Wedge Specs: 50/54/58 or 52/56/60????

My PW is 45 degree and I hit it about 130 on the fly. Next club is a 56 degree SW that if swung hard enough can go 85 but in that scenario i usually try to choke up and hit a soft PW. Looking to invest in my short game with a wedge set but having trouble settling on the lofts. I'll need standard to high bounce based on my swing angle and local course conditions. Looking for clubs that I can swing 80% and hit the same distance within 3-5 yards every time and check up. 80-100 yards is my most awkward distance right now because i don't play enough to truly know how to take 30 yards off of my PW and I'm not a fan of swinging out of my shoes with my SW.

What do you guys think??

50/54/58? 52/56/60? 64?

Clubs considerations thus far: Vokey SM5/SM6, Callaway MD3, Cleveland RTX 2.0/3.0??

Thanks for the input!

I'd start at 50* to keep my gaps relatively stable. I wouldn't want a 7* gap.

Why not go 45/50/55/60 to keep everything 5* apart?

BenCochran10 said:

My PW is 45 degree and I hit it about 130 on the fly. Next club is a 56 degree SW that if swung hard enough can go 85 but in that scenario i usually try to choke up and hit a soft PW. Looking to invest in my short game with a wedge set but having trouble settling on the lofts. I'll need standard to high bounce based on my swing angle and local course conditions. Looking for clubs that I can swing 80% and hit the same distance within 3-5 yards every time and check up. 80-100 yards is my most awkward distance right now because i don't play enough to truly know how to take 30 yards off of my PW and I'm not a fan of swinging out of my shoes with my SW.

What do you guys think??

50/54/58? 52/56/60? 64?

Clubs considerations thus far: Vokey SM5/SM6, Callaway MD3, Cleveland RTX 2.0/3.0??

Thanks for the input!

Click to expand...

Based on your current set and your input on the 56°, I'd set go 50, 54, 58. That means your 85 yard shot easier with a 54° and I would also recommend considering the Mack Daddy Forged wedges as an option.

I go no more than ;* gaps do 50/54/58 is the setup I would choose especially since the 50 is probably a full switch by club

Wedge Specs: 50/54/58 or 52/56/60????

Another vote for 50/54/58. That's what I have and honestly I hardly ever hit the 58 as the 54 just does so much


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I play 46, 51, 55, 60 and my gaps are 132, 120, 106, and 91. I hit my 60 more than any other wedge.

i do 50/56/60 but I love this setup. My A wedge is so versatile that I don't see issues between 50-56.

I like the 50,54,58 degree set up gives me options long and short range.


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I have recently liberated myself from the idea that my wedge gaps need to be even, and I've been enjoying my 45-50-54-60 setup -- with the 45 and 50 as set wedges rather than specialty wedges. Instead of worrying about full-swing distances (I hardly ever put a full swing on my two highest lofted wedges anyway), I have begun to think about the purpose of each wedge. The 45 and 50 are approach wedges, covering distances from 75 to 125 yards. With those clubs, I have been practicing an array of full, three-quarter, and half swings, and I've been trying to dial in my distances. My 54 and 60 are primarily tools for shots around the green, though the 54 can occasionally serve for very short approaches. I find 54 to be a great all-purpose loft, whereas I use the 60 only when I need to pop the ball in the air or stop it quickly. For all of these considerations, even gapping is a lot less important than learning what different lofts and different clubhead designs can do.


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BenCochran10 said:

My PW is 45 degree and I hit it about 130 on the fly. Next club is a 56 degree SW that if swung hard enough can go 85 but in that scenario i usually try to choke up and hit a soft PW. Looking to invest in my short game with a wedge set but having trouble settling on the lofts. I'll need standard to high bounce based on my swing angle and local course conditions. Looking for clubs that I can swing 80% and hit the same distance within 3-5 yards every time and check up. 80-100 yards is my most awkward distance right now because i don't play enough to truly know how to take 30 yards off of my PW and I'm not a fan of swinging out of my shoes with my SW.

What do you guys think??

50/54/58? 52/56/60? 64?

Clubs considerations thus far: Vokey SM5/SM6, Callaway MD3, Cleveland RTX 2.0/3.0??

Thanks for the input!

Click to expand...

It surprises me that you hit your 45 degree wedge 130 yards and your 56* only 85. I hit my 46 wedge 130ish as well and my 56* is in the 105-108 range with a full swing. I'm guessing you may want an instructor to take a look at your setup and make sure that your ball position is correct.

I play a 50.56.60 as mentioned above. At that distance I don't have a huge gap and rarely swing my wedges at full speed anyways. Good luck.

Personally I think 50/54/58 would be your best bet, and as far was wedges go, of the ones you listed I'd check out the RTX-3s or SM6s.

sparksjr said:

Another vote for 50/54/58. That's what I have and honestly I hardly ever hit the 58 as the 54 just does so much


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I keep hearing that same thing about the 54. I appreciate the club brand suggestion as well since i just picked up a set of CF 16's and LOVE them. Callaway definitely has my attention

mr.hicksta said:

Personally I think 50/54/58 would be your best bet, and as far was wedges go, of the ones you listed I'd check out the RTX-3s or SM6s.

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Do you notice a difference between the SM5 model and SM6? Is the extra cost justified?

tahoebum said:

It surprises me that you hit your 45 degree wedge 130 yards and your 56* only 85. I hit my 46 wedge 130ish as well and my 56* is in the 105-108 range with a full swing. I'm guessing you may want an instructor to take a look at your setup and make sure that your ball position is correct.

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Honestly it's always suprised me as well and has been frustrating because I'm in that yardage game off the tee ALL THE TIME. It's not a high dollar set of clubs and the SW just feels weighted differently. I never swing it full because it just doesn't end well. Hence my interest in its replacement lol

BenCochran10 said:

Do you notice a difference between the SM5 model and SM6? Is the extra cost justified?

Click to expand...

I gamed the SM5s, MD3s and RTX-3s. I've never used the SM6s, but have heard nothing but good things about them. The Cobra PUR wedges are worth checking out too. If you plan on gaming them for awhile I think the cost for the newer version is justified, but that's just me.

BenCochran10 said:

I keep hearing that same thing about the 54. I appreciate the club brand suggestion as well since i just picked up a set of CF 16's and LOVE them. Callaway definitely has my attention

Click to expand...

My 50 is the CF16 AW and currently my 54 and 58 are RTX 3's. Just replaced some J40's which I was very happy with too.


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BenCochran10 said:

My PW is 45 degree and I hit it about 130 on the fly. Next club is a 56 degree SW that if swung hard enough can go 85 but in that scenario i usually try to choke up and hit a soft PW. Looking to invest in my short game with a wedge set but having trouble settling on the lofts. I'll need standard to high bounce based on my swing angle and local course conditions. Looking for clubs that I can swing 80% and hit the same distance within 3-5 yards every time and check up. 80-100 yards is my most awkward distance right now because i don't play enough to truly know how to take 30 yards off of my PW and I'm not a fan of swinging out of my shoes with my SW.

What do you guys think??

50/54/58? 52/56/60? 64?

Clubs considerations thus far: Vokey SM5/SM6, Callaway MD3, Cleveland RTX 2.0/3.0??

Thanks for the input!

Click to expand...

My PW is also 45 (XR pro) and I do 50/54/58 in MD3 except 58 PM grind. It works for me and I'm happy as been with this setup for a couple of seasons. Tend to use the 54 the most FWIW. Also love the MD3 wedges. Very happy with them. Have the black models.

i've been a 50/56/60 guy for as long as i can remember. for the last few years i have had set aw at 50 then "blade" wedge at 50 as well and the gapping has been good. i'm still playing 50/56/60, but i have another wedge set coming with 50/54/58.


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Im a 50/54/58 guy myself. I just think that a 60 is too much loft for me personally. I have tried it before and it just didn't feel right.

This depends on the distances you are shooting for. I was gaming 45 - 50 - 54 - 60 for a bit because I needed a full swing 80* wedge and a 58* LW would have been much.

BenCochran10 said:

My PW is 45 degree and I hit it about 130 on the fly. Next club is a 56 degree SW that if swung hard enough can go 85 but in that scenario i usually try to choke up and hit a soft PW.

Click to expand...

First off, smart man on the club selection. You want to avoid situations where you feel like you have to go full out with a wedge. You'll be far more consistent and accurate swinging under control.

I'm going to be blunt, forget about the degrees of loft for now. The degrees of loft should be whatever they end up being after you've considered what is really important. You use your wedges for: Short approach shots, chipping and pitching around the green, and green side bunker shots, right? So what's most important to make those shots?

- On approach shots you need wedges with no big gaps between them. Especially since as you said, you aren't at a point where you can take off 30 yards by adjusting the swing.

- I don't know anything about your chipping and pitching ability around the green. But you need to catalog the shots you can make and how far out you can make them. Many players find they have a significant distance gap somewhere inside of 100 yards. Too close to swing with their highest lofted wedge and too far for their pitching and chipping ability. You can partially address this with your wedge distance selection. The rest you need to figure out another way: Learn to hit a half or three-quarter swing, a knockdown shot, or get more versatile with your chipping and pitching.

- Bounce is your friend, but the question is how much? This is a big consideration with wedges and is influenced by a number of things:
* Approach angle: a steeper swing generally requires more bounce than a shallower swing plane
* Fairway conditions: A shot from a closely cut fairway or hard pan generally calls for less bounce than if the ball sits up in the fairway grass
* Rough conditions: Obviously works like the fairway except it's at the opposite end of the scale
* Bunker conditions: Bunkers with deep, soft sand require more bounce to keep from digging than bunkers with shallow, hard sand
You need to assess your swing and the conditions you most often play to determine bounce. I see a lot of players with big differences from wedge to wedge in their bag as far as bounce and grind that are frustrated to no end because the club doesn't react the same to the surface conditions.

The mass of the head, center of gravity, shaft characteristics, and degrees of loft all influence the trajectory and distance of a wedge, so that's why I said at the beginning to put aside the degrees of loft. Having pointed out the things above, let me finish with a few observations about the wedges you are considering.

Vokey wedges have a higher mass in the heads. They also have the most combinations of degrees of loft, bounce and grind that you can buy.
The Callaway MD3 are in the middle as far as mass. Most players consider the Vokey or Mac Daddy as the best high volume production wedges available.
I haven't personally evaluated the Cleveland RTX wedges, but other models from Cleveland I have tried have had less mass in the head, and fewer combinations you can buy.

Hope some of this helps.

I don't think there's a general correct answer for this, as wedges tend to be a more personal selection. I just upgraded my wedges and went with the Vokey SM6 just due to the variety of lofts and grinds that one could choose from. I ended up at 50-54-58 with three different grinds that I felt suited my game best, they replaced my old set up of 51-56 that I had played for years. I ended up adding a wedge for more choices on the short game side and so far it seems to be work out, still bit of a learning curve with ball flight.