Highest lofted club is a 54 degree wedge - anyone else? (*** MERGED ***)

[JimMLINY]

48 degree pitching wedge

 

52 degree gap

 

56 degree sand

 

Are the ones in my bag for a long time.

[PuffyC]

For everything from short sided traps to flops to 100 yard approaches I use a low bounce 50 exclusively. I may not be doing it “right” but IMO practicing and playing a single club from 100 yards in takes so much of the guesswork out of it, and it just works. Once I ditched the 54 and the 58, my short game got so much better to the point where it’s the best part of my game.

[ChipNRun]

23 hours ago, Vater said:

Anyone else not carry a wedge higher than 54 or maybe 56?

 

A couple of years back, my wife and I went on a three-day spring golf outing.

 

At the course practice range, we ran into a couple of varsity golfers from the town's small college. Both carried a 56* as their highest lofted wedge. As one said to me, "I never short-side myself chasing sucker pins. Why would I need a lob wedge?"

 

Also: us evil Boomers who developed our games circa 1970 spent 15 years hitting greenside cut shots with a sand wedge - no lob wedges existed. It can be done.

Edited July 4, 2023 by ChipNRun
Sp.

[kthomas]

If it works for you and your game then it works.

 

Honestly I think too many people think they have to hit high loft wedge shots way more often then they actually should.

 

My highest is a 58°. I do like this club, it has its purposes - short bunker shots, specific distances, etc.

 

Around the green I rely on my 52° way more often than my 58°. But the 58° has its purpose and I'm glad it's in my bag for the odd shot I practice for with it.

[BIG STU]

5 hours ago, Mobert19 said:

I’d rather take out my 54 then my 58

IMHO nothing wrong at all with that if it fits your game

[BIG STU]

4 hours ago, PuffyC said:

For everything from short sided traps to flops to 100 yard approaches I use a low bounce 50 exclusively. I may not be doing it “right” but IMO practicing and playing a single club from 100 yards in takes so much of the guesswork out of it, and it just works. Once I ditched the 54 and the 58, my short game got so much better to the point where it’s the best part of my game.

There is no one etched in stone "right" way to do it. Different strokes for different folks. Play your game and swing your swing

[Golfingfanatic]

7 hours ago, stimpmeterp said:

Ok so here’s a question for the < 54° group.

 

How do you hit the short sided flop or deep greenside bunker shot?  I can see 56° opened up like a sauce pan, but a 54° can only open so much and still have serviceable bounce, no?

It really depends on your short game style imo. If you want to go with 54 as your max loft, you have to adopt the Seve style, meaning softer hands, very little grip pressure, less shaft lean etc.

 

This video gives you an idea. Starts around the 4:14 min mark.

 

 

[doctor220]

5 hours ago, ChipNRun said:

 

A couple of years back, my wife and I went on a three-day spring golf outing.

 

At the course practice range, we ran into a couple of varsity golfers from the town's small college. Both carried a 56* as their highest lofted wedge. As one said to me, "I never short-side myself chasing sucker pins. Why would I need a lof wedge?"

 

Also: us evil Boomers who developed our games circa 1970 spent 15 years hitting greenside cut shots with a sand wedge - no lob wedges existed. It can be done.

They probably do somewhat often short side themselves as everyone has misses. 
 

there’s a reason basically no tour players have 56 as their highest lofted club. It’s quite difficult to hit that soft enough for a greenside shot in really firm and fast conditions. 

[BURKMI19]

Look you should have the clubs in your bag that provide the best opportunity to shoot the lowest score.  It doesn't matter at the end of the day how you choose to get that done.  The biggest issue people have with higher lofted wedges such as 58-62 is that they don't lead with their hands enough through impact and can't compress the ball.  If you wanted to keep a higher lofted wedge in your bag, I would make sure it actually has a legitimate reason for being in there.  The vast majority of golfers probably would be better off without the temptation until they get some lessons and improve their ability to compress the ball.

[North Butte]

9 minutes ago, BURKMI19 said:

Look you should have the clubs in your bag that provide the best opportunity to shoot the lowest score.  It doesn't matter at the end of the day how you choose to get that done.  The biggest issue people have with higher lofted wedges such as 58-62 is that they don't lead with their hands enough through impact and can't compress the ball.  If you wanted to keep a higher lofted wedge in your bag, I would make sure it actually has a legitimate reason for being in there.  The vast majority of golfers probably would be better off without the temptation until they get some lessons and improve their ability to compress the ball.

Some of us short hitters don't compress the ball with any club in the bag, maybe not even driver! 😱

[VladDrag]

Lots of people saying a 60* is needed, and respectfully, I disagree somewhat. Now that’s not to say it won’t help. 
 

I think playing with a 54/56* will help you educate your hands, particularly if your skill level with green side shots is limited. 
 

Playing with a 54/56 will help you learn how manipulate the club face to vary your trajectory (open, closing, ball back/ball forward, using bounce vs leading edge etc.). Yes, this can be done with a 60* too, but I think it’s easier to learn with the same club to gain familiarity. 
 

 

with that being said I play with a 56* and 60*. I use the 56 for distance wedges from 50-70y, longer bunker shots, and green side shots. I use the 60* for distance wedges from about 40y, green side shots and shorter bunker shots. 

[Mobert19]

3 hours ago, BIG STU said:

IMHO nothing wrong at all with that if it fits your game

I’d probably bend my 50 to 52 to compensate for the gap. Who knows… just may try it now!

[stimpmeterp]

3 hours ago, doctor220 said:

They probably do somewhat often short side themselves as everyone has misses. 
 

there’s a reason basically no tour players have 56 as their highest lofted club. It’s quite difficult to hit that soft enough for a greenside shot in really firm and fast conditions. 

exactly.

[596]

11 hours ago, stimpmeterp said:

Ok so here’s a question for the < 54° group.

 

How do you hit the short sided flop or deep greenside bunker shot?  I can see 56° opened up like a sauce pan, but a 54° can only open so much and still have serviceable bounce, no?

Technique.  The difference between a 54 and 56 is only 2 degrees. That's pretty small.  It's only about 5 yards on a full shot from 80 yards.  The difference from 10 yards out is tiny.  I can easily hit the same flop with my 54 that I can with my 56.  

[joostin]

Some may have seen this thread below before, but I just added a couple more wedge lofts including 54°.  By manipulating the amount open (or closed), you're getting different effective lofts.  This shows how much.  If you open a 54° by 12° (2 minutes on a clock face), you have an effective loft of 60°.  Of course it's not exactly the same as swinging a square 60° wedge.  Also the grind determines how far off that leading edge gets and how playable it is for you.  But there are times when we're playing with 70+° of effective loft, even with at 54° wedge.  So yeah as long as the club, conditions, and your skill allow you to hit it without skulling, you can definitely get "lob wedge" lofts:

 

[ChipNRun]

3 hours ago, VladDrag said:

Lots of people saying a 60* is needed, and respectfully, I disagree somewhat. Now that’s not to say it won’t help. 

 

A few years back, a Golf Digest survey reported that half the PGA Tour pros had a 58* as their highest lofted wedge.

 

As for beginners, I always suggest waiting until season 2 before exploring lob wedges. It's an odd club to master, the early practice time is best used for developing more basic skills.

[bunta]

sometimes i wish there was a 70 degree wedge, super upright, with bounce. So like a 70 degree chipper 😁. I don't want to open up a wedge, aim left, swing right, left foot open, weight left, hold wrist, ball back, ball front, tuck elbow and all that other sh*t just to lift a ball 2 yards on to the green. I want something i can hit with a square face, a square stance and I'm on top of the ball. i need this club once a round. i swear I'm going to make this club.

 

 

Edited July 4, 2023 by bunta

[SwingMan]

I use my 55 a lot. But I like the 59 for fun, bunkers, and the rough near the green. Let me have fun.

Edited July 4, 2023 by SwingMan

[PlatinumNike]

During high school golf 54* was my to go from 115 to green side chips probably 85% of the time  

 

you just learn to control the trajectory with one club 

*caveat, I had a few hours to practice everyday opening the face

 

Edited July 4, 2023 by PlatinumNike

[bobfoster]

On 7/3/2023 at 12:23 PM, cliffhanger said:

my current setup is 

 

PW - 46*

GP - 52*

SW - 58*

 

Allows for an extra club somewhere else like a strong 3 wood or a hybrid if needed. Replacing wedges soon to a 51* and 56*... don't need more loft than that. 

I have exactly the same lofts. Work really well for me. Don't mind the 6* gaps - and a three instead of four wedge setup gives me an extra choice at the long end of the bag.

 

What I'm really after is versatility. Loft matters quite a bit less than sole/bounce. Distances matter when you are talking about (for instance) the 6i - 7i gap, but with anything from 60' - 70' in or so, I'm almost never taking a full swing (I obsessively practice 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, full swings - even lately, a 1/8 "putting stroke" swing - with all three wedges).

 

Getting the ball to the hole is not at all the issue - all three wedges will easily reach. I'm much more concerned about what the turf is like (e.g., fairway v. fluffy rough), and what I want the ball to do after it lands (e.g., high flop that lands almost at the hole, or a lower check, hop and run to just get it on the green and let it roll 15' to the hole). 

 

All three wedges have different soles. PW has little bounce, can clip a ball cleanly off the tightest fairway lie. GW slightly more. 58* is high bounce (nice, satisfying "thump" in the sand). 

 

So far as loft, while I may not "need" anything more than a 54* or 56*, now and then I really like to have it. 

 

Besides, not only can you adjust backswing to produce different distances, you can adjust grip, stance, and setup to produce a wide variety of lofts with every wedge. Doesn't matter what the number on the sole is. You can take a 58*, play it middle - slightly forward in the stance, lean the shaft neutral or even a bit back, and open the face wide - and (at impact) wind up with a functional loft of 62* or even 64*. Likewise, you can significantly de-loft the same club. Ball next to the back foot, face square, shaft leaning forward ... can produce almost the same ball flight as a PW. 

 

So - just my opinion. Not saying lofts don't matter, but especially with wedges, finding the right grinds (for anyone's particular game) is every bit as important as the right gaps in loft. 

Edited July 5, 2023 by bobfoster

[North Butte]

In theory, with enough practice you can play an entire round with just a 3-iron. Using 13 more clubs is simply a shortcut to avoid having to "educate your hands".

[azgreg]

5 hours ago, bunta said:

sometimes i wish there was a 70 degree wedge

Here you go.

 

[azgreg]

There is one tour pro who has a 56° wedge as his highest lofted wedge.

Rocco Mediate

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CqgsaPzrue6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

[14max]

57 minutes ago, azgreg said:

There is one tour pro who has a 56° wedge as his highest lofted wedge.

Rocco Mediate

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CqgsaPzrue6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

If this illustrious website is correct, it appears as though Sean O'Hair is rocking a 54*.

 

https://www.golfwrx.com/717801/sean-ohair-witb-2023-july/?utm_source=Front&utm_medium=Featured_Latest&utm_campaign=GolfWRX_OnSite&utm_content=unused

[willie991]

Wedge choice can also depend on the course(s) you play.  Our course has postage stamp greens.  We can end up with quite a few shots just off the green into the gnarly rough.  I do most of my chipping with a 48 degree PW.  But, when close to the green and needing the ball to sit quick, I'll chip with the 58 degree LW.  

 

The high lofted wedges do need practice and confidence.  Played with a gentleman this past weekend who probably had well over $2,000 worth of clubs in his bag.  Fairly new Stealth driver.  Callaway Rogue ST irons.  Don't know why, but had 2 Scottys.  And... he had a 60 degree wedge.  Talked lots about how great the 60 degree was and how many shots it saved him... until it became more talk about anything but the 60 degree wedge... the more skulls he hit with it.  He wasn't a bad putter.  Just had trouble getting anything on the green as long as he kept using the high lofted wedge.  

 

 

[kasting333]

Depends what your goals are. You aren’t going to see many high skilled players without at least a 58 in the bag. Green speeds are too fast these days 

 

I use my 55 and 50 most of the time but I need my 60 a couple times per round and it’s no less reliable than my other wedges.
 

I also don’t know why you wouldn’t want more stock shot wedge yardages that come with having an additional wedge 

[Macklessdaddy]

4 hours ago, azgreg said:

Here you go.

 

One of my ex playing partners had that club, the guy used to get up and down from the craziest short side shots you'd ever seen

[BIG STU]

17 hours ago, joostin said:

Some may have seen this thread below before, but I just added a couple more wedge lofts including 54°.  By manipulating the amount open (or closed), you're getting different effective lofts.  This shows how much.  If you open a 54° by 12° (2 minutes on a clock face), you have an effective loft of 60°.  Of course it's not exactly the same as swinging a square 60° wedge.  Also the grind determines how far off that leading edge gets and how playable it is for you.  But there are times when we're playing with 70+° of effective loft, even with at 54° wedge.  So yeah as long as the club, conditions, and your skill allow you to hit it without skulling, you can definitely get "lob wedge" lofts:

 

Great post!!==== One of the things a lot of people do not understand is bounce and effective bounce. One of the reasons I carry the 4* bounce 58. Certain shots around my home course I need the low bounce option. The 56 in my signature is my workhorse. I ground it myself and I like low bounce anyhow so it is around 9* neutral bounce and 10* effective bounce with the face open. A good piece of reading if it is still available is the Ralph Maltby book how wedges work

Edited July 5, 2023 by BIG STU

[BIG STU]

10 hours ago, azgreg said:

There is one tour pro who has a 56° wedge as his highest lofted wedge.

Rocco Mediate

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CqgsaPzrue6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Yep because he is old school and he knows has to manipulate it and still can

[J Gilbert]

On 7/4/2023 at 12:19 AM, kthomas said:

If it works for you and your game then it works.

 

Honestly I think too many people think they have to hit high loft wedge shots way more often then they actually should.

 

My highest is a 58°. I do like this club, it has its purposes - short bunker shots, specific distances, etc.

 

Around the green I rely on my 52° way more often than my 58°. But the 58° has its purpose and I'm glad it's in my bag for the odd shot I practice for with it.

 

This was exactly the reply I was going to post.

 

As others have mentioned, grind is truly what makes it possible to use a lower-lofted wedge effectively - my 52 is the club most likely to be used for any shot inside 100 yards or so (I don't take full swings with wedges), but not every 52 works for me - I have to have the ability to manipulate the club face.  This is the reason I had a very short affair with Vokey, but the F grind simply doesn't allow me to play the way I like to.  I traded that in for a 52 degree Hi Toe 3 and that's become a true weapon for me.