Like your irons, wedge shafts impact the launch, spin and apex of your shots around the green. How Important Is Shaft Material In Wedges? Shaft material matters in all your clubs and, wedges are no exception. In an interview with Golf Magazine, True Spec Golf’s Tim Briand suggested that 75% of the players that he fits have the wrong shaft.
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Does shaft material matter in wedges?
Shaft material matters in all your clubs and, wedges are no exception. In an interview with Golf Magazine, True Spec Golf’s Tim Briand suggested that 75% of the players that he fits have the wrong shaft. Because players buy the stock standard design off the shelf, they are mostly too heavy for the average player’s swing.
What is a wedge in golf?
In the sport of golf, a wedge is a subset of the iron family of golf clubs designed for special use situations. As a class, wedges have the highest lofts, the shortest shafts, and the heaviest clubheads of the irons. These features generally aid the player in making accurate short-distance "lob" shots,...
Do wedges help with a steep or shallow swing?
Depending on where material is removed from the sole, a particular wedge can benefit a golfer with a steep or shallow swing. If you’re unsure of the grind needed for your swing, get a certified clubfitter involved.
Are all new level golf wedges the same?
Every wedge head was the same – a New Level Golf M-Type 56 degree wedge – and every wedge was built to the same length and swing weight with the same grip. Each tester hit the different shafts in a different order.
Do better wedges make a difference?
The numbers tell us that wedge gurus are correct in saying that new wedges work better than the old ones when it comes to creating spin. The older the wedge, the less it will likely spin at all distances.
What are wedges usually made of?
wedge, in mechanics, device that tapers to a thin edge, usually made of metal or wood, and used for splitting, lifting, or tightening, as to secure a hammer head onto its handle. Along with the lever, wheel and axle, pulley, and screw, the wedge is considered one of the five simple machines.
Do pros use Rusty wedges?
Rusty wedges appear in many a tour pro's bag. Sometimes, the rust is a result of a hard life spent splashing shots out of bunkers and pounding golf balls from the turf on ranges around the globe. But usually it is totally inentional.
Do pros use sand wedges?
80% of the top 100 PGA Tour golfers use 4 wedges with the other 20% using 3. The most common wedge set up used by 51% is a pitching wedge that matches their irons, & 3 specialist wedges including a gap wedge ranging from 50° to 52°, a sand wedge from 54° to 58° degrees & a lob wedge from 58° to 63°.
What wedges do pros use?
When it comes to common wedge setups on the PGA Tour, there are far more golfers playing with four wedges than three. Looking strictly at the top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking, 80 percent are using a pitching wedge, 50/52-, 56-, 60-degree loft combination.
What wedges should a high handicapper carry?
What Loft Wedges Should A High Handicapper Carry? High handicappers should carry at least a 56-degree wedge. In addition, it makes sense to have a 52-degree wedge and a 60-degree wedge to have a variety of shots.
Why do TaylorMade wedges rust?
Rusting generally happens within the natural cadence of playing golf. You hit a shot, clean your wedge and happen to store it while it's still wet – that will create rust over time. Or you play in wet conditions and don't completely dry your wedge after the round.
Why do Vokey wedges rust?
The Jet Black will rust as the dark finish wears, while the Raw wedges will rust more quickly with exposure to air and moisture.
Do raw wedges spin more?
The rust does not add spin, but a raw wedge will spin more, so... It's not the rust; it's the lack of plating. What would actually add more spin: hitting the ball in the fairway and having a good lie. You can customize them by grinding edges or bounce off in the tour van without it looking awkward.
What wedges do Tiger Woods use?
He's still using his TaylorMade MG2 TW grind wedges (56 and 60 degrees) and the Scotty Cameron GSS Newport 2 prototype putter that he's used to win 14 of his 15 majors, as well. He'll also continue using the Bridgestone Tour B XS 2022 prototype golf ball that he debuted at the 2021 PNC Championship.
Should you chip with a sand wedge?
For the average golfer, chipping with a sand wedge should only be used when you need to get the ball over an obstacle. A sand wedge is much more prone to chunking or topping the ball, and is why most golfers should use a gap or pitching wedge in most cases.
What wedges does Brooks koepka use?
Koepka has the new Cleveland RTX ZipCore Tour Rack Raw wedges in play. Having played Cleveland wedges when he was a kid, the biggest part about getting comfortable with his new wedges was figuring out the right sole grind for his turf interaction.
Golf Magazine
If you’re someone with a shallow angle of attack who tends to sweep the ball, finding a wedge with a narrower sole — some will have material removed around the toe, heel and trailing edge to create a narrow low bounce sole — will certainly benefit your short game.
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If you’re someone with a shallow angle of attack who tends to sweep the ball, finding a wedge with a narrower sole — some will have material removed around the toe, heel and trailing edge to create a narrow low bounce sole — will certainly benefit your short game.
What is the best wedge for golf?
The pitching wedge is the most commonly used wedge. It’s commonly used for full shots into greens and some chip shots that are longer. Their loft is 44 to 48 degrees. Sets found in recent times have a stronger and lower lofted pitching wedge.
What is the loft of a golf wedge?
The loft is the angle created between an imaginary vertical line and the face of the wedge. the loft of a wedge dictates the trajectory and how far the ball will fly. Among other clubs, golf wedges have the highest loft.
What is a low bounce wedge?
Low bounce wedge. These are wedges that bounce at an angle of four to six degrees. This is considered a low bounce. These wedges are suited for players who prefer firmer turf conditions, sweep the ball and take a shallower divot. They are suitable for bunkers with little sand.
What are the different types of wedges?
Types of Golf Wedges. When you are looking to buy your first set of golf clubs, there are four types of wedges that include the gap wedge, lob wedge, sand wedge, and the pitching wedge. The pitching wedge is the most commonly used and, in most cases, it’s included as a typical set of irons in the sale, while the other three types are sold ...
What is a gap wedge?
The gap wedge fills the gap created between the pitching wedge and the sand wedge. It may also be referred to as an attack wedge or a utility wedge. Their loft is 50 to 53 degrees and is mostly used for fuller shots.
What is wedge sole?
The sole of a wedge is its bottom that makes contact with the ground. The sole grind is, therefore, the additional shaping given to the sole mostly around the toe or the heel. Due to the benefits offered by the sole grind, most manufacturers are now providing a wide range of sole grinds combined with the standard wedge sole. A machine is used to grind the soles for them to suit specific shots and turf conditions. Different shapes are created to suit a specific purpose.
What degree does a sand wedge slide?
It does this by having a sole that is wider and heavier. Its loft degree ranges from 54 to 58 degrees.
Why are wedges important in golf?
With the short game accounting for more than 50% of shots you play in a round, improving your wedge play is the first step to shooting a lower score.
How much difference between wedges?
Most instructors recommend you should have around four degrees of difference between all of your wedges. "I can't begin to tell you how crucial gapping in wedges is," said Titleist master craftsman Bob Vokey. "Most everyday players have little idea about the loft gaps with their wedges.
How many degrees difference between pitching wedges?
But now they're 45 to 47 degrees while the sand wedge has stayed at 56. That's a two-plus club difference because now the pitching wedge is essentially the loft of a 9-iron.". Most instructors recommend you should have around four degrees of difference between all of your wedges.
How many degrees are sand wedges?
"In the old days that was okay because most pitching wedges were around 51 degrees. But now they're 45 to 47 degrees while the sand wedge has stayed at 56. That's a two-plus club difference because now the pitching wedge is essentially the loft of a 9-iron.".
What is the loft of a lob wedge?
The lob wedge has a loft anywhere between 60 and 64 degrees. It is useful for throwing the ball up very high from short distances, also known as the "flop shot" - Phil Mickelson is the expert at this. ROGER CLEVELAND: A 60-DEGREE WEDGE IS USELESS IF YOU'RE OLD.
What is the bounce on a wedge?
The bounce is what you see when you place the wedge flat on the floor and the lead edge is slightly off the ground. "The higher the lead edge is off the floor, the more bounce on the wedge. The importance of finding the correct bounce is related to your own personal swing and style of play.".
What degree of bounce do you need for a wedge?
If your local course tends to be wet parkland, wedges with more of a "standard" bounce (10-16 degrees) are less likely to dig into the ground. These would also suit players with a steeper angle of attack.
Overview Of Wedge Shafts And How They Affect Performance
When you purchase a wedge off the shelf, the chances are that the specs of the shaft don’t suit your style of play.
How Important Is Shaft Material In Wedges?
Shaft material matters in all your clubs and, wedges are no exception. In an interview with Golf Magazine, True Spec Golf’s Tim Briand suggested that 75% of the players that he fits have the wrong shaft.
Is There A Big Difference Between Steel And Graphite Shafts?
The short answer is yes. There is a big difference between steel and graphite shafts.
Should You Use Graphite Or Steel In Your Wedge Shafts?
I always suggest visiting a professional fitter to make an accurate decision on the clubs you should use.
Fujikura MCI 105 Solid Wedge
Although the Fujikura MCI 105 wedge shaft delivers the spin of a graphite shaft, carbon fibre is the predominant material. The design helps the average golfer generate optimal greenside spin for better control and short game performance.
Mitsubishi MMT 105 Scoring Wedge Shaft
The versatility of Mitsubishi’s MMT 125 Scoring Wedge shaft offers leisure golfers the best of both worlds.
Best Steel Wedge Shafts
True Temper’s Dynamic Gold S400 shafts sport a lengthier construction to increase the flexibility of the tip and reduce weight. As a result, the company suggests that those with a moderate tempo are best suited to low launch and mid-spin.
What is a maraging golf club head?
Another more recent addition to the number of materials used in golf club head manufacturing is maraging steel, which is an alloy or family of steel with unique properties. Typically maraging steels are harder than non-maraging steels like 431 or 17-4 and used primarily for face inserts rather than the whole head.
Which is more expensive, maraging steel or aluminum?
Maraging steels are more expensive to produce, therefore would be more in the premium price range, which is the trade-off for the higher performance. Aluminum. Aluminum is a much lighter material than stainless steel. Early metal woods made from aluminum back in 1970’s and 80’s were not very strong or durable.
Why is titanium used in fairway wood?
Second, the reason for titanium is for the strength and lightweight nature. If a fairway wood was made with titanium, it would normally be made much larger in size to achieve a normal weight. By doing so the head could become much taller and makes it effectively harder to hit off of the fairway.
Why use titanium in golf clubs?
Second, the reason for titanium is for the strength and lightweight nature.
What material is used to make wood?
Therefore the ball speed coming off the face would be less than a comparable titanium driver. Carbon Graphite. Carbon graphite is an extremely lightweight material and can be used to create a wood (usually with some sort of metallic soleplate for durability and additional weight).
What is the maximum size of a golf driver?
Drivers can also be made of 17-4, but due to the high density of the material, the limit on size is approximately 250cc without the risk of cracking during normal play. Because golfers prefer larger, easier-to-hit drivers, virtually no drivers today are even manufactured from stainless steel.
Where is Matt from Plugged In Golf?
He's worked in nearly every job in the golf industry from club fitting to instruction to writing and speaking. Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
Can you tell what shafts are in a wedge?
There may not be a more overlooked piece of golf equipment than the wedge shaft. Even good players and golfers who are into their gear often can’t tell you what shafts are in their wedges.
Can you use a 60 degree wedge for full swing?
This is not to say that finding the right shaft is hopeless, it just involves thought and maybe some compromise. If your 60 degree wedge is never used for full swings, you should pick a shaft that performs well for you on partial shots. If you use a wedge primarily as a full swing club, then fit to that.
What is wedge shaft?
They are the scoring clubs in your bag and golfers can choose from an array of lofts, sole grinds, bounce angles and even the stampings on the back. But the shaft is often the component that gets overlooked and those that do so could be losing out on short-game performance.
How much does a wedge shaft weigh?
Most wedge shafts come in three different flex options and weights ranging from around 110g to 140g. Try to get a weight similar to that in your irons so the feel on full shots is similar.
Does Nippon have wedge specific shafts?
But having a wedge-specific shaft can still help you gain a little more control even on chip shots around the green.”. Nippon is another company to offer a wedge-specific steel shaft that has been put in play by over 50 PGA Tour players this year, including Hunter Mahan and Henrik Stenson.
What is wedge grind?
Andrew Tursky, Senior Equipment Editor: A wedge grind refers to the shaping of the bottom part of the wedge. It’s the part of the club that actually impacts the ground, so the particular shape of the grind has a huge impact on how your club interacts with the turf. The most common would be a “C grind” which has the toe and heel sections of the sole shaved off a bit to make the sole more rounded. This allows the wedge to play a bit more versatile from different lies and face orientations (open face, shut face, etc.). The only thing you really need to know, though, is that you probably need more bounce on your wedge. More bounce makes the wedge more forgiving and will keep you from hitting those embarrassing chunks and skulls around the greens. Just know that it’s basically impossible to pick out a wedge from a retail store and have it be the perfect wedge grind for you. That’s why I highly, highly recommend a wedge fitting. You need to try different grinds and bounces to figure out what’s best for you.
Can you pick out a wedge from a retail store?
Just know that it’s basically impossible to pick out a wedge from a retail store and have it be the perfect wedge grind for you. That’s why I highly, highly recommend a wedge fitting. You need to try different grinds and bounces to figure out what’s best for you. 2. It helps off different kinds of turf.
Overview
In the sport of golf, a wedge is a subset of the iron family of golf clubs designed for special use situations. As a class, wedges have the highest lofts, the shortest shafts, and the heaviest clubheads of the irons. These features generally aid the player in making accurate short-distance "lob" shots, to get the ball onto the green or out of a hazard or other tricky spot. In addition, wedges are designed with modified soles that aid the player in moving the clubhead through sof…
History
The class of wedges grew out of the need for a better club for playing soft lies and short shots. Prior to the 1930s, the best club for short "approach" shots was the "niblick", roughly equivalent to today's 9-iron or pitching wedge in loft; however the design of this club, with a flat, angled face and virtually no "sole", made it difficult to use in sand and other soft lies as it was prone to dig into soft turf. The club most often used for bunker shots was called the "jigger"; it was used similarly to to…
Pitching wedge
A pitching wedge is the lowest-lofted of the named wedges, used to hit a variety of short-range shots. The modern pitching wedge has a loft of around 48° (exact lofts vary by clubmaker and player preference) and little or no "bounce" (angle of the sole to the ground).
The pitching wedge is descended from the "niblick", an obsolete blade-style club with a high loft. As the older naming system gave way to numbered sets in the mid- to late 1930s, the standardiz…
Gap wedge
A gap wedge is the next higher-lofted wedge after the pitching wedge, and is usually used in a similar manner. It is a newer wedge and so is one of the least standardized as to its purpose and thus its design, but lofts for gap wedges are centered on 52° and have a moderate amount of bounce.
The concept of the gap wedge originated when the loft angles of irons were reduced as a result …
Sand wedge
A sand wedge is a type of golf club with a specialized design intended to help the player play the ball from soft lies such as sand bunkers. It has a loft of about 56°, and about 10° of "bounce".
Gene Sarazen won the 1932 British and US Open tournaments with a new club he had invented that was specialized for sand play. He is hailed as the inventor of the modern sand wedge, which he developed by taking a niblick (9-iron), soldering additional metal underneath the leading edge …
Lob wedge
The lob wedge is a club with a loft of around 60°, typically the highest in a player's bag. It is used for specialized shots requiring either extreme launch angle, short carry distance and/or no rolling distance after impact.
Dave Pelz, a former NASA physicist and golf short-game coach, envisioned the lob wedge in the 1980s as an answer to modern greens, which are designed to be more difficult to approach to a…
See also
• Golf glossary