Opinion & Analysis

The Wedge Guy: My thoughts on single-length irons

Published

3 years ago

Sep 15, 2021

One of the bigger stories in golf equipment the past few years – thanks to Mr. De Chambeau – is the development of single-length irons. So, are they right for you or not? That’s a question only a fair trial can answer, but let me offer some thoughts on how your set make-up might look if you do take that direction.

First of all, the concept is not about single-length clubs — the conversation is about single-length irons. No one is playing a driver or fairway woods at the same length as their irons. Probably not even the hybrids. The putter is typically not either. So, the question is where in the set does the “single-length” begin and end?

I’ve long espoused the concept that your set of clubs (excluding the very specialized putter) should be divided into three sub-sets: Distance Clubs, Positioning Clubs, and Scoring Clubs. And generally speaking, these subsets each cover a specific range of lofts.

The Distance Clubs are those up to 20-25 degrees or so. This subset begins with your driver and encompasses your fairway woods and maybe your lowest loft hybrid or two. Your goal with these clubs is to move the ball “on out there” and put you in a place for your “positioning shot.”

The Positioning Clubs then begin after that highest loft Distance Club and take you up to 38 to 40 degrees of loft. Generally speaking, this subset would begin with your 3 or 4-iron or hybrid and go up to through your 7- or 8-iron. The goal with these clubs is to set up a reasonable putt or chip so you can get down in no more than 2-3 shots. My opinion is that it is only within this subset that “single-length” might serve you.

The Scoring Clubs – those over 38-40 degrees of loft — are the ones with which your scores will likely be determined. Long ago, I wrote several posts about the “round club mindset” when 8-irons had a more curved topline than the seven – a distinctly different look, and those 8-irons were 38 to 40 degrees. These are the clubs designed for putting the ball close enough for a makeable putt, hopefully, more often than not.

So, most conversations about single-length irons should be limited to that subset of “Positioning Clubs,” from your longest iron through that iron of 38-40 degrees. While many golfers may not see the distance separation between clubs that you would ideally like to have in that subset, others might. I’ve long observed that the distance a club can be hit is a combination of loft AND club shaft length. I just don’t see how you can get the range of distances from the longest to shortest in the set by changing loft only. I have tried several of these sets and just do not experience the distance differentials I want from that subset in my bag.

But I can certainly assure you that you simply cannot be as accurate with wedges that are 37 or 38 inches in length as you can with those clubs being 35 to 36 inches. It’s simple golf club physics. With very few exceptions, the shorter the club, the narrower your distance dispersion is going to be.

Consider that a “wide” shot with a 45-inch driver might be 30-40 yards off-line, while even the worst “wide” shot with your 35-and-three-quarter-inch pitching wedge is not likely to be more than 15 yards offline. In between, your lateral dispersion is progressively narrower as the shaft length is reduced.

So, I just cannot see why anyone would want to make their wedges the same length as their 5- or 6-iron, 37.5 to 38 inches, and give up the naturally more accurate dispersion that the shorter shaft delivers.

I am looking forward to hearing from those of you who have tried single-length irons and longer wedges to share your experiences.

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Terry Koehler

Terry Koehler is a fourth generation Texan and a graduate of Texas A&M University. Over his 40-year career in the golf industry, he has created over 100 putter designs, sets of irons and drivers, and in 2014, he put together the team that reintroduced the Ben Hogan brand to the golf equipment industry. Since the early 2000s, Terry has been a prolific writer, sharing his knowledge as “The Wedge Guy”. But his most compelling work is in the wedge category. Since he first patented his “Koehler Sole” in the early 1990s, he has been challenging “conventional wisdom” reflected in ‘tour design’ wedges. The performance of his wedge designs have stimulated other companies to move slightly more mass toward the top of the blade in their wedges, but none approach the dramatic design of his Edison Forged wedges, which have been robotically proven to significantly raise the bar for wedge performance. Terry serves as Chairman and Director of Innovation for Edison Golf – check it out at www.EdisonWedges.com.

34 Comments

Archie

Jan 2, 2024 at 11:30 pm

Interesting post. Been playing single length for 3 years now. Pinhawks first year and upgraded to EQ1-NX most of last two seasons. 8-SW I love it. 6-7 iron, doesn’t work for me. Forget it. Don’t generate enough clubhead speed to get any sort of trajectory. Low missiles and poor gapping. Going to lengthen 6i and 7i this winter.

What has surprised me the most is the flexibility of the single length clubs. Yes I agree that accuracy probably falters at full length with the wedges BUT I also have 3 different yardages I can hit per wedge PW-SW based on how much I choke up. If I need a little extra distance and height to a tight pin over a bunker, I can take less club at full length and go after the pin. If I want to a hit a low spinner gap wedge from 115 I can choke down on the gw instead of a full SW. Completely counter to why you use single length clubs, I know, but it is definitely an unexpected benefit to me as I was never a good wedge player using the ‘clock’ method. Shaft is not the same length choked up but swing is very similar across. I agree wholeheartedly that single length is not for everybody but just sharing that it has worked well for me and generated a lot more consistency with my iron play. Best to all in your golf adventures.

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GreigT

Mar 7, 2022 at 6:30 am

Got back into golf after not playing for 20 years. Played my old clubs to decide if I wanted to play again and got the golf bug back. Best handicap was 4 but consistently played more like a 6 marker.
Got fitted and went in with an open mind. Being 64, and having a few body issues that meant I want going to get back to single figures I wanted the game to be easier and enjoyable.
Finally went for Cobra ForgeTec one length irons having played real blades on the past, loved the look of the ForgeTec irons.
However, I agree with the article relating to splitting up the club lengths.
Ok I initially got 4 to GW in one length, but the 4 & 5 are 1/2″ longer.
Got SW 54 & LW 60 I the Cobra MIM wedges. Luv em. The GW didn’t last long and I finally reached it with a 50 MIM. All wedges are standard wedge variable lengths.
Have ARCCOS tracking gapping is consistent through the set.
Give them a go but you need a good fitter to tune the gapping for you. Just don’t hit the 7 iron.

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LOWEBOY

Sep 30, 2021 at 11:33 am

I struggle with the wedges getting shorter as the loft increases. Back when BHGC was being resurrected, and I was getting my FW15 irons and TK Wedges ordered, I spent a long time on the phone with Barry. I told him about my disdain for the shorter clubs, and that 9i is about the shortest club I am comfortable hitting. We decided to make all of the clubs from 9i down, the same length, and I am glad we went that route. 9i (44*) is my 135 club. PW (49*) is my 120-ish club. GW (54* is my 100 club. SW (59*), well, I cannot hit it consistently, so I don’t have a go-to yardage on that club, and mainly use it for sand shots. So for shots in the very short to 80 yard range I pitch with my 6i (32*), 7i (36*), 8i (40*), 9i (44*) depending on the conditions and distance. Around the green I have discovered that my 5i (28*) has about the same feel as my putter in length, so I will chip with it using a putting stroke. So, I say for some people, having a range of clubs the same length works for them. For others it does not.

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Bruce

Sep 20, 2021 at 4:32 pm

About 5 years ago, I evaluated my game and concluded that I hit 8 iron through 58 degree wedge just fine: therefore leave them alone.
I fabricate clubs from purchased parts so I set about to fabricate 7 – 3 iron in single length to match my 8 iron. I purchased clubheads and shafts, added weight to the 7-3 irons to make the clubhead weight equal my 8 iron, then installed the shafts. Great way to go, never going back. Hybreds and woods remain conventional.
My education background is in mechanical engineering so analyzing the clubs is no problem. According to mechanics, the increase in head weight EXACTLY offsets the change in shaft length so I have no gapping or distance issues. My irons all swing the same, and distances equal the variable length set. The real issue is the clubs are easier to hit – the game is simplified. Yes, I know the lie angles are incorrect, but setting up for a shot, I simply look at where the club contacts the ground and correct the lie by raising my hands a very little bit. No problem.
Adding weight takes some development and would be an issue for later discussion. Suffices to say I use tungsten powder mixed with shafting epoxy, or with minor machining (milling machine to make flat bottom shallow holes in the back of the iron opposite of ball impact area), you can epoxy tungsten bullet fishing sinkers to add weight. Very effective because tungsten weighs 1.8 times that of lead.

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ChipNRun

Sep 18, 2021 at 7:32 pm

Tried some Cobra single-length irons circa 2016 at a demo day – remember those? It was a bit rainy, and not many people showed up. I got to spend a half hour with a 5-GW set.

The clubs were easy to get used to, all being the same length. But, the PW and 9i went a bit too far, and the 5i went not much longer than the 6i. Got some distance compression at both ends.

Also, a super-long PW was hard to get used to.

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- Richard Douglas
  
  Sep 21, 2021 at 6:13 pm
  
  Back then, Wishon had solved that issue while Cobra did not. Now, Wishon’s 2nd gen clubs are even better.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Kev
    
    Nov 29, 2021 at 7:28 am
    
    I have to agree with that, the Wishon EQ1 NX clubs are superb, I just got a set of these amazing clubs and find that today on trackman I can hit the 5 iron 190 meters thats 207 yards inc run out and it is only built to an 8 iron length of 36.5″. I hit the ball purer and further than my variable Ping iron set.
    The irons are excellent, forgiving and versatile as you can grip down when you feel you need more control for more delicate chips.
    
    Reply Report comment
JEREMY

Sep 18, 2021 at 5:49 pm

too many comments to see if this has been said yet but pw, gw, sw, lw are all about the same length, yet you hit those 4 clubs various lengths because there is a greater loft difference in them, 4-6 degrees. As irons get longer loft difference decreases, making single length less viable but the manufacturers of these clubs change the make up of the club from more of a blade type wedge to a thin faced super game improvent iron to creqate more distance in the “long” lower loted irons. they are not hitting blades or gi irons throught the whole set. i personally dont like single length irons but there is more to the equation than lengh, lie, loft.

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David

Sep 18, 2021 at 3:50 pm

Interesting comments. Personally I have been using a mixed bag for about two years. My 4-7 are all 7 iron length. I have no problem with gapping. At 70 years old I hit the ball shorter than a few years ago but my 7 still goes 145. The 6-5-4 all go a respectable distance with 10 yd. gaps above the 7 iron. My Distance clubs are traditional length and my 8-wedges are traditional. Doesn’t sound like much, but the difference in the 4-7 as one length has totally improved my game. I am 5′-9″ and 7 iron length wedges felt like driver length to me. I decided that variety is best. Nothing says “all” clubs need to be the same. Part of mine are graphite and some a steel and that too makes a difference. Experiment and have fun. I did and it works for me.

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Richard Douglas

Sep 18, 2021 at 1:34 pm

I’ve been playing single-length irons for more than 5 years now. This article is typical of those who look at the situation statically instead of dynamically.

Statically speaking, single length clubs look deficient in two ways. The lower-loft clubs can’t go far enough and the high-loft clubs are too long.

Wrong.

This ignores the dynamic aspect of these clubs: You groove one iron swing and are, thus, more consistent throughout the set. This includes the “longer” “short irons.” I’m more accurate with a wedge now than ever before, and that’s despite its longer length. It doesn’t feel longer; it feels like every other club in the set. (In my case, 4-iron through Sand Wedge.)

On the low-lofted end, each player will be limited with how far he/she can go before there is a loss of gapping. This is determined by swing speed. Yes, the length does add to distance; about 15%. In traditional sets this is accomplished by lengthening the clubs as you go through the set. So, the author decries the longer “scoring” clubs, yet ignores the longer “positioning” clubs (his terms). But when I stand over a 36.5″ 4-iron that travels as far as a traditional 4-iron, I have a lot of confidence. I know I don’t have to sacrifice accuracy.

Finally, the club manufacturer has an impact on all of this with club design. Softer metals and higher CGs in the high-lofted clubs, more COR and lower CGs in the low lofted clubs. So the differences are mellowed out.

I used to chase iron designs for years. I stopped when I switched to single-length. I’ll never go back.

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- Bagger Vince
  
  Sep 19, 2021 at 7:52 pm
  
  Glad they worked for you… saw my handicap increase by 2.8 using them for 6 months; just went back to my variable length and couldn’t be happier
  
  Reply Report comment
Jack R Symmes

Sep 17, 2021 at 9:08 pm

For anybody interested in going to same length clubs, I found a good read in Tom Wishon’s Q & A on same length clubs(wishongolf.com). It’s very informative and worth reading.

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Webster Warren Miller

Sep 17, 2021 at 5:52 pm

I would like to try as set of dual length irons. In the author’s terms, positioning clubs based on one length and then scoring clubs based on another.

My current set almost already is in the scoring clubs. There’s only a 1/2″ difference between my 36″ 40* 9I, 35.75″ PW, and 35.5″ AW/SW/LW. I don’t see why having all my clubs 40* and above at 35.5″ would be an issue. If they all had the same length, shaft, lie, swingweight I can only imagine that I would hit them equally well.

As for the positioning clubs, I would probably settle at 37″ which means my 24* 5I would only need to be 1″ shorter and my 35.5* 8 iron a 1/2″ longer. It’s not like those are drastic length changes by any means.

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- Richard Douglas
  
  Sep 18, 2021 at 1:34 pm
  
  Dual-length defeats the purpose of single-length clubs. You’ll get all the downsides and none of the advantages.
  
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MCS

Sep 17, 2021 at 1:38 pm

Personally, I think this article might not adequately account for the potential benefits of a single-length setup for high-handicap players or players who are not already confident in their short clubs. It is not an exaggeration to state that single length clubs have revolutionized my father’s game. As a high handicap player who has never been confident with wedges, the consistency and confidence of the single length setup have him now playing his “Scoring Clubs” with more success than any time in the 25+ years we have been playing together. While I understand it is logical that a longer-length wedge will be harder to control “all things being equal,” in my experience this concept is meaningless if the single length setup helps to strike the ball with much greater consistency. My father is now playing Cobra’s single length clubs all the way down to the sand wedge there is no doubt in my mind that his average approach shot with them is significantly better than with his prior clubs.

As a player who does have confidence in my shorter clubs, I did not find single length clubs to offer an advantage in that part of the bag, but I also did not feel a drastic difference in accuracy either. The wedges in particular did tend to fly a bit further, which encouraged me to adopt a shorter, less aggressive swing on those clubs to retain accuracy and gapping — something that might actually be helpful for some players. Ultimately I do prefer variable length wedges and short iron and believe that I personally am slightly more accurate with them, but I don’t think the difference is insurmountable.

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- Milbs
  
  Jan 14, 2023 at 4:59 pm
  
  I agree!
  I’m 6’4” and after an 8 year break I bought some F9 OL irons as I thought it would be easier to get back into things – I was right, but I became concerned that the 4&5 irons weren’t going as far (nor were they gapped) like they should have.
  So I went back to variable length – and struggled like mad with my wedge game – short clubs and tall guys promote lifting! I also realised after getting my game back that I was actually better switching to hybrids beyond my 5 iron.
  
  So fast forward two years of trying really hard to get going with VL irons and this week I bought 5-SW Speedzone OL – first round with them I was SEVEN, yes SEVEN shots better than the previous round – and most of my gains were around the green, chipping with clubs that didn’t need me to bend almost double to hit them!
  
  Golf is all about what you’re comfortable with (I’ve tried Cleveland’s chipper and have a Ping Chipr and can’t hit either closer than I can with “normal “ wedges) – so I ignore the bias out there and play with what works for me!
  
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retired04

Sep 17, 2021 at 1:34 pm

Been playing Cobra f8 ONE length irons since they were introduced in 2017-6 iron-PW. Was 70 yrs old when I got mine and was fitted for lie angle. Have been playing with real clubs/balls since I was 7-single digit since high school although from shorter sr. tees since about 66 years old-spent 20+ years in/ around the golf business.

Single length concept just made too much sense so I tried it-best decision I could have made-love them. Consistent distances, no problems with trajectory and all with the SAME swing. Like them so much I already own my backup set for when these wear out.

Only made one change-sent the 6 & 7 iron heads to Jim Kronus at the Iron Factory, Glendale, AZ to be regrooved to get rid of the goofy distance grooves-now I can stop the ball on the greens.

I bought based on lofts-PW-6 iron are 44*-39-34-29.5-25.5 with my old 913 hybrid at 21* with 10-12 yd. gaps. Add in 3 std length Zipcore wedges-56*-52 & 48 and ironically I am playing the same lofts I did about 60 years ago when PWs were 50-52*. I can work them either way,change trajectory and golf is still fun. And SL is not just for us old(er).

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Mike

Sep 17, 2021 at 1:10 pm

One set of rules in fitting golf clubs to a golfer is NEVER an option.
I could never play wedges longer than 35.5″ myself, having said that, that’s me, countless golfers differ in so many aspects. A good example is the driver length, for most, 45.5″ is way too long, yet and though the exception, some higher handicap players actually hit their driver better at that length.
Some golfers prefer longer wedges because they simply feel more comfortable standing more erect over the ball, hence for those golfers, longer wedges actually work better.

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Jeff

Sep 17, 2021 at 10:10 am

Single length irons can bring bring some questions and thought. No one product will fit everyone’s need. However, stamping the degrees of loft on an iron versus the actual number of the iron. We know that does not work!!:Right Terry

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A. Commoner

Sep 17, 2021 at 8:53 am

Interesting (?) comments ….Seems pedantry is flourishing.

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Rob McCance

Sep 17, 2021 at 8:10 am

First, I play VL irons, Srixon ZX7. So this is not anti or pro SL here.

Those are great thoughts and opinions from Koehler, and that’s all they are.

A MUCH better article on SL Irons would of included actually hitting the set and reporting back the results, using a Quad.

Test the latest set of Cobra SL irons and give us the numbers.

Last, anyone can choke down on a wedge one inch if they need to, I do it all the time with my VL irons (ZX7). So this “wedges are longer in SL” idea is pretty irrelevant.

Not many actual points made in this OpEd and certainly no actual data.

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John Courtney

Sep 16, 2021 at 6:18 am

I play single length wedges. I have a setup that looks like this: 60, 56, 52, 48, 43 (43 is pitching wedge in my iron set, really a 9i because of loft). Including my actual 9i (it’s an 8i, 38 degrees), all of my wedges are at 36″. This helps with finding the same setup position for me when using them in the short for chipping/bumping. I don’t find single length irons all that helpful for the same reason, the writer of this article doesn’t. Your irons carry a number of yards that helps you solve the math equation that is golf. If you hit a 250 yard drive and you hit your 7 iron 150, which two clubs do you think you’ll play on a 400 yard hole. As the hole gets longer you adjust which club. Using single length irons will make this harder. Especially if you put a 4 iron shaft in your 9 iron. You’ll create a huge gap between your wedges and irons. That will make it incredibly harder to play since you won’t have a full shot between 100-130, THAT IS SCORING RANGE.

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John

Sep 16, 2021 at 1:19 am

I have been using a mixed set of SL and VL clubs for 2.5 years now, a d love them.
I have 4-7 iron in SL, VL in the rest of the bag. I have seen such an improvement in long iron consistency, without any detriment to the rest of my game. Gapping has not been an issue either with 15-17 yards between the SL long irons

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Sk jay

Sep 15, 2021 at 10:54 pm

I play everything I need from 160 in using SL at wedge length for me that is 7-p. My thinking is pros are also essentially using sl wedges from this distance so I am just adjusting loft to compensate for my lower ss. The nice thing is I can chip around greens with all sl clubs and now have loads of options without having to choke up

Outside 160 I’m using vl hybrids and fairways since I need the height to stop the ball.

Btw I shot par for the first time ever with set up and play off 3. I’m not planning to change anything.

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Jim Evans

Sep 15, 2021 at 10:47 pm

Started playing Cobra One Length clubs (5 – GW / regular flex steel) two months ago. Not only are they all the length of the 7 iron, I had an extra inch added due to my height (6’4″) It took several weeks to adjust but now I love them. I either grip down or use a 2 finger swing with my GW to cover the gap between it and my standard SW. I haven’t had any issues with gaps between my irons and hybrids. My accuracy, especially with 8 – GW, has improved markedly. Now if I could just putt…

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Tommy Williams

Sep 15, 2021 at 10:30 pm

I have been playing King Cobra SZ 4-6 built at a single length 6 iron length. 7-Gap are standard length Cobra forged-Tec. I’ve used this setup for almost 18 mths now. Depending upon workload and practice , I usually float between 6-10 handicap.

For me the single length 8-Gap was a non-starter as I hated the look, and the control just wasn’t there for me after many demo sessions. Long story short, this setup works great for me, specifically, in that I tend to over hit my long irons. Seeing a shorter iron works for me in that I swing more smoothly. Mea culpa, I’m compensating for a mental flaw. However, it’s existed in my brain for 40 years. I’ll try to address it via lessons soon…keep the dream I suppose.?

My biggest issue however is 4 & 5 iron gapping. I hit reach off them 200-205. I need more from my 4 iron, so I think I may try their single length adjustable driving iron. If you do go this route though, the gapping thing is real. I was fitted, and still ended up with issues. However, I’m still a believer in the single length long irons.

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Kosko Koskinen

Sep 15, 2021 at 9:44 pm

I decided to experiment 2 years ago after year of frustration and inconsistency with 3-5 irons. Living in Minnesota have me some time away from the course in the winter months. Decided to go in and demo the Cobra Forged Tech irons. At first… My thoughts were, “well this is dumb”…. But after putting some indoor time and visually adjusting to shorter length long irons, I started to enjoy it. The biggest adjustment was not changing ball position for my 3-7 irons…. Same swing, consistent results. I decided to follow my golf pros advice of going 8-pw in traditional variable length irons. Been a fan ever since and cannot imagine reverting to the traditional sticks. Handicap is hovering in the 2’s as I age not so gracefully toward the 48 years old.

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Alan Kwon

Sep 15, 2021 at 6:46 pm

I am in my early 50’s with 2 years of golf under my belt. I learnt to play golf with cobra one length irons and it is the best thing I could have done in terms of flattening the learning curve. Initially I picked up Ping G700s and just couldn’t hit anything above the 7 iron, so I thought to myself, why can’t I have a 4 iron in 7 or 8 iron length? So I googled exactly that, and came across a chap named Bryson Dechambeau play with one length irons! Wow, there was such thing as a 4 iron in 7 iron length and Cobra was the brand!

My curren handicap 15. My practice routine is so simple – start with an OL wedge, then 7 iron, then the driver. That’s it. Needless to say all my irons are OL, and even my 2,3 hybrids. I don’t really use metal woods.

But now that my iron play is pretty good, I am using the normal length irons from PXG, Mizuno, and TM, mostly blades. As good the OL cobra irons are, life is too short to miss out on the pure feel of forged blades!

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Tom

Sep 15, 2021 at 5:53 pm

I am a 17 handicap, I was fitted and have the Cobra 5-SW SL irons. I also have a normal 4 hybrid, fairway and driver. In addition, I carry a normal SW and 60 degree wedge (not single length). I use these clubs, the normal SW and 60 for distances under 100yds. All the rest SL have a good range between clubs except for the 5 iron. It’s distance is just a little longer then the 6 iron, but it has a much lower trajectory. So I use the right tool for the right distance. Overall the SL have improve my consistency.

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Jim Harper

Sep 15, 2021 at 5:16 pm

I took an old set of Ping G20 irons last fall and changed to a 40” stiff shaft. 4-PW. In my bag now are the 8-9 only. They are magic from 140-160 yards. Worth the experiment.

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Matt

Sep 15, 2021 at 2:26 pm

I think single length can be an intriguing option for some people if you are willing to go through the process of ensuring proper fit and proper gapping. It’s no secret that having all one length irons from, say, 5-9 will make swinging those clubs easier. One swing plane, one set up. Elimination of variables. However, where I get a little lost in the weeds is now the increased difference in your 5 iron (or whatever your last iron is) and your next club ie hybrid, fairway, utility, etc. Same as the other end. Now you are going from a 7/8 iron length in your 9 iron to a shorter wedge. Bryson has clearly shown that it can be done and it can be useful. He however has a lot of resources at his disposal that the average golfer doesn’t. It’s a very intriguing option that I would certainly be willing to try if I had the proper fit and the ability to go back for adjustments without paying an arm and a leg. The idea of grabbing my 7 iron on the range knowing that I am now warmed up with all my irons is intriguing. Elimination of variables in a game full of them is never a bad thing, as long as it’s done properly.

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Gordy3279

Sep 15, 2021 at 1:54 pm

Personally, I think single length irons from lets say 4-LW is not a good idea. What you need the club to do in a 4-6 is different than a 7-9 and PW-LW. What I mean is you want your long irons to interact with the turf and the ball differently than your mid to short irons.

However, something I have tried and do like but need to dial a tad bit with lie angles and weight is to make a group of clubs the same distance. I have made my 4-6 iron all the same length as my 6i. My 7-9i the same length as my 9i and my PW-LW the same length as my LW. What I have noticed is, going shorter has no effected my distance all but a yard or 2 but does increase accuracy. I don’t have numbers but I do feel a ton more confident with a shorter club in my hand than a longer one.

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- Aaron Gibson
  
  Sep 16, 2021 at 9:15 am
  
  Gordy? Can you tell me how you built that set. What lie angle did you make the 4-6, 7 – 9 and pw- Lw? What is the swing weight of them as well?
  
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Opinion & Analysis

The Wedge Guy: What really makes a wedge work? Part 1

Published

13 hours ago

Apr 18, 2024

Terry Koehler

Of all the clubs in our bags, wedges are almost always the simplest in construction and, therefore, the easiest to analyze what might make one work differently from another if you know what to look for.

Wedges are a lot less mysterious than drivers, of course, as the major brands are working with a lot of “pixie dust” inside these modern marvels. That’s carrying over more to irons now, with so many new models featuring internal multi-material technologies, and almost all of them having a “badge” or insert in the back to allow more complex graphics while hiding the actual distribution of mass.

But when it comes to wedges, most on the market today are still single pieces of molded steel, either cast or forged into that shape. So, if you look closely at where the mass is distributed, it’s pretty clear how that wedge is going to perform.

To start, because of their wider soles, the majority of the mass of almost any wedge is along the bottom third of the clubhead. So, the best wedge shots are always those hit between the 2nd and 5th grooves so that more mass is directly behind that impact. Elite tour professionals practice incessantly to learn to do that consistently, wearing out a spot about the size of a penny right there. If impact moves higher than that, the face is dramatically thinner, so smash factor is compromised significantly, which reduces the overall distance the ball will fly.

Every one of us, tour players included, knows that maddening shot that we feel a bit high on the face and it doesn’t go anywhere, it’s not your fault.

If your wedges show a wear pattern the size of a silver dollar, and centered above the 3rd or 4th groove, you are not getting anywhere near the same performance from shot to shot. Robot testing proves impact even two to three grooves higher in the face can cause distance loss of up to 35 to 55 feet with modern ‘tour design’ wedges.

In addition, as impact moves above the center of mass, the golf club principle of gear effect causes the ball to fly higher with less spin. Think of modern drivers for a minute. The “holy grail” of driving is high launch and low spin, and the driver engineers are pulling out all stops to get the mass as low in the clubhead as possible to optimize this combination.

Where is all the mass in your wedges? Low. So, disregarding the higher lofts, wedges “want” to launch the ball high with low spin – exactly the opposite of what good wedge play requires penetrating ball flight with high spin.

While almost all major brand wedges have begun putting a tiny bit more thickness in the top portion of the clubhead, conventional and modern ‘tour design’ wedges perform pretty much like they always have. Elite players learn to hit those crisp, spinny penetrating wedge shots by spending lots of practice time learning to consistently make contact low in the face.

So, what about grooves and face texture?

Grooves on any club can only do so much, and no one has any material advantage here. The USGA tightly defines what we manufacturers can do with grooves and face texture, and modern manufacturing techniques allow all of us to push those limits ever closer. And we all do. End of story.

Then there’s the topic of bounce and grinds, the most complex and confusing part of the wedge formula. Many top brands offer a complex array of sole configurations, all of them admittedly specialized to a particular kind of lie or turf conditions, and/or a particular divot pattern.

But if you don’t play the same turf all the time, and make the same size divot on every swing, how would you ever figure this out?

The only way is to take any wedge you are considering and play it a few rounds, hitting all the shots you face and observing the results. There’s simply no other way.

So, hopefully this will inspire a lively conversation in our comments section, and I’ll chime in to answer any questions you might have.

And next week, I’ll dive into the rest of the wedge formula. Yes, shafts, grips and specifications are essential, too.

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Golf's Perfect Imperfections

Golf’s Perfect Imperfections: Amazing Session with Performance Coach Savannah Meyer-Clement

Published

13 hours ago

Apr 18, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

In this week’s episode, we spent some time with performance coach Savannah Meyer-Clement who provides many useful insights that you’ll be able to implement on the golf course.

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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 RBC Heritage betting preview: Patrick Cantlay ready to get back inside winner’s circle

Published

3 days ago

Apr 15, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

Just a two-hour drive from Augusta National, the PGA TOUR heads to Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Hilton Head Island is a golfer’s paradise and Harbour Town is one of the most beautiful and scenic courses on the PGA TOUR.

Harbour Town Golf Links is a par-71 that measures 7,121 yards and features Bermuda grass greens. A Pete Dye design, the course is heavily tree lined and features small greens and many dog legs, protecting it from “bomb-and-gauge” type golfers.

The field is loaded this week with 69 golfers with no cut. Last year was quite possibly the best field in RBC Heritage history and the event this week is yet another designated event, meaning there is a $20 million prize pool.

Most of the big names on the PGA Tour will be in attendance this week with the exceptions of Hideki Matsuyama and Viktor Hovland. Additionally, Webb Simpson, Shane Lowry, Gary Woodland and Kevin Kisner have been granted sponsors exemptions.

Past Winners at Harbour Town

2023: Matt Fitzpatrick (-17)
2022: Jordan Spieth (-13)
2021: Stewart Cink (-19)
2020: Webb Simpson (-22)
2019: CT Pan (-12)
2018: Sotoshi Kodaira (-12)
2017: Wesley Bryan (-13)
2016: Branden Grace (-9)
2015: Jim Furyk (-18)

In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the Rabbit Hole by Betsperts Golf data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value).

Key Stats For Harbour Town

Let’s take a look at key metrics for Harbour Town Golf Links to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their past 24 rounds.

Strokes Gained: Approach

Strokes Gained: Approach is exceedingly important this week. The greens at Harbour Town are about half the size of PGA TOUR average and feature the second-smallest greens on the tour. Typical of a Pete Dye design, golfers will pay the price for missed greens.

Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds

Scottie Scheffler (+1.27)
Tom Hoge (+1.27)
Corey Conners (+1.16)
Austin Eckroat (+0.95)
Cameron Young (+0.93)

Good Drive %

The fairways at Harbour Town are tree lined and feature many dog legs. Bombers tend to struggle at the course because it forces layups and doesn’t allow long drivers to overpower it. Accuracy is far more important than power.

Good Drive % Over Past 24 Rounds

Brice Garnett (88.8%)
Shane Lowry (+87.2%)
Akshay Bhatia (+86.0%)
Si Woo Kim (+85.8%)
Sepp Straka (+85.1%)

Strokes Gained: Total at Pete Dye Designs

Pete Dye specialists tend to play very well at Harbour Town. Si Woo Kim, Matt Kuchar, Jim Furyk and Webb Simpson are all Pete Dye specialists who have had great success here. It is likely we see some more specialists near the top of the leaderboard this week.

SG: TOT Pete Dye per round over past 36 rounds:

Xander Schauffele (+2.27)
Scottie Scheffler (+2.24)
Ludvig Aberg (+2.11)
Brian Harman (+1.89)
Sungjae Im (+1.58)

4. Strokes Gained: Short Game (Bermuda)

Strokes Gained: Short Game factors in both around the green and putting. With many green-side bunkers and tricky green complexes, both statistics will be important. Past winners — such as Jim Furyk, Wes Bryan and Webb Simpson — highlight how crucial the short game skill set is around Harbour Town.

SG: SG Over Past 24 Rounds

Jordan Spieth (+1.11)
Taylor Moore (+1.02)
Wyndham Clark (+0.98)
Mackenzie Hughes (+0.86)
Andrew Putnam (+0.83)

5. Greens in Regulation %

The recipe for success at Harbour Town Golf Links is hitting fairways and greens. Missing either will prove to be consequential — golfers must be in total control of the ball to win.

Greens in Regulation % over past 24 rounds:

Brice Garnett (+75.0%)
Scottie Scheffler (+69.9%)
Corey Conners (+69.0%)
Shane Lowry (+68.3%)
Patrick Rodgers (+67.6%)

6. Course History

Harbour Town is a course where players who have strong past results at the course always tend to pop up.

Course History over past 24 rounds:

Patrick Cantlay (+2.34)
Cam Davis (+2.05)
J.T. Poston (+1.69)
Justin Rose (+1.68)
Tommy Fleetwood (+1.59)

The RBC Heritage Model Rankings

Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (24%), Good Drives (20%), SG: SG (14%), SG: Pete Dye (14%), GIR (14%), and Course History (14%)

Shane Lowry
Russell Henley
Scottie Scheffler
Xander Schauffele
Corey Conners
Wyndham Clark
Christiaan Bezuidenhout
Matt Fitzpatrick
Cameron Young
Ludvig Aberg

2024 RBC Heritage Picks

Patrick Cantlay +2000 (FanDuel)

With the exception of Scottie Scheffler, the PGA Tour has yet to have any of their star players show peak form during the 2024 season. Last week, Patrick Cantlay, who I believe is a top-5 players on the PGA Tour, took one step closer to regaining the form that’s helped him win eight events on Tour since 2017.

Cantlay limped into the Masters in poor form, but figured it out at Augusta National, finishing in a tie for 20th and ranking 17th for the week in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. The former FedEx Cup champion will now head to one of his favorite golf courses in Harbour Town, where he’s had immaculate results over the years. In his six trips to the course, he’s only finished worse than 7th one time. The other finishes include three third places (2017, 2019, 2023) and one runner-up finish (2022). In his past 36 rounds at Harbour Town, Cantlay ranks 1st in Strokes Gained: Total per round at the course by a wide margin (+2.36).

Cantlay is winless since the 2022 BMW Championship, which is far too long for a player of his caliber. With signs pointing to the 32-year-old returning to form, a “signature event” at Harbour Town is just what he needs to get back on the winning track.

Tommy Fleetwood +3000 (FanDuel)

I truly believe Tommy Fleetwood will figure out a way to win on American soil in 2024. It’s certainly been a bugaboo for him throughout his career, but he is simply too talented to go another season without winning a PGA Tour event.

At last week’s Masters Tournament, Fleetwood made a Sunday charge and ended up finishing T3 in the event, which was his best ever finish at The Masters. For the week, the Englishman ranked 8th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 10th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking and 16th in Strokes Gained: Putting.

Harbour Town is a perfect layout for Fleetwood, and he’s had relative success at this Pete Dye design in the past. In his four trips to the course, he’s finished inside of the top 25 three times, with his best finish, T10, coming in 2022. The course is pretty short and can’t be overpowered, which gives an advantage to more accurate players such as Fleetwood. Tommy ranks 8th in the field in Good Drive % and should be able to plot his way along this golf course.

The win is coming for Tommy lad. I believe there’s a chance this treasure of a golf course may be the perfect one for him to finally break through on Tour.

Cameron Young +3300 (FanDuel)

Cameron Young had a solid Masters Tournament last week, which is exactly what I’m looking for in players who I anticipate playing well this week at the RBC Heritage. He finished in a tie for 9th, but never felt the pressure of contending in the event. For the week, Young ranked 6th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 6th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.

Despite being one of the longest players off the tee on the PGA Tour, Young has actually played some really good golf on shorter tracks. He finished T3 at Harbour Town in 2023 and ranks 20th in the field in Good Drive% and 16th in Greens in Regulation in his past 24 rounds. He also has strong finishes at other shorter courses that can take driver out of a players hand such as Copperhead and PGA National.

Young is simply one of the best players on the PGA Tour in 2024, and I strongly believe has what it takes to win a PGA Tour event in the very near future.

Corey Conners +5500 (FanDuel)

Corey Conners has had a disappointing year thus far on the PGA Tour, but absolutely loves Harbour Town.

At last week’s Masters Tournament, the Canadian finished T30 but ranked 20th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach. In his past 24 rounds, Conners ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 3rd in Greens in Regulation % and 24th in Good Drive %.

In Conners’ last four trips to Harbour Town, his worst finish was T31, last season. He finished T4 in 2021, T12 in 2022 and ranks 8th in Strokes Gained: Total at the course over his past 36 rounds.

Conners hasn’t been contending, but his recent finishes have been encouraging as he has finished in the top-25 in each of his past three starts prior to The Masters, including an impressive T13 at The PLAYERS. His recent improvement in ball striking as well as his suitability for Harbour Town makes Conners a high upside bet this week.

Shane Lowry (+7500) (FanDuel)

When these odds were posted after Lowry was announced in the field, I have to admit I was pretty stunned. Despite not offering much win equity on the PGA Tour over the last handful of years, Shane Lowry is still a top caliber player who has the ability to rise to the top of a signature event.

Lowry struggled to score at The Masters last week, but he actually hit the ball really well. The Irishman ranked 1st for Strokes Gained: Approach on the week and 7th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. As usual, it was the putter that let him down, as he ranked 60th in the field in Strokes Gained: Putting.

Harbour Town is most definitely one of Lowry’s favorite courses on the PGA Tour. In his six starts there, he’s finished in the top 10 three times, including third twice. Lowry is sensational at Pete Dye designs and ranks 7th in Strokes Gained: Total in his past 36 rounds on Dye tracks.

Lowry is perfect for Harbour Town. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 5th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 2nd in Good Drive% and 5th in Green in Regulation %. If he figures it out on the greens, Shane could have his first win in America since 2015.

Lucas Glover +12000 (FanDuel)

This is one of my weekly “bet the number” plays as I strongly believe the odds are just too long for a player of Glover’s caliber. The odds have been too long on Glover for a few weeks now, but this is the first event that I can get behind the veteran being able to actually contend at.

Glover is quietly playing good golf and returning to the form he had after the understandable regression after his two massive victories at the end of 2023. He finished T20 at The Masters, which was his best ever finish at Augusta National. For the week, Lucas ranked 18th for Strokes Gained: Approach and 20th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.

Over his past 24 rounds, Glover ranks 9th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 13th in Good Drive %. Harbour Town is a short course that the 44-year-old will be able to keep up with the top players on Tour off the tee. He’s played the course more than 20 times, with mixed results. His best finishes at Harbour Town include a T7 in 2008, but recently has a finish of T21 in 2020.

Glover has proven he can contend with the stars of the Tour on any given week, and this number is flat out disrespectful.

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