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Cleveland's 588 Gunmetal Wedge - Stops, drops, and DOESN'T roll! |
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Saturday, 08 March 2008 |
 I decided I needed a pair of wedges in order to help my short game, rather than use my father's old Lob Wedge and the pitching wedge that was included with my set of Cleveland TA5 irons. Since I bought a set of Cleveland TA5 irons and loved them, I figured I would give Cleveland another shot with their wedges. Of course, Cleveland was founded as a wedge company and their wedges are the most popular on the PGA Tour. There had to be something good about them...
I purchased my 588 Gunmetal 53 degree wedge in normal flex from TGW.com for $120. In my first round with the new wedge, I saw an immediate improvement in my short game. I was able to use this 53 degree wedge from distances as long as 100 yds and as short as the fringe around the green. On longer shots, the ball flies very high, lands soft and obviously has a great deal of spin on it because it stops on the green. At most, it rolls one to two feet after landing. This allows me to gauge my distance and accuracy much better than my old clubs which would drop and roll usually off the other side of the green. The club's U-Grooves give the ball this much spin.
Also, with the improvement in my short game came more confidence, which I feel is extremely important for a golfer to have. If I know I can make a particular shot, then I will find myself thinking about it less, keep myself from trying too hard, and I shoot better scores thanks to the elimination of those two things.
As for technical specifications of the Cleveland 588 Gunmetal Wedges, this is straight from Cleveland's 2003 Equipment Brochure:
53 degree Gunmetal Wedge:
Lie: 64 degrees
Bounce: 8 degrees
Shaft Length: 35.25"
"Versatile around the greens due to classic shape, these wedges can be used for chip and run shots as well as long bunker shots."
I use this wedge for precisely the shots described in the brochure. I've also found that this club is great from shorter distances in which you desire a lower ball trajectory without having to hit a knockdown shot. This club is extremely versatile since it performs well in lower trajectory shots, but it will also hit the ball high if you open the face of the club slightly. This makes it great for maneuvering around obstacles such as trees, especially if you need to hit over or under them. |
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