Getting Fit- Wedges

How many times have you heard 100 yards and in are the most important part of golf? I have heard it hundreds of times. When inside 100 yards you want to make sure your wedges are fit properly for you so you can shoot the lowest score possible! Heres what to look for when getting fit

Important numbers and specs

Loft– The amount of loft the club has is very important. Make sure to pay attention to the gaping.

Bounce– The angle between the edge of your club and the lowest point of the wedge.

Grind– How the material is removed from the bottom of a club. THis will allow the golfer to manipulate how the wedge interacts with the turf

Spin– Spin is very important with wedges.

Loft

The biggest thing to look for in regards to loft is your distance gaping. Most people grab a 52 ,56 and a 58 because thats what they have always had. Why change it? Then they go out to the course and find themselves unable to hit the shots needed with some of their wedges. Most of the time they will find themselves with a big gap between their pitching wedge and their 52 degree. Its important to look at the loft of your pitching wedge and base your wedge selection off of that. For example my clubs are seperated by 4 degrees of loft. My pitching wedge is 46 degrees so I wanted to keep my 4 degree loft and ended up going 50 degree gap wedge 54 and a 58. I didnt hit a 60 degree well enough or far enough to use it over the 58. Remember to check your pitching wedge loft and make sure all your distances are covered.

Bounce

As Bob Vokey says “Bounce is your friend” Having a variety of bounce angles is your friend as well. Most amateurs benefit from a high bounce angle. With that being said let the conditions you play in and the courses you play help determine what kind of bounce to have. If you play in soft conditions then high bounce wedges could be a great options. Drier and harder conditions require low bounce. Now this is obviously not the absolute truth. A lot of people also mix up their bounces. My self I have a wide soled 50 degree with 11 degrees of bounce. I use this more for full swing shots. My 54 degree has 10 degrees of bounce. Perfect for the bunkers. My 58 degree only has 3 degrees of bounce. I was finding that I opened the club alot with it around the greens. Too high of a bounce angle was making me blade it. Bad technique cause that as well but I have noticed my short game has improved since putting it in the bag. I cant tell you what works for you but make sure you pay attention to the bounce on your club!

Grind

Most companies are offering multiple grinds on their wedges. It would take 5000 words to describe every grind in detail. Make sure you take a good look at your own game. Know the type of shots you hit. Know how you use your wedges. Do you hit full shots with this club? Is this your primary chipping club? Do you open this club up to hit high flop shots? Do you consistently chunk your chips? The answer to these questions are very important and your fitter should be ready to find you the right grind with this information.

Spin

Spin is VERY important with wedges. You want to make sure on chips and pitches that you will have enough bite on the ball to hold the green. If you get envious of watching the ball danc eon PGA tour greens spin (and quality of strike) play a huge roll in that. Find a wedge that spins enough to hold greens. Doing it on an actual green is obviously ideal but most of the time youll be indoors. Tell the fitter to make sure the ball is landing on a green so you can get a decent idea of performance.

Other things to look for

Feel of the club– Make sure you like how the ball feels coming off the face. Some people prefer soft some want a little firmer feel. It really is all what feels right to you.

Shape of the club head– Wedges can have some subtle shape differences. Some offer a more rounded toe while others can be more square. The bottom of the face can also look different. Some are rounder than others. Make sure you get the one that looks good to you!

Final Thoughts

Wedges are VERY personal. What I like may not work for you. It takes a lot of expertise to properly fit someone for wedges. Make sure you ask lots of questions and that will help get you the best wedges for your game!