With the big spring meetings and summer competitions fast approaching (maybe you've already had a couple), we're dedicating this week's equipment debrief to the 'scoring clubs', the clubs that will have such a big say in the number you post this weekend.
It can be a bit of a puzzle. How many woods, irons and utility clubs should you carry at the top end of your bag, and how many wedges at the bottom end?
In the video below, Golf Monthly editor Neil Tappin takes a deeper dive into the key factors to consider when you put your line-up of 14 clubs together.
We’re frequently told how your wedges are your ‘scoring clubs’, so does this mean you should carry half a dozen of them? Of course not.
It’s important to note that what works for one player might not be the best option for another. To put it another way, a three-wedge set-up might be suitable for one player, but not for another.
Sometimes, two wedges might give a player all the options they need, allowing for a couple of extra clubs at the top end of the bag.
What about on tour? How many wedges do the world’s best players carry? Surely that’s a good place to start…
Tour players will sometimes tweak their line-ups to suit the length of the course they are playing and the grass type.
They're also very particular with how their most used wedge interacts with the ground, which is why there are lots of custom grind models on tour.
However, most players prefer to keep things consistent at the bottom end of the bag, which means pretty much sticking to the same wedge line-up from week to week.
If you’re wondering how many specialist wedges the best players in the world carry (excluding a standard pitching wedge if they have one), here’s a quick look at what the current top 10* have in their bags...
Player |
No. of Wedges |
Configuration |
|---|---|---|
Scottie Scheffler |
3 (Titleist Vokey SM8 & SM9) |
50° (12F), 56° (14F @ 55°), 60° (60T) |
Rory McIlroy |
4 (TaylorMade MG5) |
46° (09SB), 50° (09SB), 54° (11SB), 60° (08LB) |
Matt Fitzpatrick |
4 (Titleist Vokey SM10) |
48° (10F), 52° (12F @ 52.5°), 56° (08M), 60° (08M @ 61.5°) |
Cameron Young |
4 (Titleist Vokey SM11, Wedgeworks) |
48° (10F), 52° (12F), 56° (14F), 60° (K*) |
Justin Rose |
3 (Titleist Vokey SM10, Cleveland RTZ Tour Rack) |
52° (08F), 56° (08M), 60° |
Collin Morikawa |
3 (TaylorMade MG5) |
50° (09SB), 56° (08LB), 60° |
Tommy Fleetwood |
3 (TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe 3, Proto) |
52° (09), 56° (12), 60° (10) |
Russell Henley |
4 (Titleist Vokey SM11) |
48° (10F @ 47°), 50° (08F @ 51°), 54° (10S), 60° (04T) |
Xander Schauffele |
3 (Callaway Opus SP, Titleist Vokey SM10, Wedgeworks) |
52° (10S), 56° (10 @ 57°), 60° (K @ 61°) |
J.J. Spaun |
3 (Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore, Cleveland RTZ Tour Rack) |
50°, 54° (FULL), 60° (LOW) |
* Through the RBC Heritage
The answer, then, would be three or four wedges - and note the consistency with nice even lofts between the wedges, all dialled in to cover off preferred types of shot and different yardages from pitching range.
Maybe it's time you went for a wedge fitting, which is exactly what our resident PGA professional Joe Ferguson did not too long ago.
"The whole experience was fantastic from start to finish, and I was shocked by the difference the various grinds and bounces made to not only the turf interaction but also the ball flight too," said Joe.
"The idea to have two lob wedges in my arsenal with differing bounce and grinds to best match course conditions was a stroke of genius, and one I have subsequently noticed is employed by many professionals across the major tours.
At the very least, we hope this encourages you to review the bottom end of your bag and question whether your wedge set-up is maximising your scoring potential.
