Changing what wedge I use around the greens

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By Tyler M

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  • 18 Replies
  1. Tyler M

    Tyler M
    Montgomery, TX

    Hi Guys,

    I would just like to share with you all what I did over the weekend. So I played in a little West Texas two day tournament over the past weekend where we played a two man scramble one day and a two man low ball the next. Up until Saturday my go to wedge play around the greens regardless of lie, distance, or situation, I always pulled my 60* SM4. It was the wedge that I felt most comfortable with, but I was so inconsistent with it trying to get it to sit or roll out depending on which shot I wanted.

    After a terrible Saturday two man scramble I decided to change things up on Sunday for the low ball round. It was by far the best change I have made to my game EVER. I had two chip ins, one for par and the other for birdie. I went from my 60* to my 50* SM5 and just played a bump and run and a little pitch the entire round. On all but three holes where I used a wedge around the green I stuck it within 5ft of the pin every time. I have never had that much control or confidence around the green before. I had one 3 putt the entire round, but that was because the pin placement was tucked away on a down slope and I didn't want to blow it by.

    I know its a pretty simple change for most, but for me it was a game changer. As I started playing that 50* my confidence grew and grew and it also spread throughout my game as well. Changing wedges has now opened up a few more options for my game. I ended up shooting 75 on Sunday. I shaved off about 7 strokes just by changing my wedge play. I figured I would just share this with you guys and I would just like to see how many others on here have had similar experiences. Thanks for reading guys!

    Tyler M. 

  2. tdogg21

    tdogg21
    Chambersburg, PA

    I use to use one wedge no matter what.  Like you, I was more comfortable using a certain club around the green.  I found that changing it up every once in a while seemed to make me more confident.  I know it was totally in my head, but it worked.  And it also got me better around the greens with multiple clubs.  Now I use just about any wedge around the green.  I typically look to see how much roll I need and take more loft when I have to have less roll.

  3. Greg D

    Greg D
    Oklahoma City, OK

    I like the idea of using a lower loft for chipping. I use a 54 degree and have for 2+ years.  It lowered my scored by 7-8 strokes when i started using it. I just recently got a vokey 60 degree.  I got it to use as a 30-40 yard club but I started trying to chip with it because I like it so much. Anyways that was a bad idea. I lost those 7-8 strokes and maybe added another 2-3 on top of that. I will stick with the 54 for all chipping purposes from now on. Lesson learned. Stick with the lower loft around the greens. 

  4. Rich J

    Rich J

    This year, I changed my whole approach to chipping - - and for the better.  I read something on line by a PGA golf instructor who recommended the sand wedge as the basic club for chipping.  My sand wedge is a 56 degree wedge.  

    His advice was to chip in such a fashion that the ball pops up and lands just on the edge of the green.  So the amount of your back swing is determined by the distance required to land the ball just on the green.  Using a sand wedge, the remaining distance to the pin should be equal to the distance from your wedge to the green.  In other words, if the ball is 10 yards off the green and the pin is 10 yards into the green, you should chip with a sand wedge. 

    However, if the distance from the edge of the green to the pin is shorter than the distance from the ball to the edge of the green, use a lob wedge (less roll).   If the distance from the edge of the green to the pin is longer than the distance from the ball to the edge of the green, use a gap wedge or pitching wedge (more roll).

    That approach to chipping has knocked my average score down 5 strokes.

    Rich 

  5. Chris92009

    Chris92009
    Ohio

    Rich J said:

    This year, I changed my whole approach to chipping - - and for the better.  I read something on line by a PGA golf instructor who recommended the sand wedge as the basic club for chipping.  My sand wedge is a 56 degree wedge.  

    His advice was to chip in such a fashion that the ball pops up and lands just on the edge of the green.  So the amount of your back swing is determined by the distance required to land the ball just on the green.  Using a sand wedge, the remaining distance to the pin should be equal to the distance from your wedge to the green.  In other words, if the ball is 10 yards off the green and the pin is 10 yards into the green, you should chip with a sand wedge. 

    However, if the distance from the edge of the green to the pin is shorter than the distance from the ball to the edge of the green, use a lob wedge (less roll).   If the distance from the edge of the green to the pin is longer than the distance from the ball to the edge of the green, use a gap wedge or pitching wedge (more roll).

    That approach to chipping has knocked my average score down 5 strokes.

    Rich 

    Rich, Thanks for sharing!

  6. Jay H

    Jay H
    Lexington, SC

    Rich J said:

    This year, I changed my whole approach to chipping - - and for the better.  I read something on line by a PGA golf instructor who recommended the sand wedge as the basic club for chipping.  My sand wedge is a 56 degree wedge.  

    His advice was to chip in such a fashion that the ball pops up and lands just on the edge of the green.  So the amount of your back swing is determined by the distance required to land the ball just on the green.  Using a sand wedge, the remaining distance to the pin should be equal to the distance from your wedge to the green.  In other words, if the ball is 10 yards off the green and the pin is 10 yards into the green, you should chip with a sand wedge. 

    However, if the distance from the edge of the green to the pin is shorter than the distance from the ball to the edge of the green, use a lob wedge (less roll).   If the distance from the edge of the green to the pin is longer than the distance from the ball to the edge of the green, use a gap wedge or pitching wedge (more roll).

    That approach to chipping has knocked my average score down 5 strokes.

    Rich 

    Rich: this is an excellent strategy. Thanks so much for sharing. I'm going to use this approach next time out and see how it works.

  7. Rich J

    Rich J

    Jay H said:

    Rich: this is an excellent strategy. Thanks so much for sharing. I'm going to use this approach next time out and see how it works.

    [/quote]Jay, good luck.  I wrote these comments a few months back, and I continue to have great success with this chipping method.

    Rich

  8. Don O

    Don O
    Madison, WI

    What is basically wrong with my short game is my day job. Using one club and trying to feel how much/fast to swing just doesn't work for every distance to and on the green. 25 yards from the deep rough is different than 25 yards on a tight lie on the fairway, and still different than 25 yards from under tree limbs over a bunker. I've got the first 2 figured out, but the last one is to just hit the face of the bunker to bounce it onto the green, or just hit the beverage cart. I can use up to 3 clubs based on lie and pin location for the same distance.
  9. Steve M

    Steve M
    Hatboro, PA

    I tended to use my PW and recently switched to my 52* due to green speeds. never been a big fan of using the 56 or 60 for this. In fact, I use my 60* so infrequently that it might be gone from the bag after my fitting in October. I'm glad to here that you had success with the 50*. My suggestion is to try different wedges when you practice to get the feel and characteristics of each wedge. You really don't want to be stuck using one wedge as you might end up right back where you were before. Steve
  10. Keith M

    Keith M
    Acworth, GA

    Don O said:

    What is basically wrong with my short game is my day job. Using one club and trying to feel how much/fast to swing just doesn't work for every distance to and on the green. 25 yards from the deep rough is different than 25 yards on a tight lie on the fairway, and still different than 25 yards from under tree limbs over a bunker. I've got the first 2 figured out, but the last one is to just hit the face of the bunker to bounce it onto the green, or just hit the beverage cart. I can use up to 3 clubs based on lie and pin location for the same distance.

    Best answer so far!  Don't hit the beverage cart, but at least try to tuck it close.  Gives a perfect excuse to grab a beer.  

  11. Richard C

    Richard C

    The past 6 rounds or so I have gone to using the 48  from 50 yds in almost exclusively except for the obvious exceptions: bunkers or false fronts.  Rarely I use my 60 in very deep rough within 10' of the pin.  I feel (maybe I am fooling myself) that getting more and more confident with the 48 is helping.  I would say it has shaved maybe 3 strokes.  That said this season it seems that the groundskeepers are keeping the rough a bit taller than in the past.  I play in New England.  Is it just me?

  12. steve b

    steve b

    Tyler, The same thing happened to me. I had a 60 degree wedge and it created more problems than it solved. I bought a new set of AP 1's and it had a 48 degree gap wedge and I purchased a 52 degree SM5 wedge. I use the gap wedge most of the time. It bounces once and then rolls like a putt. The "52" is used in the thicker stuff. My putts are a whole lot shorter. I don't miss the "60" one bit! steve b
  13. Michael C

    Michael C

    For the longest time I was using my 52 degree Vokey around the greens but was noticing I couldn't get the ball to stop when I needed to.  As soon as I switched to my Vokey 56 degree I've had much more control over where the ball stops.  The only time I switch now is if it's a longer chip or if I have less green to work with, then I use my 52 and 60 respectively.

  14. Dan S

    Dan S
    Westchester, IL

    Tyler, I use my 52* primarily, the lower loft helps with accuracy. But I still use my PW and 60* , when I need a lot of roll or need to drop it on the green with little green to work with. 50* is a great club for what you're doing.

  15. Bryan W

    Bryan W
    Hillsboro, OR

    I use my 50* for chipping and pitching more than any other wedge.  I find it to be the best for the type of shots I'm most comfortable with.  I also carry a 54* and 58* and will use them if I'm short sided and have little green to work with but everything else I look at my 50* as my first option.

  16. Christian W

    Christian W
    Cincinnati, OH

    I have two clubs that I use around the green depending on the shot I want to hit. If I have the space, I love uses my 9 iron for a little punch and run. However, I will use my 60* wedge if I am right off the green and the flag is close.

  17. Dave N

    Dave N
    Dade City, FL

    Gave my grandson my 60*. Never looked back. Good  for me .

  18. John C

    John C
    Hopkins, MN

    I had been using my 52* 714 AP1 gap wedge to hit all of my chips around the green, pretty much without regard to distance.  I finally realized that I left almost every chip short of the hole.  Upon the advice of a friend, I switched to my 8 and 9 irons (depending upon distance) recently during a long weekend in Kohler, WI.  I found I had much better results, both in terms of consistency and getting the ball to the hole.  I don't think I'll ever look back.

    For short to medium pitches, particularly over bunkers and other obstacles, I carry 56* and 60* Vokey wedges to hit soft little pitches. 

  19. Jim D

    Jim D
    Toronto, ON

    I have 714 ap1's with both w1 and w2. the w2 id 52 degrees and the club I prefer to use for green side chips as I feel I do better getting in the ground as early as possible rather than flying it to the hole as you would need to do with a 60. In situations where I need loft, I use my 56, which is my highest lofted wedge. I've tried green side shipping with a 60 in the past and I don't think I quite have the touch to use that club in those situations.  

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