More wedges is detrimental to an amateurs short game. I can almost guarantee you that. It gives you too many options rather than having more options with one club, you have too many options with too many clubs. I like to be confident about my short game, not play roulette with it.

I reckon I agree with you Junior. You know how I like to be creative with the short game. You can't do that with 5 wedges IMO. You'll never learn how to use the versatility of what wedges provide. What if you need to flight one lower? I just don't like the idea of pigeon hole'ing oneself.

However, the OP has gotten some good advice, and I think he should definitely be pursuing the SCOR route.
 
Thats the thing. People think creativity with the short game is harder than buying more shots. SCOR isnt about just wedges, its a system. That system is great, but it can only take you so far IMO. That being said, if youre a smart enough golfer to be able to bring creativity into it properly, than it can succeed past its original design.

I reckon I agree with you Junior. You know how I like to be creative with the short game. You can't do that with 5 wedges IMO. You'll never learn how to use the versatility of what wedges provide. What if you need to flight one lower? I just don't like the idea of pigeon hole'ing oneself.

However, the OP has gotten some good advice, and I think he should definitely be pursuing the SCOR route.
 
I don't know from Scor, but I think the young man should carry two or three wedges as well as his PW. A 50*, 54*, and a 58* would do very nicely. Every shot he needs is right there in that combination. Then he should take three empty range baskets to a field and hit different types of chips, pitches, and flops at them for three days straight like I've posted probably ten times before. I also think ddec, coolbreeze, and Hawk should do this so they don't get the flop sweats at the thought of hitting a flop shot.

Kevin
 
I don't know from Scor, but I think the young man should carry two or three wedges as well as his PW. A 50*, 54*, and a 58* would do very nicely. Every shot he needs is right there in that combination. Then he should take three empty range baskets to a field and hit different types of chips, pitches, and flops at them for three days straight like I've posted probably ten times before. I also think ddec, coolbreeze, and Hawk should do this so they don't get the flop sweats at the thought of hitting a flop shot.

Kevin

I don't set up buckets by two days a week I'm at the range working on 30-90 yard wedge shots. I even bring my own golf balls, so all it costs me is a lunch break or two. I only use a 50* and 56*.
 
I shot my best 9 ever with 5 clubs. Too bad it was only like 1900 yards. I would have shot lower that round if I had all my irons. In fact, might have even made par. I was 2 over. Do you remember the thread where we talked about my dad's equipment beliefs? He wouldn't give my two cents for golf equipment if I got on the floor and begged. Whenever I buy golf equipment, I guarantee you it was hard earned cash.

I'm almost 16. No income for another month yet.

How do those 2 statements make sense together? You don't have a job, but you buy everything with hard earned cash...

So many of us have said it multiple times already. There are just NO SHORCUTS in this game. Using anything more than 4 wedges (pw included) will never help your game in the long run.

For me personally, having wedges saves money. Rather spend 100 bucks on an extra wedge than 180 on another hybrid or 230 for another wood. If you don't have a problem getting to any par 5 in regulation, why not try something different? If you are having trouble doing that, I wouldn't recommend going to a 5 or 4 wedge setup.

I wouldn't buy that extra wedge or wood/hybrid. Driver/3w is enough for me at the top end of my bag. I can still reach most par 5s in 2. At the bottom, pw/54/60 is all I need. 130/100/85 are my playing distances for those 3 wedges. Too big of a gap? Practice shorter swings. Tight pin? Open up the 60.

Having a creative and solid short game will save you more strokes then trying to have a club for every situation.
 
I don't set up buckets by two days a week I'm at the range working on 30-90 yard wedge shots. I even bring my own golf balls, so all it costs me is a lunch break or two. I only use a 50* and 56*.

I'll have to come back to this later as I'm going to the golf course to try and not hurt myself. I know what you're saying, but I'll explain myself and my system again for IceJack. This was a good thread by him, but he's over thinking this, and needs to keep his driver in the bag. At his age it's time to learn to bomb it off the tee, not be afraid of the driver. BOMB that effing thing. Length is too important going forward if he wants to be a really good player.

I personally carry a 51*, 56* an 58*, but I'm a specialist and don't care about gaps. lol. I like the 58* better than a 56* for flop type shots because, at least for lefties, you can get one with a lot less bounce. I'm not sure there's a 56* in lefty with less than 12*.

Kevin
 
Guys have to keep an open mind. Different courses can require different shots and sometimes different clubs to accomplish that. Using Phil as an example again, how many times does he bring 2 drivers to a tourny? Lots of pros dictate their clubs to the course. Those of us that have an extra wedge might feel that it benefits us at our home courses. Not saying that a high lob should be used for everything from 70 and in or anything like that, but those few times that you need to flop over a bunker, it is nice to have. Saying that you don't have creativity because you have an extra wedge is bogus. Just know what your shot is and play it, just because you have more wedges doesn't mean that you have uncertainty. Know how to hit each in their own way and don't try to do too much. Like I said, different strokes for different folks.
 
Seve Ballesteros would be ashamed. Guy hit high bucker shots with an opened 2 iron.
 
Then you might as well fill up your bag with all 4 Niblick chippers too. Five wedges, four chippers, 3 wood, 3 hybrid, 4 and 5 iron and putter. Just in case.
 
Then you might as well fill up your bag with all 4 Niblick chippers too. Five wedges, four chippers, 3 wood, 3 hybrid, 4 and 5 iron and putter. Just in case.

Some people were a few years ago. They were the rage then. But like I said, who cares if you have the room in your bag and you want to carry 14 clubs. Doesn't mean you need to use every club every round.
 
this thread has slowly given me a headache. but i completely agree with TC, Thain, and Esox. If you can't be creative and feel certain shots your never gonna be a good short game player IMO and you need to practice those shots just as much as full swing shots. I do the same drill Esox does i put them out and i have to hit 3 different buckets in a row within a hula hoop distance. Then i have to do that a certain amount of time depending on how much time i have. and i also mix up what wedge im using so every shot is a different feel. I also don't understand why you keep saying you can't afford stuff and you know this experiment isn't gonna work but your gonna waste money and do it anyway cause you can use it on other courses but you mainly play 1 course. just saying maybe you should save some cash and scrap the experiment and spend some more time practicing.
 
I have to say, I think some of these responses are a tad ironic. At least to me.

IceJack, go with it if you want and I wish you the best of luck. It seems like a cool little experiment, and if it doesn't work out, you can always go back. I can't wait to hear how it goes, because that could be a route I look at sometime in the future. Who knows.
 
How are they ironic?
 
This would definitely be an 'in pieces' type thing. After my birthday in a few weeks, I will probably have enough for 3 depending on the wedge price. I'd go 50* 54* 58* first, then the 62* once the money came, then finally replace my PW with a 46* blade PW.

Tell me why you think you need a 62* in your bag? You might use it once or twice in true shot situation. You may choose to use it in other situation that it's not needed but the 58* should be plenty
 
FlopJack chipped in THREE TIMES today and all three were flop shots. Open fire with the jokes.

When I said hard earned cash, I worked for my aunt for very low wages babysitting my cousins last summer. It was money, but not much. I spent much of my spare time hunting courses for golf balls, cleaning them, and selling them off. Again low money for my time investment. Neither of those are going on right now, so I have my $10 a week allowance for all my monetary needs until I get a job.

I'm going to over the next two months build up to a 5-wedge set. Please continue to tell me why that's not smart.
 
Well, great job on the chip ins for starters.

Now to the rest of your post, I don't see the point in this thread continuing. Everyone has shared their opinions and now you are begging them to tell you why it's not smart. They have already done that.

Do you still have questions that you need or want help with? If so, what specifically?
 
I understand you have had a few comments where you feel like you were getting picked on, but trying to prove you were correct and telling people to let the jokes go, is not going to help.

As well, it's your money and you asked for everyone's opinion and we stated them. If you are going to get that defensive over your own opinion, then don't ask for others. So if you want to use five wedges, go for it, just don't get made when people tell you not to when you ask for their opinion.

I'm not trying to be mean here, I'm honestly trying to help you make friends here and not be, "that guy." No one wants to be that.
 
Well, great job on the chip ins for starters.

Now to the rest of your post, I don't see the point in this thread continuing. Everyone has shared their opinions and now you are begging them to tell you why it's not smart. They have already done that.

Do you still have questions that you need or want help with? If so, what specifically?

Thank you.

I logged on for the first time today and checked this thread first. There was a whole 'nother page of responses. So I answered the question that was asked, then made my final statement that I am going to try this, then told people to keep telling me why it's not smart because even if I asked them not to they still would.
 
FlopJack chipped in THREE TIMES today and all three were flop shots. Open fire with the jokes.

When I said hard earned cash, I worked for my aunt for very low wages babysitting my cousins last summer. It was money, but not much. I spent much of my spare time hunting courses for golf balls, cleaning them, and selling them off. Again low money for my time investment. Neither of those are going on right now, so I have my $10 a week allowance for all my monetary needs until I get a job.

I'm going to over the next two months build up to a 5-wedge set. Please continue to tell me why that's not smart.

Do what you want, it's your bag, fill it however you want.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Thank you.

I logged on for the first time today and checked this thread first. There was a whole 'nother page of responses. So I answered the question that was asked, then made my final statement that I am going to try this, then told people to keep telling me why it's not smart because even if I asked them not to they still would.

I just think that the same things are going to keep being said of why most posters think that this is not a smart move. Now, you have already decided that you are going to try it so really our responses are for nothing.

What's the point?
 
I guess I kind of thought you were asking for guidance from more experienced and better players. You received some good answers, but it sounds like you're set on abandoning your driver and going with a slew of wedges. Go for it I guess.

A good way to practice different wedge shots is to take a bucket of balls and three empty buckets. Set the empty buckets at 40-60-80 or 60-80-100 yards. Hit a third of the bucket at each target. Then go out and chip the balls to the buckets using different kinds of shots. Chip all the balls to one bucket using a gap wedge and try and bounce them to the bucket. Since you're not hitting into a green and won't get consistent roll out, when hitting that shot, focus more and where you want to land the ball than where it ends up. When they're all gathered around that bucket, chip them to the next one. You can use a sand wedge and dead hands trying to get them to land softly. You could use a gap wedge and open it up a little. Whatever. The key is to get the feel for lots of different shots with different clubs. Since you love to flop the ball, after they're all gathered around that bucket flop them to the next one. Hit flops with a gap, a sand wedge, and a lob wedge.

The key is repetition. I like three wedges in the lofts I described. My 14 year old daughter carries a 50-08, a 54-11, and a 58-08. Her coach thinks that's a good combo. But before she added the 54* he had her learn to hit a lot of shots with the 50* and the 58*. When she improved the 54* was added to fill a gap at 80 yards.

TC is comfortable with a gap and a 56*. Others are also very comfortable with just two. That's because they have mastered hitting different shots with two. It really is all you need. Clubs don't teach you how to hit shots. Practice does.

Practice teaches you how to hit a driver, too.

Kevin
 
I don't plan on abandoning the driver. I plan on putting it away for a month or so and experimenting with 5 wedges just for the hell of it, and work on the driver on the range only. Then after a while, I'll put the driver back in the bag, and I will have six options to fill 3-4 slots in the bag depending on the course conditions. Example: Not bringing a SW if there is no sand. A course with very slow greens, I will only need two wedges incl. PW because I will then bump and run. I like having lots of options at my disposal whether or not they are actually in the bag or not. And Esox, I will try that bucket drill.
 
I don't plan on abandoning the driver. I plan on putting it away for a month or so and experimenting with 5 wedges just for the hell of it, and work on the driver on the range only. Then after a while, I'll put the driver back in the bag, and I will have six options to fill 3-4 slots in the bag depending on the course conditions. Example: Not bringing a SW if there is no sand. A course with very slow greens, I will only need two wedges incl. PW because I will then bump and run. I like having lots of options at my disposal whether or not they are actually in the bag or not. And Esox, I will try that bucket drill.

A SW is not just for the sand dude. It fills a yardage gap just like every other club in the bag.
 
A SW is not just for the sand dude. It fills a yardage gap just like every other club in the bag.

I understand this. Personally, I never hit my SW full. I'm more comfortable with an 85% GW shot.
 
I understand this. Personally, I never hit my SW full. I'm more comfortable with an 85% GW shot.

Some people are, my point was a SW just isnt for the sand lol.
 
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