Many golfers laud new wedges and how much more they spin.

Some boast how often they have to swap out wedges because they wear out the grooves.

What's the fascination with extra spin rate? Stop the ball on the dot or spin it back?

I leave chips and pitches short often and rarely do I wish I need additional spin on my short wedge shots.

How many of you play golf with worn out wedges and believe worn grooves are/should be the baseline and the new wedge/additional spin is the aberration?

I like my full wedge shots and longer pitches to launch high enough, with enough spin, and land with the right descent angle to stop where they land.

Once my wedges start bouncing and rolling out from those well struck shots, I replace them.

khaos288 said:

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I like my full wedge shots and longer pitches to launch high enough, with enough spin, and land with the right descent angle to stop where they land.

Once my wedges start bouncing and rolling out from those well struck shots, I replace them.

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This.. finally replaced my old ass SM5s with new MG4s and the difference is insane.

Higher spin rates keep the trajectory low when proper chips are struck well

Aggie369 said:

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Higher spin rates keep the trajectory low when proper chips are struck well

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Hmm... Low chips are hit with 8-9 irons, for me.
What would be the benefit of chipping a LW with low trajectory? I can certainly pitch it low and have it stick by hitting it on the lower grooves.

khaos288 said:

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I like my full wedge shots and longer pitches to launch high enough, with enough spin, and land with the right descent angle to stop where they land.

Once my wedges start bouncing and rolling out from those well struck shots, I replace them.

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Can't you just tell how much they spin on the simulator?

It spins more and stops faster (from fringe and fairways)

Not much spin out of rough comparatively

And that's correct, hitting it on lower grooves essentially gaurantees ball first contact and helps keep it low

AggieDruggist89 said:

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khaos288 said:

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I like my full wedge shots and longer pitches to launch high enough, with enough spin, and land with the right descent angle to stop where they land.

Once my wedges start bouncing and rolling out from those well struck shots, I replace them.

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Can't you just tell how much they spin on the simulator?

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Yes? Are interested in the numbers? Generally, anything less than 8500 with a gap wedge to lob wedge with a full swing or longer pitch (75+ yards) is generally when you see them start to skip more and more forward.

I don't have a trackman though, so I'm sure it's not perfectly accurate. It's always easy to tell when you walk up to a ball mark after a good strike and it's bounced past.

All about control for better golfers. The ball is controllable in the air, uncontrollable on the turf.

Project Gemini said:

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All about control for better golfers. The ball is controllable in the air, uncontrollable on the turf.

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What??

Have you ever played Spaulding Tour Edition balls in the 90s? Greg Norman would've won more tournaments if he was using a better ball. There's a reason why many short game gurus promote getting the chips rolling as soon as possible on the green.

For my game, more spin equals not better control. There's an optimal spin rate for each club I believe.

Industry has led us to a point where many golfers now believe optimal spin can only be attained with brand spanking new wedges and everyone should buy new wedges after so many hits.

As a contrarian in nature, I want to believe my optimal spin should be obtained with worn out wedges I've used for years. And learn to play it instead of swapping wedges every 6 months.

Even Vokey is conscientious enough to make them cast instead of forged.

Imagine wearing out the grooves on forged vokeys....

I was talking about wedge shots. I'm not hitting many bump and run chips with my high loft wedges, are you?

Project Gemini said:

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I was talking about wedge shots. I'm not hitting many bump and run chips with my high loft wedges, are you?

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Hell yeah.

I go at sucka pins. And leave my self on the short side. I absolutely have to bump and run with my 58 degree LW.

Man ya'll talking about backspin and stopping on the green and I'm over here with my Ping ChipR rolling up from 30 yards out.

Better players 100% want more spin and carry the ball with LW most of the time

Every pro i play with hits LW most of the time

Im not that comfortable and hit 54 some

PW, GW, and SW in my set are all a part of the set. 45, 50, & 54 25 years old. These irons still generate 7500-9500 rpm spin. These irons are mostly full swing shots.

My only non part of the set is the 58 Cleveland CBX LW. 3 years old since I gave up Ping Eye2 + no plus LW.

My LW spin is still at 10,000 rpm+ for 50-100% swings.

The most critical factor in the spin is how clean I catch the ball. A slight fat shot will decrease the spin down significantly.

AggieDruggist89 said:

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PW, GW, and SW in my set are all a part of the set. 45, 50, & 54 25 years old. These irons still generate 7500-9500 rpm spin. These irons are mostly full swing shots.

My only non part of the set is the 58 Cleveland CBX LW. 3 years old since I gave up Ping Eye2 + no plus LW.

My LW spin is still at 10,000 rpm+ for 50-100% swings.

The most critical factor in the spin is how clean I catch the ball. A slight fat shot will decrease the spin down significantly.

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I loved my CBX 58. That was my money club around the greens. I traded up for Mizuno irons recently, though, and switched to a S23 58. Haven't been able to get the hang of it yet. I think the sole grind and bounce make far more difference for amateurs than whether a new face generates more spin than the old worn-out wedge it replaced.

I prefer to chip or pitch just about everything around the green with my 54. It is now four years old and I just sort of adjust my bump and run over time I think to compensate for the old club face. Only issue I face with this is when our course greens get super fast like now…so yes, I need to probably get at least a new 54. 50 and 58 still have life. I could still use my 54 on a slow muni.

Most golfers would score better with no spin on chips and pitches.

This thread confirms to me what I already know...I'm not that great a golfer. Y'all are talking about controlling the precise distance a wedge flies so that it spins and stops right where you wanted? Some of my shots spin and stop. Other shots land and roll out 20 feet. I can't pretend that I can predict that, nor play a shot a few feet longer or shorter if I could predict it. Still trying to improve after 40 years...guess I'm just not there yet!

Then ur answer might be a lot for 7, 8, 9 irons around the green

Definitely no 60 degree LWs

If ur on the fringe even use a 4 or 5 iron...I use my hybrid a lot like a putter and I'm a low single digit HC

A good basic rule for chipping/pitching is dont hit the high ones until you're not concerned about being able to hit it correctly. If you are thinking "don't blade this" or "i hope this gets over the bunker" then try not to hit that shot.

concac said:

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Funky Winkerbean said:

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Most golfers would score better with no spin on chips and pitches.

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That's why I use a putter.

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In all seriousness, the old rule "if you can use your putter, then use your putter" is the best short game advice there is. Reflexively grabbing a wedge is a bad habit for a lot of average golfers. For example, my average proximity to the hole from off the green with my highest lofted wedge (58) is just over 15 feet. With a putter, it's 5 feet.

I think a lot of it has to do with the course you are playing. I would prefer to bump and run it with a PW or 9 every time when chipping. My home course doesn't allow that very often though. The majority of the holes are tiny turtle back greens where you don't have much green between the hole and the thick grass on the fringe. You are usually hitting from below the green in a chipping situation. I've had to get good using my 58 for low chips to get them to check and stop. On the other hand, when I go to the town over, I hardly use the 58 because the greens are set up for bump and run chips or putts from off the green(bigger greens with short grass on the fringes). It just depends on the course and how fast the greens are. Having that low spinner in your repertoire is also handy on days where the greens are lightning fast and it's tough to judge roll out, like when courses have tournaments.

G Martin 87 said:

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concac said:

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Funky Winkerbean said:

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Most golfers would score better with no spin on chips and pitches.

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That's why I use a putter.

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In all seriousness, the old rule "if you can use your putter, then use your putter" is the best short game advice there is. Reflexively grabbing a wedge is a bad habit for a lot of average golfers. For example, my average proximity to the hole from off the green with my highest lofted wedge (58) is just over 15 feet. With a putter, it's 5 feet.

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I disagree. This rule is good for your once a month round at the $34 muni type guys.

If you actually want to score, you need to learn to not be afraid to chip around the green. There are no rules for when to use a putter and when to use a wedge. Literally every shot should be it's own decision.

It's the same thing when people tell their 25 handicap friends "you suck at driver, just hit 4 iron 200 yards every tee box". And what does that accomplish? You'll just continue to be afraid of driver forever?

I'm in San Antonio. Anyone on here who thinks they "suck" at chipping, I'll bet you a round of golf at the course of your choosing that I can have you chipping like a single digit handicap within 3 hours. Chipping is as easy or as difficult as you make it. It requires no power and less coordination than a full shot. Hell, wedges are designed to help you not chunk these shots, if you are so inclined.

Obi Wan Ginobili said:

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I'm in San Antonio. Anyone on here who thinks they "suck" at chipping, I'll bet you a round of golf at the course of your choosing that I can have you chipping like a single digit handicap within 3 hours. Chipping is as easy or as difficult as you make it. It requires no power and less coordination than a full shot. Hell, wedges are designed to help you not chunk these shots, if you are so inclined.

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Shadow Creek here I come!!

For me, chipping isn't easy. The miniature swing motion of chipping has more opportunities for yips, scoop, fat, thin in addition to variable lies and slopes; hardpan, bare lies, bermuda rough, clover patches, thick and long Kentucky Blue rough etc tec...

In addition to great mechanics of the chipping motion, I believe good chipping requires hours and hours of practice to build feel.

AggieDruggist89 said:

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Obi Wan Ginobili said:

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I'm in San Antonio. Anyone on here who thinks they "suck" at chipping, I'll bet you a round of golf at the course of your choosing that I can have you chipping like a single digit handicap within 3 hours. Chipping is as easy or as difficult as you make it. It requires no power and less coordination than a full shot. Hell, wedges are designed to help you not chunk these shots, if you are so inclined.

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Shadow Creek here I come!!

For me, chipping isn't easy. The miniature swing motion of chipping has more opportunities for yips, scoop, fat, thin in addition to variable lies and slopes; hardpan, bare lies, bermuda rough, clover patches, thick and long Kentucky Blue rough etc tec...

In addition to great mechanics of the chipping motion, I believe good chipping requires hours and hours of practice to build feel.

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Clover patches....you're arguing about the difficulty of a putting stroke with a lofted club and you came to bat with clover patches?

You're right, I can't help you. Go blow the leaves off the green with your pocket leaf blower so you can putt with your 1978 McGregor HitStick or whatever weird club you're convinced is better than modern tech.

AggieDruggist89 said:

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Obi Wan Ginobili said:

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I'm in San Antonio. Anyone on here who thinks they "suck" at chipping, I'll bet you a round of golf at the course of your choosing that I can have you chipping like a single digit handicap within 3 hours. Chipping is as easy or as difficult as you make it. It requires no power and less coordination than a full shot. Hell, wedges are designed to help you not chunk these shots, if you are so inclined.

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You proved this point just with your thoughts. Didn't even need to touch a club!

Leaves aren't the issues. It's the tulip poplar seeds. And takes a lot more than a pocket blower.

G Martin 87 said:

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concac said:

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Funky Winkerbean said:

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Most golfers would score better with no spin on chips and pitches.

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That's why I use a putter.

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In all seriousness, the old rule "if you can use your putter, then use your putter" is the best short game advice there is. Reflexively grabbing a wedge is a bad habit for a lot of average golfers. For example, my average proximity to the hole from off the green with my highest lofted wedge (58) is just over 15 feet. With a putter, it's 5 feet.

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This is what Arnold Palmer taught Jack Nicklaus early on. Jack was forever grateful for this advice.

Who's to argue. The King and the GOAT!

Obi Wan Ginobili said:

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AggieDruggist89 said:

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Obi Wan Ginobili said:

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I'm in San Antonio. Anyone on here who thinks they "suck" at chipping, I'll bet you a round of golf at the course of your choosing that I can have you chipping like a single digit handicap within 3 hours. Chipping is as easy or as difficult as you make it. It requires no power and less coordination than a full shot. Hell, wedges are designed to help you not chunk these shots, if you are so inclined.

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You proved this point just with your thoughts. Didn't even need to touch a club!

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Yes, you're right. You're the best chipper ever was.

AggieDruggist89 said:

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G Martin 87 said:

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concac said:

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Funky Winkerbean said:

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Most golfers would score better with no spin on chips and pitches.

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That's why I use a putter.

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In all seriousness, the old rule "if you can use your putter, then use your putter" is the best short game advice there is. Reflexively grabbing a wedge is a bad habit for a lot of average golfers. For example, my average proximity to the hole from off the green with my highest lofted wedge (58) is just over 15 feet. With a putter, it's 5 feet.

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This is what Arnold Palmer taught Jack Nicklaus early on. Jack was forever grateful for this advice.

Who's to argue. The King and the GOAT!

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I didn't argue this point, so it's weird you're making it sound like I did. Please show me where I said don't putt the ball.

I'm saying this "best short game advice there is" thing is not true the way it used to be. When Palmer schooled Nicklaus, the ball was made of stretched skin from sheep testicles and the grass was shag carpets. They didn't play the game the same way.

It's OK to mix in a little now with a little of the past.

AggieDruggist89 said:

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Obi Wan Ginobili said:

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AggieDruggist89 said:

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Obi Wan Ginobili said:

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I'm in San Antonio. Anyone on here who thinks they "suck" at chipping, I'll bet you a round of golf at the course of your choosing that I can have you chipping like a single digit handicap within 3 hours. Chipping is as easy or as difficult as you make it. It requires no power and less coordination than a full shot. Hell, wedges are designed to help you not chunk these shots, if you are so inclined.

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You proved this point just with your thoughts. Didn't even need to touch a club!

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Yes, you're right. You're the best chipper ever was.

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I'm sorry that my confidence offends you, but chipping is easy. If you are shanking/chunking/etc. simple putting strokes, you don't have a swing problem, you have a head problem.