Alien wedge -- I *hate* it!
Eric Hall
I don't normally have problems in sand; I just aim the ole pitching
wedge behind the ball and power it out. Not very graceful, but it works.
I did have trouble with lip shots however, where the ball was right next
to the deep slope, and there was no way out except sideways.
I went and bought an Alien sand wedge just for these shots, and man do I
ever hate this club. It's heavy, swings like a brick, and is useless for
anything but shots that need to go vertical. Even then, it doesn't seem
to work in the sand any better than my old Ping PW.
Anybody else have any better luck with theirs, or were we all rooked by
the looks of this club?
Jerome O'Neil
Eric Hall wrote:
> Anybody else have any better luck with theirs, or were we all rooked by
> the looks of this club?
I have never played one, but last week I played with a guy who does. We
were at 12 at the West Seattle GC (great muni, BTW) that has a green
that sets way up (20 ft or so) on a steep (tough to walk it) slope.
This guy had a super steep uphill lie on the side of the green, in deep
rough, next to the jungle that I didn't think he could make. Next thing
I know the ball comes alost straight up, lands on the green, hits the
pin, and leaves a two footer for bird. Great shot. He looks at me,
smiles and says "Ailien Wedge."
So I'm thinking, "I'll have to get me one of those."
Jerome
Belinda J. Kendle
Eric Hall wrote:
>
> I don't normally have problems in sand; I just aim the ole pitching
> wedge behind the ball and power it out. Not very graceful, but it works.
> I did have trouble with lip shots however, where the ball was right next
> to the deep slope, and there was no way out except sideways.
>
> I went and bought an Alien sand wedge just for these shots, and man do I
> ever hate this club. It's heavy, swings like a brick, and is useless for
> anything but shots that need to go vertical. Even then, it doesn't seem
> to work in the sand any better than my old Ping PW.
>
> the looks of this club?
I'm at the other end....I love my alien. I use it to get out of the sand
and tall grass, it just cuts through really easily, and I use it for
shot chips around the green. If took me awhile to learn to use it
because my hands had to be way in front of the ball. As far as the ball
being close to the edge of the lip of the bunker I open the face alittle
and muscle it out. But don't get me wrong it doesn't work every time I
have bladed the ball with it whenever I forget to place my hands forward.
Golf sometimes makes me go brain dead and I forget evrything!!
belinda
cupertino, ca
Golfer
I build anm ACCLAIM look-a-like. I find it to be very good out
of bunkers "with" sand and heavy rough. It is not good
from bunkers with thin or heavy/wet sand. It is also not good
from the fairway as with a standard sand wedge. Probably because
of the rounded leading edge.
Examine the bunkers at the courses you play the most!
gol...@wwnet.com
In article <326704...@nwc.com>, eh...@nwc.com says...
Geopro
Eric Hall wrote:
> Anybody else have any better luck with theirs, or were we all rooked by
> the looks of this club?
Had one. Worked great from most sand lies, but it turned into a "sand
Only" club for me. I could not hit it from the rough etc. as claimed.
When I mis-hit the club (often) it was truly ugly, doing a "cruise
missle" imitation that was really a scare for the folks over on the next
fairway (where the shot would end up).
So what I did was get out my old Cougar sand wedge, went to the practice
area, and worked on sand shots until I could get out of most lies. I am
abou8t 95% first shot out from all but the most impossible lies and I
have my old S-wedge back in the bag. I it use from the sand and anything
from 90 yards in.
Anybody want to buy a used Alien??
--
Bill Malvey
Aliso Viejo, California
"Of course that's just my opinion, I could be wrong."
Karin L. Smail
Jerome O'Neil wrote:
>
> Eric Hall wrote:
>
> > Anybody else have any better luck with theirs, or were we all rooked by
> > the looks of this club?
>
> were at 12 at the West Seattle GC (great muni, BTW) that has a green
> that sets way up (20 ft or so) on a steep (tough to walk it) slope.
> This guy had a super steep uphill lie on the side of the green, in deep
> rough, next to the jungle that I didn't think he could make. Next thing
> I know the ball comes alost straight up, lands on the green, hits the
> pin, and leaves a two footer for bird. Great shot. He looks at me,
> smiles and says "Ailien Wedge."
>
> So I'm thinking, "I'll have to get me one of those."
>
> Jerome
I love my Alien wedge. I played Laguna Seca yesterday, and got up and
down from ac ouple of monster-lipped bunkers without a problem. I also
used it three times when I was within 25 feet of the green, and left all
three shots within 5 feet. It takes some getting used to, but the club
does what it's advertized to do, in my opinion.
Karin
Peter McNeil
"Belinda J. Kendle" <belinda...@hp.com> wrote:
>Eric Hall wrote:
>>
>> I don't normally have problems in sand; I just aim the ole pitching
>> wedge behind the ball and power it out. Not very graceful, but it works.
>> I did have trouble with lip shots however, where the ball was right next
>> to the deep slope, and there was no way out except sideways.
>>
On these type of bunker shots keep your shoulders level, hit about 2
inches behind the ball and bury the head in the sand, don't try to
follow-through UP the slope or you will fall back into the bunker and
top the ball.
P.McNe...@durhamnews.net
Teaching Professional
Kevin Martin
I use an Alien Midwedge and I love it. I use it from about 70 yards
and in and find it to be the easiest wedge I've ever used. I also use
it as my Sand Wedge and I've chipped in twice from the sand this year
with it and within a foot about 6 other times. Wouldn't give it up fo
the world.
Kevin Martin
Noah Stefanec
I got an Alien Wedge in June and I don't like it much either. It blades out of t
he sand and it doesn't hit well out of rough. Overall, it was a waste of $99.
Mike Peacock
I have an alien wedge and I really like it, especially out of the sand
and in heavy rough. I am no instructor, but if you try to pick the
ball clean with this club, you will definitely blade it and hit a
screamer low and sizzling. You must aim for a point about 1-2 inches
behind your ball and always follow through with a normal swing. Also,
you do not set up as you normally would with a sand wedge from the
bunker, it basically is a normal swing. Just remember always try to
strike about 1-2 inches behind the ball and follow through. You can
be deadly with this club if you practice.
Mike
Columbus, GA
Jehns
Yeh, and I have a wonderful Nuclear Power Plant to sell you in
Chernobil. I call it the Alien Power Plant and it is endorsed by old
bankrupt professional physicists wearing orange hats.
Jehns Jojander
Geopro <geo...@pacbell.net> wrote:
>Eric Hall wrote:
>> Anybody else have any better luck with theirs, or were we all rooked by
>> the looks of this club?
>Had one. Worked great from most sand lies, but it turned into a "sand
M Jason Moore
IMHO, anything that can be done with an Alien Wedge, can be done with a
combination of a pitching, sand and lob wedge. All it takes is a bit of
instruction and a lot of practice, something we could all use more of.
I would never use one, but I would never begrudge anyone trying to improve
their game in any way they can within the rules. Golf is a game of feel and
trust, and if you feel good with and trust swinging a particular club, then
go with it. I'll have to try and beat you with the clubs I feel good with
and trust in my bag.
J.
It's not how you get there, it's how you arrive that matters.
Jeff
In article <326704...@nwc.com>, eh...@nwc.com wrote:
>I don't normally have problems in sand; I just aim the ole pitching
>wedge behind the ball and power it out. Not very graceful, but it works.
>I did have trouble with lip shots however, where the ball was right next
>to the deep slope, and there was no way out except sideways.
>
>ever hate this club. It's heavy, swings like a brick, and is useless for
>anything but shots that need to go vertical. Even then, it doesn't seem
>to work in the sand any better than my old Ping PW.
>
>the looks of this club?
Man, I know how you feel. My stepfather has the Alien and let me take it out
a few times and I couldn't do anything with it. Then I shot a few rounds with
him and it was like watching the infomercial. He was deadly within 30 yards!
He can make that club do anything! Don't get me wrong, he's not that much
better than me overall but I think that this club can really help your game
with practice. I plan to spend some time this winter with it.
Jeff
JB
In article 4...@ppp54.anet-chi.com, kev...@crt.com (Kevin Martin) writes:
>I use an Alien Midwedge and I love it. I use it from about 70 yards
>and in and find it to be the easiest wedge I've ever used. I also use
>it as my Sand Wedge and I've chipped in twice from the sand this year
>with it and within a foot about 6 other times. Wouldn't give it up fo
>the world.
>
>Kevin Martin
I demo'd the Alien wedge, but all I got was line drives ending up way past
the green. The same thing happened in the store when I hit off the mat.
I must not be using it correctly, (I tried my normal swing, and when that
didn't work, I tried other things ...).
I know many people are happy with it - what's the secret?
Barry Wise
> I demo'd the Alien wedge, but all I got was line drives ending up way past
> the green. The same thing happened in the store when I hit off the mat.
> I must not be using it correctly, (I tried my normal swing, and when that
> didn't work, I tried other things ...).
>
> I know many people are happy with it - what's the secret?
According to the video that came with mine, the secret is to square your
stance, put the ball in the middle of your stance and close the face of
the club. If you try to hit it like you would a normal sand wedge it
will wind up in the next county.
Thomas Dalzell
>IMHO, anything that can be done with an Alien Wedge, can be done with a
>combination of a pitching, sand and lob wedge. All it takes is a bit of
>instruction and a lot of practice, something we could all use more of.
The above might seem like missing the point, since it is precisely a shortcut
that most people are looking for. But I agree. The problem is that the Alien
is a jigged 60 deg wedge. This means that it will only be easier to use
from lies which accomodate a big flange, and in any situation in which that
loft and a regular swing are the right thing. Even carrying three wedges,
however, the short game requires an ability to hit many different yardages,
and one way this is done is by dialling in loft with the wedges, as well as by
having a few basic swing lengths, which are repeatable. The only way arround
this with the alien, whose flange restricts laying it off, is to hit different
swings for each yardage, a thing which is universally reguarded as the hard
way, or to accept a much larger target, which catches one out for putting. No
free lunch.
Thomas
Dave Tutelman
In article <55300h$d...@splat.micro.ti.com>,
JB <jo...@wotangate.sc.ti.com> wrote:
>In article 4...@ppp54.anet-chi.com, kev...@crt.com (Kevin Martin) writes:
>>I use an Alien Midwedge and I love it. I use it from about 70 yards
>>and in and find it to be the easiest wedge I've ever used. I also use
>
>I demo'd the Alien wedge, but all I got was line drives ending up way past
>I know many people are happy with it - what's the secret?
The secret, as is true of other "magic" clubs, is that there is no magic,
but there IS a club well fitted to your game and frame. Most of the "magic"
clubs on the market will fit SOMEBODY'S game and frame, and that success
will add to the "legend".
As Thomas Dalzell already said in his "no free lunch" post, the "magic" of
the Alien is a very tall loft and a huge flange. This will get you out of
soft sand very nicely. You don't even have to open the face; the loft and
bounce are already there. In fact, if you DO open the face, the increased
loft and bounce will usually hurt. OTOH, it's not a "wedge for all seasons"
unless you have a very special swing that wants a high loft and tolerates
a lot of bounce. Most folks don't need this, except from soft, deep sand.
Hope this helps explain it.
Cheers!
Dave
andrew john sodergren
Sorry, I haven't been on the new group lately. I just read the postings
about the alien wedge. My question is this: are any of you who are
unsatisfied with the club interested in selling?
Andy Sodergren
sode...@uiuc.edu