As I see a bunch of different wedges being talked about I don't want anyone to sleep on these classy looking wedges that straight up perform.
Bridgestone Tour B XW-1 Wedge Review
Nice wedges!
Same here... Toss it up in the air and flag hunt.
I wanted to knock the 60* XW-1 wedge out of my bag this summer and replace it with a 52*. My current wedge setup is Titleist T200 PW at 43* & GW at 48* plus XW-1 @ 56* & XW-1 @ 60*. There's a gap between the 48* and 56*. However, the 48* is a versatile club and 3/4 swings are equal to a full 52* so the solution might be right there. 54* SW is another thought. Anyway, the 60* is just too good to remove. The ability to drop a high "dead" ball on the green with this club is fun. The ball lands and just stops. I also have a ton of confidence with this club around the greens. Hmmm, maybe 15 clubs is the right answer. 
It was a sad day for me as I was in a rush leaving the course last weekend. The round was taking entirely too long almost 5 hours so was annoyed and in my rush I forgot my 54 degree wedge on the last hole of the course. I know i used it on the last hole as i recorded it on my app. I called the course and unfortunately no one turned it in. I have never lost a club on a course and this one stings as it was from a great THP event.
I signed up for a 40 day bootcamp yesterday. Fairly intensive program with LOTS and LOTS of short game drills. One example is 10 chips from 5, 10, 15, and 20 yards. Goal is ball within 6' of the hole. Curious to see how performance stacks up with 50, 56 and 60 degree wedges. I'll also try a few sessions with my set gap wedge.
Please do share the shots that you are being told to execute. Would like a shot training type list for practice
Happy to share. Overall goal is creating measurable tests and then comparing sessions from day 1 until the end. As we know, short game is the easiest way to lower scores. I did some baseline work yesterday and today with the putter. We'll advance to wedges, irons, hybrids, fairway metals and driver soon. This is part of my personal Drive for Five (index) challenge.
Yesterday: 100 putts from 3'. I finished with 92/100. Goal is 100/100.
Today: 50 putts from 3' and 50 from 6'. 46/50 from 3' and I missed three in a row! 50 x 6' is a test. I finished with 27/50.
Passing grade is 85%.Tomorrow: Repeat putting drill. 10 chips from 5, 10, 15, and 20 yards. Scoring: 5 points for hole out, 3 pts for <3', and 1 pt for <6'. 100 points for 50/50 putts at 3' (99/100 = 0!) and 85 points for 43/50 at 6' (42 or lower = 0/). Passing score is 297.
With the chipping section, we start by giving yourself a favorable lie. Repeatability is the challenge so you have to think about what club gives you the best chance to score. It might be a 9 iron for the 5 yard chips. We'll see...
The 56* has stayed in my bag. Best SW I’ve ever had. I never hit the 52* much so i just added another driver (lol-probably should add another putter) My kid still loves his 58* I gave him after I tested it. It’s permanent in his bag.
Thanks again @rehbirdie, @JB , @GolferGal , and everyone else that made this a once in lifetime event.
Thanks again @rehbirdie, @JB , @GolferGal , and everyone else that made this a once in lifetime event.
Sadly near the end of last summer I had a similar tragedy befall that same wedge. We were playing a sister course to my CC and I left it around one of the greens. It, also, was never turned in and I still have the sads. I've never been a high spin player but these would stop and on occasion back up a bit for me and they are on the ponder list when I need new wedges again. I took the rest out of my bag to be sure that I don't end up losing another. I'd say all in they might just be the best wedges I've played.
Ok, some good data straight off Trackman 4 LM’s.
My son forgot that I had my 52* sitting in the bag room. He’s uber consistent with a full wedge. He hit 10 with each and with his TM TP 52* he was 106 avg carry, 109 total. With the XW-1 he was 116 avg carry, 116 total. His dispersion was awesome, he has 9/10 inside of 10 yards of each other and had 5/10 inside 5ft.
Forget the distance, he was seeing 1k+ more spin with the XW-1’s. He even had a couple that wound up a yard or two shy of his carry. Zip!
BTW-the TM while older has great grooves. I’d grade it as 80% of new and would easily throw it in my bag if needed. It’s still a good club. But it’s no XW-1.
My son forgot that I had my 52* sitting in the bag room. He’s uber consistent with a full wedge. He hit 10 with each and with his TM TP 52* he was 106 avg carry, 109 total. With the XW-1 he was 116 avg carry, 116 total. His dispersion was awesome, he has 9/10 inside of 10 yards of each other and had 5/10 inside 5ft.
Forget the distance, he was seeing 1k+ more spin with the XW-1’s. He even had a couple that wound up a yard or two shy of his carry. Zip!
BTW-the TM while older has great grooves. I’d grade it as 80% of new and would easily throw it in my bag if needed. It’s still a good club. But it’s no XW-1.
Well today was a good day, a month after losing my Bridgestone wedge at a course not so close to home I actually got the wedge back today. I had called the course twice to see if anyone and had turned it in but both times the person on the phone said hold on a sec and it seemed they didn't look long but came back and said that they did not see it or no one turned it in, so of course i was bummed. Today i was out near that course and decided let me stop in there and check one more time. I asked the guy at the counter and explained what the wedge was and what was stamped on it and we walked over to the bin with all the clubs in it and unfortunately it was not in there so figured well I tried. The guy at the counter said let me take you name and number in case it turns up. I said that it has been over a month that's ok its gone, her persisted so I said gave him my name and number. After leaving the course about 20 mins into my drive back home the course called and said hey I was able to find your wedge, after you explained it further to me i went looking in some of the other spots that they may have misplaced clubs and he said after i left he swears he remembered seeing the wedge somewhere and what do you know they had it and i went back and picked it up so that made my day. These wedges are really good and have a great price point and I would recommend them to anyone.
Been about a season and a half now and these are still in the bag. They do the trick. Looks wise, I really like the way these shine and the "B" really pops. I don't use them very often for full shots, but I use the 56 and 60 quite often around the green depending on what shot is needed. I have no problem at all getting the 60 in the air for tight little flop shots and the 56 is great for more of a runner. Spin wise, these seem to stop a touch quicker than other wedges I've hit, but I hit the ball fairly high so holding greens has never been too big of an issue. Long story short, I've been pleasantly surprised by these and have enjoyed gaming them this year and the second half of last year.
I concur with a caveat. I’m just not a wedge guy. These are great wedges but I hit everything other than sand and extremely short sided with my set GW. I tried to play the 52* for anything and everything 115 and under and it just never felt right. Not the particulatar club, just the loft. I hit it high anyways. I can hit a full swing 25 yard flop with my 49* set GW. I’m liable to go under the ball completely with 60*.
My set GW does so I eliminated the 52* and 58* and just kept the 56*, mainly for greenside bunkers. I may hit an above the hole chip or two a round with it but I hit my GW on probably 75% of the holes I play. 95% of shots 125 and under are hit with this club.
I have a Vokey (SM6?) 56* and a TM RAC TP 56*. I definitely prefer the XW-1. It stops much shorter, and if I’m using it I need it to stop fast.
My kid has had one helluva a year with the 52*. He uses it much like my set GW, mainly every bunker shot and short sided going to another club.
He averages 7ft proximity when using it but this would include chips. From inside 125 (his 52* is what he almost always hits) that’s about what I see. Half of them are under 30 yards though, and he can be quite good at driving those close.