FWIW I never cared for the matching GW in the iron sets I’ve had. I tend to get steeper with a GW and many didn’t have enough bounce. Some just looked too large. I’m a high handicapper, but prefer a more blade-like wedge. This year I’m pretty happy with my MD5 wedges 52, 56 and 60.
IIRC Wishon did a study years ago that showed it didn’t really matter if a high capper used a blade or larger CB wedge aside from their personal preferences.
My response on this subject is based on my experience using both options (a different gap wedge vs a set-matched gap wedge).
I used to have a three-wedge Callaway Jaws set of 52 (bent to 51), 58, 64 and also a set of 52 (51), 56, 60. I have always liked wedges with aggressive grooves (Jaws are great for that) but I found that I was often hitting the 52 at 95-100% and the spin was difficult to control (sometimes biting on the spot and other times pulling back 5-10 feet) and it was destroying golf balls where I’d have shred marks on the ball every time I hit one full.
As a result I went back to my set-matched 50* Gap Wedge as the spin was more predictable (stop on the spot or pop forward a yard or two) which is fine on full shots. I use that GW now exclusively with two Jaws wedges at 56 & 60 and overall have improved results in wedge play.
My Sub 70 Black TA3’s just came this past week and I ordered the AW 50* as part of the set to keep the same type of set-up.
I should mention that my decision to play the set matched Gap wedge is because I typically hit it full (most of the time) so matching the feel and spin response of the rest of the iron set made sense to me. With the SW/LW, it’s very different and I probably only hit them full-out about 25-35% of the time as I’m often between clubs or at a less than full shot yardage (ex. being 30-50 yards off a par 5 in two) so having something that I can spin/stop to tight pins and or recover in short sided situations is what I need.
I’ve always liked the matching GW…simply because I love the same feel for full swing as my other irons. My old Cobra set and now gaming Mizuno set is the perfect loft for yardage gaps.
Until recently I used blade Cleveland or Vokey SW and LW….but recently gamed a new Cleveland cbx2 and love the cavity back on full SW swings…which I seem to have more of than PW or GW on the course i normally play. I only use the lob on rare occasions that I need to go high quick…never full swing…so I doubt I’ll move that to CB.
Yeah, I’m really torn on what to do… I prefer the set GW on full shots, but like the vokey GW for 3/4 and under shots, and especially around the green… I had mostly stopped using the GW around the green, but my up and down % has dropped perilously close to 0, so I’m looking to make any change that I can… I don’t think my current set GW has the right shaft in it…
I’ll be interested to speak to the Srixon / Cleveland rep tomorrow… I’m sure he will have some thoughts on where I should go… I’m contemplating going a little more aggressive with my clubs from 8 on, so maybe a MB type GW might fit the bill… play MBs down to 8 and then move into more forgiving clubs that I swing harder… I honestly don’t know… I don’t think either will make a huge difference, but I’d like to be more comfortable with the clubs in my bag.
I like it to match my Cleveland wedges as I tend to chip with my 48, 52, 56, or 60, depending on the lie (I’ll chip with anything down to a 3 wood). Prefer my 48 to be like my wedges since my irons are 923 JPX Pro irons and have a little help in them that takes out some of the feel when trying to chip and run…when I played blades years ago with a 46 degree PW, I didn’t mind it being the same since blades are easier to chip with.
I have found the iron-set (Cleveland Halo) gap wedge at 52 degrees coupled with a very high bounce 56 degree give me a good solution. They perform (for me) very differently.
Whenever the turf is at all soggy, the 56 is useless. My technique is to slap that sole along the turf and when turf is firm with no give, I get great height and spin. But if the turf has any “give”, that 56 slides under the ball with a divot and I chunk it way short.
The iron-set 52 Gap I use more like a putter or chipper, brushing the turf but not slapping it like I do with the 56. Is fine even from soggy lies, but without the height of the 56.
So what if I need height and stopping power from a soggy lie, like short-sided pitching over a trap? Gotta use the Gap and just run it by long.
What are the grinds and bounces for your 52 and 56? Depending on whether your grind easily allows it, try this approach next time at the pitching practice green:
Take your wedge and open the face. I can get away with about 30 degrees open-ish with my wedges, but each is a 10 bounce, S grind (Callaway’s all-purpose grind. Suitable for Sand.). Yours may not allow what I’d like you to try with it.
Anyway, with that face open 30, point the face at the target. You, OTOH, should have an open stance, more than a normal wedge pitching stance, and about 75% weight or more on the left leg. Ball should be roughly at 1/3 forward in your stance, if 1/2 is in the middle.
We’re trying to both: slide the leading edge under the ball, while still keeping our hands ahead of the clubhead at impact. The club should dig under the ball through impact, and in a soggy lie, is going to make a hell of a mess. So be it.
Takeaway has near immediate wrist-cock, and a lot more backswing length than normal pitches. In my case, I definitely needed to practice this shot a bunch, because it feels like you’re going to send this ball past the next tee, with as far back as you take it. You won’t.
Try to keep the weight on the left side. Should result in a steep backswing, impact underneath and just behind the ball. Keep rotating through the shot.
‘Should’ result in a near vertical launch (I’ve bounced this off ceilings with indoor sims) w/o much spin. Big divot/mess. A lot of height, not a ton of distance, and a ball that won’t check, but also won’t run a ton, absent hitting to a hole running seriously downhill.
Depending on the grind and bounce, see how much opening your club and swing will let you do. I’ve a 588 56 wedge with 14 bounce and a grind where I’ll skull this most times I try it with 30 degrees open. But it works with my 56 with 10 bounce.
Anyway, the short game is fun to mess around with. Get a shag bag, find a field—I have a pipeline right of way near my home, where no one cares if I hit golf balls 60 yards or not–and tinker. Choke down, open the face, do the clock method for backswing length. Fiddle with ball position, address (open vs closed; weight centered, weight on front)
See if you can identify any trends that are universal in your game.
Christ, this was embarrassing. After, I felt confident enough to give the JayJay guide to flop shots, off I went to practice this Padraig full swing grip thing.
Ugh, is all I’ll say. More practice is required. Ugly.
But this game really is a case of three steps forward, two steps back. Keep at it.