Poll: Can you Handle Five Wedges?

[GraniteRoost]

You definitely have an interesting perspective. My guess is most fitters would make the opposite statement. That with adjustable collars which drive changes in loft, headweights, shaft swaps, etc. that the options to be able to quickly fit someone, the ease and ability to fit someone is the best it has ever been.

Not discounting your opinion. Appreciate the customizable nature of "the old days" where you would literally get a custom fit club by grinding or shaving your club. In today's market, the focus as been on modularization which will allow a quick, more precise fit in a shorter period of time. To get there, like any industry, you need to standardize components which has a side affect of making it harder to do one offs. So I don't think you are wrong in the statement that we have lost individual customization. We've just exchanged it for a fitting system that hits more of a mass ability.

I agree with this - much more fitting options now. Most sets can still be bent, and those are most of the fitting levers that anyone cares about. Nevermind the wider variety of head shapes and MOI< CG properties that far surpass what was previously available. The percentage of people who care that they cannot grind their irons has to be like..... nil.

Your post with your new Titleist setup is one of my favorites - it perfectly illustrates a wele gapped set that just happens to use both AW and GW, instead of one.

 

[GraniteRoost]

Aren't AW and GW the same? Some sets call them AW and some GW, but unless I'm missing something they are the same club.

Kind of... To me its just a way to differentiate between two clubs that serve similar functions. If you had a set with one approach or gap wedge, you could call it either. IN a sewt with two gap wedges, different names make it easier.

The course I played in college in NH is a course where you pretty much can’t hit driver. So I elected to take my driver, 3 wood and 5 wood out of the bag. I rolled with 3-PW. 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, putter.

A few here might’ve played it. The Shattuck in Jaffrey NH


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The Shattuck is an awesome course. Cool that you got to play college golf there.

 

[6ixOhFore]

I have 5 wedges in my bag. PW,GW from the set. 52,56,60

 

[Luchnia]

I wonder if scores reflect any better with 4 wedges? Several have indicated a norm of around 44, 48, 54, 58 and so on, but are we any better scoring wise? For me, I need much more practice to get mine dialed in. I think I will see great improvement as time goes on though.

I rarely use my lob wedge 58, but around here we have some courses that have high greens that are small and the lob fits the bill better than anything else in the bag, except for the occasional 54 degree in the tougher grass.

 

[GraniteRoost]

• Yay
  Votes: 32 - 52.5%
• Nay
  Votes: 29 - 47.5%

I'll be honest THP. I was not expecting voting to be anywhere this close. I was expecting more. Here is why:

By name, I have 5. PW, GW, 52 deg ( AW ), 56 deg (SW), 60 deg (LW). That being said, my wedges spread the distance between 132 yards and 84 yards on full swings.

Tevenor has a gorgeous set of new Titleist T200 irons, which you could argue are a really nice middle of the spectrum offering on forgiveness, distance, etc. His setup has 5 wedges that give outstanding resolution over the scoring range, and I'll bet the top end of his bag works out pretty well too.

I could totally rock that set, or any other 5 wedge setup.

 

[radiman]

I can't keep a consistent bag configured.
Picking the right 14 has been a lifelong battle.

Is it because of the numbers stamped on the club or is it a fitting issue? I have seen you bemoan modern clubs a lot. And, that's fine, you are entitled to your opinion. But, beyond your issue with club numbering, I don't recall you ever referencing what about these clubs makes them a bad fit for you.

 

[IceyShanks]

Absolutely, right now I play PW, GW, SW, LW and a 64* utility wedge, I don't think it'll be hard for me to transition into a slightly different set make up but with 5 wedges.

 

[RetiredBoomer]

Is it because of the numbers stamped on the club or is it a fitting issue? I have seen you bemoan modern clubs a lot. And, that's fine, you are entitled to your opinion. But, beyond your issue with club numbering, I don't recall you ever referencing what about these clubs makes them a bad fit for you.

Irons are merely a cosmetic stamping issue, not a fitting one.

The fitting problem is with metalwoods.

The models with weaker lofts for slower swing speed players like seniors invariably have upright lie angles and closed face angles for people who cast over the top.
The so called "players" models have the flatter lie angles and more open faces.

Some slower swing speed players who want the weaker loft models actually have good swings and need flatter lie angles and square or slightly open faces.
We're the ones who have trouble being properly fitted, and those movable hosel gadgets don't really address the problem adequately. .

 

[KEV]

I have 4 wedges right now but I could easily play 5 and not have a problem. I love that kind of versatility for around the green.

 

[Johan185]

Played With 6 Wedges Today. PW, AW Cavity Backed. 50*, 54*, 58*, 62* T-20's Mizuno Bladed.

Played under my Handicap for the first time in Months

 

[InTheRough]

My set PW is 44
My set GW is 49
I have a 54/10
I have a 58/8
and a Cleveland Smart Sole S - also a 58 for heavy rough around the green where I tend to chunk short pitch shots and soft sand.

The rest of my bag is D, 3W, 4H, 5H, 6i - 9. So I have room for 5 wedges. Why don't I carry a 62? Because I don't need one.

 

[Smiter]

I don’t really care what clubs cover my gaps/yardages.

Interesting that you wrote “club cover” sir...... ?

 

[Raiderboost]

I currently have only 3. Pw at 44, a 52 SM7 bent down to 50 and a 54. I want to add a 48 to help with gapping and bend the 50 back to 52 and the 54 to 56. That would give me 4 which would work just fine but a 60 could come in handy for those shorter shots to firm greens that you want to land soft.

 

[Tevenor]

Tevenor has a gorgeous set of new Titleist T200 irons, which you could argue are a really nice middle of the spectrum offering on forgiveness, distance, etc. His setup has 5 wedges that give outstanding resolution over the scoring range, and I'll bet the top end of his bag works out pretty well too.

Gapping works pretty nicely throughout. I have the 5 wedges splitting the 132 to 84 range with about 10 yards apart. On the long iron side, at the top is the 4i which flies total of 212ish. That gives me 80 yards split between 6 clubs ( 4i - 9i ) so about 13 yds a club. Below is the data from the same fitting session as the PW I shared in the other thread, just to give folks a baseline. Above the 4i is an EF 5w hitting 230-235ish and then above that is the driver.

 

[GraniteRoost]

My set PW is 44
My set GW is 49
I have a 54/10
I have a 58/8
and a Cleveland Smart Sole S - also a 58 for heavy rough around the green where I tend to chunk short pitch shots and soft sand.

The rest of my bag is D, 3W, 4H, 5H, 6i - 9. So I have room for 5 wedges. Why don't I carry a 62? Because I don't need one.

That sounds like a really good set, I like the dedicated trouble club.

Gapping works pretty nicely throughout. I have the 5 wedges splitting the 132 to 84 range with about 10 yards apart. On the long iron side, at the top is the 4i which flies total of 212ish. That gives me 80 yards split between 6 clubs ( 4i - 9i ) so about 13 yds a club. Below is the data from the same fitting session as the PW I shared in the other thread, just to give folks a baseline. Above the 4i is an EF 5w hitting 230-235ish and then above that is the driver.

View attachment 8924267

Uhhhhhh.... 16* launch and 50* descent on a 4i is kinda obscene