52 degree or 60 degree... And Why

stevire

Just wondering what is the most popular choice of wedge outside of the PW and SW. What wedge have ye got and why/what made you choose it!

(Looking to buy a new wedge!! )

slumped

good explanation here

http://www.golfequipmentsource.com/golf-wedges.html

ShriekingSheet

Cheers Slumped.

Steveire, that piece there is decent but a little convoluted. There's also a few iffy bits such as stating the Sand Wedge is "used from 95 yards into the pin and also out of the sand traps or green side bunkers". The truth is golfers hit Sand Wedges different distances and many don't actually use them from bunkers. But it gives a decent insight in general.

Anyway, to answer your question simply, the most common choice of wedge outside of the Pitching Wedge and the Sand Wedge is the Lob Wedge, usually 60 degrees. After that, there's also many players who use a Gap Wedge which is usually 50 or 52 degrees.

Lob Wedge
This is the most lofted club in the bag. The Lob Wedge is a relatively modern club, owing much of it's popularity to the rise and rise of Phil Mickelson during the 90's. It is commonly associated with the "flop shot" which has become more and more of a necessity in the modern game with newer course designes featuring more bunkers and raised greens. This often gives players less green to work with meaning a high, soft-landing pitch is required as opposed to the more traditional chip and run. I call it a "necessity" because the shot does require a longer swing and more percise strike than a chip and run, making it more of a risk and really should only be used when necessary.
Many players also use their Lob Wedge from green-side bunkers.

Gap Wedge
This is also a new enough development in the equipment spectrum. It's become a popular choice for many players, especially those who like to play full shots. From one Iron to the next, say from a 7 to an 8, there is usually a gap of approx 4 or 5 degrees. But in most sets, there is approx 8 degrees from the PW (48) to the SW (56) - the gap is simply bigger meaning that quite often players are left with a yardage that's slightly to long for a SW and need to hit a three-quarter PW. But as I said, many player prefer to hit more full shots so will employ a Gap Wedge to play a full shot in this situation.


On the whole, less chunky wedges are better for players of all levels. As such, many sets of chunky irons like Callaway or Taylor Made are being sold 3-PW as opposed to the traditional 3-SW. This is because the Sand Wedges in these sets tend to be much too bulky and players prefer buying a more sleek wedge by Cleveland or Titleist-Vokey.

Combinations
Because you're limited to 14 clubs, and you've woods and hybrids to possibly take into account, it's all about getting the right combination of clubs. If you chose a Gap Wedge you may have to forgoe a Lob Wedge. But maybe a 56 degree Sand Wedge is plenty of loft for you when you need it? Maybe you don't mind hitting punchy 3/4 pitching wedges and don't really see the need for a Gap Wedge? It's completely personal to each player but it's advisable that you know what's on offer so you can make an informed decision.

Here's the breakdown of lofts and names of wedges just to clarify. There are some slight variations from one manufacturer to another but basically it's as follows...

Pitching Wedge - 48
Gap Wedge - 50 or 52
Sand Wedge - 54 or 56
Lob Wedge - usually 60 (but can be anything from 58-64)


My own combination is a 54 degree Sand Wedge and a 60 degree Lob Wedge. The sand wedge is quite strong at 54 degrees so goes a little further than your average Sand Wedge. With less loft I find it nice to chip with too. My LW is for bunkers and higher shots when needed. For non-full shots I'm quite happy to hit three-quarter shots with any of my clubs so I don't find the need for a Gap Wedge. As I said, totally up to the individual.

There's another aspect of spec called "bounce". It's probably not worth going into but if you play on a parkland course in Ireland, a higher amount of bounce (about 10 degrees on a lobe wedge) is probably better but I wouldn't worry too much about it.

stevire

Cheers for the reply. Never felt the need for a gap wedge, I have often came "in-between" the PW/SW but never seen it as that big a problem. I think a 60 degree is the one for me, I'd usually use a PW out of a bunker unless there's a really high lip to get over.

Lately I've started overcooking/undercooking the SW and with the winter greens they tend to be faster than usual so I'm looking for wedge that'll help me out on a softer landing.

Any recommendations for a Lob Wedge? I have my eye on a new CG12 Black Pearl 60 degree, its on ebay and the buyer seems genuine (irish too!), also 52 degree available.

kingshankly

great post sheet you must do feck all work brilliant stuff

WHIP IT!

kingshankly wrote: »

great post sheet you must do feck all work brilliant stuff

^^^^ What he said...

Very informative all the same... Personally, I carry a GW (52*) and a LW (60*) and I couldn't do without the LW to be honest. I much prefer it out of sand than a SW and like to pitch from 0-35 yards or so with it.

GW gets a lot less use particularly in winter, but in summer I do find I tend to drive the ball in that distance between a SW and a PW and I really can't master the PW-punch shot.

stockdam

Sheet said it all.

The old sets were fine as the wedge to sand wedge gap was ok.

Then game the "testosterone" sets where the wedge got stronger (so people thought they hit the ball further). The gap between wedge and sand wedge got too large (as Sheet said) so a lot of people use a 52 deg (or so) Gap Wedge.

I use a sand wedge (only for the bunkers) - the bounce is too big for me to risk off a tight fairway so I prefer to hit a "half" gap wedge.

I use a lob wedge (60 deg) close to the green.

stevire

Does anyone use their lob wedge for chipping around the green?

stockdam

stevire wrote: »

Does anyone use their lob wedge for chipping around the green?

Yes if there's a bunker or bank in the way.


But the lie must be pretty good. Since I'm about the worst chipper ever I generally start with my putter then 7 or 8 iron and then gap wedge or lob wedge (in that order of preference).

Sandwich

Have tried gap wedge, lobwedge, and the pair at different times.
If I had to choose between the two I would now choose the gap without hesitation - a 50deg in between my 44deg wedge and 56deg sand.

Prefer it because of the usefulness of being able to play an extra full shot of known yardage. A full wedge carries 105-110 for me, sand wedge only 60. The 50deg is a very usefull 85yards. And also use it around the green where in the past would have played the wedge - has the extra bit of loft but without the high bounce which can get in the way. On the rarest ocasions where I really need to get the ball high quickly or stop it quickly, I use it and open it a bit.

Never convinced that the 60deg gave any real benefit. Maybe it needs more practice or skill than I could give it. Usefull at times, but only rarely would it do something I couldnt have done with a well struck 56deg, and then there were the occasional thins(taking off like a 1 iron), or complete flubs from fluffy lies. All in all I felt benefit was marginal if not even negative.
May well give it a go again but would only be at the expense of my 5 or 3 woods, not of the 50deg.

copacetic

I carry the 52, 56 and 60, but drop the 56 if I want a extra long iron. Basically I used the 52 for most longish pitches that don't suit a bump and run and the 60 for lobs and some chips that I need to spin a lot. The 60 from the sand is really easy as you can play nearly every shot like a pitch but get similar results to a 56 degree.

So basically I wouldn't be without either the 52 or 60. I think you really have to make a informed choice and then see what works out for you. If it doesn't work, change it. Everyone is different.

Sionnachster

Same as above, carry 52, 56 and 60, sacrificing my 3iron most of the time unless I know I am in for windy conditions. You save far more shots with the correct wedge in your bag than a 3-iron. I hate leaving it behind as I am old fashioned and love the thought of a crisp 3 iron strike but I had a long hard look at it and couldn't remember the last time I got up and down with a 3iron or used it more than once per round.

After that, I vary between swing lengths and use the same technique with the different wedge shots to match the yardage I need. Although, I am no longer sure what those yardages are but someone above covered that, (SS, fair play )..

Titleist Vokey Oil Can Wedges all the way, beautiful things.... About €139 I think but Snainton golf is a tad cheaper in the UK and you can choose your grip, wraps, shaft etc on their site which is handy if you need it...

ShriekingSheet

@ the OP looking for recommendations, you can't go wrong with the CG you're looking at - the black gun metal ones are really nice. That said, the % of players using the Vokey wedges (mostly spin milled) is unbelievable. Especially the lower down the h'cap ladder you go, everyone just seems to use them now. Don't discount the TaylorMade Z Groves and the Callaways - I like them both, especially how they sit on the ground. But like most people, I use the Vokey spin milled x2.


Interesting discussion emerging around the combinations people use. I think you don't really get the full picture without talking about the other end of the back as well. My preferences (54 and 60) are based as much on short game as they are on long game. What I mean is, to add a third wedge would mean a considerable gap in my longer yardages. This becomes really obvious on par 5s.

The difference between my 3 wood and 3 iron can be as much as 45 yards. I have a custom hybrid (Ping G10, 18 deg +1/4 inch) which splits this gap perfectly.

This means I'm better equipped to deal with the usual type of yardages I might be left with to a par 5 after a good drive.

The bottom line for me is I am much more comfortable working to varied yardages with a short, punchy wedge shot than I would be trying to hit an 80% 3 wood off the deck because it's just out of reach of my 3 iron.

copacetic

ShriekingSheet wrote: »

@ the OP looking for recommendations, you can't go wrong with the CG you're looking at - the black gun metal ones are really nice. That said, the % of players using the Vokey wedges (mostly spin milled) is unbelievable. Especially the lower down the h'cap ladder you go, everyone just seems to use them now. Don't discount the TaylorMade Z Groves and the Callaways - I like them both, especially how they sit on the ground. But like most people, I use the Vokey spin milled x2.


Interesting discussion emerging around the combinations people use. I think you don't really get the full picture without talking about the other end of the back as well. My preferences (54 and 60) are based as much on short game as they are on long game. What I mean is, to add a third wedge would mean a considerable gap in my longer yardages. This becomes really obvious on par 5s.

The difference between my 3 wood and 3 iron can be as much as 45 yards. I have a custom hybrid (Ping G10, 18 deg +1/4 inch) which splits this gap perfectly.

This means I'm better equipped to deal with the usual type of yardages I might be left with to a par 5 after a good drive.

The bottom line for me is I am much more comfortable working to varied yardages with a short, punchy wedge shot than I would be trying to hit an 80% 3 wood off the deck because it's just out of reach of my 3 iron.

I used the vokey spin milled 56 and 60 also, but my 52 is an rusty fe2o3taylormade which I really like. Having tried a few, personally I also got on with the taylor made y grooves (since replaced by Z I think) and the callaway x tours with the 'mack daddy' grooves (designed by roger cleveland himself). If you can't make a soft ball spin like crazy with any of these clubs you can only blame your ball striking.

It really is a matter of just seeing which ones suit your eye the best, the actual difference on the course will be miniscule imo.

Draupnir

I have a 56 and 60 degree Vokey Spin Milled myself, I find that I strike the ball best with these and they have a nice visual style that suits my eye, which I think is very important with wedges (it is for me anyway).

Have played with Cleveland CG14's aswell and they are another excellent wedge, I just preferred the Vokey's, mostly because the CG14's were brand new and I wasn't as comfortable with the grips as I am with my own Vokey's.

Titleist are launching a new range of Vokey's on Monday I think, probably going to pick up a 56 in gun metal as my 56 is oil can and the rust is too much at this stage!

Agree with a previous poster, any of these clubs will spin the ball for you so long as you strike the ball well.

stevire

Just catching up on this thread today, some great posts there!!

Just looking at an irish ebay shop selling a couple of CG11/12s fairly cheap. Looks genuine, and good feedback for the seller so far.

http://stores.ebay.ie/Mc-Kernan-Art

Sold a few Vokey's in the past too looking through his feedback. Any tips for checking for fakes (besides the head falling off and paint dripping from the club in the rain!! )

JCDUB

stevire wrote: »

Just catching up on this thread today, some great posts there!!

Just looking at an irish ebay shop selling a couple of CG11/12s fairly cheap. Looks genuine, and good feedback for the seller so far.

http://stores.ebay.ie/Mc-Kernan-Art

Sold a few Vokey's in the past too looking through his feedback. Any tips for checking for fakes (besides the head falling off and paint dripping from the club in the rain!! )

I would be sceptical of this guy stevirl, he is also selling Lowe Alpine backpacks which are very widespread in the counterfeit market in Thailand.

These fake clubs (most of which originate in SE Asia) can be excellent, my brother had a Big Bertha driver a few years ago and the pro who took it in to be repaired didn't even know it was fake, it was only when it went back to Callaway and the serial no didn't exist or something that they copped it.Even in Callaway they didn't realise from looking at it.

But the fact that he is selling two completely different products, both of which are widely available in the counterfeit market in Thailand, and his first line of business seems to be art by the look of his shop, I personally wouldn't buy from him.

cuculainn

Hey I just bought a titleist vogey oil can finish wedge. Was planning o buying the 60 deg one but the guy in the shop recommended the 58 deg.
I went with the 58 deg. i love the club but notice not many here use it, most have gone for the 60 deg.....is there a reason for this

ShriekingSheet

cuculainn wrote: »

Hey I just bought a titleist vogey oil can finish wedge. Was planning o buying the 60 deg one but the guy in the shop recommended the 58 deg.
I went with the 58 deg. i love the club but notice not many here use it, most have gone for the 60 deg.....is there a reason for this

In truth, there's not a world of difference. Do you have another wedge? 54 or 56?

Anything from 58-64 degrees can be considered a Lob Wedge. 60 is most popular because many people use a 56 degree sandwedge and 58 is a bit close to that. 60+ and you're getting into Mickleson territoty!

If you don't have another Titleist (or similar) wedge that's 56, the 58 is fine. Or if your SW is 54 degree (like my own) 58 would also be fine.

That said, if you hit it well, who cares

gerry28

Hi,

Deleted... explained above


I'll just add, a 52 and 58 is a good comination also and it frees up space for another club like a hybrid.

stockdam

I'm surprised that some people don't use a sand wedge from the bunkers.

The sand wedge is designed to get the ball out easier so why not make use of this?

I would only use a gap wedge if the ball was plugged or maybe if the sand was very hard or wet. But for most bunker shots I prefer the sand wedge - the bounce stops it digging down too deeply.

ShriekingSheet

stockdam wrote: »

I'm surprised that some people don't use a sand wedge from the bunkers.

The sand wedge is designed to get the ball out easier so why not make use of this?

I would only use a gap wedge if the ball was plugged or maybe if the sand was very hard or wet. But for most bunker shots I prefer the sand wedge - the bounce stops it digging down too deeply.

I use a Lob Wedge (60) which seems to be the new text-book club for green-side bunkers. The couple of different pros I've been to have advised the more lofted club anyway.

I suppose the theory is that when you go for a flag and miss into a bunker you may be left with only a small patch of green to work with making it easier to play the shot with more loft. Rather than having "a bunker club" I find it best to use a sand wedge when there is plenty of green to work with. These shots tend to crop up far less frequently in my experience. By definition, when in a green-side bunker, you rarely have a whole lot of green to work with.

I don't totally agree with your point that he sand wedge is designed to get the ball out of sand, at least not any more. These days the sand wedge seems to be employed by many players for pretty much every shot from 100 yards and in. I'd be surprised if Vokey & co weren't catering for this.

1stuey1

Prob a stupid question but what loft is just a normal sw and pw you get in an average set?

copacetic

stockdam wrote: »

I'm surprised that some people don't use a sand wedge from the bunkers.

The sand wedge is designed to get the ball out easier so why not make use of this?

I would only use a gap wedge if the ball was plugged or maybe if the sand was very hard or wet. But for most bunker shots I prefer the sand wedge - the bounce stops it digging down too deeply.

I think the lob wedge has taken over as it is much easier. You just take a normal wedge shot taking a bit of sand and the ball pops out.

There is no doubt imo that opening the face and cutting across the ball is much more difficult for most players. I only use a 'proper' sand shot now when I really need to spin the ball and there is a lot of sand.


@stuey, it depends on the set put pitching wedges are often 47 or 48 degrees now or even lower and sand wedges are normall 56.

1stuey1

copacetic wrote: »

I think the lob wedge has taken over as it is much easier. You just take a normal wedge shot taking a bit of sand and the ball pops out.

There is no doubt imo that opening the face and cutting across the ball is much more difficult for most players. I only use a 'proper' sand shot now when I really need to spin the ball and there is a lot of sand.


@stuey, it depends on the set put pitching wedges are often 47 or 48 degrees now or even lower and sand wedges are normall 56.

I really dont think my sw is that lofted!

joanmul

This very topic was discussed between my husband and another low handicap golfer recently. My husband uses a 60o LW but maintains that it is usually only successfully used by low handicap golfers. He maintains that it is a very difficult club to use and you must totally commit to the shot with it.

Just my halfpence worth.

stockdam

I suppose you choose your sand wedge depending on what you want it to do. I prefer mine to have enough bounce to make it much easier to play out of greenside bunkers. I don't have any problem with delicate bunker shots (wish I could say the same thing about my chipping).

I don't use my sand wedge that often from fairways as the bounce can lead to a thin (for me).

Good players may get away with using a lob wedge from the bunker but I often see average players using the "wrong" wedge and then complaining that they can't get out of bunkers.

My bunker play used to be 8 or 9 out of 10 (no longer due to lack of play) and I've never tried using a lob wedge. I guess I practiced enough to know how much to open the face, how far to hit behind the ball and how hard to swing to play bunkers with confidence.........most of it though was altering the face angle.

stockdam

copacetic wrote: »

I think the lob wedge has taken over as it is much easier. You just take a normal wedge shot taking a bit of sand and the ball pops out.

There is no doubt imo that opening the face and cutting across the ball is much more difficult for most players. I only use a 'proper' sand shot now when I really need to spin the ball and there is a lot of sand.

Ok.

I take it that with a lob wedge you are saying to hit a "long crisp chip" if you see what I mean? Does that technique work well with really soft good quality sand or is it better with poor coarse sand?

I agree that with poor sand or shallow wet sand then a sand wedge is risky as you really need to get under the ball.

However for good sand then I find that I can spin and control the ball much better.

copacetic

stockdam wrote: »

Ok.

I take it that with a lob wedge you are saying to hit a "long crisp chip" if you see what I mean? Does that technique work well with really soft good quality sand or is it better with poor coarse sand?

I agree that with poor sand or shallow wet sand then a sand wedge is risky as you really need to get under the ball.

However for good sand then I find that I can spin and control the ball much better.

I find it works really well with either tbh. With really soft good quality sand you can play a lob wedge totally square to the shot and just take a bit less sand than you would with the sand wedge, if you whip through the shot it will pop out, a couple of bounces then sit.

Imo it doesn't matter too much though, being comfortable that you can play the shot you are about to try is the key imo.

I meant I still use the sand wedge if I have absolutely no room to land the ball and want to play left and have the ball spin hard right.

At first I never used the lob wedge from bunkers but the less I played the more I felt comfortable using it as it is much easier imo and certainly the percentage shot.

spurscormac

My Wilson ci6 PW is 44 - hence why they get so much distance. Set came with 3-PW, so no SW.

I've bought a 60 Lob Wedge, as I come across more & more of those shots from bunkers beside the pin or over a ridge to a nearby pin.

I'm also in the market for a SW, though its hard to know what degree to get, a 54 would leave me a large gap to the PW, though a 52 Gap Wedge would leave me a large but even split.

I'm not too keen on giving up my 3-iron, I really like the club, so not sure if I can add two wedges instead to go with a 44-50-54-60, seems just one club too many to me.
Will wait a while and see which clubs I'm using the least before deciding to what way to go.

kagni

ShriekingSheet wrote: »

But in most sets, there is approx 8 degrees from the PW (48) to the SW (56) - the gap is simply bigger meaning that quite often players are left with a yardage that's slightly to long for a SW and need to hit a three-quarter PW.

It's even worse than that in some game improvement sets.
I play Cobra S9 and the PW is 44 deg! (12 deg gap between the Cobra PW and my Cleveland SW).
I carry 52, 56 and 60 deg wedges
Most game improvement sets have similar PW lofts.
Manufacturers are using extra strong lofts to boast of more distance for a given iron. Wilson had a campaign recently where they said that their 9-iron was so long it thought it was an 8-iron. (Looking at its loft it actually was an 8-iron!).

The whole thing seems like a scam to me - you end up with a 19/20 deg 3 iron which would have been 1 or 2-iron a few years ago.
(When you see old footage of Jack Nicklaus smashing a 1-iron straight as a die, it's loft is equivalent to todays 3-iron).
Few high handicappers can consistently hit an iron with this kind of loft so it means that they go out and buy hybrids instead -- more sales for the golf companies.

kingshankly

at the moment when out practicing i have 16 clubs in my bags which consists of 5 wedges pw sw 52 58 and 64 i am trying a lot of different shots at the moment to see which performs best at the moment i will probably leave out the 64 and the 5 wood

kagni

I have tried a 64 deg wedge also, great for getting out of bunkers, but for me, useless other than that. I often go right under the ball, it hits the ball so high I'm sometimes afraid the ball will hit me in the face!
I never use it anymore.

stockdam

kagni wrote: »

Manufacturers are using extra strong lofts to boast of more distance for a given iron. Wilson had a campaign recently where they said that their 9-iron was so long it thought it was an 8-iron. (Looking at its loft it actually was an 8-iron!).

The whole thing seems like a scam to me

Good point and it's one that very few people seem to realise.

I think Callaway might have been one of the original culprits.

I used "old" style irons for years after the first cavity backs were introduced. I then found that everyone else could hit their irons much further than I could......the harder I hit my wedge the higher it went but I couldn't hit it anywhere close to the others. I was being outhit by 20 handicappers and I couldn't understand why. It must be the new clubs.

Then I found out that their wedge was between my 8 and 9 iron. They were hitting their 9 iron as far as I hit a 7.

It was a bit of a con. Yes the clubs were better for most players but they were also longer and had less loft........and then came the need for more wedges.

It was a win-win for the manufacturers. They fed our testosterone need to hit the ball further and also sold more clubs (wedges and now utility woods).

I recently tried a set of Wilsons and yes I hit the 7 iron a good 10 yards or so further than my current set.

ShriekingSheet

kagni wrote: »

I have tried a 64 deg wedge also, great for getting out of bunkers, but for me, useless other than that. I often go right under the ball, it hits the ball so high I'm sometimes afraid the ball will hit me in the face!
I never use it anymore.

very funny im putting this in my sig!

DonkeyPokerTour

I’m in a bit of dilemma here. I have the ping G10’s. The PW is 46 and the SW is 54. So if I go with a gap and a lob they would be 50 and 58 right? But here’s the thing, I never used the SW in my old set, now I’ve only played with the new ones once so far, but in my head already I’m thinking I won’t use this SW. So now I’m wondering should I go with a 52 degree Gap Wedge and drop the SW. That makes the even break of 6degrees from PW-GW-LW. I could play four wedges but I think I’ll need a hybrid between 5wood and 4 iron.

What do you guys think? If I keep the SW in the set then I’d def go with a 50 degree, but if I drop it a 52 degree is a better option. What would you do?

stockdam

What I'd do isn't relevant - it's what's best for you.

It sounds like you may be better with the second option without your sand wedge ....... me I carry 4 wedges.

kagni

ShriekingSheet wrote: »

very funny im putting this in my sig!

I thought the 64* was bad but have a look at this.
Mouse over the pic to see what an 80* wedge looks like from the side (a bit like a frying pan with a long handle). http://www.xfactordirect.com/wedges.htm

Every chance you would take your eye out with that thing.
If you hit it from an uphill lie the ball would go backwards!

ShriekingSheet

DonkeyPokerTour wrote: »

I’m in a bit of dilemma here. I have the ping G10’s. The PW is 46 and the SW is 54. So if I go with a gap and a lob they would be 50 and 58 right? But here’s the thing, I never used the SW in my old set, now I’ve only played with the new ones once so far, but in my head already I’m thinking I won’t use this SW. So now I’m wondering should I go with a 52 degree Gap Wedge and drop the SW. That makes the even break of 6degrees from PW-GW-LW. I could play four wedges but I think I’ll need a hybrid between 5wood and 4 iron.

What do you guys think? If I keep the SW in the set then I’d def go with a 50 degree, but if I drop it a 52 degree is a better option. What would you do?

Man you're worrying a bit too much about this. Two things...

1) The key benefit of buying extra wedges is not filling in all the gaps of loft in your set at perfectly equal intervals. Cleveland and Vokey (etc) wedges became widely popular around the same time sets of irons became chunky and forgiving, like the Callaway x10 at the time and very similar to the Ping G10s your playing with. The real benefit guys are getting is the blade shape, as opposed to the bulky iron shape you have which can be quite difficult to use around the greens.
2) You don't need to perfectly split all your lofts. We're talking about shots from less than 120 yards here. You'll nearly always have to take a little off or give it a little extra to make up the exact yardage you make it. It's a skill every golfer needs. Personally, I use 54 and 60 and by choice, I rarely hit the 60 from more than 40 yards. I can hit it with a stock swing about 70 or 75 but I prefer and practice hitting my 54 degree for everything from 50-100 yards. Totally personal but my point is not only is it not advisable, it's not possible to break wedge play down to a science with one swing and a slightly different loft for every yardage. It's about feel and skill, whether the manufacturers like it or not.

Let me put it to you this way. If we forgot the 14 club rule and let you use 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 58 and 60 degree wedges, do you really think you'd take any less shots?


My advice is that you can't sort this all out straight awat based on theory. You have bought a great set that includes a PW and SW. Keep it simple for now and just add a LW, either 58 or 60, for when you need it. Use the SW you have for the next few months, see how you get on. It is quite possible that the G10 SW is a little clunky and if you find yourself uncomfortable with it, it's probably best to drop it and buy a good Vokey or Cleveland 54 or 56 SW. If you like the lob wedge you previously bought you can go for the same make/model. But maybe you'll be fine with the G10 SW. There's lots of time until the season starts proper so see how you go.

stockdam

Following what Sheet said........

I use my 4 wedges as follows.........I do not use them in a nice ordered way.



My G5 wedge has a strong loft and is chunky. I use it from about 120 yards and it's just the next club to my 9 iron.

My gap wedge is 52 deg and it gets used most - from 100 yards to about 50 yards. I play "tunes" on it by gripping up and down and varying the swing length. It's my main wedge.

My 60 deg lob wedge is used from about 50 yards and in. It gets used quite a lot round the greens if I want to get the ball up quickly.

My sand wedge is only used from bunkers - I may try my lob wedge and then see if I can drop my SW though. I rarely use my sand wedge from the fairway as it doesn't do anything I can't do with my GW.