golfrewind.com

hey guys, just wondering the advantages and disadvantages of bounce on a wedge. I think i have a general idea, just looking to grasp it better for the future, maybe this will also help me hit my wedges better out of the sand etc. any help would be apprieciated, Thanks men.

these are all IN MY OPINION

with bounce
: easier to take from the sand
: easier to make a big divot and trap the ball from the fairway
: for the less skilled player

without bounce
:easier to skull
: get ALOT more backspin
: for the more skilled player
: little harder from the bunker

At first sight, that seems counter-intuitive. Do you have an explanation for that?

i see what you mean,,

but with bounce,, it is easier for me to make a big ole divot, and trap the ball against the ground correctly... without bounce,, it is almost hard to do that.

I know what you're talking about Nick...squaring up the club and playing with the hands forward exposes a clean leading edge even on a wedge with a big 14* of bounce...driving that edge under the ball will get that solid ball first contact and then the bounce keeps the club from digging, making it possible to attack the ball from a fairly steep angle without the worry of planting the head 3 inches deep...it's a little tricky and takes some practice, but a soild hard spinning shot when you get it right...

What does bounce do? Keeps the club from digging with the steeper swing the shorter shaft of the wedge produces...for sand, different bounces work better in different conditions and the same holds for the fairway...I have a closet full of wedges of different lofts and bounces for differing conditions and wedge setups (4 wedge system, 3 wedge system)...without going deeper into it (leave something for other posters and my fingers are tired!) a one size fits all wedge IMO has 6-8* for mainly fairway and rough use, and 8-10* for bunkers...I haven't even touched on the different sole grinds available which would allow a wedge to have differing bounce angles at a square, open and toe down chipping positions...to hit the wedge better out of the sand practice with the face wide open so that the back of the blade just about lays on top of the sand, open up your stance, play the ball off your big toe and a little farther away from you than for a pitch (shallower angle of attack is created, exposing the effectivness of the bounce for better skimming) and hit the sand behind the ball, and plow under and through the ball...bounce keeps the club gliding through the sand and not digging in which would give inconsistent swing results...

Conventionally, more bounce is better for fine sand, and less for firmer or wet sand. The same is true for fluffy grass lies verses hardpan or closely cut grass.

More bounce in softer conditions on the fairways, less bounce needed on firm hard fairways... General rule.

More bounce in softer sand, though again a general rule A lot still depends on the player & his charateristics, not his ability.

Bob and Cernunnos are correct. I will just repeat what they have said. The general rule of thumb is if you play hardpan/hard sand you want less bounce, soft FW's/soft sand more bounce. Of course steep vs. shallow swing have an effect also.

You should play wedges that correspond to the course you play regularly