Today I want to do something different and take a look at the clubs of THE PLAYERS winner -- specifically, I was interested in Rickie's wedge setup. Rickie has long considered his wedge play the strongest part of his game. It's hard to argue that, especially after he birdied the 17th a mere five times last week. (And one par. We don't want to forget that.)
Fortunately Golf Digest posted that info on Monday. (They give the entire setup in the article, not just the wedges.) And as it turns out, Rickie has changed his wedge setup this year.
No doubt maximum of you realize that a 4-wedge setup is one of the maximum commonplace on Tour in recent times. That commonly consists of a 60-degree lob, fifty six diploma sand, 52-diploma gap, and 48-degree pitching wedge. You've also no doubt been advised that those 4-diploma gaps are the excellent manner to head.
Rickie best consists of three wedges. The article mentions the pitching wedge and lob wedge, so I'm assuming the 3rd wedge became a sand wedge as opposed to an opening wedge. (The distinction, of route, will be the heavier sole on a sand wedge.) And the article says that Rickie's pitching wedge at the start had 47 levels -- which in all fairness trendy -- and his lob wedge had 62 stages, apparently as a compromise between a everyday lob wedge and a 64-degree wedge. That's the only he's so lethal with.
Clearly Rickie had greater than four degrees between his wedges! A fifty five-diploma sand wedge could have in shape there nicely, giving him roughly 8 stages between every wedge -- two times the advocated quantity.
In the new setup that he changed to simply earlier than the Masters he went to a 51-57-sixty two spread. That manner he kept the lob wedge which he definitely uses very well at the same time as making it easier to get greater top with every of the opposite two wedges. Yes, he lost distance by way of going from the forty seven-diploma pitching wedge to the fifty one however distance does not seem to be a trouble for Rickie. Wedges are for accuracy, in any case. He can hit a knockdown nine-iron if he desires extra distance than the pitching wedge provides.
He still has around 6 degrees between each wedge, not 4 degrees, and that's what I want to bring to your attention. Your wedge setup should fit the way you play best, not a formula designed by someone else. And if you have a specific wedge you hit better than the rest, don't change it! Adapt your setup around it.
It's just common feel and it works for Rickie. It can be just right for you as well.
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