Using the bounce on tight lies

I have a decent short game and I understand the physics of using bounce in a bunker or fluffy lie.  In these two scenarios... there is soft ground underneath the ball.   I don't understand how it could possibly work on a tight/hard lie.  I would love to see a slow motion video close-up of that, but I couldn't find one.

I've seen Josh Zander hit a flop shot on a green and not take a divot.  I've seen a guy hit a similar shot off of a flat board.  I guess I just don't get the physics behind it in this case.

Am I alone on this?

I've seen @David in FL use the bounce of a sheet of plywood. I've use the bounce of Golf Evolutions floor which is concrete with a thin carpeting on it and I'm a 20+ cap. I've seen Phil use the bounce of a freakin' cement walkway, lol. Surprised it works too but it does.

Depends on the design of the sole grind, where the bounce is placed, and relief.

I play off tight lies with the ball forward all the time with 18 deg of stated bounce on my LW.

The leading edge sits low and is rounded and the bounce is more towards the back with relief.

I think you are imagining something that just isn't happening. The leading edge is still traveling close to the ground and getting well under the ball, the bounce is simply propping the leading edge up just enough that it doesn't touch ground past impact. It isn't going to work well off hard ground if your wedge has a large flange and little heel relief.

I do not think 'bounce' means 'bounce the club into the ball'.  In the sand, that may be OK, but off the cart path or hardpan, bouncing into the ball is a recipe for unhappiness.

You will need a different wedge if you want to pull off a larger variety of shots.

What happens when you square it up? It may be lower to the ground but not by much.

Well, bounce is only a number and can be misleading. If the sole is wide, bounce could be effectively increased. There was a discussion on whether the stamped bounce is the measured bounce or the effective bounce. I have no idea - always thought it was the measured bounce.

My guess is that your wedge does not have much heel, toe, or trailing edge relief if it raises that much when opening. I try to avoid opening the wedge and play it more forward in my stance or even more forward in my stance. If I hit a bit behind the ball, the large amount of bounce towards the back will keep the wedge gliding. Wedges with less bounce may stop and dig depending on your swing.

I once played wedges with 8 deg of bounce but it did not suit my swing.

I wasn't sure what to do so I got an Edel fitting.

I've got a 60 degree Vokey with 4 deg of bounce.  Can't play that thing to save my life, all I do is dig trenches with it!  I bought it before I really understood what bounce was and how it worked, it now sits in my spare club bag.  The two Cleveland wedges I play have 12 and 14 deg bounce, I can use them to chip/pitch off tight lies just fine.

Do you open up the face a lot?

I find that the amount of bounce, provided it isn't some crazy low number like 4*, is less of an issue for me than the proper relief. If your leading edge sits near flat when you open the club up how you like it for a shot such as that, the bounce shouldn't have any effect. The bounce is just preventing you from digging, nothing about it forces your club to actually "bounce" off the ground. In fact, it should "glide" through impact.

http://thesandtrap.com/t/39411/quickie-pitching-video-golf-pitch-shot-technique

If you watch that video it should help solve a lot of your problems. The pitch shot created with that technique and a 60* wedges comes out high and soft from nearly any lie, to the point where a flop shot often becomes an extreme, risky, and unnecessary shot for most situations.