a few weeks ago.. good riddance haha

[ShortGolfer]

The 60/12 is great for short sided shots around the green.  I get plenty of those on the course I play.  The greens are small enough there is nowhere to miss without being short sided!

Edited October 20, 2023 by ShortGolfer

[BirdieBob]

Depending on course conditions, I have 58*, 60*, 62* lob wedges available.

Edited October 20, 2023 by BirdieBob

[Nessism]

I'm almost 62, and my 60 degree wedge is one of the most used clubs in the bag.  I can't imagine playing without it.  I hit most approaches, between 70 yards and chipping distance, plus sand shots, and flop shots, with it.  I started using a 60 quite a long time ago; I had some Ram Nick Price wedges (55 & 60) that I loved.  These replaced some Tom Watson wedges I used previously.  Good stuff.

[BigLeftyinAZ]

2 hours ago, kwcsports said:

I've used a 60 deg since the 80's. Bought a Ram Tom Watson 60. One of the best clubs in my bag, I'm almost 58 BTW.

I believe that was my first 60* as well . Loved that club 

[Pepperturbo]

3 hours ago, ProV1Killa said:

How many of you who learned how to play before lob wedges became prevalent have chosen to put one in the bag?  If you did do you think it helps you shoot lower scores?

 

Personally,  I've held off putting one in as I learned to play with the old 2 wedge setup and am comfortable creating most the shots a 60 helps with with hand and setup changes.  With-that-said, working on a new bag and technology kind of opens up a spot.  The question is another club on top for longer par 3s and approaches, or a 60 for more short game touch would be more beneficial.

I learned golf back in the 90s, using a 60' LW.  What made it unique was 2'-5' progressive bounce, and having to learn to open the face to add more bounce.  I still have 60' wedges but long about 2016 switched to a 58'/8' Vokey.  The bounce is still low, so often times have to manipulate the face for more bounce.  What helps my scores is NOT so much the loft, but knowing how to open the face to accomplish various shots, which may contribute to low scores.

 

Still today, I only use a PW, 52' and 58'.   Because I am skilled with those 3 clubs, I rely on a 3i and 4i at the top, along with 5i-9i.  

[ShortGolfer]

I could easily play with just the 48 set wedge, 52* MD5, and 56* Vokey.  But, with my slow swing speed, I've added a low bounce 58 and high bounce  60 and only carried twelve clubs!

 

My 60 is an easy to use Callaway Mac Daddy CB wedge.   It can take it out of the bag for a while and put it back in and get good shots without much practice.

Edited October 20, 2023 by ShortGolfer

[ProV1Killa]

1 hour ago, ShortGolfer said:

I've added a low bounce 58

This is my thought. I like the idea of a 58 with low bounce and a grind that puts the leading edge close to the turf for more creativity on tight lies.  

[ProV1Killa]

2 hours ago, Pepperturbo said:

What helps my scores is NOT so much the loft, but knowing how to open the face to accomplish various shots

Exactly why I've not put the 60 in the bag.  The 56 covers those shots just fine.  I think a liw bounce 58 would be useful though.

[Surfinguru]

I haven't been playing that long, but I love that 60* wedge. IMO. it's a very versatile club that gets used for just about everything inside of 65-70yds. Obviously there are a few exceptions, but the 60* is my go to club around the green. Maybe I should mix things up here and there, but the course I play has quite small greens with a ton of break one way or the other on every hole. I don't trust the run out with other clubs, so it's a hop and stop most of the time.

[OnTheBag]

I picked up the game in the 1960's and played with a 50° +/- PW and 56° +/- SW for most of my life.  My Eye 2's in the 80's were the first to come with a lob wedge but I never could figure out when to use it.  Now in my 70's, I still play traditionally lofted clubs with a 47° PW and a 56° low bounce wedge that I grind myself.  I can hit any shot with it that is needed on the course.

 

When my health still allowed me to play often, I would carry a 52° higher bounce for fluffy sand or from the rough.

[Phebus]

I’m 70 and carry a Cleveland 588 Becu 60° lob wedge. It’s been in the bag so long that it’s just natural for me to hit it. 

[ProV1Killa]

7 minutes ago, OnTheBag said:

My Eye 2's in the 80's

But that sand wedge was/is the bomb.

[ProV1Killa]

9 minutes ago, OnTheBag said:

still play traditionally lofted clubs with a 47° PW and a 56° low bounce wedge

I am the same, but carry a 52.  The only complaint I have is the leading edge on my 56 gets too high off the turf on tight lies.  But the can be fixed with a grind.

[ProV1Killa]

5 hours ago, HeadCovered said:

You mean 3 wedge? You must have a PW surely? So you have 2 other wedges? 

Back in the day we played with the PW in the set and a sand wedge.  Of course then the typical PW was 48* so basically what is a GW now and a 56*.  I do play a 52 and 56 now in addition to the PW.

[HeadCovered]

39 minutes ago, ProV1Killa said:

Back in the day we played with the PW in the set and a sand wedge.  Of course then the typical PW was 48* so basically what is a GW now and a 56*.  I do play a 52 and 56 now in addition to the PW.

Sure sure sure

but when you say back in the day, how far back are you talking?

PW used to be 50, ya know. Then we had a SW.

Which is why the 2 iron and 1 iron was in the long end, back in the day. LMAO

 

And then the 90s came along and somebody tried to “fill in the gap” in the short end, and they didn’t know what to call it, so some clubs were actually labeled P/S (I actually have an old Jumbo Ozaki Bridgestone set from the early 90s that has it), it’s hilarious they actually labelled it P/S because they hadn’t invented the Gap word for that club 😂 

 

 

[RobS]

I learned to play with a 2 wedge set up, PW, SW.  I added a 60* in the early 90's.  While I feel confident that I could make do with a 56* as my highest lofted wedge, the 60* makes some shots both easier and safer. If I need drop and stop height on firm greens, off of firm, tight turf I'd rather have a 60 than have to manipulate at 56*.  I also like the versatility of having higher bounce in the SW and medium to low bounce in the LW.  One key to finding a highly functional 60* is to pick one with the appropriate bounce and sole width for your technique and common turf conditions.

[ShortGolfer]

Does your lob wedge swing incorporate shaft lean?  With the 60 you can afford to take some loft out of the club for more consistent ball striking.

It may sense to stick with a 56 if you prefer to keep it simple or don't have a spot in your bag for a 60.