Choosing a Wedge

[Putt4doh]

Which factors are most important?

I just dropped some new irons in the bag, so of course, it calls for some new wedges (and perhaps a new bag!) :crazy:

As I was considering options, I became curious to know what factors you all take into consideration when purchasing wedges. I'm most concerned about loft (of course), feel, and grind--in that order.

What's your list of priorities?

[steve81]

for me, bite factor.

 

give me an ugly wedge, but if it bites, it rocks.

[CHRISS1928]

don't forget about bounces. I recently had rac chrome wedges and they were good outta the rough but the fairway FORGET about it. My SMT's spin alot more and are great from any lie/turf.

[herkyjerk]

My personal preference is a heavy weight & a little more bounce than less. Wedges are very specific to the individual as they are such a feel club. That's why you see wedges that look twenty years old in good players bags. My wedges have to be a minimum of D6 & 10-14* of bounce. They have to be heavy though first & foremost.

[Putt4doh]

don't forget about bounces. I recently had rac chrome wedges and they were good outta the rough but the fairway FORGET about it. My SMT's spin alot more and are great from any lie/turf.

 

 

Good point!

 

 

what do you all find to be the ideal amount of bounce for ALL conditions?

 

Obviously, tons of bounce for poor lies and less bounce off the short stuff, but is there a happy medium for bounce?

[vthokie1157]

i like to get a wedge that has high bounce and looks good when opened up and square. the bite factor isnt huge for me bc if i hit anything solid its not gonna run or spin back much at all. the high bounce for me is nice because i love it outta bunkers and im good at opening the face up a ton and hitting the high lob despite the bounce. the main thing, though, is feel. you have to feel the club whether it is feel as far as solidness of hit, or dist, or whatev its just gotta feel right.

[bobcat]

For Sand and Lob Wedges, the bounce is probably even MORE important than the actual loft. After considerable experimentation, I found 9* of bounce works best for me for those wedges.

[Cameron Circle T]

Consider your needs - By this I mean consider the type of golfer you are and the type of shots you regularly use your wedges for. Are you a long hitter? Are you a short hitter? High spin player? These are definately three major things to consider when making a wedge purchase. If you are a long hitter you have a couple of options. Some longer players who tend to hit more wedges into greens than other clubs opt for the 4 wedge system bc it provides them versatility and fills all gaps better. They tend to carry a 47/48* pw, then some sort of gap wedge about 51-54*, then a sand wedge 56-58*, and then a lob wedge 60-62*. This wedge system provides you the versatility on shorter end shots to have varying trajectories when coming into greens bc you may be hitting a punch gap wedge instead of a full sand etc. This also makes sure that you don't really find yourself in an akward yardage where you dont really have a club that goes anywhere near the ydg. you gave yourself on the upcoming shot. This however often times means that you must remove a club from the other end of your bag (long iron etc.) The other option is to play a greater gap in the lofts of your wedges. For example I carry only 3 wedges with lofts: 47*, 58*, and 63*. I hit my pw about 140-150 yds. my 58* goes about 115-120yds. and my 63* goes about 90ish yds. I find that this provides me personally with the most versatility on both chips/pitches as well as on full shots. I can and regularly use my wedges from all sorts of ydgs. and find myself hitting my sw anywhere from 60-120 yds. This allows me to keep a full range all the way up to 2 iron without having any other gaps in my bag. For shorter hitters the 4 wedge system also works well as it allows you to have wedges that go slightly farther. The 3 wedge system can also work but on stronger lofts than say mine. Something the likes of 47*, 54*, and 58*. This will provide you more distance but also enough loft to chip and get out of the bunker with etc. For higher spin players you may want to consider grinds as well as just your lofts. You may find you spin it too much and want to take a little off, you in this case may want to grind the leading edge a little duller so as to not dig as much meanin you wont trap the ball as much. You may find that you dont put enough spin and want to sharpen the leading edges to get through the grass better. This aspect also carries over into your course conditions which ill get into in a bit. So b4 rushing out and buying the std. loft standard lie standard grind wedges consider this.

 

Consider your course conditions - You may find that you play most of your golf in the south where it tends to be wet and you have very soily dirt conditions. Meaning that the grass is easy to rip through bc it tends to be longer and the dirt underneath is well...real dirt as opposed to say northern clay type soil. Therefore you may want to consider a higher bounce wedge with different leading edge grinds, bounce grinds etc. You may find the opposite and that you play most of your golf on very short grass thats very tight and compact with clay type soil underneath. In this case you may find yourself wanting more sharp leading edges bc its harder to get deep down into the earth and put a lot of spin on the ball as well you may want a lower bonce wedge so it wont skid off the turf quite as much as a higher bounce wedge. Also consider the rough at your course. Undoubtedly your going to hit some shots with wedges from the rough espeically around the greens. Is the rough long and thick or whispy and long or is it short and not much different than a normal fairway. Consider this fact when deciding what bounce and style leading edge you want.

 

Consider your shots - do you tend to miss it a lot around the face? do you tend to hit low shots with lots of check spin? Consider these aspects when buying wedges as this makes a difference. Dont necessarily go with the high spin forged wedge bc the tour guys are playing the oh so great TP y cutter etc. This may not be what you specifically need. If you tend to mishit your wedges (and be honest with yourself bc itll only help you out) you may want to try a slightly larger cast wedge. Maybe you want something in between such as the ping tour which provides forgiveness but traditional shape. If you dont swing all that fast or hard then the y cutter style or spin milled which are meant to provide insane spin may not do quite the same for you bc your not imparting as much spin as say a scratch golfer with a steep swing plane.

 

Consider your preferences - do you like the look of a small/large wedge? shiny/dull wedge? Consider this when buying a wedge bc your optical reaction to the club will actually have something to do with how well you hit it. Maybe you tend to miss it and therefore the look of the old callaway forged or the y cutter's small head doesnt instill confidence. You might want to try something bigger. Maybe you wear a spot the size of a golf ball bc your wedge game is that consistant. In that case maybe the optics of the smaller wedges make you feel more comfortable bc its a traditional look. You definately want to consider optics when chosing. Even down to the finish, if you play a lot where its very bright you may want to buy a dull finished, black or satin wedge to prevent from having to deal with the atrocious glare you can get in say the florida summer. If you dont play where its bright glare may not be as much a factor and maybe bc of that the chrome that suits your eye wouldnt really have any adverse impact on your wedge game.

 

Consider all of this when making a wedge purchase and you'll definately come out buying a wedge that instills confidence, fits your game, and inspires you to hit better wedge shots. So go out there try some wedges, see what you like and improve your scores with your excellent chipping. Good luck and enjoy the links.

 

 

Thanks,

 

Adam

[tei3rn]

To me, head weight and spin are most important. I like the head to be heavier rather than lighter.

 

I recently went to a Vokey SM 58.08 to replace my sand and lob wedge. The 8* of bounce works well for me and my course conditions whether it's out of the sand, fairway, or rough.

[Putt4doh]

Most people (including myself) say that feel is important...

 

Does anyone have a recomendation for the best feeling wedge?

 

I personally rank all Mizuno wedges/irons as the softest out there...anything softer than Miz?

[pjammer13]

I have never been a fan a Callaway for the most part but if you are wedge hunting take a look at the X Tour wedges. These babies produce rediculous spin! I don't think I have ever fell in love with any wedges like I am with the X Tours!

[victork]

Consider your needs - By this I mean consider the type of golfer you are and the type of shots you regularly use your wedges for. Are you a long hitter? Are you a short hitter? High spin player? These are definately three major things to consider when making a wedge purchase. If you are a long hitter you have a couple of options. Some longer players who tend to hit more wedges into greens than other clubs opt for the 4 wedge system bc it provides them versatility and fills all gaps better. They tend to carry a 47/48* pw, then some sort of gap wedge about 51-54*, then a sand wedge 56-58*, and then a lob wedge 60-62*. This wedge system provides you the versatility on shorter end shots to have varying trajectories when coming into greens bc you may be hitting a punch gap wedge instead of a full sand etc. This also makes sure that you don't really find yourself in an akward yardage where you dont really have a club that goes anywhere near the ydg. you gave yourself on the upcoming shot. This however often times means that you must remove a club from the other end of your bag (long iron etc.) The other option is to play a greater gap in the lofts of your wedges. For example I carry only 3 wedges with lofts: 47*, 58*, and 63*. I hit my pw about 140-150 yds. my 58* goes about 115-120yds. and my 63* goes about 90ish yds. I find that this provides me personally with the most versatility on both chips/pitches as well as on full shots. I can and regularly use my wedges from all sorts of ydgs. and find myself hitting my sw anywhere from 60-120 yds. This allows me to keep a full range all the way up to 2 iron without having any other gaps in my bag. For shorter hitters the 4 wedge system also works well as it allows you to have wedges that go slightly farther. The 3 wedge system can also work but on stronger lofts than say mine. Something the likes of 47*, 54*, and 58*. This will provide you more distance but also enough loft to chip and get out of the bunker with etc. For higher spin players you may want to consider grinds as well as just your lofts. You may find you spin it too much and want to take a little off, you in this case may want to grind the leading edge a little duller so as to not dig as much meanin you wont trap the ball as much. You may find that you dont put enough spin and want to sharpen the leading edges to get through the grass better. This aspect also carries over into your course conditions which ill get into in a bit. So b4 rushing out and buying the std. loft standard lie standard grind wedges consider this.

 

Consider your course conditions - You may find that you play most of your golf in the south where it tends to be wet and you have very soily dirt conditions. Meaning that the grass is easy to rip through bc it tends to be longer and the dirt underneath is well...real dirt as opposed to say northern clay type soil. Therefore you may want to consider a higher bounce wedge with different leading edge grinds, bounce grinds etc. You may find the opposite and that you play most of your golf on very short grass thats very tight and compact with clay type soil underneath. In this case you may find yourself wanting more sharp leading edges bc its harder to get deep down into the earth and put a lot of spin on the ball as well you may want a lower bonce wedge so it wont skid off the turf quite as much as a higher bounce wedge. Also consider the rough at your course. Undoubtedly your going to hit some shots with wedges from the rough espeically around the greens. Is the rough long and thick or whispy and long or is it short and not much different than a normal fairway. Consider this fact when deciding what bounce and style leading edge you want.

 

Consider your shots - do you tend to miss it a lot around the face? do you tend to hit low shots with lots of check spin? Consider these aspects when buying wedges as this makes a difference. Dont necessarily go with the high spin forged wedge bc the tour guys are playing the oh so great TP y cutter etc. This may not be what you specifically need. If you tend to mishit your wedges (and be honest with yourself bc itll only help you out) you may want to try a slightly larger cast wedge. Maybe you want something in between such as the ping tour which provides forgiveness but traditional shape. If you dont swing all that fast or hard then the y cutter style or spin milled which are meant to provide insane spin may not do quite the same for you bc your not imparting as much spin as say a scratch golfer with a steep swing plane.

 

Consider your preferences - do you like the look of a small/large wedge? shiny/dull wedge? Consider this when buying a wedge bc your optical reaction to the club will actually have something to do with how well you hit it. Maybe you tend to miss it and therefore the look of the old callaway forged or the y cutter's small head doesnt instill confidence. You might want to try something bigger. Maybe you wear a spot the size of a golf ball bc your wedge game is that consistant. In that case maybe the optics of the smaller wedges make you feel more comfortable bc its a traditional look. You definately want to consider optics when chosing. Even down to the finish, if you play a lot where its very bright you may want to buy a dull finished, black or satin wedge to prevent from having to deal with the atrocious glare you can get in say the florida summer. If you dont play where its bright glare may not be as much a factor and maybe bc of that the chrome that suits your eye wouldnt really have any adverse impact on your wedge game.

 

Consider all of this when making a wedge purchase and you'll definately come out buying a wedge that instills confidence, fits your game, and inspires you to hit better wedge shots. So go out there try some wedges, see what you like and improve your scores with your excellent chipping. Good luck and enjoy the links.

 

 

Thanks,

 

Adam

 

That was a very informative post! Thanks Adam!