Wedge Bounce Question?

All,

Here is my question. Do you consider "bounce" when buying your wedges?

The reason I ask is two months ago I got Cleveland CG14 56 & 60 degree wedges as a present. I did not realize before I started hitting them that they are low bounce. The 56 is 11 degree & the 60 is 8 degree bounce.

I have been hitting them good so far but I do notice that they dig more than my old wedges. I also notice that with other club makers those bounces are for their standards wedges.

For me, when I buy a sand wedge the first thing I think about is how firm is the sand at my home course. My club has pretty firm sand so less bounce. Conversely, if your normal course has softer sand get a SW with more bounce. I hit my lob wedge (60 degree) mostly off turf and I use less bounce.

Thanks for that tip.

I live in Northern Virginia & don't really have a home course. I play mutiple courses in the Washington DC area. I mostly use the weges for chipping/pitching.

I always consider bounce when buying a wedge. I'm finding that with my game, more bounce means more forgiveness since I am a digger/hitter. If you are a slider/sweeper too much bounce can cause problems, especially off tight hard lies.

For the most part, 8-12* is a pretty versatile range for most golfers. I'd add a few degrees on the club I used most out of the sand or wet lies. I think the biggest problem comes when mid/high handicappers go with a very low bounce (say under 6*) in their wedges. This can lead to a digging, fat shot if the ball is even slightly mishit. But the bounce degree doesn't tell the whole story. The deeper the sole the more effective the bounce can be regardless of how much the leading edge is raised. My deep sole/low bounce SM60.04 will hit out of most thick lies. But I don't like it for wet lies, and prefer the SM55.13 in that secenario.

I like to have a variety of bounces in my bag to cover a variety of conditions. I play the ball down, and usually choose the club to chip with based on the bounce I need for the lie (more so than the loft). My 5 wedge bounce combination goes - low, mid, high, low & mid in that order form top to bottom.

I wouldn't consider 11* to be low bounce. I agree with stace_E, more bounce does offer more forgiveness. I have a 54*/12* and a 60*/10*. Don't think I would like any less than 10* bounce. The bunkers at my course only have very shallow sand (less than an inch deep mostly) and my 54*/12* wedge does fine in them. High bounce would only really hinder you if you really opened the face up on very hard, tight lies.

That depends on the exact grind. Wedges are a pretty complex subject with a ton of variables. It's best to really consider how you want to use your wedges and look at all the possible factors with the help of somebody who really understands how a wedge works and why.

I'm in the process of revamping my wedges right now and not only am I considering bounce but grind, loft, shaft, swingweight, grip, head shape, stampings, etc, etc... -> Scratch Golf

I mostly use my 56 & 60 degree on chips out of the round around the green.....or short of the green.

Does 11 degree bounce on a 56 degree seem to low? Same with 8 degree bounce on a 60 degree.

IMHO, if you are using your wedges primarily for play around the greens then 8-11* of bounce would seem to me to be, if anything, on the high side. Or maybe about right if your fringe/approach areas are very plush or if your primary concern is play from the rough.

FWIW, my wedges are 55*/11* and 60*/8*. dave

Dave & all,

Thanks for all the tips. On avg I might use them in 1-2 bunkers a round.....but I use them probably on 14 holes a round for chipping near greens.

Check out the titleist site for bounces, it really depends on the club. 14 degrees on a 56 degree wedge is moderate bounce, where its really high on a 58 or 60. Low bounce to me means 56-10, 60-04. So your 56 is low bounce, where as your 60 is moderate bounce. I play high bounce because I use the utley short game method and am a digger.