GAP Wedge...how important ?

[sheldonjhacker]

How many wedges and how do you space your wedges ?

anyone going without a Gap Wedge ? For next season I'm thinking of going from 46 PW...then to 52, 58. Anyone else doing this...or do you go with 50, 54, 58/60 for more even spacing with your wedges ?

thanks

[lefty74pgh]

I play 46*, 52*, 58*. I have played this for about two years and haven't had any issues. There are times when I consider switching to a 50*/54*/58* but, it is not that necessary.

Try to figure out your gaps and distances to see if a 52*/58* will work.

[unclerico63]

i play 47, 52, 57, 62 and am very very pleased. played a 48, 54, 60 for a while and had trouble hitting it close from 95-115 yards. these are arguably the most important clubs in the bag. i'd tinker before making any decisions.

[unclerico63]

and make sure you get the lofts on the wedges double checked. rarely are they what they say they are.

[JLTD63]

You know...a 52* wedge IS a "gap" wedge!!

I've been playing the exact combo you're thinking about...PW (46*), 52*, and 58* for a long time...since about 2002. For me these lofts work well...an even 6-degree gap through the wedges. There is definitely room between each wedge as far as distance goes, but if you're looking to have 5 yard gaps in your wedges you're gonna need a bag full of them!

Give it a try...I think you'll like it!

[againstthegrain]

If you like playing the 52 from the sand or play all your sand shots w the 58 go for it. My sand game isn't good enough to just use 1 club from greenside bunkers. I like having PW, GW, SW, LW, but I don't hit many GIR so that may be the reason. Next years set will be 45º, 50º, 55º, 60º.

[ia hawkeye fan]

mines 46
52 bent to 50
56
58 bent to 60
some times ill play the 62 bent to 64

[aveb4life]

[quote name='againstthegrain' timestamp='1286377564' post='2731182']
If you like playing the 52 from the sand or play all your sand shots w the 58 go for it. My sand game isn't good enough to just use 1 club from greenside bunkers. I like having PW, GW, SW, LW, but I don't hit many GIR so that may be the reason. Next years set will be 45º, 50º, 56º, 60º.
[/quote]


what club do you take out of the bag then? i play 45, 50, 56, 60, but then have to remove my 3 iron, so i have a gap between 2i hybrid and 4i, about a 30 yd difference. I am struggling with where to take out my club. i hit my hybrid 220, and 4i 190. 50 gap, is perfect for 100-115 though.

[choppstixxx]

I run a 50*, 54*, and 58* setup and love it. I use my 50* more than my PW as many times I lay up around 80-100 yds out. Love my 58* as well, such a great loft.

[newportbeach]

I also go 50, 54, 58. Works great for me.

[rufus mangler]

Keep the gap. Drop the lob.

[Dizz]

My wedges are actually 47-51-55-59. For me the gap wedge is very important...its basically like a PW of iron sets 10-15 years ago. I would have a 35-40 yard gap between my PW and 56 if I didn't carry the 51.

[bosoxfan]

45-50-54-60, would like to go to three but just can't justify it to add another long club, four seems to be the ticket for me.
KH

[NFD]

Filling in your gaps is important, but even more important is know what they really are. I technically don't carry a gap wedge or a true sand wedge. I have two lob wedges, and strong sand or weak gap wedge (whatever you want to call it). It fills in my distance gaps nicely and allows me to hit different shots with each.

My setup is 53* - 58* - 63*.

[caseyc1]

i just switched to PW, 50*, 56* and liking it alot better than my PW, 50,54,58. I can do anything with my 56* that i could do with the 58* and 54* so i switched

[againstthegrain]

[quote name='aveb4life' timestamp='1286378247' post='2731194']
[quote name='againstthegrain' timestamp='1286377564' post='2731182']
If you like playing the 52 from the sand or play all your sand shots w the 58 go for it. My sand game isn't good enough to just use 1 club from greenside bunkers. I like having PW, GW, SW, LW, but I don't hit many GIR so that may be the reason. Next years set will be 45º, 50º, 56º, 60º.
[/quote]


what club do you take out of the bag then? i play 45, 50, 56, 60, but then have to remove my 3 iron, so i have a gap between 2i hybrid and 4i, about a 30 yd difference. I am struggling with where to take out my club. i hit my hybrid 220, and 4i 190. 50 gap, is perfect for 100-115 though.
[/quote]

You need to learn to hit the hybrid 205. Or learn how to hit 3i 190 and pull 4i. You can also increase the gaps in all your irons and pull one somewhere else. Pelz scientifically proves beyond any doubt that the extra wedge leads to lower scores.

[crookshanks]

No gap for me. 48* PW, 56* and 60* wedge for the last 14 or so years. I've given the 52* route a fair enough shot and don't get any measurable benefit.

[_MS22_]

Both of my iron sets are made for a 47* PW and from there I have wedges at 51*/55*/59* -- have Vokey TKs and am ordering Scratch 1018s in the same setup. Earlier in the year I was playing 52*/58* but I only had 13 clubs in my bag and figured the extra wedge could not hurt. I like this setup now as I have another full shot in the bag rather than a 3/4 swing 52* (~120yd) from say 100-105 just hit the 55* full. Both accuracy and precision from 125 and in has improved and since doing do my index dropped from a 5.1 to a 3.4. Working on my short game and adding in another wedge (along with changing to a mallet putter) have saved me almost 2 strokes.

[williamo]

[quote name='MS22' timestamp='1286384026' post='2731335']
Both of my iron sets are made for a 47* PW and from there I have wedges at 51*/55*/59* -- have Vokey TKs and am ordering Scratch 1018s in the same setup. Earlier in the year I was playing 52*/58* but I only had 13 clubs in my bag and figured the extra wedge could not hurt. I like this setup now as I have another full shot in the bag rather than a 3/4 swing 52* (~120yd) from say 100-105 just hit the 55* full. Both accuracy and precision from 125 and in has improved and since doing do my index dropped from a 5.1 to a 3.4. Working on my short game and adding in another wedge (along with changing to a mallet putter) have saved me almost 2 strokes.
[/quote]


You got 15 clubs right?

[BenJ]

I played 47*, 51*, 56*, 60* for a while and figured out that I usually hit my 47 and 51 the same distance... or close enough for it not to matter. I do 48*, 53*/54*, 60* now and it fills my gaps. Also leaves a spot for me to either screw around with a niblick, carry an extra hybrid, or just walk with a bag that's a club lighter.

[williamo]

I am playing 52 and 58 now but I am buying a 54 tomorrow or the day after and I am also bending my 52 to 50 so I play with 50, 54, 58 because I think I will get better gaps with them because I need a 110 yard club and I think the 50 will be perfect.

And be able to hit the yardages more exactly if I minimize the gaps?

My 58 is money.

[da555ve]

[quote name='lefty74pgh' timestamp='1286376150' post='2731137']
I play 46*, 52*, 58*. I have played this for about two years and haven't had any issues. There are times when I consider switching to a 50*/54*/58* but, it is not that necessary.

Try to figure out your gaps and distances to see if a 52*/58* will work.
[/quote]


I actually play 46-54-60 and i'm thinking about getting to 46-52-58. My gap between PW and SW is 8 degree and it is to much... I hit my SW 90-100 yard and my PW aroung 120-125yds. 110yds is an really easy PW but sometime i have some distance issues. I struggle lately with my 60 LW, not sure i want to keep it. its amazing what it can do but it needs some really good skills to catch the ball like it need to be. I surely can deloft this wedge from 2 or 4 degree.

Im not sure i like to bag too much wedge, it offers me to much choice of shots so i get confuse sometime and i strugged to much with all them.

[williamo]

[quote name='da555ve' timestamp='1286387362' post='2731418']
[quote name='lefty74pgh' timestamp='1286376150' post='2731137']
I play 46*, 52*, 58*. I have played this for about two years and haven't had any issues. There are times when I consider switching to a 50*/54*/58* but, it is not that necessary.

Try to figure out your gaps and distances to see if a 52*/58* will work.
[/quote]


I actually play 46-54-60 and i'm thinking about getting to 46-52-58. My gap between PW and SW is 8 degree and it is to much... I hit my SW 90-100 yard and my PW aroung 120-125yds. 110yds is an really easy PW but sometime i have some distance issues. I struggle lately with my 60 LW, not sure i want to keep it. its amazing what it can do but it needs some really good skills to catch the ball like it need to be. I surely can deloft this wedge from 2 or 4 degree.

[b]Im not sure i like to bag too much wedge, it offers me to much choice of shots so i get confuse sometime and i strugged to much with all them.[/b]
[/quote]


This is actually one of the thoughts I have had in my head. Will this affect the game negatively? Of course if my mind is messed up or will it just give more confidence because I can now hit more precise yardages?

[NewWildcatOrder]

Its all up to your personal preference. Can you hit a 3/4 PW (or even less than that) accurately and consistently enough to warrant not having a club to fill that space between GW and SW? I couldn't, so I game a GW, SW and LW in addition to my PW.

My setup at the beginning of the year was MP37 PW, Vokey 52, 56 and 64. I was maxing out my wedge at about 125 yards and my 52 at 100. I was getting killed if I ever fell to a distance between those (110-115). Insert my new Vokey 50 and now I have a perfect full 110-115 club, and for some reason I'm able to gear down on it and hit the 100 yarder just fine.

I recommend just getting a bunch of wedges in different lofts and bounces and just experiment with them. I just picked up a 62 this week to see if I like it better than the 64!

[da555ve]

[quote name='NewWildcatOrder' timestamp='1286388205' post='2731446']
Its all up to your personal preference. Can you hit a 3/4 PW (or even less than that) accurately and consistently enough to warrant not having a club to fill that space between GW and SW? I couldn't, so I game a GW, SW and LW in addition to my PW.

My setup at the beginning of the year was MP37 PW, Vokey 52, 56 and 64. I was maxing out my wedge at about 125 yards and my 52 at 100. I was getting killed if I ever fell to a distance between those (110-115). Insert my new Vokey 50 and now I have a perfect full 110-115 club, and for some reason I'm able to gear down on it and hit the 100 yarder just fine.

I recommend just getting a bunch of wedges in different lofts and bounces and just experiment with them. I just picked up a 62 this week to see if I like it better than the 64!
[/quote]

Thanks, its a good tip... im not so bad with 3/4 swing...

[RainShadow]

PW 45 110yrds, GW 50 90-100yrds, SW 54 80-90yrd, LW 58 65-75yrds. I've used this set up for about 2 years. Very happy.
I can take a little off or add a little to each club distance wise, except the 58, which I spin too much to hit harder.

[doof_dizzler]

[quote name='caseyc1' timestamp='1286383421' post='2731320']
i just switched to PW, 50*, 56* and liking it alot better than my PW, 50,54,58. I can do anything with my 56* that i could do with the 58* and 54* so i switched
[/quote]

+1

45* PW, 50*, 56* works great for me. 52*, 58* is OK with a set with a weaker lofted PW (47 or 48). I'm with Seve in just using a SW for all the high(er) shots around the green, and I'll chip with anything from a 6i to the SW. Heck, I'll even chip out from under the one tree I always go under with a hybrid, and I've had good success from under that stupid spruce, even holing one! Opening up a SW a bit is plenty of loft. I have tons of wedges, and every time I stick a 60 in for a few rounds, I always wonder what the point is. It really doesn't do anything I can't do with a 56 or 58.

Short game is the easiest to practice, so it's worth doing a lot. Especially for someone like me who doesn't hit it a ton, being able to scramble and get up and down for par when I miss the green or for birdie from just short on par 5s is so important to my game. I have days where I drive poorly and still grind out a good score due to good chipping, pitching and putting, but if I drive well and hit good approaches but am a little off around the greens I'm going to shoot 10 shots worse than my index every time.

Gap wedge of 50 or 52 degrees is a pretty key club IMHO. There's usually at least an 8* gap between the PW and SW, maybe 10 or 11 in some sets, so having a full swing club in between those 2 wedges seems very important to me. Doesn't matter what the distance are, there's going to be a noticeable gap between PW & SW.

[da555ve]

do you used wedge flex on your wedge ? I play S400 right now and i love the feeling...

[kevch25]

[quote name='caseyc1' timestamp='1286383421' post='2731320']
i just switched to PW, 50*, 56* and liking it alot better than my PW, 50,54,58. I can do anything with my 56* that i could do with the 58* and 54* so i switched
[/quote]

I also use the PW, 50* and 56*.

[_MS22_]

[quote name='williamo' timestamp='1286385356' post='2731367']
[quote name='MS22' timestamp='1286384026' post='2731335']
Both of my iron sets are made for a 47* PW and from there I have wedges at 51*/55*/59* -- have Vokey TKs and am ordering Scratch 1018s in the same setup. Earlier in the year I was playing 52*/58* but I only had 13 clubs in my bag and figured the extra wedge could not hurt. I like this setup now as I have another full shot in the bag rather than a 3/4 swing 52* (~120yd) from say 100-105 just hit the 55* full. Both accuracy and precision from 125 and in has improved and since doing do my index dropped from a 5.1 to a 3.4. Working on my short game and adding in another wedge (along with changing to a mallet putter) have saved me almost 2 strokes.
[/quote]


You got 15 clubs right?


[/quote]

I go back and forth between the TM Brid at 18.5* and the MP Fli Hi at 20* depending on where I play as my 14th club. They are about the same distance but I launch the hybrid half a mile high and on courses with firm greens I tend to bring that over the 3i. Courses with multiple short doglegs like my fathers club, I bring the 3i.