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 2

Published

2 days ago

May 9, 2024

Terry Koehler

In my last post, I explained the basic performance dynamics of “smash factor” and “gear effect” as they apply to your wedges and your wedge play success. If you missed that post, you can read it here.

At the end of that post, I promised “part 2” of this discussion of what makes a wedge work the way it does. So, let’s dive into the other two components of any wedge – the shaft and the grip.

It’s long been said that the shaft is “the engine of the golf club.” The shaft (and grip) are your only connection to all the technologies that are packed into the head of any golf club, whether it be a driver, fairway, hybrid, iron, wedge or even putter.

And you cannot ignore those two components of your wedges if your goal is optimizing your performance.

I’ve long been an advocate of what I call a “seamless transition” from your irons into your wedges, so that the feel and performance do not disconnect when you choose a gap wedge, for example, instead of your iron-set-matching “P-club.” In today’s golf equipment marketplace, more and more golfers are making the investment of time and money to experience an iron fitting, going through trial and error and launch monitor measuring to get just the right shaft in their irons.

But then so many of those same golfers just go into a store and choose wedges off the retail display, with no similar science involved at all. And that’s why I see so many golfers with a huge disconnect between their custom-fitted irons, often with lighter and/or softer graphite or light steel shafts . . . and their off-the-rack wedges with the stock stiff steel ‘wedge flex’ shaft common to those stock offerings.

If your wedge shafts are significantly heavier and stiffer than the shafts in your irons, it is physically impossible for you to make the same swing. Period.

To quickly improve your wedge play, one of the first things you can do is have your wedges re-shafted with the same or similar shaft that is in your irons.

There’s another side of that shaft weight equation; if you don’t have the forearm and hand strength of a PGA Tour professional, you simply cannot “handle” the same weight shaft that those guys play to master the myriad of ‘touch shots’ around the greens.

Now, let’s move on to the third and other key component of your wedges – the grips. If those are not similar in shape and feel to the grips on your irons, you have another disconnect. Have your grips checked by a qualified golf club professionals to make sure you are in sync there.

The one caveat to that advice is that I am a proponent of a reduced taper in your wedge grips – putting two to four more layers of tape under the lower hand, or selecting one of the many reduced taper grips on the market. That accomplishes two goals for your scoring.

First, it helps reduce overactive hands in your full and near-full wedge swings. Quiet hands are key to good wedge shots.

And secondly, it provides a more consistent feel of the wedge in your hands as you grip down for those shorter and more delicate shots around the greens. And you should always grip down as you get into those touch shots. I call it “getting closer to your work.”

So, if you will spend as much time selecting the shafts and grips for your wedges as you do choosing the brand, model, and loft of them, your scoring range performance will get better.

Vincenzi’s 2024 Wells Fargo Championship betting preview: Tommy Fleetwood ready to finally land maiden PGA Tour title

Published

5 days ago

May 6, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

The PGA Tour season ramps back up this week for another “signature event,” as golf fans look forward to the year’s second major championship next week.

After two weaker-field events in the Zurich Classic and the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, most of the best players in the world will head to historic Quail Hollow for one of the best non-major tournaments of the year.

Last season, Wyndham Clark won the event by four shots.

Quail Hollow is a par-71 measuring 7,521 yards that features Bermudagrass greens. The tree-lined, parkland style course can play quite difficult and features one of the most difficult three-hole stretches in golf known as “The Green Mile,” which makes up holes 16-18: two mammoth par 4s and a 221-yard par 3. All three holes have an average score over par, and water is in play in each of the last five holes on the course.

The field is excellent this week with 68 golfers teeing it up without a cut. All of the golfers who’ve qualified are set to tee it up, with the exception of Scottie Scheffler, who is expecting the birth of his first child.

Past Winners at Quail Hollow

2023: Wyndham Clark (-19)
2022: Max Homa (-8)
2021: Rory McIlroy (-10)
2019: Max Homa (-15)
2018: Jason Day (-12)
2017: Justin Thomas (-8) (PGA Championship)
2016: James Hahn (-9)
2015: Rory McIlroy (-21)

Key Stats For Quail Hollow

Strokes Gained: Approach

Strokes gained: Approach will be extremely important this week as second shots at Quail Hollow can be very difficult.

Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds

Akshay Bhatia (+1.16)
Tom Hoge (+1.12)
Corey Conners (+1.01)
Shane Lowry (+0.93)
Austin Eckroat (+0.82)

Strokes Gained: Off the Tee

Quail Hollow is a long course on which it is important to play from the fairway. Both distance and accuracy are important, as shorter tee shots will result in approach shots from 200 or more yards. With most of the holes heavily tree lined, errant drives will create some real trouble for the players.

Strokes Gained: Off the Tee Past 24 Rounds:

Ludvig Aberg (+0.73)
Rory McIlroy (+0.69)
Xander Schauffele (+0.62)
Viktor Hovland (+0.58)
Chris Kirk (+0.52)

Proximity: 175-200

The 175-200 range is key at Quail Hollow. Players who can hit their long irons well will rise to the top of the leaderboard.

Proximity: 175-200+ over past 24 rounds:

Cameron Young (28’2″)
Akshay Bhatia (29’6″)
Ludvig Aberg (+30’6″)
Sam Burns (+30’6″)
Collin Morikawa (+30’9″)

SG: Total on Tom Fazio Designs

Players who thrive on Tom Fazio designs get a bump for me at Quail Hollow this week.

SG: Total on Tom Fazio Designs over past 36 rounds:

Patrick Cantlay (+2.10)
Rory McIlroy (+1.95)
Tommy Fleetwood (+1.68)
Austin Eckroat (+1.60)
Will Zalatoris (+1.57)

Strokes Gained: Putting (Bermudagrass)

Strokes Gained: Putting has historically graded out as the most important statistic at Quail Hollow. While it isn’t always predictable, I do want to have it in the model to bump up golfers who prefer to putt on Bermudagrass.

Strokes Gained: Putting (Bermudagrass) Over Past 24 Rounds:

Taylor Moore (+0.82)
Nick Dunlap (+.76)
Wyndham Clark (+.69)
Emiliano Grillo (+.64)
Cam Davis (+.61)

Course History

This stat will incorporate players that have played well in the past at Quail Hollow.

Course History over past 36 rounds (per round):

Rory McIlroy (+2.50)
Justin Thomas (+1.96)
Jason Day (+1.92)
Rickie Fowler (+1.83)
Viktor Hovland (+1.78)

Wells Fargo Championship Model Rankings

Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (27%), SG: Off the Tee (23%), SG: Total on Fazio designs (12%), Proximity: 175-200 (12%), SG: Putting Bermuda grass (12%), and Course History (14%).

Wyndham Clark
Rory McIlroy
Xander Schauffele
Shane Lowry
Hideki Matsuyama
Viktor Hovland
Cameron Young
Austin Eckroat
Byeong Hun An
Justin Thomas

2024 Wells Fargo Championship Picks

Tommy Fleetwood +2500 (DraftKings)

I know many out there have Tommy fatigue when it comes to betting, which is completely understandable given his lack of ability to win on the PGA Tour thus far in his career. However, history has shown us that players with Fleetwood’s talent eventually break though, and I believe for Tommy, it’s just a matter of time.

Fleetwood has been excellent on Tom Fazio designs. Over his past 36 rounds, he ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Total on Fazio tracks. He’s also been incredibly reliable off the tee this season. He’s gained strokes in the category in eight of his past nine starts, including at The Masters, the PLAYERS and the three “signature events” of the season. Tommy is a golfer built for tougher courses and can grind it out in difficult conditions.

Last year, Fleetwood was the first-round leader at this event, firing a Thursday 65. He finished the event in a tie for 5th place.

For those worried about Fleetwood’s disappointing start his last time out at Harbour Town, he’s bounced back nicely after plenty of poor outings this season. His T7 at the Valero Texas Open was after a MC and T35 in his prior two starts and his win at the Dubai Invitational came after a T47 at the Sentry.

I expect Tommy to bounce back this week and contend at Quail Hollow.

Justin Thomas +3000 (DraftKings)

It’s been a rough couple of years for Justin Thomas, but I don’t believe things are quite as bad as they seem for JT. He got caught in the bad side of the draw at Augusta for last month’s Masters and has gained strokes on approach in seven of his nine starts in 2024.

Thomas may have found something in his most recent start at the RBC Heritage. He finished T5 at a course that he isn’t the best fit for on paper. He also finally got the putter working and ranked 15th in Strokes Gained: Putting for the week.

The two-time PGA champion captured the first of his two major championships at Quail Hollow back in 2017, and some good vibes from the course may be enough to get JT out of his slump.

Thomas hasn’t won an event in just about two years. However, I still believe that will change soon as he’s been one of the most prolific winners throughout his PGA Tour career. Since 2015, he has 15 PGA Tour wins.

Course history is pretty sticky at Quail Hollow, with players who like the course playing well there on a regular basis. In addition to JT’s PGA Championship win in 2017, he went 4-1 at the 2022 Presidents Cup and finished T14 at the event last year despite being in poor form. Thomas can return as one of the top players on the PGA Tour with a win at a “signature event” this week.

Cameron Young +3500 (DraftKings)

For many golf bettors, it’s been frustrating backing Cam Young this season. His talent is undeniable, and one of the best and most consistent performers on the PGA Tour. He just hasn’t broken through with a victory yet. Quail Hollow has been a great place for elite players to get their first victory. Rory McIlroy, Anthony Kim, Rickie Fowler and Wyndham Clark all notched their first PGA Tour win at Quail.

Throughout Cam Young’s career, he has thrived at tougher courses with strong fields. This season, he finished T16 at Riviera and T9 at Augusta National, demonstrating his preference of a tough test. His ability to hit the ball long and straight off the tee make him an ideal fit for Quail Hollow, despite playing pretty poorly his first time out in 2023 (T59). Young should be comfortable playing in the region as he played his college golf at Wake Forest, which is about an hour’s drive from Quail Hollow.

The 26-year-old has played well at Tom Fazio designs in the past and ranks 8th in the field in Strokes Gained: Total on those courses in his last 36 rounds. Perhaps most importantly, this season, Young is the best player on the PGA Tour in terms of proximity from 175-200 in the fairway, which is where a plurality and many crucial shots will come from this week.

Young is an elite talent and Quail Hollow has been kind to players of his ilk who’ve yet to win on Tour.

Byeong Hun An +5000 (FanDuel)

Byeong Hun An missed some opportunities last weekend at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. He finished T4 and played some outstanding golf, but a couple of missed short putts prevented him from getting to the winning score of -23. Despite not getting the win, it’s hard to view An’s performance as anything other than an overwhelming success. It was An’s fourth top-ten finish of the season.

Last week, An gained 6.5 strokes ball striking, which was 7th in the field. He also ranked 12th for Strokes Gained: Approach and 13th for Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. The South Korean has been hitting the ball so well from tee to green all season long and he now heads to a golf course that should reward his precision.

An’s driver and long irons are absolute weapons. At Quail Hollow, players will see plenty of approach shots from the 175-200 range as well as some from 200+. In his past 24 rounds, Ben ranks 3rd in the field in proximity from 175-200 and 12th in proximity from 200+. Playing in an event that will not end up being a “birdie” fest should help An, who can separate from the field with his strong tee to green play. The putter may not always cooperate but getting to -15 is much easier than getting to -23 for elite ball strikers who tend to struggle on the greens.

Winning a “signature event” feels like a tall task for An this week with so many elite players in the field. However, he’s finished T16 at the Genesis Invitational, T16 at The Masters and T8 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The 32-year-old’s game has improved drastically this season and I believe he’s ready to get the biggest win of his career.

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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s LIV Golf Singapore betting preview: Course specialist ready to thrive once again

Published

2 weeks ago

Apr 30, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

After another strong showing in Australia, LIV Golf will head to Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore looking to build off of what was undoubtedly their best event to date.

Sentosa Golf Club sits on the southern tip of Singapore and is one of the most beautiful courses in the world. The course is more than just incredible scenically; it was also rated 55th in Golf Digest’s top-100 courses in 2022-2023 and has been consistently regarded as one of the best courses in Asia. Prior to being part of the LIV rotation, the course hosted the Singapore Open every year since 2005.

Sentosa Golf Club is a par 71 measuring 7,406 yards. The course will require precise ball striking and some length off the tee. It’s possible to go low due to the pristine conditions, but there are also plenty of hazards and difficult spots on the course that can bring double bogey into play in a hurry. The Bermudagrass greens are perfectly manicured, and the course has spent millions on the sub-air system to keep the greens rolling fast. I spoke to Asian Tour player, Travis Smyth, who described the greens as “the best [he’s] ever played.”

Davis Love III, who competed in a Singapore Open in 2019, also gushed over the condition of the golf course.

“I love the greens. They are fabulous,” the 21-time PGA Tour winner said.

Love III also spoke about other aspects of the golf course.

“The greens are great; the fairways are perfect. It is a wonderful course, and it’s tricky off the tee.”

“It’s a long golf course, and you get some long iron shots. It takes somebody hitting it great to hit every green even though they are big.”

As Love III said, the course can be difficult off the tee due to the length of the course and the trouble looming around every corner. It will take a terrific ball striking week to win at Sentosa Golf Club.

In his pre-tournament press conference last season, Phil Mickelson echoed many of the same sentiments.

“To play Sentosa effectively, you’re going to have a lot of shots from 160 to 210, a lot of full 6-, 7-, 8-iron shots, and you need to hit those really well and you need to drive the ball well.”

Golfers who excel from tee to green and can dial in their longer irons will have a massive advantage this week.

Stat Leaders at LIV Golf Adelaide:

Fairways Hit

1.) Louis Oosthuizen

2.) Anirban Lahiri

3.) Jon Rahm

4.) Brendan Steele

5.) Cameron Tringale

Greens in Regulation

1.) Brooks Koepka

2.) Brendan Steele

3.) Dean Burmester

4.) Cameron Tringale

5.) Anirban Lahiri

Birdies Made

1.) Brendan Steele

2.) Dean Burmester

3.) Thomas Pieters

4.) Patrick Reed

5.) Carlos Ortiz

LIV Golf Individual Standings:

1.) Joaquin Niemann

2.) Jon Rahm

3.) Dean Burmester

4.) Louis Oosthuizen

5.) Abraham Ancer

LIV Golf Team Standings:

1.) Crushers

2.) Legion XIII

3.) Torque

4.) Stinger GC

5.) Ripper GC

LIV Golf Singapore Picks

Sergio Garcia +3000 (DraftKings)

Sergio Garcia is no stranger to Sentosa Golf Club. The Spaniard won the Singapore Open in 2018 by five strokes and lost in a playoff at LIV Singapore last year to scorching hot Talor Gooch. Looking at the course setup, it’s no surprise that a player like Sergio has played incredible golf here. He’s long off the tee and is one of the better long iron players in the world when he’s in form. Garcia is also statistically a much better putter on Bermudagrass than he is on other putting surfaces. He’s putt extremely well on Sentosa’s incredibly pure green complexes.

This season, Garcia has two runner-up finishes, both of them being playoff losses. Both El Camaleon and Doral are courses he’s had success at in his career. The Spaniard is a player who plays well at his tracks, and Sentosa is one of them. I believe Sergio will get himself in the mix this week. Hopefully the third time is a charm in Singapore.

Paul Casey +3300 (FanDuel)

Paul Casey is in the midst of one of his best seasons in the five years or so. The results recently have been up and down, but he’s shown that when he’s on a golf course that suits his game, he’s amongst the contenders.

This season, Casey has finishes of T5 (LIV Las Vegas), T2 (LIV Hong Kong), and a 6th at the Singapore Classic on the DP World Tour. At his best, the Englishman is one of the best long iron players in the world, which makes him a strong fit for Sentosa. Despite being in poor form last season, he was able to fire a Sunday 63, which shows he can low here at the course.

It’s been three years since Casey has won a tournament (Omega Dubai Desert Classic in 2021), but he’s been one of the top players on LIV this season and I think he can get it done at some point this season.

Mito Pereira +5000 (Bet365)

Since Mito Pereira’s unfortunate demise at the 2022 PGA Championship, he’s been extremely inconsistent. However, over the past few months, the Chilean has played well on the International Series as well as his most recent LIV start. Mito finished 8th at LIV Adelaide, which was his best LIV finish this season.

Last year, Pereira finished 5th at LIV Singapore, shooting fantastic rounds of 67-66-66. It makes sense why Mito would like Sentosa, as preeminent ball strikers tend to rise to the challenge of the golf course. He’s a great long iron player who is long and straight off the tee.

Mito has some experience playing in Asia and is one of the most talented players on LIV who’s yet to get in the winner’s circle. I have questions about whether or not he can come through once in contention, but if he gets there, I’m happy to roll the dice.

Andy Ogletree +15000 (DraftKings)

Andy Ogletree is a player I expected to have a strong 2024 but struggled early in his first full season on LIV. After failing to crack the top-25 in any LIV event this year, the former U.S. Amateur champion finally figured things out, finished in a tie for 3rd at LIV Adelaide.

Ogletree should be incredible comfortable playing in Singapore. He won the International Series Qatar last year and finished T3 at the International Series Singapore. The 26-year-old was arguably the best player on the Asian Tour in 2023 and has been fantastic in the continent over the past 18 months.

If Ogletree has indeed found form, he looks to be an amazing value at triple-digit odds.

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