Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2021 - 14

Larry's List
Wedge Issues
Don't overlook getting fit for wedges, as they
are your scoring clubs.
G
olfers occasionally take wedges for
granted. We don't hit them long distances,
they typically help get the ball in the air and
we can generally hit them online, so they aren't
often our main focus. But it's a mistake to overlook
wedges when configuring your set of 14
clubs.
" People kind of disregard wedges, " says Larry
Bobka, 2nd Swing master clubfitter. " They get
excited about finding a driver that goes 15
yards further, but if you look at ways to really
lower your golf scores, 120 yards in is going to
have the biggest effect. "
A couple key questions to answer when fitting
your set for wedges are how many and
which ones? Most irons sets include a pitching
wedge (PW) and a gap wedge (GW). Then
there's a sand wedge (SW) and an assortment
of lob wedge (LW) lofts to consider. Wedges
aren't distance clubs, but it's important to
choose wedges that fill your distance gaps. And
for many of us, that doesn't mean carrying a
64-degree wedge for a Phil Mickelson-like hero
flop.
" Butch Harmon once said, 'there should be
a law: If you can't hit a club farther than the
yardage of its loft then you shouldn't have it
in your bag,' " says Bobka. " So if you have a
60-degree wedge and you can't hit it 60 yards,
there should be a law that you can't carry it. "
Golfers find themselves in numerous situations
around the green (sand, deep rough, tight
lies, fringe and even shallow water), so versatility
is important in your wedge game. But Bobka
recommends carrying only three wedges: a PW
(loft: 43-46 degrees, that carries about 120-130
yards), a GW (loft: 48-52, 100-110 yards) and
a SW (loft: 54-56, about 80 yards) to reduce
the distance gaps between clubs to about 10-15
* BY JOSEPH OBERLE *
PW-Ping i500
" For user-friendly game
improvement wedges,
Ping does an outstanding
job. "
yards. The rest of the necessary yardages or
shots come from practice.
" Tiger Woods said to me, 'I want to show
you the 27 different shots I have from 60
yards,' " Bobka says. " Because he could hit nine
shots with a PW, nine with his 56 and nine with
his 60-degree wedge. How many people have
27 shots from 60 yards? How many have three?
That's the level these guys reach in their short
game practice. "
Bobka takes a client through a series of hitting
different wedges to watch their angle of
attack with the clubs but stresses that choosing
a ball and playing it consistently is crucial to
determining distances and shot-making with
each club.
" It's your feel, your spin, your trajectory, "
he says. " Most people create their ball combo
off their driver for distance. PGA Tour players
pick their golf ball based off the ball that they
can control with their irons and wedges and
feels good around the greens. Then they find a
driver that maxes out that golf ball. "
Bobka also advises amateurs to get the right
shaft flex for their swing and to find club heads
with plenty of bounce. He listens for the sound
of solid contact to determine the best fit.
" You have to get comfortable with yardages,
ball flight, the performance of your golf ball/
wedge combination, " Bobka says. " That's where
you're going to get confidence and hit better
golf shots. "
Larry Bobka is a master clubfitter at 2nd Swing
in Minnetonka. He has 44 years of experience as
a clubmaker, clubfitter and short game instructor
for pros including Tim Herron and Tiger Woods.
LW-Callaway JAWS
MD5 Platinum Chrome
" For creativity and
great options in highlofted
wedges. "
GW-Mizuno JPX 921
Hot Metal
" Mizuno is very underrated.
People think
they make great irons,
but they make great
wedges, too. "
SW-Vokey SM8
" Bounce is your friend.
Opt for the higher
bounce, more sole
wedges. "
14
MINNESOTAGOLFER Summer 2021
mngolf.org
http://www.mngolf.org
Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2021

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