extreme lie angles

[Klap]

Brands that allow big changes in lie angles

I play a ping s59 set with lie angles of 5 degrees upright and 1,5 inch longer shafts.

The irons are GREAT, but I want to change to titleist vokey wedges.

Someone advised me not to do this because those wedges aren't particular suited for lie angles of 5 degrees upright. He told me in this case it would be wise to stick with ping because they manufacture those club heads separately for each lie instead of bending them.

Is it right that ping might be a wiser choice here?
And do wedges need the same angles and shaft lengths as irons?

Many thanks for any advice!


(BTW I am 7 foot tall, and for all related body sizes I am outside the fitting tables.)

[hbear]

Titliest will only adjust +/-2* on their wedges I believe. (+/-4* on their oilcan)

[chickenpotpie]

This is a cast vs. forged issue. Without this turning into a huge debate on whether one is better or not, cast clubs are generally more difficult to bend owing to the harder materials of construction used. Bending 5 degrees up will be a problem. You will get more marks from the bender, it will likely cause the chrome to ripple or crack, and you could break the head altogether. Ping could cast a Maroon dot head (4 up I think), and bend it one degree to get you closer, so that could be an option for you.

 

With forged heads, which are typically made from softer carbon steels, you can bend to your hearts content. I bought a used Scratch JLM wedge here (1018 steel), and bent it 4 up and 4 open. No issues.

[mat562]

You should be able to get Vokeys to 4 or 5 degrees upright without a problem. Titleist will go 4 degrees upright on the unplated Vokey models from stock and a competent clubfitter should be able to see 5 degrees without too much drama.

 

The cast v forged argument is always brought up, but the reality is that 8620 cast steel - as used in Vokey wedges - is pretty malleable stuff and will bend as readily as many forged steels will.

 

The argument that 'they're not made to be that upright' or whatever it was doesn't hold much water with me. If it's soling correctly, it's fine; whatever wedge it is - and will work just as well as any other wedge that's properly set-up.

 

As regards your length and lie issue, conventional wisdom is that the shaft lengths should complement the rest of the set. Most people play a sand wedge that is the same length as, or within 1/2" of their pitching wedge. Lie-wise, I'm a believer in going slightly flatter with the scoring wedges (for me, the 56 and 60 degree clubs) owing to the fact that they're often used for partial shots and with a lowered hand position at address when opening them up. I play them a degree flatter than standard for those reasons, along with many other people. It's not a rule that's set in stone, but it makes sense to me and works well.

[*sigh*]

This is a cast vs. forged issue.

Actually it's anything but.

 

The manufacturing process has nothing to do bend ability, it has everything to do with what type of metal is used. For example, golfsmith p2's can be bent well they claim upwards of 10* either way, they are cast. I got my cast g40's bent and the guy said they bent very easily.

 

Just something to consider though, a lot of people play their wedges a degree or two flatter than the rest of their clubs, since most of the time they aren't used for full swings and whatnot. Taking this into account you may like a wedge that is only 2-3* upright depending on length.

 

Best bet is just to contact some reps from different companies and see what they can do for you.

[rybo]

I've been playing my Vokeys at 68* (4 up) for years. They bend very easy and without much concern I'm sure they could go another degree.

[Klap]

Whow Thanks for the information! It feels a lot better to go for those vokey wedges in 4 degrees upright now!

 

And maybe some of you know this as well: Those ping wedges feel very heavy, can it be the z65 shaft I have in them? They are slightly lighter than the X100. That would mean the vokeys will be heavy to if I choose the same shaft...