I dont know why you would necesarrily have a 50, when the standard pitching wedge is 48 degrees. So, the switch to the 52 makes a lot of sense to me. The 58 and 60 is a toss up. I have one of each personally, but I have different bounces on them depending on the turf conditions...

Hi Brian

Oh yes, the modern classic what wedges to use problem.

No matter how many wedges you carry, somewhere along the line you have to have a club that you use to vary distance(or possibly due to modern teaching, more than 1 club to vary distance).

The modern approach to short game is a mechanical approach, where you have 3-4 wedges with 3-4 partial swings then you match the wedge and swing to the distance you have.  Of course the more wedges you carry means you have less long clubs.

The old way, mainly because they didn't have gap, lob, flop wedges, was use PW down to the green then use SW for all shots around the green. This is known as the feel approach, sometimes it is better than the mechanical approach, and sometimes it is not. Feel comes and goes, with good mechanics the mechanical approach is always good. It doesn't matter if you have the feel or not.

Some people can't go out and use 1 club over a large distance gap, some people can't go out and make a repeatable 1/4 swing. So a lot depends on the persons ability.

I use a combination of the 2. I use PW and LW, LW is short game strokes and sand only, never more than 20 yards to my landing area, PW for everything else. But I have 1 partial swing with PW that I can repeat, this swing gives me 80y. I can add some to this swing and get up to 100y. After 100y it feels like I'm letting off a full swing instead of adding to the partial swing. I don't like to feel like I'm letting off a swing.

So my game plan is use a variety of full swing long clubs to get me to 80-100y, or greater than 120. I would rather be 150y instead of 50y.

So my wedge makeup matches my game plan. My game plan matches my abilities, I don't have the ability to vary distance accurately, and I can't do the 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 swing, I can do 1 partial swing with my PW. My short game stroke is 90% wrists, very easy to feel distance. I'm also NOT a long ball hitter.

What is your game plan?

I get asked sometimes why I only carry two wedges.  Not exactly sure when it started or an explanation for the person asking. I have always had a 53 (now 54 Vokey) and 60 degree.  Playing for around 16 years, around a 4 handicap.  Just learned to hit all of my shots under 120 yards with those two sticks.  Mainly the 60 is sand only.  Chipping has always been a sand wedge.  Dad fussed all the time about using it..."Use a 7 or 8 iron son!"  I have definitely perfected the two skip and stop shot.  Guess at 33 years old, I'm considered old school.  Driver, irons and putter are 8 years.  3W and wedges are new at 1 year.  

Two wedge setup works for me.  John H... making my head spin!

I use a 252-08 SM (bent to 53) and a 258-08 (bent to 59) as my wedge setup. The distances work well for me combined with the PW at 48.

The more shots that you can put into your short game arsenal, in my opinion, is a huge bonus. As for myself, I use a 56* and a 60*. Depending on the tournament/course, I'll carry up to 4 wedges. However, I love to open/close my PW and 56* to use for my gaps.

Play with what works best for YOU and YOUR game. Have to considered getting fitted? They could help you pick out the clubs that would work best.

Love to get fitted and get a new set of irons and driver.  Problem is cash.. job hunting for almost 18 months.  Love for a Sweepstakes to come up for a whole new bag, I'll pay for the flight for that!

I carry all Vokeys, 52,56,60  they fill my gaps perfectly.   I have 14 clubs in the bag always.

I have a 54 and a 58 that  I rarely use.  

I currently also use a 52, 56, and 60 degree. Growing up i always heard from my dad.."use a 8 iron and bump that shot!" I have definitely perfected the bump shot with my 52, which i can also hit as a 120 yard approach club. This set up works well for me!

I use a 54* and 60* that I've been using for about 2 years now. I had only the 54* for years, and I learned to be creative and learned how to hit almost every shot with that club; however, I use the 60* for tighter pins inside of 60 yards, but I rarely swing full with it. I'd much rather flight an abbreviated shot with the 54* for anything between 60 and 90 yards, as well as anything with a more open approach to the pin. A full shot with the 54* is something closer to 100-105.

I like the idea of having a 3 wedge system (including PW). I carry 2009 Vokey Spin Milled 48-06, 54-11, and 60-04. Six degrees of separation between wedges, and it gives me yardage gaps of about 20 yards. I feel like I have a strong wedge game, and I am especially good at distance control on partial swings, so I don't need to carry 4 wedges. I just think that with 4 wedges, the playing characteristics of the wedges are a bit too similar (48 performs much like a 52, and 56 can easily play like a 60, but can also play like a 52). I think with my 48, 54, 60 set-up, my 48 is a low shot that I can skip-and-stop; 54 is in the middle and I can play any shot - high, low, mid; and 60 is a high, soft shot. I've known people who have used the 4 wedge system, but had the exact same issue as you do - they usually only use 2 of the wedges (usually 56 and 60), and the 52 was reserved for full shots. Another reason I favour the 3 wedge system is it lets me add another long club, which I can use off the tee (I'm a fairly long hitter - driver about 295) so I don't need to hit driver all day.

I think 52 and 58 will suit you just fine. It will take a bit to adjust, but in the end I think you will be happy you made the switch.

I was confused when I purchased my AP1’s.  They came with a 45 deg PW and a 50 deg W.  I kept my 52, 56 in the bag and discovered that I with a full swing, I have a nice 10 yard gap between each club.  I figured the 50 and 52 were going to produce almost the same distance but the AP1 and Vokey are two animals.  My current set up is 45, 50, 52, 56.

I think that you should consider a 53 and 59 (just bend the wedges). I had a 52 and 58 and had them bent and I love them. Pitching wedges are usually 47 degrees. I believe that (roughly) 2 degrees=5 yards so there should be maybe a 15 yard gap between your pitching wedge and 53, and probably about 20 yards between your 53 and 59 (lob to sand is usually a little more of a gap).

Thanks to everyones responses, after playing a bunch of rounds using different combiantions of wedges I decided to go ahead and get the 52* and 58*. I just picked them up this past weekend. Vokey Spin Milled with the Tour finish. Basically I came to the conclusion that between my 45* PW and a 52* wedge I could handle anything 120 yards and in. THe 58* degree wedge is pretty much for flopping over trees and getting myself out of trouble, or when I just feel like getting fancy. Thanks for the input again. Now its time to pick up a 910D2. Bag conversion to Titleist almost complete!

I just got fitted recently and figured out that with a new fairway wood, I could replace my 4 iron and a hybrid.  The loss of the 4 iron means I can add a 60*.

I've always rocked a 52, and a 56.  I love my 56, and pretty much use it exclusively from 75 yards and in.  The 60 just gives me more shot options.

You may want to give just a 54 and 58 a try.