Cleveland wedges - an odd observation

BobA

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I am a high handicap player - happy in the low 90’s -restarting the game after a 7 year lay off. I’m also in all my sports (from precision rifle thru to skiing ) a gear junkie and so (lol) I simply had to go out and buy new wedges - Cleveland Supersole 3 S and C and CBX 50 and 54. The thing is that while the SS wedges should be easier to use, I am significantly more confident and accurate with the CBX. I’m wondering if this was the experience or observation of anyone else or, perhaps, it’s just a case of me looking differently at the Supersole at address.

edit: while I am very poor off the T and am very mediocre on approach, wedges and the putter are the best part of my game. I’m wondering really if the SS wedges require a different set up to the more traditional wedges.
 
I am a high handicap player - happy in the low 90’s -restarting the game after a 7 year lay off. I’m also in all my sports (from precision rifle thru to skiing ) a gear junkie and so (lol) I simply had to go out and buy new wedges - Cleveland Supersole 3 S and C and CBX 50 and 54. The thing is that while the SS wedges should be easier to use, I am significantly more confident and accurate with the CBX. I’m wondering if this was the experience or observation of anyone else or, perhaps, it’s just a case of me looking differently at the Supersole at address.

edit: while I am very poor off the T and am very mediocre on approach, wedges and the putter are the best part of my game. I’m wondering really if the SS wedges require a different set up to the more traditional wedges.

Wedges are very personnel IMO. I have tried cavity back wedges but just didn't care for them.
 
Could be a lot at play here.
Swing weight differences, shaft profile and or weight differences. Bounce differences. Etc.

The CBX is a great wedge.
I game the 56* and 60* now. A few years back I had both the Smart Sole S and C in the bag. But decided to go with a more traditional looking wedge.
 
Yeah, wedges are weird and personal. It depends on a lot of factors. Are you square-faced or open-faced player? Steep swing or shallow swing? Use the bounce or dig? Swing weight preference? Bounce and grind? What kind of turf conditions do you play in?

Since I'm an off-the-rack guy and haven't been fitted, I normally have to adjust to the equipment rather than buy equipment that compliments my game. Never hit the SS wedges, but the CBX is so easy to hit.
 
Wedges are so personal, you wonder why they have grinders on the tour trucks to get each and every pros grind just right for them.
 
I like my Hi-Toe, but I could easily be swayed to another lob wedge. This one is much easier to not skull, but it is really easy to hit fat. I had a Vokey D grind that ahd the oppisite problem. It was so difficult to get underneath the ball with that one I skulled it all the time. I think a lower bounce wider sole design would work well for me, but I have yet to see anything that is quite exactly like that.
 
I am a high handicap player - happy in the low 90’s -restarting the game after a 7 year lay off. I’m also in all my sports (from precision rifle thru to skiing ) a gear junkie and so (lol) I simply had to go out and buy new wedges - Cleveland Supersole 3 S and C and CBX 50 and 54. The thing is that while the SS wedges should be easier to use, I am significantly more confident and accurate with the CBX. I’m wondering if this was the experience or observation of anyone else or, perhaps, it’s just a case of me looking differently at the Supersole at address.

edit: while I am very poor off the T and am very mediocre on approach, wedges and the putter are the best part of my game. I’m wondering really if the SS wedges require a different set up to the more traditional wedges.

The Smart Sole sand wedge is designed for playing bunker and lob shots. When play fuller shots , longer pitch shots or pitch and runs, the Smart Sole S is not ideal.
The Smart Sole C wedge is designed for playing green side run shots, and most players need to practice with this club to get a sense for its distance control, touch.
The CBX wedges are relatively traditional wedges but with wider soles (forgiveness) and cavity backs (forgiveness), so the CBX line is more versatile than the Smart Sole line. But, if a player confines using the SS sand wedge to lobs/bunker play, and the SS C to chip and run shots, the SS line is sensational.
 
You are probably trying to use a different wedge technique from what the S or C versions of Supersole are designed to do. They are "hedgehog" clubs, conventional wedges are "fox" clubs.

The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog one important thing

--Archilochus
 
The Smart Sole sand wedge is designed for playing bunker and lob shots. When play fuller shots , longer pitch shots or pitch and runs, the Smart Sole S is not ideal.
The Smart Sole C wedge is designed for playing green side run shots, and most players need to practice with this club to get a sense for its distance control, touch.
The CBX wedges are relatively traditional wedges but with wider soles (forgiveness) and cavity backs (forgiveness), so the CBX line is more versatile than the Smart Sole line. But, if a player confines using the SS sand wedge to lobs/bunker play, and the SS C to chip and run shots, the SS line is sensational.

Great reply - I do believe you are correct and I’ve likely been using the S Smart Sole for jobs that it’s cousin the CBX is better suited for. Thanks to all who posted - appreciate the responses
 
The CBX wedges aren’t really aimed at someone like me but I game 3 of them and they’re silly good.
 
I am a huge fan of my CBXs. I haven't found a situation where I wished for a more bladed wedge. Very forgiving too, although I have still managed to blade a ball across the green a time or 2

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
 
Agree with all on here that wedges are a personal item much like a putter to me. I like my CBX a lot and it does a good job of giving me a nice high flight with a soft landing with little roll-out.
 
Great reply - I do believe you are correct and I’ve likely been using the S Smart Sole for jobs that it’s cousin the CBX is better suited for. Thanks to all who posted - appreciate the responses

Honestly, for probably 99% of players, a high lofted wedge such as 58*, hurts scoring more than it helps. There is nothing inherently wrong with a Lob wedge, but most players use it too often. Unless a super high trajectory is needed, a 54*, 52*, 50*, 48*, or 46* club will get the ball consistently closer to the hole than a Lob wedge.

For example, if a player is 10 yards off the green and has 20 feet of green to the flag he can mishit a 52*, such as a touch thin or a touch heavy, and still get the ball next to the hole.
But if he plays the shot with a 58* or 60* L wedge his strike needs to be nearly perfect to get the ball near the hole.
Also, when playing green side shots with a less lofted club the player intuitively knows he can make gentle, soft, relaxed swings. However when he is swinging a 58* or 60* he subconsciously knows that with so much loft he must make a relatively long swing. Between the two choices, when trying for week to week, month to month short game consistency getting the ball near the hole, it is much easier to do so using less loft and making softer, gentle, relaxed swings.
Sure the L wedge may be useful when the player has short sided himself with little to no green to work with, or left his ball in front of a bunker etc..., but that's a separate subject. Specifically, a major part of good golf scoring is NOT leaving the ball out of position (short sided or in front of bunkers with little green to work with). In other words, a player finding a "need" for L wedge shots all day long should probably work leaving himself/herself easier green side chipping/pitching positions.
 
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I like my Hi-Toe, but I could easily be swayed to another lob wedge. This one is much easier to not skull, but it is really easy to hit fat. I had a Vokey D grind that ahd the oppisite problem. It was so difficult to get underneath the ball with that one I skulled it all the time. I think a lower bounce wider sole design would work well for me, but I have yet to see anything that is quite exactly like that.

Try the Mack Daddy 4. Magical for lobbing, I get it right with my 64 when hugely open pretty much all of the time.
 
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