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I am in the market for a sandwedge.

what should i look for in a sand wedge? and how should i go about finding the right one?

One of the most versatile wedges out in the component market would be the Infiniti IP-3 wedges. It comes with medium bounce (which allows you to work it in dry and wet conditions), CNC milled face (Helps promote more spin), and weight transfer (to help eliminate the heavy head feel and vibration).

Infiniti IP-3

Quote for an email I received from Infiniti Golf.... but not just that, its something I agree with..

Christian,

I looked at the link you provided in the previous post, and I like the look of that wedge. I have a CG11 (see sig) at the moment, and I was wondering what you might recommend if I was to replace it. I'd go with the 56* but I have no idea on what shaft might be right. My CG11 has the standard steel shaft that Cleveland puts in it. It tends to have a very heavy feel to me, quite different from all my other clubs. My Cobras run in the D1 range for swingweight, and I'd like to try and match them as closely as possible. The shafts on my 3400's are the stock stiff graphite. By my measurement, standard length seems to be right for me.

Thanks for any assistance.


BTW, Looking forward to getting my hands on that Quadratic...

To the OP, no one can really tell you exactly what wedge is correct for you. It is oft repeated on this and every other golf forum, but you have to go out and hit different brands/kinds of wedges and find the one that you like the best.

As to what to look for in a SW, one of the main things that makes a sand wedge a sand wedge is the higher bounce. Bounce is the extra part of the club under the leading edge. It is there to help allow the club to glide just under the top layer of the sand, so that you can shoot the ball that is resting on the top of sand up and out of a bunker. Mainly, it is designed to help reduce the chances of digging too deep into the sand and thusly having to heave a huge amount sand to move the ball.

Bounce can be good and bad. Good obviously for sliding along the top layer of sand. Bad for trying to hit a ball off of a tight lie on some dirt -- that same extra mass on the clubhead will more easier skip off the dirt and increase the chances of fat shots.

In general, it is good to know what kind of ball striker you are, since people who swing down on the ball and take a large divot tend to find higher bounce clubs easier to use. People who are sweepers and hardly take much of a divot at all tend to like low bounce clubs, because it is easier to get the leading edge of the club under the ball with that swing. Some other differences: light fluffy sand is usually easier attacked with a higher bounce club; wet, compacted heavy sand is usually easier attacked with lower bounce clubs.

But, these are just generalities, you have to figure out which one is best for you -- and that can only really be done by testing them out.

Today, a lot of the clubmakers make the same degree wedge but with difference bounces. The manufacturers hope that you will buy all three flavors of each wedge (low, medium, and high bounce), so that you can customize your bag for course conditions each day. If you lots of extra money, I suppose that is one option. Or, you just can just vary the bounces of the different wedges in your bag.

Now that I've written a short novel on bounce, other things to consider are what loft you want, what kind of finish, etc. SWs can be found in most lofts between 58 to 54 degrees, with the traditional loft being the one in the middle at 56 degress. 58 degrees are for players who either want to carry a very high lob wedge at like 64 degrees, or no lob wedge (i.e. let the 58* do both jobs). 54 degree SWs are for people who do carry something like a 60* wedge, but don't want to carry both a SW and gap wedge between the 60* and their pitching wedge. I personally like carrying 60* LW, 56* SW, 51* gap wedge, and a 47* PW. But, opinions vary on this widely. Again, you have to find out what works for you.

Lastly, the finish on the wedges can be important. If you play a lot of early mornings in sunny weather, some chrom wedges have a knack for producing massive amount of glare. So, there are black or gunmetal finishes on wedges today. But, some of those finishes are designed to rust very quckly. Some players claim the rust improves the feel or spin -- but I am dubius about that. The rust does add a well-worn/well-used look, however. Again, this is up to you.

I hope that is enough to consider. Really, though, the best advice is to go to the proshop and demo a bunch of them. Chances are, you'll find one you really like.

Great post!! Very informative

I think BigNose touched on this, but also you need to consider the conditions you regularly play in, whether they are firm and fast conditions or slower and softer. The conditions will also help dictate how much bounce you want in your wedge.
Where I am, on the west coast of Canada, our spring and falls are quite wet, yielding some soggy, damp conditions. During these times I carry a 54* SW wit 14* bounce to help me combat the conditions. I also carry a lower bounce 58* LW for more delicate chips and flop shots around the greens.

i actually took at look at that infinity, and i seem to like it. christian, if you could hook me up, im going to purchase that wedge and a set of grips, that would be awesome.

i just got back from puetz golf, and they dont carry the infinity wedge, the titlelist spin milled wedge however did catch my eye. but i wasnt ready to pay the 110 dollar price tag right then especially when the infinity is available online.

how does the infinity compare to the titlelist?

and what would be an ideal setup for the infinity? im using nicklaus q4 irons with uniflex steel shafts. i am thinking the true temper regular flex?

The Titleist Vokey (mid bounce) is going to play very similar to the Infiniti IP-3's. They both offer great feel with minimal feedback and promote spin. The main difference would be that the IP-3's have some of the weight tranferred from the sole to raise the COG. This helps promote a mid launch with more spin that results in good checking power on the green.

The shaft I recommend with these wedges would be the Dynamic Gold's, Rifle Spinners, and the Femco Tour Stepless.

I like to recommend cutting the DG's and the Tour Stepless shaft to an eight iron (in the tip section) and then butt cut to length. What this does is help promote a mid launch and high spin (same as the IP-3 heads) and is very similar to what the Rifle Spinners are.

You will find that the Tour Stepless will have a more active tip and create more spin then the other two but I don't recommend this shaft unless you have a very smooth wedge swing since it won't be as stable (for aggressive swings) as the DG's or Rifle Spinners.

Don't forget that all Golf Rewind members get a %10 Discount by putting "GRW" in the coupon section of checkout. (I just noticed I didn't have this in my signature)


Let me know if you have any questions or need anything else.

If you want the swingweight to run around D1 then I would recommend you going with the Dynamic Gold Super Lite Shaft. It should bring you very close to this swingweight (depending on the grip) and then I can adjust from there. The good thing about the DGSL is that it has a very stable tip section for more control and it launches the ball mid/low which is very good for a wedge. Most golfers don't have a problem with the launch angle of a wedge (getting it up in the air) but if they can lower the launch and up the spin then they see more control in distance placement = Confidence.

Hope this helps and let me know if you have anymore questions.

Looking forward to the Quadratic Review.

ok, so i think im going to go with the dg regular flex, and can you explain a little bit more about cutting the shaft? i cant really grasp on to this information. will the lenghth of the club be the same as any other standard sandwedge? and i also have heard that straight taper grips help with chipping accuracy and such, can you elaborate on that? im ready to buy just need some affirmation on if im doing it right:

ip-3 56*
dg r300 r-flex
spine?( can you also elaborate on this, and whether you would reccomend it or not, i see that it has no price difference)
standard length
golf price multicompound or winn g8(which one will work better, my hands get kind of moist, and i do live in seattle.)

thanks.

edit: also, i aw the aw-grind wedge can you also explain that one?

Yes the wedge will be the same length as any other wedge (standard length). The reason for cutting the shaft is to make the tip more active and create a higher kick point on the shaft to offer more spin but a lower launch.

Are you asking about straighter taper grips or tips? The non taper grips are good for some golfers to keep a firm hold on the grip without squeezing too hard which causes loss of energy.

It is always good to spin a shaft. Every shaft has a weak point/strong point which can cause the shaft to oscillate in a circle instead of in a perfect back and forth motion. If you were to install the shaft without neutralizing the spin then you can cause the shaft to place side spine on the ball causing misdirection. By finding the spin and neutralizing it at the 12 o'clock position then you are allowing the shaft to bend freely back and forth which helps with consistancy.

Most companies will charge a fee for this but I want every golfer to hit the ball more consistantly so I have enabled this feature at no cost.

Both grips work well in wet conditions but some people say they have problems with the G8 when its wet outside so I would say that your safe bet is the Golf Pride Multicompound Decade. Its a great grip and I sell tons of them.

The AW-Grind is a great wedge for those looking for low bounce and more workability but it definitely isn't a wedge for everyone.... especially if you live in Seatle. I carry a lob wedge in the bag but only use it on rare occasions. The IP-3 is more of a versitale wedge that you can carry with you and play every single round.

I believe I got all the questions but if I missed something or if you have anymore questions I will be glad to answer.

Christian

nope, you have just about answered ALL of my questions, im just shopping around your site to see what else i need to get to total 100 for free shipping.

would you reccomend me getting a lob wedge? i am a mid-high handicapper, and i've never owned a lob wedge.

also, is there any way you can tell the shipper to hold the package at the station for pickup? my last package got stolen off of my front porch and i dont want that to to happen to my wedge.

and do i just mention the shaft cutting in the comments box? is there a specific name to this process?

Just mention that you want it cut "like a Spinner"

I can ship the box via USPS and make it "confirmation" so you have to sign for it or they will leave you a note to pick it up at the Post Office.

Having a Lob Wedge is really up to the golfers preference.... but I like having one around the green when I'm in thick rough and want to get some air and/or extra spin. I use my IP-3 LW for most of my chipping and my SW for 70-25 yards in. ... but this is really up to the golfer.

so do you think a lob wedge is worth learning to use?

I think any golfer should have/use a Lob Wedge at some point in time to learn the difference when chipping and figure out what works best for their game. I started using one early in my progress and find it very helpful on the course. That is just me... I know some golfers that use 7 irons for all of their chipping..... It really depends on each golfer and their preference.