[indartwm]

I've always been someone who uses a 8 iron around the green because I never thought of myself as skilled enough with a wedge to use it other than out of a sand trap. But I was trying my new 56* CG15 out and I was doing as well or even better than with my 8 iron - and this is with never even trying such shots before. I put the ball back in the stance and got a nice low flight and had the ball check up. I found that the more forceful swing required with the sand wedge was easier to hit consistently than a 'touchy' 8 iron. Plus it was a hell of a lot of fun.

Is a sand wedge a reasonable option from 20 yards and in? Or do I need to invest in a gap wedge/lob wedge?

PR

[avaincmolla]

i just got a new 60* and a 64* lob wedges and thats all i usually use around the greens but i do tend to leave a lot of them shorter than i should. i am actually thinking of heading your direction and using my 56* or a 8 Iron. unless im in real close and tight

[Gosxjqum]

I've always been someone who uses a 8 iron around the green because I never thought of myself as skilled enough with a wedge to use it other than out of a sand trap. But I was trying my new 56* CG15 out and I was doing as well or even better than with my 8 iron - and this is with never even trying such shots before. I put the ball back in the stance and got a nice low flight and had the ball check up. I found that the more forceful swing required with the sand wedge was easier to hit consistently than a 'touchy' 8 iron. Plus it was a hell of a lot of fun.

Is a sand wedge a reasonable option from 20 yards and in? Or do I need to invest in a gap wedge/lob wedge?

56* wedge.. I see it's a Cleveland, which means it's probably close to a blade.. In my opinion, you can use any bladed wedge around the green for any kind of shot as long as you have the right technique.. Closing or opening the face, putting a solid strike on it.. It's all about repetition around the putting green!

[DzjwMKo5]

I've always been someone who uses a 8 iron around the green because I never thought of myself as skilled enough with a wedge to use it other than out of a sand trap. But I was trying my new 56* CG15 out and I was doing as well or even better than with my 8 iron - and this is with never even trying such shots before. I put the ball back in the stance and got a nice low flight and had the ball check up. I found that the more forceful swing required with the sand wedge was easier to hit consistently than a 'touchy' 8 iron. Plus it was a hell of a lot of fun.

Is a sand wedge a reasonable option from 20 yards and in? Or do I need to invest in a gap wedge/lob wedge?

PR

Absolutely. Another wedge just gives you different shots you can play. Different bounces give you more options depending on the turf and dirt you interact with it. Practice some different shots with your 56 and perfect them. When you call on them when you are playing, you will be glad you did. You'll be amazed at what you can do with a blade type wedge compared to an 8 iron around the green. Try to open an 8 iron up and hit a flop shot, it's hard to do. You'll be amazed at how much that wedge will help you get up and down from the green. Let us know how it works out for you.

[fuslkdhfma]

I use all my wedges green side

[Saqwnht]

I've always been someone who uses a 8 iron around the green because I never thought of myself as skilled enough with a wedge to use it other than out of a sand trap. But I was trying my new 56* CG15 out and I was doing as well or even better than with my 8 iron - and this is with never even trying such shots before. I put the ball back in the stance and got a nice low flight and had the ball check up. I found that the more forceful swing required with the sand wedge was easier to hit consistently than a 'touchy' 8 iron. Plus it was a hell of a lot of fun.

Is a sand wedge a reasonable option from 20 yards and in? Or do I need to invest in a gap wedge/lob wedge?

PR

I use a SW - when it's called for. But more often I use a GW, or a PW, or an 8I. I use what the shot requires.

[embefuri]

56* wedge.. I see it's a Cleveland, which means it's probably close to a blade.. In my opinion, you can use any bladed wedge around the green for any kind of shot as long as you have the right technique.. Closing or opening the face, putting a solid strike on it.. It's all about repetition around the putting green!

+1000 jmho Repetition, provided there is good technique, builds confidence, and confidence is vital, especially from 100yds and in where the room for error gets less and every mistake costs you more. The old adage comes to mind " if you think you can, or think you can't, you're right." There are as many methods and theories about the short game as there are about every other aspect of golf, just gotta find what works best for you and develop it as much as you can. the method of using basically the same swing and varying the club to achieve the different shot trajectories, amount of roll out, etc, makes a lot of sense to me, but I find that, for me, using just one or two wedges and varying the amount of carry versus roll by technique, ball position, wrist firmness, etc, works the best for me. I don't recommend that for everybody though because using more lofted clubs closer to the green does increase the risk of blading shots over the green. I suppose my preference for fewer clubs stems from the fact that for many years the highest lofted club I used was my 50* blade pitching wedge for most all of my shots of 100 yds and less. Most of the courses I played in North Texas, the "sand traps" were more like hardpan and I could just chip out of them, so I didn't look into more lofted clubs until I played courses that had bunkers with higher lips on them.

[mtvlover571]

I've always been someone who uses a 8 iron around the green because I never thought of myself as skilled enough with a wedge to use it other than out of a sand trap. But I was trying my new 56* CG15 out and I was doing as well or even better than with my 8 iron - and this is with never even trying such shots before. I put the ball back in the stance and got a nice low flight and had the ball check up. I found that the more forceful swing required with the sand wedge was easier to hit consistently than a 'touchy' 8 iron. Plus it was a hell of a lot of fun.

Is a sand wedge a reasonable option from 20 yards and in? Or do I need to invest in a gap wedge/lob wedge?

PR

It's clearly all about preference for the individual...
I recently had a neck injury that precluded me from making full swings for almost 6 months...
So I just worked on my short game 30 yards and in with a 52,56,60 wedge set.
My original fear was probably what you are facing... the 8 iron won't get skulled as often as a SW but you can hit the SW firmer and get it to stop...
Do a little experiment on a practice green...
Figure out your carry/roll ratios for every club in your bag (I mean every iron down to the 4) when used with a chipping motion. (Forget about retail therapy for your game to begin with just go with what you have)
Hit 5 good consistent chips with each club to a nearby point just on the green (say 5 yards in front of you) and then measure how far they roll out.
You might find that a 60 wedge goes 2/3rds carry 1/3 roll
a 56 1/2 1/2
52 3/7 4/7th
PW 1/3 2/3rds
8i 1/4 3/4
etc... (this all depends on your chipping motion and how fast the green is of course)
You'll learn a lot about what each club can accomplish
You'll learn how to hit consistent chips
You're short game will get better in a hurry.

Alternatively (or in addition) try using each club to hit 5 balls close to the same target say 25 or 30 yards away landing the ball at a spot that you figure out from the above analysis...

Finally before a round see if you can chip to 5yds 10yds 15yds 20yds 25yds and 30yds (successively getting longer with the same club) and repeat with the clubs you plan to use around the green. This will tune your short game for the day and give you confidence that you can strike the ball consistently regardless of the distance needed. (plus it only gives you a false sense of security to chip to one target over and over as you will be faced with many different distances while playing and your second chip to the same target will almost always be better than the first)

Remember practicing with your most lofted club on the thinnest lies will get your striking honed most quickly as this shot has the least tolerance for error. Work on these kinds of shots first and the others (fluffier lies lower trajectory) will seem easy by comparison.

Good luck!

See the image I've attached for an example of the little experiment I was describing (I measured distances as a full pace of my stride).

I have to say, practicing this way has made me come to appreciate short game work and how much fun it is to chip the ball close. (This is where the most strokes can be shaved after all) I sometimes prefer it to actually playing a round. (It's cheaper, more rewarding (seeing balls get close to the hole), and doesn't take 4.5 hours of your time).
Luckily now I'm able to hit full shots and last Friday played my first 18 since last July...
When it comes to using my shortgame work on course, I tend not to "calculate" explicitly but choose clubs to chip with on the general trend that I have discovered in this process and then hit it with good tempo. I find that whenever my rhythm is on my chips are close even though I'm not "figuring out" exactly where to land the chip or compensating for up or downslope etc.

Hope this helps.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sangora...in/photostream

[xyupi]

I use anything from a 7 iron thru my 56 degree wedge around the green. Every situation is different and each may call for a different club and different shot. There really is no right and wrong answer.

[SallythePearl]

I use 8 iron and my 56* wedge. If I have a good lie and a lot of green to work with I will use my 8 iron. Short sided or bad lies I use my 56*. But 9 times out of 10 if I am around the green I use the 56*.

[vNZsk39B]

I use a SW - when it's called for. But more often I use a GW, or a PW, or an 8I. I use what the shot requires.

Same here.

I generally chip with a putting motion, grip and stance and I usually use a club that will get the ball to clear whatever fringe or other "non-putting-green" grass lies ahead and then get rolling as quickly as possible. So that could be anything from a wedge all the way down to a 2-iron.

[Qahtwugc]

Depends on the lie but anything from my PW to my SW (AW and GW in between). Have a tendency to leave my SW short so only use it when close.

[GinaIsWild]

From the fringe, 9 iron if not putter. Anything else depends on the lie and green to work with...

52 degree with decent lie and lots of room for the ball to roll/uphill.
56 degree with decent-bad lie and some space for the ball to roll.
60 degree with decent-bad lie and little space for the ball to release/downhill.

[limpoporanique]

I use 8 iron and my 56* wedge. If I have a good lie and a lot of green to work with I will use my 8 iron. Short sided or bad lies I use my 56*. But 9 times out of 10 if I am around the green I use the 56*. Same here although I use my 60* at times if I have a downhill lie or downhill to the hole

[VQdeochratis]

I use my 49* 90% of the time from 100 yards in. I've been playing it so long I know how to hit it for almost all situtations. I do use my higher lofted wedges when the situation dictates: no green to work with, having to get it up and down in a short distance, etc. You can find one club you like and adapt it to many different situations, or use different clubs for different situations. The choice is yours.

[55Beaphable]

I use all my wedges around the green. Depends on my shot but I use anything from my 52* to 60*.


Tapatalk... Loved by me hated by the wife.

[new-nickname-zanovo]

I use all my wedges around the green. Depends on my shot but I use anything from my 52* to 60*.


Tapatalk... Loved by me hated by the wife.

That's what I do too. I use my 60 degree the most though.

[ImmimiFruff]

I use all wedges around the green and even the 8 or 9i, depending on lie, pin placement, and how much green I have to work with.

[bloriMal]

i tend to use my 56* the most around the green. If I need a play a chip and run then I will use my Mashie as it works quite nicely for that type of shot

[indartwm]

Thanks for all the great responses so far, this is a fantastic site. I going to work on my chipping game hard with my 56, PW and 8i. I need to make getting up and down from 20 yards the rule, not the exception. Like one poster alluded to, I think practice therapy will be more effective right now than retail therapy.

One more ? - When using the 8i do you still put the ball on the back foot?