Why do we need three wedges?

Shouldn't we learn to be more versatile with our clubs?

Bob Warters's picture
Mon, 6 Jan 2003
Why do we need three wedges?
Why do we need three wedges?
Three-wedge pros.

Following the Forum thread posted by Roland Olliff, I have to admit there is a lot of hype surrounding the wedge business, aimed at our collective level of handicap golf.

I think it was Jarmo Sandelin who first introduced the idea of carrying four wedges in his bag - but he's always been Mr Different. Most pros carry at least three wedges these days but spend at least 3-4 hours a day practising so would tend to know the subtle differences in flight, yardage and spin because their livelihood depends on it.

Having played with a few pros, I have always admired their abilities with the lob wedge for full shots from around 60-90 yards. They can nip the ball off surfaces (usually perfect) and get it to dance and almost talk when it lands. They expect to get up and down from those distances and are disappointed when they don’t.

But if you examine the faces of their wedges they are all well worn – even the lob wedges, which during our round would rarely be pulled out more than six or seven times, let alone receive much practice wear.

Glenn Davies, the experienced pro at my former club Burghley Park, used to (and probably still does) take his young assistants out on the course for nine holes insisting they carry just 7-iron and putter to teach them how to play a range of shots with this medium-lofted iron.

Even though, thanks to their contacts in the golf trade, the youngsters could play with any club they wanted, he felt it was important for them to learn a wide range of shots with one club so that they could pass on their skills to their pupils who maybe couldn’t afford a full set of irons and wedges. They rarely returned over par.

Why do we need three wedges?
Pros spend hours practising

I’d like to see more one, two or three-club competitions run at club level.

It would be difficult to handicap, and perhaps it would favour the lower handicappers with more experience of technique in order play a wider range of shots but that would be no bad thing as they are regularly complaining that competitions tend to suit the higher handicapper.

And, besides, merely taking part would give every competitor an insight into the versatility of golf clubs and variety of skills needed to make a score.

By using less clubs it would also make the game more affordable for those who feel golf is still too expensive.

Last year I called for the limit on clubs you can carry (14) to be lifted and I stand be that assertion. But wouldn’t it be exciting if the next sponsor who came into golf at club level insisted that only one or two clubs (and a putter) must be used in their competition?

It would generate a host of stories of how miraculous shots were played with generally ill-suited clubs and I have no doubt it would up the skill levels of all those taking part.

Not only that but all kinds of hazards, not usually in play, would affect everyone’s round. The scores might be higher but as a talking point such competitions would attract more interest than your run-of-the-mill medal or stableford.

Roland infers he’s getting more frustrated by the fashion of carrying a wedge for every occasion. I agree. We can only improve our shot-making by getting our existing clubs to be more versatile – chipping with a 4-iron or 3-wood and hitting pitch-and-runs from 40 yards with a 7-iron.

Our improved short-game skills would surely send our handicaps tumbling.

Meanwhile the courier has just called to deliver a new Titleist Vokey Oil Can wedge to test. Perhaps I should send it straight back!