Question on Wedges - Please help!

[Weltall]

I'm looking to get a lob wedge (Heavily considering the Titleist Vokey), as well as a sand wedge, and I'm wondering if the wedge is really worth dishing out the extra money. I currently have a Maltby M-Series Forged for my PW and I find it to be great for the ridiculously cheap price. Money is not THAT big of an issue but I still don't want to pay 100 dollars extra only to slightly improve my game.

I still plan on trying a couple wedges, at the store, but I'd still like to hear your inputs on wedges. Any type of input would be greatly appreciated (biased or not).

[FreakOfNature]

I'm looking to get a lob wedge, as well as a sand wedge, and I'm wondering if the wedge is really worth dishing out the extra money. I currently have a Maltby M-Series Forged for my PW and I find it to be great for the ridiculously cheap price. Money is not THAT big of an issue but I still don't want to pay 100 dollars extra only to slightly improve my game.

I still plan on trying a couple wedges, at the store, but I'd still like to hear your inputs on wedges. Any type of input would be greatly appreciated (biased or not).

My two cents...

If money isn't a problem, don't look at the price tags. The last thing you want is some sort of pre-existing bias as to what you think is supposed to be better (based on price, or reputation, etc...).

Wedges are a lot like putters in that the majority of your choice as to what you prefer will come down to personal taste, with a couple things to consider.

Only you know what conditions you generally play in, what types of courses, what types of shots, what type of lies you get, the type of sand in the bunkers, etc... so you'll have to do a little homework and determine what type of lofts and bounce angles would best round out your bag and enhance your short game. Look for good deep grooves. Try to get shafts with flex as close as possible to the rest of your set.

Once you've got that figured out, get as many clubs in your hands as you can manage, and try them out. Take along a sleeve of the balls you generally play, or buy a sleeve in the store of whatever you plan to use. Keep your grip as loose as you can without losing control of the club, swing with the smoothest tempo you can manage, and pay attention to what your hands tell you. You'll know when you've got the right club in your hands just by the way it feels when you strike the ball.

Best of luck.

FON

[rockgolfer]

i played with a guy today that was pushing 70. hit his driver on every hole 185 down the middle. he pared almost every hole and it was all in the wedge and putter............money should never be the object in your money clubs, i agree with freak....you will know when you have found the one, but if you dont have a store to go to then you cant go wrong with any of the big guys.


i have a cleveland 53 and a taylor made 58.....i am planning on changing them all to cleveland, the feel is better for me

[Omen2]

i will come back later and tell you everything to consider ( seriously ) when it comes to the wedges. They are the most important clubs in the bag and should definitely be chosen carefully, not by price but rather by function.

Omen

i would tell you know but i must take my son to school

good day

[Weltall]

Hey, thanks a lot for the replies so far!!! It'd be great if someone can explain what the "bounce" angle is, without sounding too technical like some of these websites. Again, I'm open to any type of recommendations/tips.

[The Purist]

Bounce is very important in a wedge.

Bounce angle is determined by how much space is between the sole of the club and the ground when holding the club in a nuetral position at address.

If a club has a thicker flange on the sole of the club then the leading edge of the clubface will be higher off the ground and flatter on the bottom. This will cause the club to skip (or bounce) off the ground more when making contact. While a thinner flange (less bounce) will allow the club to cut into the ground more.

Bounces in the 12 to 14 degree range (high bounce) are good for fluffy sand lies, rough (most the time), and wet conditions. The high bounce will pop through the sand/grass/mud with out cutting in too deep. This will generally help you avoid fat shots (taking too much divot and striking the ball on the top of the clubface).

Bounces in the 4 to 8 degree range (low bounce) are better for hitting from low cut grass, dry hardpan lies (tight lies). The low bounce will allow the club to cut into the ground and catch the ball flush. A high bounce club would skim off the hard surface and lead to a thin shot or a skull (causes the leading edge of the club to hit the ball).

Of course you can manipulate the bounce of any wedge but you also change the loft of the club. If you take a 54 deg loft wedge with an 8 degree bounce and rotate the face open the club will have a higher loft and higher bounce (ex. will act like a 58 loft 12 bounce). If you shut the club face (hands ahead of club) you can give the club less loft and less bounce (ex. act like a 50 loft and 4 bounce).

Generally, most beginners find clubs with a higher bounce a little easier to hit (more forgiving).

During the dry spells I find myself using my 60L 4B for a lot of shots around the green, and during the wet season I tend to use my 56 12 more.

[mmdrake]

Bounce and Sand condition.

Watch out for High bounce sand wedges. A 58-11 is good in situations. You can grind the trailing edge from the bounce to reduce the added bounce but then you would have a Cleveland CG wedge.

In the classic open stance, the bounce can increase to 20 degrees and you will either thin the bunker shots or blast them to the back of the green. Heavy sand can make a high bounce wedge a liability.

That light fluffy sand that Omens poops in is fine for high bounce shovels to dig that leftover surprise out of that kitty litter. Thick, clumpy sand that most muni's use after drenching the bunkers in 4" of water needs more finesse to hit fa shot from the cement-like sand under the toprake crud.

[LyleG]

Those maltby's are every bit as good as vokey's. Dont be fooled by the marketing machine.

[Omen2]

any questions...

[Weltall]

What wedge is that?? I'm still relatively new to golf so I don't know my equipments..

[TmacG]

Omen just isnt very good at golf and relies on cheating with equipment like the wedge shown above. He can't stand to be beat.

TmacG

[Omen2]

i doubt highly that anyone on here knows that wedge from looks alone....

that isnt any production jobber, not gonna find that one on any rack anywhere....

that wedge will set you back a few bills... but it will be custom ground to your exact specs...


that my friends is a Gauge Design wedge: another name to consider in creme de la creme is Scratch
http://www.gaugedesigns.com/
http://scratchgolf.com/


enjoy.....................

tmac: Omen imparts so much spin with a regular vokey design wedge that something like this would be hard for me to utilize...

no that wedge is designed for HACKERS like you who DONT hit the ball properly: all that nasty stuff on the face helps impart more spin for YOU DUFFER types....

i am thinking of filling in my grooves because quit frankly the ball cover would last longer for me that way...

sincerly

Omen, super spin imparter...

[jesse.day]

I lost my Callaway X-14 SW at a course and the next group decided it was raining free sand wedges. I picked up a replacement 53* 588 Chrome wedge off ebay for about $30 dollars after shipping to replace it. At first I wanted to rearranged the guys face who doesn't turn in other folks equipment, now I'd like to shake his hand, after...
If you want a good wedge without spending too much scratch, Ebay has really good deals on Cleveland 588's and you can upgrade later as your personal tastes grow.

[fred3]

Well I for one really like the Vokey wedges. I carry a spin milled 58 and an oil can 50. That said it must be added that unless you can tell the difference between a well made wedge and a cheap one then there is no need to spend the money because there is no club made that will make you a better player. If your clubs "fit" you and your swing then buying the latest greatest or more expensive won't necessarily help you get better. On the other hand if you are a better player then it's almost always a good idea to check out the new stuff on the off chance your older stuff has seen better days.

If you don't have a sand wedge then you are indeed hurting your chances from escaping bunkering that is located near the green. On the other hand if you have no real clue how to escape a bunker using a sand wedge then getting one is useless unless you learn how to use it.

[jesse.day]

The Cleveland 588's have the biggest sales of premium wedges. So a lot of folks must like them. Vokey's are probably nice too but I'll never know because they sell for twice as much on Ebay and two premium wedges one for 30 (588) one for 60 (Vokey) I'll stick with the thirty dollar wedges thanks. The simple fact that they sell the most new wedges leads you to the conclusion that they also have the biggest resale trade (which explains the price difference).
I bought a 53* Chrome 588 Gap wedge and it transformed my short game. I am confident going right at the pin instead of using my oversize wedge (which I don't have anymore) and having to guess how much roll it will give me this time. You may grow to like Vokey's or Nike or Mizuno but I shoot in the low 90's high 80's and I can tell you that I haven't even scratched the surface on the skill level which would lead me to need a brand new wedge or a preference. If you buy a 588 you can expect a little frustration until you learn to keep it in the sweet spot and practice your short game shots. But if you're not planning on practice your wedge play then you will never need the services of a premium wedge. RTG model is really helpful because it has a rusted finish and when you strike the ball over and over you can see exactly where your tendency to make contact on the clubface. The head is not treated with an antioxidant so the rust will come back and provide you with years of free impact tape.

[Omen2]

what exactly is a sand wedge?

why does everyone insist on calling them sand wedges...

any wedge can be used from sand and to commit one wedge to bunker play is silly...

i carry three wedges... a 51* a 55* and a 58*... i do not have a sand wedge... likewise i do not have a lob wedge or a gap wedge....

some people use 58* wedges from the sand others like 54* ... and everything in between

so from now on, AS THE PREMIER GOLF FORUM, we will refer to wedges by their lofts and not by a surface that we use them from.

that said i agree with fred, but since WE HAVE ONLY PREMIER GOLFERS, we all are able to tell the difference between a dunlop walmart wedge and a vokey or cg10....

the bounce is what matters the most... nothing else... any top of the line wedge is going to perform well for you... i think you should get good wedges because those are the second most important clubs in the bag ( behind the putter of course) and should be quality stuff...

any name will do
Mizuno
titleist
cleveland
taylormade
callaway
fourteen
golds factory
scratch
gauge design

.... any of these will do the trick, just GET THE RIGHT BOUNCE....

[pingman360]

i think that the Vokeys might have more sales now... i see more and more people carrying them and few people carry the Clevelands... i think that Vokeys might rule the market right now...

[augafan48]

how do you get photos on here like omen does?

[poe4soul]

Unless you are left handed. The bounce and loft combinations of the Vokeys are crap for left handers. It's unfortunate because I like the clubs but the bounces are too high for the summer conditions in Portland.

[QueenCityGolfer]

The Vokey SM wedges are superb.

I have two. The only thing that keeps me from carrying 3 is my desire to carry a 2 iron.

[neverman]

i think that the Vokeys might have more sales now... i see more and more people carrying them and few people carry the Clevelands... i think that Vokeys might rule the market right now...

Nope... Cleveland by a landslide still.

[Weltall]

Are there any differences between the chrome and the pearl black finishes, aside from looks??

[Omen2]

The Vokey SM wedges are superb.

I have two. The only thing that keeps me from carrying 3 is my desire to carry a 2 iron.

is your insane ability to bump and run the 60* .....

welcome back QCG... been a while...

the only thing different between the two cleveland cg10 finishes is the color... the black pearl may reduce glare a bit more.

clevland definitely owns the wedge market... always have; always will, just as titleist owns the ball market.

[Rainkingjr]

Welltell you owe it to yourself to try out the Mizuno MP-R. I have it in 52 and 58 and I love them. The grind on the heel is great for opening up. The best part is having that ever so sweet grain flow forged feel. The MP-R did also take category leaader in performance on the GD 2007 hot list and we all know performance matters most, right? $100 is also great for the rchrome or black nickel finish.

[pingman360]

Nope... Cleveland by a landslide still.

hmm... thats suprising... what about on tour they have to have more wedges out there than any other co??? right???

[Weltall]

Hey guys, thanks a lot for your help. I went with the Cleveland CG14's because of the brand's rep for wedges, the fact that they don't shred up balls like Vokey SM's, MP-R's weren't there and I was too lazy to go anywhere else, and the look.

[Omen2]

good choice... enjoy..