Did you Know? (Wedge Lofts)

[+TourSpecGolfer]

Something to consider when you wonder why the Japanese offer the lofts they do, most players don't need a 60* its harder to hit than the 58* and if you can't open a 58* then you have no business playing a 60* anyway.

This info is from Titleist:

On Tour:

- Players use of 54* vs 56* is equal

- 58* use is growing vs 60*

- There are more 50* in play than 52*

- 40% of Titleist players use a 46* Wedge

In Shops:

- 56* is the best selling loft of all

- 60* sales far outpace 58*

- 52* sales are twice that of 50*

- 46* is only 1% of wedge sales

[3leggedpony]

That's interesting although the lack of 46* wedge sales is likely due to PW included in iron sets at 45-47*

[corky3]

52 58 for me.....

[Swizbeatz]

That's interesting although the lack of 46* wedge sales is likely due to PW included in iron sets at 45-47*

Many PW have gotten even stronger so makes sense pros would drop it in favor of a 46* vokey. I'm not sure I agree with the 58 vs 60 assessment and I also see a ton of >60* in four bags.

[mr.haha]

50* and 56* for me. ive also done 50* 54* 58* when i carried 4 wedges. now i just carry three. i haven't hit a 60* wedge in 10 years+ as i never really found the need for one.

[robbie]

actually i prefer the 54/58 combo...it may seem weird but it seems to cover the distances i need, i prefer the 54 is very versatile, it can be made to play like a gap wedge or just slightly open to perform like a lob wedge...same with the 58, i can shut it down or open it up...its harder for me to weaken a 52 than it is to hood a 54

[TK3]

I currently bag the Scratch in 50/55/60 (had them bent to those *) with my PW @ 46.

Works well for me - but to each his own.

[Shambles]

Something to consider when you wonder why the Japanese offer the lofts they do, most players don't need a 60* its harder to hit than the 58* and if you can't open a 58* then you have no business playing a 60* anyway.

This info is from Titleist:

On Tour:

- Players use of 54* vs 56* is equal

- 58* use is growing vs 60*

- There are more 50* in play than 52*

- 40% of Titleist players use a 46* Wedge

In Shops:

- 56* is the best selling loft of all

- 60* sales far outpace 58*

- 52* sales are twice that of 50*

- 46* is only 1% of wedge sales

I totally agree about the 58* vs. the 60*. As a matter of fact, I use a 58* albeit with a bit of heel relief to make opening it to m60* a bit easier. The thing has worked so well for me that I totally forgot the heel relief and rediscovered it recently when I bought the same club and found I needed to do things differently to do the same. 58* is plenty.

Shambles

[Swizbeatz]

What does 58 use is growing vs 60 even mean? It could be one more player using a 58 and one less using a 60 with a breakdown of 5 playing 58 and 95 playing 60. That statement alone doesn't mean a 58 is more versatile and useful than a 60. Like I mentioned earlier there are other sites with very detailed witb for the tour pros and I don't see many carrying a 58 as their highest lofted wedge.

[+TourSpecGolfer]

What does 58 use is growing vs 60 even mean? It could be one more player using a 58 and one less using a 60 with a breakdown of 5 playing 58 and 95 playing 60. That statement alone doesn't mean a 58 is more versatile and useful than a 60. Like I mentioned earlier there are other sites with very detailed witb for the tour pros and I don't see many carrying a 58 as their highest lofted wedge.

"versatile" - able to adapt or be adapted to many different functions or activities...

so yes 58 is more versatile, 60 will simply let you hit the ball higher.

58 degrees provides the best versatility for your highest-lofted wedge and a more solid contact for optimized greenside spin.

shut her down or forward press to act closer to a 56* or open the face on its trailing edge grind and she can be a 60.

[Mjr. D]

Welp, time to sell my Seven 64 I guess. Ya right, that thing is awesome!

[+TourSpecGolfer]

Welp, time to sell my Seven 64 I guess. Ya right, that thing is awesome!

64* is specialty imo. I game this and pretty much only for bunkers or if high on a hill hitting a short one down to the green that must stop. outside of that it doesn't get much use but I can't sell it either.

[Romaro-Slut]

The wedges used depends on the following factors:

1. The type of rough along the fairway and the greenside

2. Individual methods of using their wedges

3. Skill level of the golfer

To each of their own. i have friends just using a 54deg wedge and they score just as low

[Swizbeatz]

"versatile" - able to adapt or be adapted to many different functions or activities...

so yes 58 is more versatile, 60 will simply let you hit the ball higher.

58 degrees provides the best versatility for your highest-lofted wedge and a more solid contact for optimized greenside spin.

shut her down or forward press to act closer to a 56* or open the face on its trailing edge grind and she can be a 60.

My 60 can be shut down to play like a 58 or opened up to play like a 62, making them equally as versatile covering a 4* gap in your example. What makes a wedge versatile is the grind, lofts come in to play for proper gapping and height on short game shots based on the conditions where you play. I don't believe there is anything magical about a 58 vs a 60, backed up by the fact 60's are way more prevelant in the bags of guys who play this game for money.

[kaaayelll]

To each of their own. i have friends just using a 54deg wedge and they score just as low

This! Most of my best golf was played with a 2i and 54* (or 56*). Playing 52* and 58* messed me up more than it helped. I don't like full wedge shots as a rule and there's not much I can do with a 52* that I can't with a Pw. So I've gone to playing 55* and added a 61* for special situations and some bunker play (no more 2i). On-course decisions are much easier now.

[Shambles]

My 60 can be shut down to play like a 58 or opened up to play like a 62, making them equally as versatile covering a 4* gap in your example. What makes a wedge versatile is the grind, lofts come in to play for proper gapping and height on short game shots based on the conditions where you play. I don't believe there is anything magical about a 58 vs a 60, backed up by the fact 60's are way more prevelant in the bags of guys who play this game for money.

There is nothing to make a 58* more acceptable than a 60*. The difference in loft is too small to matter other than at the limits where one is struck at the max and the other is struck more comfortably. In the short game, they both perform well and it comes down to which swing is more comfortable to you. Obviously, my preference rests on the 58* and it does so because I prefer the easier swing for distant marks as against the 60*. Time has also made me more comfortable in the short game with the 58*. It simply works better for me.

Shambles

[+TourSpecGolfer]

There is nothing to make a 58* more acceptable than a 60*. The difference in loft is too small to matter other than at the limits where one is struck at the max and the other is struck more comfortably. In the short game, they both perform well and it comes down to which swing is more comfortable to you. Obviously, my preference rests on the 58* and it does so because I prefer the easier swing for distant marks as against the 60*. Time has also made me more comfortable in the short game with the 58*. It simply works better for me.

Shambles

58* is more versatile that's simple to understand.

The info I have provided is for PGA Tour use within Titleist players, in Japan we already know 58* is used a lot more than 60* and one of the reasons for that is on the PGA tour these guys often require one less long club because they have more distance while in Japan distances are shorter so many prefer an extra hybrid or fairway wood.

The only case where a player would find 60* more versatile is if he uses a 60/62* more often than a 58/60*

The 56/68/60 is what a 58* will give you based on manipulating the club face

A 60* will give you 58/60/62 in a similar fashion.

[Vegaman]

I've been a 52/58 guy for several years now. I feel it covers all bases. Probably won't touch that, I might add a high bounce 62 though down the road

Edited May 8, 2016 by Vegaman

[Swizbeatz]

1 of 5 players on vokeys website bags a 58, the other 4 all have 60+. I look at a lot of tour bag pics, 1/5 is probably on the high end of 58 vs 60 for a percentage. 58 use may be growing but it's still nowhere near as popular as a 60. I'm sorry Chris, your post is opinion and your trying to make it sound like fact.

"58's more versatile that's easy to understand" is not a true statement.

[freehb04]

1 of 5 players on vokeys website bags a 58, the other 4 all have 60+. I look at a lot of tour bag pics, 1/5 is probably on the high end of 58 vs 60 for a percentage. 58 use may be growing but it's still nowhere near as popular as a 60. I'm sorry Chris, your post is opinion and your trying to make it sound like fact. 9

"58's more versatile that's easy to understand" is not a true statement.

I understand both points. For me, the 58 is more versatile (in terms of desired shot options in my long game...with the extra utility, not versatile in terms of wedge shots)... I just don't need any more loft as I can open up that 58 and hit a nice high lob...I've been playing 53/58 for a while and that seems to be optimal as there is a rare need to hit high lofted shots anyway....where the 60 comes in handy and is more versatile (for me) is on the low skipping spinner...hands in front of the ball off back foot...three hops and brake hard....i can hit that shot with the 58 but it rolls out a touch more.

That said, we all have different wedge and long games, sometimes it's helpful for me to carry less wedges and just focus on the 50/50 or 33/67 shot with a mid lofted wedge. If you have a good chipping / pitching stroke and can spin the ball, that's one of the better ways to use spin to control the golf ball...happy to give a clinic if anyone is interested, i help great ball strikers with their chipping/pitching all the time...they ask advice every time I take money from them by getting up and down on their a$$ all day long and getting strokes when they think they're a whole lot better just because they're 40 yards past me off the tee...

[+TourSpecGolfer]

1 of 5 players on vokeys website bags a 58, the other 4 all have 60+. I look at a lot of tour bag pics, 1/5 is probably on the high end of 58 vs 60 for a percentage. 58 use may be growing but it's still nowhere near as popular as a 60. I'm sorry Chris, your post is opinion and your trying to make it sound like fact.

"58's more versatile that's easy to understand" is not a true statement.

No need to apologize your just missing the point, Let me guess you play a 60*? great well so do I.

I never said 58* is in use more than 60* you get this right?

The info I've given you in the OP is directly from Titleist and is accurate within their brand, I care not if 58 is is used more or less than 60*. THEY are saying 58* use is growing against 60* on the PGA tour. This is not my opinion it's Titleist's facts.

Also take into what I said about distances. this is backed up for years in Japanese golf mags.

Again explain how a 60* is more versatile than a 58* please.

[xxio]

Conditions we play and what pros play are so different.

Their greens are much firmer and faster, I would guess that is why they need the extra 2 degrees that we wouldn't in our conditions.

I have both 58/60 in the same model Callaway wedge. I use the 60 because my primary home course has small hard greens and I use is only 40yards in. I switch to the 58 in my other home course where it is shorter/wider and I have a lot of 75-80 yard shots on 4-5 short par 4s.

[Swizbeatz]

No need to apologize your just missing the point,

Again explain how a 60* is more versatile than a 58* please.

I've never said it was, I said they were equally versatile, just depends on the player. The phrasing of your original post and subsequent comments like the one I quoted above pushing 58* as the ticket is my issue, considering more people on tour use a 60+. I'm just using the fact many more play a 60* as evidence that some of your comments above are incorrect, in my opinion.

[+TourSpecGolfer]

I've never said it was, I said they were equally versatile, just depends on the player. The phrasing of your original post and subsequent comments like the one I quoted above pushing 58* as the ticket is my issue, considering more people on tour use a 60+. I'm just using the fact many more play a 60* as evidence that some of your comments above are incorrect, in my opinion.

what comment was incorrect?

and no 58 is more versatile than 60*.

tour use of 60* doesnt mean a thing when it comes to versatility. it simply means there is more players using that loft on tour. does super open club faces equal more versatility? does X flex shafts? what is used on tour has nothing to do with versatility.

golf digest usa and japan back this up, as do many other articles but all those aside cant you see via manipulation of the club 56/58/60 as options are more versatile than 58/60/62?

[+TourSpecGolfer]

Lets take it further and talk grinds, does a 60s extra bounce, trailing, heel, and toe grind make it more versatile? only for shorter, higher and more delicate types which are all still specialty in nature while the 58 can act as a semi approach wedge and a lob style wedge.

This is not a what is better conversation, ita a given that the player and circumstances will determine the persons decision. Im just stating you can do a wider range of useful shots for most players with a 58*. And for the most part its easier to hit in more situations.