That’s a really good point too and why I can make room for a 64*. I don’t have the swing speed I did 25 years ago and my course is so narrow (with OB) that I don’t even risk a 5w off the deck. I just need a club for the doglegs when driver is too much and a hybrid I trust for longer layups.
There can be two issues here. First, is how you swing wedges, no matter the type of shot, short of a chip from the green’s edge. I’ve read and fully believe that most tour pros rarely hit a full shot with any of their wedges. Even though they have all their distances with all of their clubs dialed in as accurately as the human body will allow, they really focus on the distances they get with partial swings with each of their wedges.
Looked at that way, it becomes easier to see why pros went to a multiple wedge system. Using 3/4, half, and quarter swings, a pro with four wedges has at least twelve different shots from 10-20 yards out to about 140-150 he can use with relative certainty about the distance it will fly. Add in his ability to control both ball flight and spin so that the ball will either stop or run out, almost at will, which can account for slopes in the green and the best type of shot to play under those conditions, and it’s more like he has almost 50 different options available to him that should get the ball close. They are called the “scoring” clubs after all. I’ve even seen suggestions to affix tape to the shafts of each of your wedges with the multiple yardage numbers the club can reach to make it easier to determine which club to use.
When all that is considered, you can understand that not only do pros carry multiple wedges, but if not contractually bound, they may carry wedges from different manufacturers. The pros chose their wedges based on looks, feel, and appropriate gapping. And of course, they can have all of their wedges adjusted regularly to ensure proper gapping.
As a higher handicap, you might not want all of those choices yet; on the other hand, you can see that multiple wedges might simplify your game by removing the need for developed touch because you can rely on your knowledge of how your wedges work.
Second, it’s very likely that improving your wedge play may have a direct effect on your longer game as well. It’s not just improved confidence around the greens although it’s true that should take some pressure off your drives/fairway play. It’s the actual swing that will improve because if you’re having problems with your wedges, it can be directly related to mechanics that apply to the longer game too.
The more I study this game, the more I’m convinced that a lot of problems with the short game swing arise from getting the club too far inside on the takeaway. Another piece of wisdom I’ve taken to heart is that one of the reasons pros become so good with their short game is that because of their better technique they can stop and reverse their swing at any point short of full and be on the proper plane to hit the ball. If you take the club too far inside on a partial swing, you don’t have the ability to get it back on plane by the time the club gets to the ball, resulting in fat shots or if you compensate to avoid hitting the ground, thin and bladed shots. Believe me, I spent too much of my golfing career fighting those problems before fixing them a decade ago, and I believe that it was all caused by yanking the club back inside on the takeaway.
Of course, the benefits to your short game by improving swing path will bleed over to your longer game as well.
So maybe start with the mechanics but understand the reasons that a multiple wedge system might help you lower that 23!
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The only reason some of the professional carry more than 2 wedges ( PW/SW) is because the modern loft had super charged and the PW has the same loft as the old 9 iron loft.
Professionals don’t care about which tool goes into their tool box and they certainly don’t “show and tell”, since everyone get their bag from the sponsors.
We see lots of them carry 3 wedges simply because the proper gaping is needed; not because showing off to the guys peeking into their bags and taking photos to post on the internet.
On the other hands, I start to see many of the weekend warriors carrying 4 wedges, while they couldn’t even handle their PW and GP but they like to carry extra wedges for whatever the reason.
Same as those who could not even carry their tee shots 230 yards started to tell people “drive for show and putt for dough”… laughable ?
Completely agree with most of what you wrote. +1.
I’d take a page from some Euro Tour player whose name escapes me, and just Sharpie them on the club back. But whatever works. Gotta’ admit, the Pelz-ian wedge matrix is being a stone B for me to replicate, and it may be fools gold, but damnit I’m trying. Even though I don’t hit a wedge—LOL!----140 yds most days. The stroke is quite a bit different than how I do a full or 3/4 swing with my irons/FWs though. That’s probably a lot of it.
Sure is satisfying though, hitting 10 in a row that pop up, land w/in a 4’ diameter circle and run about the same distance. I can’t flop over Steph Curry, but I can kinda’ sorta’ glimpse how Philly does it. Neat. Entertaining, which is after all why I at least, play this game.
Nah. Go read WRXGolf’s WITB (What’s in the bag?) sections. There’s a ton of customization from these guys, all trying to find some Sunday edge.
It’s fascinating. I certainly couldn’t discern the feel they do, but I’m not a pro.
According to my current bag…I carry 4 wedges, But as mentioned these wedges are carried because of the strange lofts of todays clubs. I added a 60* going back to Tom Kite in the 80’s and lost my 2 iron. Like how often was I ever hitting that? I’ve always carried a 54 or 56 SW. My old PW, was a 51. My current GW is 50, I carried a 9i which was 46. My 4th wedge is a 46. So nothing really has changed. The original addition of the 60 is a club I think everyone should carry…I use that alot sometimes as much as 12x a round. Its the 2nd most used club in the bag!
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I don’t need to “go read” articles from other website, and I do browse everywhere. I was there long ago from when they first came on the scene. Over the years it had drifted more towards data compiling and golf on the paper ( digital ).
Data is only, as good as the source, I like the real golf where real golfers experience. Data is great, for reference and it’s not the end but the journey to the end.
If you prefer, you can go read any article you wish, everyone has their own preference, right ? That’s why we are different in life and TG for that.
Of course, golfers will “modify” their equipment to suit their want and need, especially the professional. I don’t need to look at the peekaboo
WITB photos from the bags at the tournament to confirm that. It’s been in practice since day one.
Very rarely professional will carry 4 wedges, most of them carry 3 like I stated not because suddenly there is a need for more wedges. If you’re into data and “science” and check out the loft degree on the modern day golf clubs and comparing it to the lofts in the golf bags of yesteryears.
1-PW of yesteryears is probably comparable to 3-GW of today’s .
Changing the stamped numbers on the sole means nothing but to boosted ego of the amateurs.
Carrying 2 wedges does not mean carrying stock wedge from the shelf if you had pay attention; I have maybe a dozen SW and half of that in PW rotating through sets of irons.
History shows the old preferred sets of irons would end with the 9 iron and all the wedges are purchased separately.
Wedge play important ? Sure it is, like every other club in the bag.
Driver, wedge and putter are those which we’ll pull out of the bag more often than the others, so go figure out the ranking of the club
A good craftsman could make any tool work, of course they’ll prefer a customized tool regardless, if not for function , for the mental side of comforting.
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Here’s my take on this section of your quote:
Nothing to do with ego and more to do with sales! The comparable lofts on my 1988/1989 circa irons I still use, travel the basic same distance with the same basic dispersion using the like lofts of todays. The only difference there is todays 6 iron is the same loft as my 5 iron and in some cases 4 iron. The only consistent thing is my swing! I know, I like to go break chops at the Galaxy and listen to them try and “fit” me! It’s sales! Same thing with the Big Dog, My 10 year old Driver, goes basically the same distance as an M6! within 5 yards on a perfect strike for me! The question becomes, if you don’t have the where-with-all, is that 5 yards worth $600 without a Promo Code? My answer is NO! Learn to swing more efficiently! That money is much better spent on Lessons and Practice sessions! But I still think a 58* to 60* Wedge is really important to scoring, especially if you have the confidence to use it!
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Ego will prompt impulsive action !
Still, most of the amateurs have little knowledge of how a golf club work to propel and elevate a golf ball… The bare fact is rather boring !
Unfortunately, most of the entry level sales force only listen to the tips and trick of how to put more moola in their pockets. I was fortunate to have people who cared to guide me not to wander into the path carved out by the management who cared nothing for their employees, 4 decades ago. I know how it works ( amazingly, not much changed in all these time ), and often forgive those new who depend on their mentor for guidance.
One good thing about aging and hopefully learning along the way.
There is not much the equipment manufacturer could do as the ceiling of the conforming limit had been reached through CAD and engineering. Unless there is a break through with the shaft technology ( before the ceiling is set ), not a whole lot more magic could be offered .
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This past ATT, which I watched alot of, because there was crap to do and crap on TV…I watched intently. Why did the contender this weekend win and why did the others lose? I don’t believe for one minute it was anything that was in or not in their bags, only in their heads. Saw alot of guys right there, saw alot of guys begin to leak oil. Meaning their swing and attention spans began to slip (remember the attention span in our sport is sometimes a half a second)…But most importantly, Hoge, over the last few holes, got the ball onto the greens and proceeded to putt the lights out!. All the Gods aligned for him, no Gremlins giving him the 90* hard lipper, He made some putts ( like 70 ft worth from from 11-17 and one of those was a 6incher). Then, looked at a leader board and took 6 basically outta play on the 72nd hole and said…OK come get me! No one did! The 14th and 15th clubs in his bag served him well! Putter and Brain…
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I vacillate between 3-4 wedges, dumping the 5W if I go 4 wedges. Not thrilled with this 60 I found, but OTOH, it was like 5 bucks.
Likely different story if I did the Club Champion-ish thing. If I think I need the 220-ish shot w/some roll, I bring the 5W. There’s a few holes at Wortham where it comes in handy, and the 3I just isn’t enough.
Other courses, meh. Try 4 wedges. I can open my SW and really try to flop it, but it’s not very replicable. Sure is fun when it works though. I look a lot better than I actually am.
Isn’t this contradicting your claim that pros’ don’t care what’s in their bag if they now prefer a customized tool? I think some care deeply about certain aspects or certain clubs whilst others don’t care (DJ couldn’t even answer the question of what putter he was using).
It may well be for mental comfort, but you simply cannot say Bryson plays a 4.5 degree loft driver because that’s what he was given. I may of misunderstood your point but pro’s spend a lot of thought on their ‘tools’ to get the best out of whatever they are being paid to wield.
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Touring pros could play us with a shovel, a bat and pool cue and scorch us (metaphors)! Golf professionals…not so much. Some can play well above the average bear, but they are being paid to run and manage a facility and believe me when I tell you it’s a thankless, difficult job because you have to deal with customers and a never ending line of increased expenses! You better be passionate. But, back to the the Touring Pros clubs. 100% they are weighed, measured, ground etc to very specific specifications. There is a ton of thought, blood, blisters, sweat etc that goes into the lofts, lie, grind, flex, grip, face…etc you name it. AND don’t believe for 1 second that DJ couldn’t tell you what putter he is, was, or anticipates using!
A good craftsman could make any tools work, but, customized , familiar tools will allow the best possible result.
A good golfer could play with any set of golf clubs, been proven that many times, even a right handed golfer could golf with a southpaw’s set and vise versa. They may not play their best game, without their own equipment.
It is not contradicting, if you pay attention.
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Is the quote I am paying attention to! I may well be misunderstanding you, but to then say that customized tools will allow the best possible result just seems to contradict the idea that they wouldn’t care. Of course give Rory worse clubs and me great ones and he beats me every single time. He has talent!
I don’t believe that for 1 second! Just advertising for TM! He’ll know exactly what he will be playing when he finds something that works. I use a TM putter too! I know exactly who designed it, the type and model. But I can tell you 100% it is definitely a TM. 
Remember, they use a lot of prototypes, not much off the shelf. They may give it a name if he can convert some putts with it. I have 4 putters, I changed from a Wilson 8802, to a Ping Anser that I used for 30+ years except for the few rounds in the mid90s I tried a broomstick. 3 years ago I went to my current TM. Once I make the change, I don’t think I’m going back.
Admittedly, isn’t being a go-along to get-along doofus part of DJ’s brand? Him and his brother? Sort of the anti-Bryson, as it were. I wouldn’t be surprised that he was trolling the media there.
As to @MJTortella’s points, couldn’t agree more on the ‘at their level, it’s all mental.’ In as much as I’ve talked to tour pros and talented (like NCAA stars/US Amateur/Open sectional competitors. Which hasn’t been much.
But different guys prepare mentally in different ways. Bryson needs to know the atmospheric profile between him and the hole. Other guys try to set up to where they’re comfortable making X shot, which can be done through practicing, as well as using that practice to say, “this’d be a whole lot easier with Y loft and Z grind, vs what I’m trying to make work now.”
Other guys get blackout drunk after making the cut, then make 7 of 9 birdies on the front on Saturday. Unconscious achievement and emotional management looks pretty important, however you prepare.
The WITB blurbs are still pretty interesting, though.
Loving this conversation. Are we now coming full circle here? If at top level its all mental, which I agree with in that a lot of the mental approach comes down to confidence. And having clubs that you trust to deliver is a big part of that confidence. I certainly agree that tour pros can make any club do anything (I remember Tiger doing a display where he hit every club 150 yards with amazingly tight dispersion) but for those less talented is it then better to have more tools? If my 43 goes 110 and my 54 goes 80, does having a 50 make it easier to hit a target from 95? (at the moment I just adjust my swing). I’m not talented, shoot in the 80’s with a best of 77. I suspect its very much horses for courses in the same way some golfers are scientists and some are artists.
So 12 months after the original question, I have no idea what the answer is!!! Thats golf.
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My best scoring round ever was a 67 on a Par 71 course played from the tips at 6680 yds with aTM burner driver, a Cleveland persimmon 3W, a TM 19* Raylor, Spalding BirdonBall musclebacks, a Self Ground Wilson R90 64* an my Ping Anser. My best round was with the same clubs playing a very difficult layout from the tips at 7150yds Par 72 and I shot a 74. I’ve broken par a exactly 17x in 37 years most recently a 69 this year for the first time in like 12 years. I took my 2iron and replaced it with that lob wedge 34 years ago. I personally have made and turned that club into a green side weapon and I will continue to use it to lob over trouble. Now when I started scoring like that, I was playing every day. I was thinking clearly, managing my game, had youth on my side. What didn’t I have? This new equipment and new golf balls. Think about that?