Would Smart Sole Lower Your Scores?

[BigMac]

I've never played with them, but I don't think they would lower my scores. Not saying I'm Phil Mickelson around the greens or anything, but I don't consider wedges a weakness in my game. I like what I have in my bag and I'm comfortable and confident with them, wouldn't want to change anytime soon.

 

[WSox fan]

The SW would for most. It definitely makes sand shots easier from my experience.

 

[1860VS]

Is the "C" a chipper? There is now way I am carryiyng one. I use anywhere from a 6I to a LW depending upon the the situation. More carry, more loft. Just off the green, less loft.

 

[Legalize Mulligans]

I would say yes for sure. I am pretty decent from around the green, but I felt like I wasn't hitting the exact line I wanted with a bump and run. I picked up a smart sole 4 Chipper around mid October and I have holed out 8 times so far with many more lip outs. Not saying someone couldn't just put in the work with their current gamers but it was so easy from the first time I put it in play. I am a single digit index and not ashamed 1 bit to have that guy in my bag.

 

[boggyman]

My wish is they’d make the sand and lob a 54/58!

 

[Louis_Posture]

I would say yes for sure. I am pretty decent from around the green, but I felt like I wasn't hitting the exact line I wanted with a bump and run. I picked up a smart sole 4 Chipper around mid October and I have holed out 8 times so far with many more lip outs. Not saying someone couldn't just put in the work with their current gamers but it was so easy from the first time I put it in play. I am a single digit index and not ashamed 1 bit to have that guy in my bag.

The C (chipper) club has a shaft length, orientation, head weight, sole size and shape etc... unlike any other club. Playing one is not the same as chipping the ball with a 9-iron or a 7-iron or whichever traditional club someone uses for their chipping. As you've apparently learned, the Smart Sole chipper club makes chipping easier.
Honestly at some authentic links style courses or Donald Ross designs such as Pinehurst #2 I could imagine some Tour pros would benefit from a Smart Sole chipper club.

 

[martybauer31]

I own the previous version of Smart soles in the S and G flavors, and yes, they did indeed make a difference in my scoring. I was so garbage out of the sand, I had previously resorted to carrying a "one hit wonder" club to just get me out of the sand because I was a minimum of 3 strokes to get out. The S club in this variation and I'm out of the sand in a single stroke almost every single time. I can hit it for anything 100 yards and in with a full swing, it's great from chipping and has made it so I'm no longer afraid of the bunkers. Well worth the money paid for them!

 

[MSEASU]

No, I lose my touch. My short game got a lot worse when I tried

 

[*Range Rat]

Maybe, I already use shovels but not to that extreme.

 

[Faiz]

The 58° is an unbelievable club for me. My go to club from 100 yards and in.
Extremely repeatable and accurate and no need to get cute with it. I have other wedges for that. It is also fairly versatile as you can play it back in the stance or come across for a very high ball.
I don't use it out of the bunker, my 64° is a better club for that and I don't need to worry about strike out of the bunker.
I wouldn't use any of the others to be honest as my other wedges are good in those areas.
The C is fulfilled by my 7 iron which I tend to use for bump and runs very regularly throughout the round.
Can't recommend enough but for whatever reason people don't want to try even though they look like a regular wedge behind the ball.
If these come to the UK I'll definitely check them out and will buy the new S for sure. Had all the S's except the very first one.

Sent from my SM-S918B using Tapatalk

 

[rlb4]

Absolutely for most golfers with say a 10+ handicap. They are as easy as it can be to use. The sole is designed to minimize chunks and the head is very stable on mishits. Even compared to the CBX wedges, which are also outstanding, they are noticeably more forgiving. I have been using the Chipper, Gap and Sand wedges for a few years and they have definitely helped my short game. I also have 54* and 58* CBX wedges which I really like but every time I do a head to head the Smart Soles are easier to hit and have more consistent dispersion. Now if you are a very good ball striker and like to manipulate the face on your wedge shots, these are probably not for you. But anyone who wants to just hit straight, consistent wedge shots and make their life easier, just try them.

 

[ddec]

I think it’s possible because it would stop me from being cute around the greens and creating more trouble for myself at times. I think the chipper would help me the most. I go through periods of stabbing the ball so the sole design could definitely pay off.

 

[Bernoulli]

I think the chipper might help me.

 

[Scribble]

What the Smart Sole line offers is a sole design that allows slightly mishit shots to achieve respectable results. And mishit chips-pitches-bunker shots are very common, especially from rough, hard pan, sloped, or other less-than-ideal lies. So, even the most highly skilled players , when playing from less than ideal lies, can benefit from Smart Sole clubs.

But when required to be creative they are not variable.
Inside 100 yds every becomes creative. I would say less than 35% of those shots are less than straight forward pitch or chip and run.

 

[Scooby45]

But when required to be creative they are not variable.
Inside 100 yds every becomes creative. I would say less than 35% of those shots are less than straight forward pitch or chip and run.

Counterpoint: How often should amateur golfers try to get creative? And are they truly gaining anything when they do

 

[erock9174]

Paging @erock9174

Boomtown

 

[erock9174]

The pic with the 3 wedges above is the CBX4 then Smart Sole then RTX.

 

[Scribble]

Counterpoint: How often should amateur golfers try to get creative? And are they truly gaining anything when they do

Touché, my cap could be lower.
I lose most of my shots off the tee.
I am very confident in my wedge and sand game.
I love to hit the 5 shots with the wedge.
Standard
Toe down
Clip spinner
Proper sand
Heel digger for plugs

 

[Louis_Posture]

But when required to be creative they are not variable.
Inside 100 yds every becomes creative. I would say less than 35% of those shots are less than straight forward pitch or chip and run.

I hear you, but I also question how many creative shots end up next to the hole and, or leave a one putt?
Each time this discussion comes up all low handicap and most high handicap players usually say "my chipping and pitching and bunker play is fine" or "those clubs are gimmicks for hackers". I say if someone has a scoring average higher than 72 he/she should be open to trying Smart Sole clubs. Remember, a player shooting 75 is likely missing at least 6 greens per round, and a player averaging 85 is likely missing 9 or greens per round. In either case that's a lot of chips-pitches-bunker shots that the player is not getting up and down.

 

[Scribble]

I hear you, but I also question how many creative shots end up next to the hole and, or leave a one putt?
Each time this discussion comes up all low handicap and most high handicap players usually say "my chipping and pitching and bunker play is fine" or "those clubs are gimmicks for hackers". I say if someone has a scoring average higher than 72 he/she should be open to trying Smart Sole clubs. Remember, a player shooting 75 is likely missing at least 6 greens per round, and a player averaging 85 is likely missing 9 or greens per round. In either case that's a lot of chips-pitches-bunker shots that the player is not getting up and down.

My data tells me my prox is better with runners 7,8,9i,p than my wedges
I guess I’m not as proficient as I feel.

 

[Birdman03]

I hear you, but I also question how many creative shots end up next to the hole and, or leave a one putt?
Each time this discussion comes up all low handicap and most high handicap players usually say "my chipping and pitching and bunker play is fine" or "those clubs are gimmicks for hackers". I say if someone has a scoring average higher than 72 he/she should be open to trying Smart Sole clubs. Remember, a player shooting 75 is likely missing at least 6 greens per round, and a player averaging 85 is likely missing 9 or greens per round. In either case that's a lot of chips-pitches-bunker shots that the player is not getting up and down.

Excellent points. Those who claim their short game is fine need to look at their up/down %age and the average # of strokes they take to hole out with PW or shorter clubs. If those stats are even with or better than golfers at their HC level then they are correct.

If they are performing poorly relative to others at their level it could certainly be due to the contact issues that the Smart Sole clubs are designed to reduce. It's also possible that their poor performance is the result of a variety of other issues.

In my experience distance control with these clubs plus development of reliable techniques for bunker, pitch, and chip shots leads most often to lower scoring. That may or may not be facilitated by Smart Sole clubs.

 

[Thrillbilly Jim]

I've gamed a Smart Sole SW for several years now and it has made my bunker play exponentially better.

 

[SundayHack]

If you replaced your GW, SW, LW, and another club of your choosing with the entire Cleveland Smart Sole-Full Face line up (GW,SW,LW,C), would your scores drop? I believe the majority of golfers would see lower scores if they gamed these clubs. Would this line up help you?

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I have the SW and C (used to also have the GW) overall I don’t think my scoring average has lowered because of them specifically (I’m a 13HCP so when one part of my game is good generally another isn’t).

They have 100% saved me strokes on the course, especially the C.

The GW just didn’t work in my set and I replaced it with my iron set GW.

The SW and C won’t be leaving the bag anytime soon.

 

[Hawk]

I think it's a good question, @Thrillbilly Jim

My answer is I don't know. I've never used one. I think I'll at least give it a shot this year at some point. I am considering a big switch in how I build my bag in 2024.

 

[Birdman03]

OK I may be coming around on this. I made 2 double bogeys yesterday that included three fat 58 deg partial wege shots. I was hitting them off a very stubby type of grass that "grabs" the clubhead. The grass may be called St. Augustine. It's dormant this time of year and it looks like straw.