AskMyGolfSpy Vol. 30

This is our 30th edition of #AskMyGolfSpy. That feels like some sort of milestone.

Anyway, AskMyGolfSpy is an opportunity to submit questions to our experts here at MGS. You can pass along your questions to the team on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or right here in the comments section below!

Q: At what stage in your golf game should you start considering being fit for clubs? -FishookTX

As soon as one decides golf is worth pursuing with any regularity, it makes sense to get fitted. I understand basic arguments around being too inconsistent but it’s important to recognize that one of the goals of club fitting should be to deliver more consistent results.

I’m not suggesting new golfers should blow $350 on a Ventus upgrade but really basic stuff like dialing in the appropriate length, lie angles and shaft weight can lead to improvement.

Q: There is a recent claim by a Twitter person (highly respected coach) that face flex irons are bad for your consistency if your 7i club speed is over 75mph. Do you believe there is any truth to that? – LesStotler

I saw the tweet and I think I understand the larger point he was trying to make. My interpretation is that higher speed players don’t need to chase distance with their irons but instead should focus more on control (which is often a byproduct of spin).

That’s solid advice. The longest irons in Most Wanted testing aren’t typically among the best-performing overall. That’s because, for many golfers, they don’t fly high enough or spin nearly enough.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s a universal truth but speed-focused irons can sometimes have hot spots (inconsistency). On top of that, it’s not any secret that a good bit of the added distance comes by way of stronger lofts and a lower-spinning ball flight (less control).

With Twitter, it’s not always easy to add all the requisite context and disclaimers. So, yeah, in broad strokes I think it’s good advice but it’s also important to note that, for some higher spin golfers, stronger lofts can work to keep the ball from flying too high while keeping spin within the ideal range.

Q: (What’s the) best golf ball under $25? -Paul Koehorst

It’s definitely not the Spalding SD Tour, I can tell you that much.

At the $25 price point, there aren’t a ton of options I like. Spend a bit more and you’re getting into a place where you can take advantage of bulk pricing on most DTC brands.

If you’re absolutely committed to 1) buying new and 2) spending less than $25, the Kirkland is OK, albeit with the caveats that it’s super spinny and abysmal in the wind.

Q: (What’s the) best grind on wedges? -thehawkinslife

This is a bit like asking what kind of bear is best.

The correct answer is Vokey T grind in Slate Blue (Corey!).

Next question.

I’m kidding (or am I?).

The best grind is the one that’s going to allow you to consistently hit the shots you need to hit. With that in mind, what we’re really talking about is a mix of grinds that give you versatility to play shots from a variety of conditions.

I touched on this a bit in my recently published wedge fitting guide.

Q: Why is 4-degree wedge gapping the norm when lofts are getting strong? I’m 45, 49, 54, 60 – mark_reckling

I also touched on this in my wedge fitting guide but I think it comes down to habit. As irons have gotten stronger, there’s an easy case to be made that wedge selection should follow suit (to a point).

Unfortunately, when it comes to wedges, many golfers still buy what they’ve always bought. I wouldn’t be even a little surprised to learn that there are more than a few golfers who jump from a 43-degree pitching wedge to a 52-degree gap wedge.

Perhaps golfers are getting smarter, given that sales of 50-degree wedges are starting to overtake 52s.

For slower swing speed players, it’s not uncommon to see gaps as wide as six degrees. Faster players may need to maintain narrower gaps in the scoring clubs which can create unwanted gaps elsewhere in the bag.

Case in point: I recently put a new set of irons in the bag. Despite identical lofts to what I was playing, they’re inarguably longer, so now I need to sort out the 20-yard gap between my 9-iron and specialty pitching wedge.

Q: (What’s the) best budget wedge set? – golf_supply

I’m not a big fan of the concept of a set of wedges. This is also discussed in my wedge fitting guide. Every wedge should have a specific purpose and very likely your ideal lob wedge is going to be quite a bit different (bounce, grind, etc.) from your ideal gap and even your ideal sand wedge.

When sold in threes, wedge sets can be a bit more copy-and-paste than they should be.

Normally, this is the part where I’d recommend budget-minded golfers check out the used rack but with wedges I’m not sure I’d take the risk with groove wear.

It’s probably not what you want to hear but I’d look for prior-generation stuff from an inexpensive brand (Cleveland tends to be a bit lower-priced than its competitors). That should save you some money while still providing more options than you’d get from buying three wedges in a set.

All of that said, it looks like new Kirkland Signature Wedges are on the way. I can’t promise they’ll be awesome, but I can pretty much guarantee they’ll be cheap.

Q: (What are the) pros and cons of a 7-wood vs. a 4 iron? I recently put a 7W in the bag and I’m thinking about a 9W – Barnetty333

This isn’t something I discussed in my recently published wedge fitting guide (Ok, I’ll stop now) but …

The 7-wood is going to be more forgiving and, I’d argue, generally easy to hit. I’ve fallen in love with the 7-wood because it gets up in the air easily and flies straight. It’s not a club that often suffers from the big miss.

Conversely, the 4-iron is going to be less forgiving and it’s going to fly lower. For many, it will also be more prone to the big miss.

If there’s an advantage to the 4-iron is that’s going to be more workable. That’s true whether you’re trying to shape shots into a green or hit a low hook around a tree because your driver sucks!

The 4-iron also has an advantage in the wind. It’s also more easily delofted to keep the ball down. The 7-wood wants to fly high and, with that, it’s more difficult to keep it low.

Will you answer this question? -DetFanUK

Yes.

Q: How would you stop slow play? Seems the authorities don’t want to grasp the nettle -leedsbeerdoctor

It starts with a shot clock. After that, forget about the PGA TOUR enforcing it or doling out anything more than super top-secret fines behind closed doors.

It’s all lip service.

Instead, every player in the field should be forced to wear electrodes. Give control of the buzzers to spectators or, hell, it’s the internet age—let fans play at home.

When the clock expires, the buzzers become active. Light these tortoises up a time or two and I bet the slow play problem goes away.

Q: Have you done a review on the PXG 311 Gen 6 irons yet? Just got fitted for some. – ChuckMelton

We haven’t. The GEN6 lineup came out too late for inclusion in our first couple of iron tests but the GEN6 XPs will be in the players distance test.

I have the GEN6 P in the bag (subject to change without notice) and, while I’m still holding out hope for a GEN6 T (c’mon, Brad!), what I’ve seen on the course so far is intriguing.

They’re nearly a full club longer than my Ts and I’m still getting enough spin where control isn’t really a concern. The 20-yard gap between my 9-iron and my PW is problematic (frankly, it sucks) but the extra distance without longer shafts or stronger lofts (my Ts are bent to P specifications) isn’t terrible.

We’ll likely have a full We Tried It review of the PXG GEN6 P before too long.