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What bounce?….he’s worn most of it off, ’cause he hits that club so often and so solid. :-)
So I’m the only guy I know with a silver gunmetal wedge. Big deal… 
Actually, it’s pretty much intact, you know that? I must pinch with the leading edge, ’cause that’s where the finish is really worn. The paint’s still in the logo on the bottom…under the Bandon mud Runyan’s pretty incredible with that wedge. I think that type of shot (either high and landing like a sack of clams or low and severely spinning) just fits his eye and his swing type. Definitely doesn’t fit my eye or swing type for 99% of the shots I face, and being able to recognize that is the first step to learning *your* game, IMHO. If you do something that you can’t visualize…chances are you won’t be able to pull it off too successfully too often.
Exactly right. You have to be capable of at least visualizing the shot…although I do believe that with enough practice, you can visualize any shot (or have enough of an experience encyclopedia in your brain that you can make an educated guess). Best advice I ever read came from Penick’s Little Red Book – if you want to get good around the greens, bring your chipping club, your putter and one ball, and just get up and down. One chip, one putt, pick ball out of hole, repeat. You’ll discover new and creative ways to hit that club, and you’ll also gain enough confidence to hit some of the crazier shots (ie: opening the face way up, trapping it for extra spin, blading it deliberately…) Scott’s advice about finding a club you’re comfortable over is huge as well. I just reach for the 60* ’cause I’m the most comfortable with it – but it doesn’t mean I won’t use my other wedges…somewhat less than occasionally Seriously, I took the other path – I taught myself to adjust the trajectory of my shots with my lob wedge. Good enough for the girls I go with… Prof. Rev. Todd "Runyan" McGillivray, Esq. http://cplhicks.tripod.com/ Emailing me? tmcg at sasktel dot net. "Not sure what four nines does, but the ace, I think, is pretty high." – Danny Ocean, Ocean’s Eleven
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With this much bounce, wouldn’t this be considered at 60* SW? Do you have a lower bounce wedge for tight lies? Quite possible…at that level of bounce, it plays like a SW in the traps, that’s for sure. Matter of fact, I don’t even open it if I want an explosion – I just hit about 2" behind the ball, straight on.
What bounce?….he’s worn most of it off, ’cause he hits that club so often and so solid. :-) Runyan’s pretty incredible with that wedge. I think that type of shot (either high and landing like a sack of clams or low and severely spinning) just fits his eye and his swing type. Definitely doesn’t fit my eye or swing type for 99% of the shots I face, and being able to recognize that is the first step to learning *your* game, IMHO. If you do something that you can’t visualize…chances are you won’t be able to pull it off too successfully too often. I like to hit the low shot as well, but with a little more release….especially from 20-70 yards. I had a 60* in my bag for about 4-5 years and hardly ever hit a good shot with it. When I took it out of my bag, it was a good thing. Of course, mine was a fairly low bounce version….maybe a higher bounce would serve me better? Nah, the gap wedge I replaced it with is a better weapon for me. With my 17 hcp ineptness, my 57* SW allows me to hit just about any decent shot I’d be able to with my 60. — Washington State University "That shot is impossible!…Jack Nicholson himself couldn’t make it!"– Homer Simpson
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I have a Ping Eye2 60 degree lob wedge and it is the best club in my bag, i know i hit it from 100yds and closer and it saves me many times. practice with it
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So, what do the rest of you think? Is the lob wedge the easiest or hardest club to hit on a regular basis?
Neither. The driver is the hardest. The lob wedge is second hardest for me. The putter is easiest. Among full swing clubs, the 7I is easiest cuz I practiced it the most. — Digital forums are a gift to the slow witted
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Okay….I’ve seen a number of posts that talk about loving the lob wedge. I have a 7 index and got a 60 degree wedge for the 1st time this past year. Without a doubt…it is the hardest club I have ever hit! So, what do the rest of you think? Is the lob wedge the easiest or hardest club to hit on a regular basis? Bill
It’s good club to have in the bag,remember to fly it at the stick,you will get no roll as it will sit down and I use it from the bunkers where it is far better for me than a SW when close to the bunker lip.Also don’t use it on a bare lie.I use Wilson Staff 60 deg and it saves me shots.
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I love mine but I don’t care for the full swing with it. 40 yds and in I have very good results with it, and I chip with it as often as the situation lets me.. like when there is very little green to work with. I also use it often in the sand.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Okay….I’ve seen a number of posts that talk about loving the lob wedge. I have a 7 index and got a 60 degree wedge for the 1st time this past year. Without a doubt…it is the hardest club I have ever hit! So, what do the rest of you think? Is the lob wedge the easiest or hardest club to hit on a regular basis? Bill
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So, what do the rest of you think? Is the lob wedge the easiest or hardest club to hit on a regular basis?
It’s the easiest to hit a great wonderful shot with. And it is the easiest to hit an incredibly terrible shot with. (one can even miss by swinging UNDERNEITH the ball without moving it!). Depending on how you count drives that go out of bounds or shanks that is. I would say my skill level with a lob wedge is better for my game than my skill level with a driver is.
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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Okay….I’ve seen a number of posts that talk about loving the lob wedge. I have a 7 index and got a 60 degree wedge for the 1st time this past year. Without a doubt…it is the hardest club I have ever hit! So, what do the rest of you think? Is the lob wedge the easiest or hardest club to hit on a regular basis? Bill I’d say it’s harder for me. There’s just less room for error the higher the loft, and as Kenny notes, the bounce is important.
If you put a special grind on the bounce, you will increase your consistancy. Generally a fine buffing on the bench grinder will add I’ve found that especially on anything less than full swing, I have to maintain a very quiet lower body, essentially using an arms-only swing. But I sure would have a hard time without it! :)
I think it is important to have a quiet lower body as well, especially when you playing in a foursome on a quiet day, and you are having trouble with breaking wind during your swing. I haven’t found using an arms only swing helps very much though. It just makes me noisier until I can get to a bathroom or something like that. Then I need to say to the people in the foursome I apologize for passing gas because my lower body got too – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Mike — Mike Dalecki GCA Accredited Clubmaker http://clubdoctor.com RSG-Wisconsin 2003 Information: http://dalecki.net/rsgwis2003 RSG Roll Call: http://rec-sport-golf.com/members/?rollcall=daleckim I do not patronize spammers. Help keep RSG clean!
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I was told that the new Cleveland 900 wedges play to a lower bounce than they are rated. I am not sure if this is true, it is just what I was told by a Cleveland rep that I ran into at the local golf shop here… Bryan
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I play a Cleveland Tour Action 900 60*, gunmetal. 12 degrees of bounce. With this much bounce, wouldn’t this be considered at 60* SW? Do you have a lower bounce wedge for tight lies? My 60* LW has just 3 degrees of bounce. I can use it for very tight lies to shorter rough. For deeper rough I use my 56* SW with 10 degrees of bounce. Scott Mc
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I play a Cleveland Tour Action 900 60*, gunmetal. 12 degrees of bounce. With this much bounce, wouldn’t this be considered at 60* SW? Do you have a lower bounce wedge for tight lies?
Quite possible…at that level of bounce, it plays like a SW in the traps, that’s for sure. Matter of fact, I don’t even open it if I want an explosion – I just hit about 2" behind the ball, straight on. I carry a 54* Low Bounce TA 900, too (8* of bounce, I think)…but tight lie, great lie, lie I wouldn’t give to someone I hate – I play ‘em all with the 60*. And that’s no…well, you get the idea. Prof. Rev. Todd "Runyan" McGillivray, Esq. http://cplhicks.tripod.com/ Emailing me? tmcg at sasktel dot net. "Not sure what four nines does, but the ace, I think, is pretty high." – Danny Ocean, Ocean’s Eleven
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I play a Cleveland Tour Action 900 60*, gunmetal. 12 degrees of bounce.
With this much bounce, wouldn’t this be considered at 60* SW? Do you have a lower bounce wedge for tight lies? My 60* LW has just 3 degrees of bounce. I can use it for very tight lies to shorter rough. For deeper rough I use my 56* SW with 10 degrees of bounce. Scott Mc
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So, what do the rest of you think? Is the lob wedge the easiest or hardest club to hit on a regular basis? Bill
very hard to chip with.practice full swings, determine carry then when lie is correct (fluffy- not tight) ,you can be very effective with it. I hit mine about 105 yds, but can choke it down or open face to about 70 yds full.forget about chipping with it.-Andy
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -’ve found that especially on anything less than full swing, I have to maintain a very quiet lower body, essentially using an arms-only swing. But I sure would have a hard time without it! :) Mike — Mike Dalecki GCA Accredited Clubmaker http://clubdoctor.com RSG-Wisconsin 2003 Information: http://dalecki.net/rsgwis2003 RSG Roll Call: http://rec-sport-golf.com/members/?rollcall=daleckim I do not patronize spammers. Help keep RSG clean!
Hey Mike – Do you have any l wedges on your web site for sale?
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I’ve found that especially on anything less than full swing, I have to maintain a very quiet lower body, essentially using an arms-only swing.
When I’m having problems with my less than full swing pitch shots it’s from an overactive lower body. The cure is normally narrowing my stance and all is well again. Scott Mc
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It is the hardest club to hit. I put a graphite shaft in mine and then I could swing it faster which helped a lot.So now I can use it on long par 5’s. I couldn’t do that with a steel shaft. If you don’t want a lot of spin you need to skull the ball and you will get more distance. Don’t worry though because you probably won’t need to take a divot and replace
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Okay….I’ve seen a number of posts that talk about loving the lob wedge. I have a 7 index and got a 60 degree wedge for the 1st time this past year. Without a doubt…it is the hardest club I have ever hit! So, what do the rest of you think? Is the lob wedge the easiest or hardest club to hit on a regular basis? Bill
Response:
So, what do the rest of you think? Is the lob wedge the easiest or hardest club to hit on a regular basis?
In my experience it was the hardest to learn to hit, and even today I have trouble with full swings. When pointing this out to my instructor, he said I was trying to hit it too hard and that I should NEVER swing so hard with it as I more often than not get a low boring punch type shot that goes 20 yards farther than intended. However, I am very comfortable now with anything 50yrds in. — bill-o
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<snip My bread and butter chip is one that only gets about waist high and flies about 2/3 of the way to the hole, then hits, hops, spins hard and trickles the rest of the way.
That used to be my bread and butter shot too, but for some reason that shot has left my repertoire this year. I just can’t seem to make it anymore. Hopefully it will just as mysteriously reappear next season..;-) — David Sneddon Hi-Tech Turf Synthetic Turf Applications Tel: 519-259-2092
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Okay….I’ve seen a number of posts that talk about loving the lob wedge. I have a 7 index and got a 60 degree wedge for the 1st time this past year. Without a doubt…it is the hardest club I have ever hit! So, what do the rest of you think? Is the lob wedge the easiest or hardest club to hit on a regular basis?
I play a Cleveland Tour Action 900 60*, gunmetal. 12 degrees of bounce. I play this off of an 11. And they’ll take my lob wedge when they pry my cold, dead hands off it… I play every single shot from 90 yards in with it. Full, 3/4, pitches, chips, sand shots (picks and explosions), bladed putts, flops, checks, this really fun knockdown that spins…name it, I play it. My bread and butter chip is one that only gets about waist high and flies about 2/3 of the way to the hole, then hits, hops, spins hard and trickles the rest of the way. So, I consider it not only the easiest but the most reliable club I hit. Obviously, I practice a *lot* with it. You have to have complete self confidence to hit that club with any degree of reliability…and I’ve actually pushed myself into the delusional stages on occasion, with interesting results (ask Newell about the cart path at White Bear Lake I was the one yelling at Robert Allenby on 16: "You can hit that!!!!" Prof. Rev. Todd "Runyan" McGillivray, Esq. http://cplhicks.tripod.com/ Emailing me? tmcg at sasktel dot net. "Not sure what four nines does, but the ace, I think, is pretty high." – Danny Ocean, Ocean’s Eleven
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Okay….I’ve seen a number of posts that talk about loving the lob wedge. I have a 7 index and got a 60 degree wedge for the 1st time this past year. Without a doubt…it is the hardest club I have ever hit! So, what do the rest of you think? Is the lob wedge the easiest or hardest club to hit on a regular basis? Bill
From this Bill it is my bread and butter club..have a 60 degree no bounce and from 70 yards in requiring carry and loft I couldnt live without it. I practice a lot with it and its the easiest club for me. Most of the courses here in south Florida, esp. in winter season, have bare tight lies, hard bunker sand, so this is a must have club for me, IMO. Bounce is not good! good luck
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i was doing okay with my lob wedge around the green and from 50 yards or so in. now i use the 7 iron with a putting motion (if the approach allows it) and my results are MUCH better. 7 iron has the same loft as those chipper clubs apparently. i know this does not really answer the question, but my 0.02c anyway. 
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Okay….I’ve seen a number of posts that talk about loving the lob wedge. I have a 7 index and got a 60 degree wedge for the 1st time this past year. Without a doubt…it is the hardest club I have ever hit! So, what do the rest of you think? Is the lob wedge the easiest or hardest club to hit on a regular basis? Bill
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bounce – something like 14 or 15 degrees. The second was a Dynacraft that had no bounce. I couldn’t do anything with either one of those. The latest one is a Tom Wishon model that has 6 degrees bounce. That one, so far, is staying in the bag. For me, it seems that a moderate amount of bounce is necessary in a L wedge to make it useful. Kenny
I had a similar experience. My Toski L wedge was of the knife edge variety. Good for hard pan but I trouble with it in any other kind of lie. My Golfsmth Tour Cavity Forged has 5 dgs of bounce and I’ve used it successfully many times. When I manage to find a little time to practice, it’s the club I work on. Dave Clary/Corpus Christi, Tx Home: http://home.stx.rr.com/dclary RSG Roll Call http://www.rec-sport-golf.com/members/?rollcall=claryd
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Okay….I’ve seen a number of posts that talk about loving the lob wedge. I have a 7 index and got a 60 degree wedge for the 1st time this past year. Without a doubt…it is the hardest club I have ever hit! So, what do the rest of you think? Is the lob wedge the easiest or hardest club to hit on a regular basis? Bill
I’d say it’s harder for me. There’s just less room for error the higher the loft, and as Kenny notes, the bounce is important. I’ve found that especially on anything less than full swing, I have to maintain a very quiet lower body, essentially using an arms-only swing. But I sure would have a hard time without it! :) Mike — Mike Dalecki GCA Accredited Clubmaker http://clubdoctor.com RSG-Wisconsin 2003 Information: http://dalecki.net/rsgwis2003 RSG Roll Call: http://rec-sport-golf.com/members/?rollcall=daleckim I do not patronize spammers. Help keep RSG clean!
Response:
Okay….I’ve seen a number of posts that talk about loving the lob wedge. I have a 7 index and got a 60 degree wedge for the 1st time this past year. Without a doubt…it is the hardest club I have ever hit! So, what do the rest of you think? Is the lob wedge the easiest or hardest club to hit on a regular basis? Bill
I have no real index but I have been averaging around 20 over and dropping, so FWIW: It depends, I find mine no harder to hit than a sand-wedge or pitching wedge from around 70-80 yards out. I do not chip with it, that is a bitch, i use anything from SW to 3w for chipping, it’s very hard to accurately chip with such a low-bounce/high-loft club IMHO. Flop shots are easy from the proper type of lie: a little bit fluffy from the rough is the easiest. It’s pretty hard to hit one straight up from the fairway, but with a LW it’s not so hard to hit a high-short short that stops fast and either jerks right or left (with a high spin ball). The main problems I have had with a lob wedge is trying to chip with it, so I don’t. I pitch all the time with it, high trajectory, high spin, very nice. My friend hates the club. I also use mine out of the sand most of the time. I basically hit a flop shot that cuts under the ball (i open the face and hinge/cock my wrist severely and slice the club right under the ball), it comes out high and soft and (stops after a bounce)/(jerks to the right), a very useful shot in a short sided bunker (unfortunately I haven’t yet learned how to hit a sand shot that comes out an runs… which I needed yesterday). The downside, if you hit fat the ball is going nowhere (see davis love), but I can do the same thing with any club, if you try and flop from the wrong lie you can go right under the ball and not even move it. Useful club for specific shots IMO. — Bollod
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Okay….I’ve seen a number of posts that talk about loving the lob wedge. I have a 7 index and got a 60 degree wedge for the 1st time this past year. Without a doubt…it is the hardest club I have ever hit! So, what do the rest of you think? Is the lob wedge the easiest or hardest club to hit on a regular basis? Bill
Response:
Okay….I’ve seen a number of posts that talk about loving the lob wedge. I have a 7 index and got a 60 degree wedge for the 1st time this past year. Without a doubt…it is the hardest club I have ever hit! So, what do the rest of you think? Is the lob wedge the easiest or hardest club to hit on a regular basis? Bill
For me, it’s a lot closer to the hardest than the easiest!!! I’m on my third L-wedge, and it’s the only one of the three that I could ever do anything with. The first was a Ping that had some incredible amount of bounce – something like 14 or 15 degrees. The second was a Dynacraft that had no bounce. I couldn’t do anything with either one of those. The latest one is a Tom Wishon model that has 6 degrees bounce. That one, so far, is staying in the bag. For me, it seems that a moderate amount of bounce is necessary in a L wedge to make it useful. Kenny — Kenny Stultz – Troll and SPAM intolerant RSG Rollcall: http://rec-sport-golf.com/members/?rollcall=stultzk "Golf is the only sport where a precise knowledge of the Rules can earn one a reputation for poor sportsmanship"