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How do you test wedges?

SuperStroke
Paladin

Paladin

Otter be golfing
Albatross 2024 Club
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The question is in the title. They're such a personal part of our game, and with how much of the game is played inside 125 yards...it's a club that I don't think you can find out if you like by hitting some shots off the astroturf in a swing bay.

So short of big THP events, how do you test wedges to determine what loft/grind/bounce is right for your game?
 
A lot of guess and check. I need the wedge to hit the yardage gap number more than anything. Around the greens with different bounces and stuff, that's mostly just guess and check, with a lot of practice thrown in. I tend to not stray too far from what I already go with though so it's usually not too different between clubs?
 
Buy one, spend twenty minutes around the chipping green with it then take it out on the course, over the course of 18 holes, and use it whenever possible from just off the green to whatever its full swing distance happens to be. Repeat that three or four times and I have a pretty good idea if it’s a keeper. Occasionally one will seem good in initial tryout but after a few weeks in the bag for real rounds it disappoints.
 
only the opportunity to do it once, back when the annika academy was around. now if i wanted to, i could go to true spec or maybe the leadbetter academy.


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The set I have now I bought on reviews from here and did trial and error. Luckily it worked out. Love my SM7's
 
I check the spin numbers, launch, descent angle on my typical shots. I also try to open it up and do all the normal shots I would try. I’ll also test out the toe because that’s my miss.


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I try to read as much info as possible but it's mostly a guessing game for me. For the most part it has worked out


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I'm curious how many people get their wedges fit to the same specs (2 degrees up, for example) as their irons. I'm more concerned with things like bounce and feel with wedges but have often wondered if I'm not hurting myself by having them with different specs than my irons, even if it's going to be a different shaft and head regardless.
 
THP breaks it down then I check them out and put them in play - try them out on the wedge range at my course and out on the course with turf interaction
 
Hackapotamus said:
I'm curious how many people get their wedges fit to the same specs (2 degrees up, for example) as their irons. I'm more concerned with things like bounce and feel with wedges but have often wondered if I'm not hurting myself by having them with different specs than my irons, even if it's going to be a different shaft and head regardless.
Click to expand...

This is something I find interesting because once upon a time I was told that if your club specs tend to be upright that you may not want your wedges to also be upright, because your "toe down" swing might be a flaw in your full swing (a tendency to raise the handle thru impact) that doesn't show up in your pitches and chips. In addition, I was told that upright wedges present more of the hosel when you open the face.

I'm not saying that these things are right or wrong, but it lends even more of the guessing game that comes to such a huge part of scoring successfully in golf. Your fitting info for your irons may not be the same for your wedges.
 
It used to be guesswork. My current set of wedges I was fit for and it’s made a huge difference. I have grinds that work for me and I have so much confidence in my wedge play at the minute, it’s unreal.

Hackapotamus said:
I'm curious how many people get their wedges fit to the same specs (2 degrees up, for example) as their irons.
Click to expand...
My set is half an inch long and 2 degrees upright (and graphite). My wedges are standard (and steel). Because I rarely hit full shots with them, I was told that playing standard lies with steel shafts wouldn’t hurt my game. And so far, it hasn’t.



#FiberLaunch
 
No real way for me to test before I buy so I'll spend lots of time reading reviews to find those that'll touch on my most important concerns.

I like wedges that work well in bermuda rough for touch shots around the green. Still can't tell how they'd perform for me until in hand but I've found a discovered consensus online to be beneficial in the past.

SW must have 12° (or so) or more bounce. I prefer GW and LW in the 8-10° range.

I also prefer a larger wedge. The old 588s were a decent size. The PM Grind wedges are funky but I appreciated their size. And I flat-out love my Fourteen RM-22J wedges, size, weight, balance, feel. Everything.
 
Paladin said:
The question is in the title. They're such a personal part of our game, and with how much of the game is played inside 125 yards...it's a club that I don't think you can find out if you like by hitting some shots off the astroturf in a swing bay.

So short of big THP events, how do you test wedges to determine what loft/grind/bounce is right for your game?
Click to expand...

I do not test wedges. I buy them and play them, usually ones with the highest bounce angle offered.
 
Demo them at PGA Superstore first. Check the spin and feel. If the price is right, buy one and go from there. I’ll take them on a range and do short game practice for a few weeks. I’ll also read a lot about the clubs if possible and to get a better deal I normally go through Callaway Pre-owned a few months after their release.


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