What makes a great wedge?

Tadashi70

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I know this purely subjective but I want to know. What makes a great wedge? Is it how it's made? Is it the company name, brand loyalty? Performance?

What combination of traits makes a great wedge for you?
 
For me it has to be suiting to the eye, not feel to harsh on contact and be able to perform the type of shots I wnat to execute.
 
Weighting and feel are big for me. I don't like a wedge that feels too head-heavy, that I can't really control it. So weight is at the top of the list. From there, bounce and grind, the feeling that I can hit the shots I want to hit, especially with my loftiest wedge...so how does it look when I open up the face, how does it look when it sits square.

Last is the look of the wedge itself. I prefer a raw finish that'll age and rust.
 
What makes a great wedge?

Satin or shiny chrome
Lower bounce
Blade style (not cavity back)
Square (ish) leading edge

Company doesn't matter
It has to suit my eye.

For me wedges are almost as personal as a flat stick.
 
For me it comes down to one word, versatility!! If I can use it, successfully, in multiple situations then I believe it is great!!
 
For me it comes down to one word, versatility!! If I can use it, successfully, in multiple situations then I believe it is great!!


Ditto. My 54* is old and I'm sure some newer wedges should have better performance, but I'm so comfortable using it in different situations. To me, that's a great wedge.
 
Not in any specific order...weight, versatility, and it has to look good to my eye.
 
Heavy, matte black and the bounce has to be verstile
 
Like Palaidin, I don't like a real heavy wedge. The sole is the next most important thing to me, it has to offer some versatility, in being able to open it and still have good turf interaction, to me the best one I ever had like this was the Cleveland 588 DSG, the 54 was my go to wedge for almost 10 years before finally replacing it last year.

I like shiny versus matte in most cases.
 
I've had so many different wedges in my bag over the past 5 or 6 years. I haven't really even sat back and thought about this question Freddie, but it is interesting to sit back and thing overall perspective like this.

First thing I look for is shape, most wedges anymore are fairly similar shaped, but if it doesn't have a pleasing shaped design I'm out from the word go.
Weighting is next. I like to feel the head of the wedge as I swing it. A little heavier almost. Too light of a head to me is harder to know where the club head is in my shot.
Grooves/spin. Again most wedges on the market these days are fairly similar anymore, they go about imparting spin differently, but they all do a pretty good job of it.
Bounce/grind. I like a versatile wedge and most companies are offering different bounce/grind options to meet the needs as well.
Finish. Again with multiple finishes available from each line you can usually get something you like regardless of the OEM you go with.

Overall I can't say one of these is MOST important over the others, but a wedge that kind of puts all of that together the best would be the one I go with. I'll be replacing my wedges very soon so this is a timely discussion, thanks!
 
Simple, understated aesthetics
Good turf interaction
Great feel

I'll also add good spin performance, but quite frankly I've found that just about every quality wedge on the market spins well with fresh grooves so I don't worry about this much.
 
Quality of the finish
Greenside action
Look at address
 
I like a wedge that is pleasing to the eye, and one that inspires confidence.

Every wedge on the market should be a great wedge (performance wise) honestly, or it shouldn't be out there. How you play the wedge, and what you can do with it, should be what qualifies it as a great wedge. I am sure PGA players could take a bargain bin wedge and still make it perform.
 
What makes a great wedge?

A great wedge player?:D

this is a great response. a great wedge player can take a sh1tty wedge and hit a great shot. i bad wedge player can take a great wedge and hit a sh1tty shot.

to answer the original question, for me it's about feel/sound, bounce/grind and weighting.

once the rotex 2.0 honeymoon phsae wore off, it was too clicky for me and i couldn't get past that feeling. interestingly, while i really like the feel of the md3 wedges on short game shots around the greens, i've hit several full swing shots that i felt like i missed but the impact point shows it was well struck. the feel on full swings with the s grind is VERY firm and not explosive, whereas the w grind feels more explosive.

for bounce/grind, i need bounce, but i need relief when opened a bit because i don't want to see the leading edge sitting up off the ground. it's just a mental confidence thing. the md3 wedges really sit beautifully behind the ball and allow for lots of face manipulation. ben schomin of cobra was telling me that the notch in the back of the cobra wedges is meant to provide lots of relief for wide open wedges without the leading edge sitting up too much.

weighting is tough to describe. in my last wedge fitting i was told that i prefer a club that is balanced across the entire club rather than heavy in a particular section. i bought the wedges from the fitter who told me this, although they were straight off the rack with no changes so i'm not sure whether we implemented that preference.

the only look i don't like is shiny because i don't want to be blinded, and i don't think i could ever get used to the pm grind shape, so i guess i want a very traditional head shape.
 
One that I can hit a 100 yard shot to within 5 feet within the first 5 hits.

If not, I move to the next one.
 
Weighting and feel.
 
It has to be great on full shots and short shots. The sole design has to work for it's intended purpose. After that the rest is icing on the cake.
 
Looks, weight and feel. If your looking down at it and you don't like the way it looks your not going to hit it well. Actually I think that applies to all clubs. Second, I like to feel the head so a bit heavier head for me. Lastly how does it feel on well struck shots?

One last thing I think many people don't think about is bounce and grind. I think they can play a major role depending on course and conditions.
 
That's a good question. I like a wedge that fits in with my set, currently the only wedge in my bag that's not a set wedge is my lob wedge. I'm not a very good wedge player, so for me the closer to my irons the better.
 
Some interesting responses in here. For me it's all about confidence for what you use it for. The PM Grind wedge in the LW spot is that for me. Sure not every shot is perfect, but man it's an easy club to hit most of the time for me when I need something a little higher in the air, so it stays and is honestly my go to wedge right now. Still getting comfortable with the MD3 54W but it's done admirably from 100 in so far. I'm a set GW (and sometimes SW guy) using it for full shots and lower shots around the green. Too early for an official verdict but first time out with the Apex and I think we're gonna get along just fine.
 
This is great answer, you know exactly what you need and want.
That's a good question. I like a wedge that fits in with my set, currently the only wedge in my bag that's not a set wedge is my lob wedge. I'm not a very good wedge player, so for me the closer to my irons the better.
 
Satin or shiny chrome
Lower bounce
Blade style (not cavity back)
Square (ish) leading edge

Company doesn't matter
It has to suit my eye.

For me wedges are almost as personal as a flat stick.
Nailed it for me. Although I've been a homer for quite sometime and have always enjoyed their offerings.
 
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