ARE YOU PLAYING THE CORRECT GOLF WEDGES | The Buying Guide

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Hi I’m Matt Lockey, welcome to my Coach Lockey YouTube Channel. This YouTube channel is designed to help you play better golf, and to help you enjoy your golf more!

I specialise in golf course vlogs, golf challenges, golf tips, golf lessons, golf club reviews and the odd golf club unboxing. So pretty much everything golf!

I want to help you play better golf by providing coaching videos on all topics about golf. How to fix your slice, fix your hook, help you drive the golf ball longer, hit your irons more pure, hit your irons closer to the hole and help you draw and fade your golf shots.
As well as helping you produce the best long game you can have, I will help you lower your scores by chipping better, stopping duff and thin chips, pitching the ball closer and creating backspin like the tour pros. Finally, I will provide you help to putt better and hole more putts too!

If you enjoy the channel make sure you hit subscribe and also tap the notification bell so that you are always notified when I release a new video.

[davidterrie]

I bought a couple of Ben Hogan wedges a few months before the company went under. My Vokeys were well past expiration. The 58 Texas Grind with back relief for tight lies and firm bunkers has worked out well. However the 52 with the standard V sole really catches in the rough relative to my old Vokey 54. No problem out of the fairway, but it's going to cost me strokes, so the search continues. Really sucks there's nowhere to try out wedges on grass around here.

[jaybeemaestro]

Love the videos, Lockey. I have a few ideas that may or may not help the conversation. I think the course that a player predominantly plays at should determine the wedge make up of a player's bag. A varied selection of bounce should be essential in most amateurs bags. Presuming a 3 wedge combo GW 50/52, SW 54/56 and LW 58/60, their bunker club of choice SW/LW should be at least a mid-bounce if not high-bounce. You can think about a low bounce option on the alternate wedge subject to AoA and skill level. As the loft increases in a wedge you should be moving further away from hitting it 100%. GW should be the last 100% club in the bag. You should look to hit the GW 90%, 80% or 70% until you reach the distance of an 85% SW. Similarly, work down with SW until you reach the distance of a 70% LW.. Strike can really suffer when hitting wedges too hard, these are precision clubs not distance clubs. Players should look to build a wedge matrix for distance (TXG have a great video on this). Don't think buying a new wedge will cure your chipping woes, it won't. Go out and practise, make it fun. Challenge yourself, yes, but always make it fun. Nobody died because of a fluffed/duffed or bladed/knifed chip. It can happen to the best in the world so don't beat yourself up. This game is supposed to be fun. All the best in the next Muppet Tour event Coach!!!

[Powder]

Funny when I go to the driving range the chipping greens and putting greens in the practice area are always less used, I say spend more time over there and you will see strokes disappear

[oldfoggie]

You only need a 60 to get out of bunkers....the "Chipper!" ( when you learn how to use it!) covers everything else!

[Powder]

A little forward lean 70% on your lead foot really helps with tight lie chips

[robbiles]

My advice on when you find a wedge that you really like, when they bring out a new model, buy a new one of your model because they don't change much in performance from model to model and you should be able to get them on sale. Actually I'd buy 2.

[anthonyfarmer]

I think that’s the clearest explanation of wedges and what to consider when buying that I have ever seen. Thanks!

[Alan_Edwards]

For the longest time I had three wedges (50/56/60) and recently did away with my 60 degree and opted to put a chipper in my bag. I just started to use my 56 degree on pretty much anything close to the green practicing using less of a back swing, and/or accelerating more or less through the shot, manipulating the face and all that - seemed to just work better for me. I thought I would lose out on flop shots, but they just don't happen often enough and I can still pull them off with the 56. When I have a dead pan line I go to my chipper most of the time. Love these sort of videos and resulting discussions.

[PNW_Sportbike_Life]

The prettiest ones obviously! S159 black currently.

[topoDaMornin]

What's interesting about bounce is manufacturers stamp what they think is the "effective bounce" on their wedges. So for example if a club has a lot of actual bounce but with a sharp leading edge, its effective bounce might work out lower.

This means that you should try out multiple manufacturers, and not just assume that because you usually play 10* bounce in a vokey means you should get 10* in a Callaway wedge.

[richardc]

For the beginner or high handicap golfer it’s a mystery as to which wedges to use, especially when it comes to grind. Most shops will push a standard PW and SW at you and an off the shelf set of irons unless they are a shop who cares to recommend a proper fitting.The fitter I had, chose to adjust all my irons at 2 deg. flatter and with 2 deg. more loft. Bounce or grind was never addressed because I am a high handicap golfer, just starting to break 💯consistently.

[AnthonyDavid]

Timely video Lockey.
Just bought a 60 degree Fulllface Zipcore Cleveland and have played a number of varied shot will it. I am still getting my head around the delicate close-in shots and the swing rythm required. Standing with my feet much closer together has improved my control and clean striking.
Got a 56 degree CBX 12 degree as well and had a 3/4 shot already hit the pin after one bounce on the course for a par save. This is replacing my PGF Status III Hi-Tech Sand Wedge. I am awaiting the 52 degree CBX on backorder and I can then swap out my old PGF Pitching Wedge. I plan to find more time pitching to the practice holes at my club and get these singing.

[FFRDF]

Would be good if the big manufacturers had more wedge fitting days across the UK. Chance to get a hold of the different bounce and grind options and a little bit of advice.
There’s a local fitting centre near me that provide a full wedge service including shafts and on grass but i think that’s not too common place.

[nateyeight.]

I was playing vokeys and recently changed to Cleveland CBX Zipcores and the accuracy is so much better. I play cavity back irons so it just made sense to play cavity back wedges.

[chrisengland]

Shame Callaway stopped doing non raw as I loved the MD5 Jaws but not a fan of rusty clubs

[ydargybwen]

I carry a 52 and 61 and I mostly use the 52. I use the 61 when I am short sided and need to stop the ball quickly or get over something. But I can make the 52 work in different situations. I just like the idea of getting good with 1 club

[epicragegaming]

interesting video idea. iron set gap wedge vs specialty wedge 48-52 since lofts are all over the place. does a set gap wedge compete or is it a waste of money.

[danielcohen]

I have a dizzying array of wedges that come in and out of the bag, but at the moment it's 48.9 and 52.11 Cleveland CBX wedges and a Callaway Jaws MD5 56.10 S. You can use the CBX wedges almost anywhere with absurd ease, they spin like little Tasmanian Devils, and the distance consistency on full shots is absolutely insane. The 56º is for things like hard-packed bunkers and firm sand, tighter lies, and those very rare times when I need to hit a high shot - but mainly I use the Cleveland CBX wedges and a 9-iron around the greens. Sometimes an 8-iron, too.

The CBX's do have a big, wide sole, so there are a few situations where they don't work best for me. You can open the face on the 52º, but you have to have at least some grass underneath. If you've got a really tight lie you have to play them square. But I play most everything with a square face. The sole on the CBX's is better at protecting you from fat shots than it is from thinning it. Basically that means you can have confidence to hit down on the ball and that sole is going to do its thing and glide through the grass/turf.

Anyway, I know I sound like a CBX fanboy. They're just really, really good, though.

[SweenBeanUK]

T200
PW 43° (carries 135/130)
GW 48° (carries 120/115)

SM9
54°. 10. S (carries 105/100)
58°. 10. S (carries 85/80)

Just recently changed from playing a 56 & 60. I much prefer the full shot yardages of the slightly lower lofted SW and LW.

[ericsheldon]

Where does the 'chipper' fit in all of that??