Bounce, High vs. Low or standard

[Dpricenator]

I'm a bit confused.

I bought a Cleveland CG11 60* with 1 dot..LOW BOUNCE

I now realize I might should have bought something a bit closer to my 45* PW. None the less I like the club. Now that I am trying to fill the gap I am looing at a match, to my set, TA7 55* sand wedge, and a TA7 50* gap wedge. That will put me at 5* increments.

If I decide not to go with the matching clubs and continue with the CG11 wedges, I have so many options on Bounce, and I'm not sure what is what. Does this just become a matter of personal preference? I know high bounce will prevent you from digging into the sand or rough. But does a low bounce make getting out of the rough a bit more easily?

[Big Padrigo]

I'm no expert but have looked into this a little and have just bought a 56 with some extra bounce as our bunkers are being changed from hard firm to soft plush sand. I used to carry a 56 with 10 degrees of bounce, but with the new sand thats not an option anymore. Bounce will help getting out of the rough as well as the bounce will push the rough out of the way to allow the club face to get to the ball.

As far as I can tell there are two things when looking at bounce options, course conditions and personal prefernce. As for personal preference, I think folks who tend to take good divots like a lot of bounce, whereas those who sweep like a little less bounce.


I suppose the only other piece of perceived wisdom I've picked up here is that someone on another thread here said that bounce is the amateur's friend, which I guess means more is better.

[RA_FT]

I have recently done some reading on this lately (buying some extra sets of wedges before U groves go away) and the general rule is higher bounce for soft fairways, fluffy sand or steep swing, low bounce for hard fairways, firm sand and flatter swings. Hope this helps.

[Stacey_E]

I'm a bit confused.

You probably like the "low bounce" one dot CG11 because it still has a relatively mid to almost high bounce at 10*. I am getting that info from this link. Take it for what its worth, but my guess is that the info was taken from the Cleveland website before the model was discontinued.

http://www.golfsmith.com/products/CL...WEDGE_PREOWNED I believe, at least my experience is, that MORE bounce helps in getting out of the rough. Higher bounce is recomended for fluffier grass and sand, wetter conditions and steeper swing angles. Low bounce is of course for the opposite conditions (tight, dry lies, firm sand, and sweeping attack angles). Low bounce is usually better for playing open faced shots, but soles can be grided to accomadate that shot as well. Then there is a mid bounce that kinda fits all conditions if your swing or course conditions aren't too extreme. I'm just throwing out numbers as there are no hard and fast rules but I think it's kinda like this:

[Dpricenator]

Great info here guys. The "low bounce" I have seems to work well out of the rough, but at 60* is not an easy club for me right now. I skull about 25% of the shots I hit with it, and add a stroke or two to the hole when I do. For the price of these on ebay, I can almost try the lot of them, and re-sell what I don't want. Any other info would be great.

[mad max]

Great info here guys. The "low bounce" I have seems to work well out of the rough, but at 60* is not an easy club for me right now. I skull about 25% of the shots I hit with it, and add a stroke or two to the hole when I do. For the price of these on ebay, I can almost try the lot of them, and re-sell what I don't want. Any other info would be great.

I used to skull about the same % as you until I got a 60* with low bounce. Now most of my horrible shots are fat.

I have since picked up a 56* with 12* bounce that I use for lies that are prone to hitting fat shots, i.e. muddy lies, thick lies, and fluffy sand. Their is no rule that says you have to have all you wedges have similar bounce. I find it beneficial to have different bounce, I have a 53* and * 60 with low bounce and a 56* with high bounce. I rarely hit full shots with the 56* and 60* so this works for me.

[Dpricenator]

I spent about 2 hours last saturday on the pitching yard, and must have chipped about 300 balls. I improved my touch with the club, and also only skulled a few of those balls. I'm gettiung much more used to the club, but the 15* gap between my PW and the 60* leaves me wanting. I think I'll just start running through different wedges over the next few months to see what I like. So you may see some wedges up for sale here in a bit.

[Flatswinger]

For me, I know I've got a wedge with too much bounce if I'm sculling the ball -- the back edge of the club hits the ground first & the club "bounces" into the middle of the ball. Where I play, the traps are firm/course & the fairways cut short, so I don't want much bounce. I you travel around & play a lot, though, as has been said above, you're going to have a tough time in bunkers with fluffy sand -- you really need to open up the club wide if you've too little bounce. On the other hand, too much bounce in a hard-sand bunker is easy to deal with -- put your hands ahead of the ball & keep them there so you dig better. You could have one wedge different from the others so you can handle anything that comes up.

[Hidalgo]

Bounce has absolutely nothing to do with skulling the ball or hitting it fat. Remember...you hit the ball FIRST except in a bunker. A fat or thin shot with a wedge, regardless of bounce angle, is simply a bad shot.

Most players will find that if their swing is upright...and if they come down at a steep angle into the ball...they will be better off with a lot of bounce.

If you tend to sweep the ball...you will be satisfied with less bounce.

As for bunker play, bounce is a definite requirement if you play the shot properly. Sure...you can "pick it clean" with most any club, but to do it right the sole must have a pretty prominent bounce angle. The only time I have not wanted bounce in a bunker is after a couple of days of rain on a poorly maintained course where the bunkers were like playing off hardpan.

Out of the rough and off the fairway, more bounce is usually a better choice. Around the green where the club must be opened up and slid under the ball (as in playing a high lob) is about the only time that bounce is a bad thing.

[Power_fade]

Holy crap. I just read the side of your profile summary and that is kinda ironic and kinda scary. Holy crap. What course do you usually play?

[tim31x]

the high bounce will prevent from digging, but makes no difference out of the rough or sand vs. a low bounce wedge. its purely based on how you swing and the shots you want to hit with the club. if you have a steep swing go for a mid to high bounce, if you dont u may want a low bounce. i myself have a very steep swing and opt for a mid bounce on my 52* and 56*, but for my 60* i like a low bounce because i use it for flopshots alot.

[mad max]

Bounce has absolutely nothing to do with skulling the ball or hitting it fat. Remember...you hit the ball FIRST except in a bunker. A fat or thin shot with a wedge, regardless of bounce angle, is simply a bad shot.

Maybe you hit the ball first but I somtimes hit the ground first, sometimes the ball first and somtimes hit the ground then the ball and than the ball agian.

I didn't mean to imply that it was the clubs fault that I sculled the ball or hit it fat, but on my bad swings when I hit behind the ball I have a tendency to skull with high bounce and hit fat with low bounce. For a hacker like me the proper bounce IMO is one that keeps you guessing whether your next bad shot is going to be a skull or a fat shot.

[Sherlockian]

Bounce has absolutely nothing to do with skulling the ball or hitting it fat. Remember...you hit the ball FIRST except in a bunker. A fat or thin shot with a wedge, regardless of bounce angle, is simply a bad shot.

You hit the nail on the head. I think bounce is more of a concern with your swing than the conditions being played. I tried the low bounce lob(60*/6*) for a short time, but it was like a shovel. I tend to trap the ball and take a substantial divot with my wedges(heck I do it with my 7 on up). I eventually went with 12* on both my sand and lob, and haven't had any issues with digging. I see alot of guys(my playing partner especially) that just got a lob wedge, try to sweep the ball like they do with their irons, and end skulling over the green or in the water.

[Flatswinger]

"Bounce has absolutely nothing to do with skulling the ball or hitting it fat. Remember...you hit the ball FIRST except in a bunker. A fat or thin shot with a wedge, regardless of bounce angle, is simply a bad shot."

"Most players will find that if their swing is upright...and if they come down at a steep angle into the ball...they will be better off with a lot of bounce."

"If you tend to sweep the ball...you will be satisfied with less bounce."

"As for bunker play, bounce is a definite requirement if you play the shot properly. Sure...you can "pick it clean" with most any club, but to do it right the sole must have a pretty prominent bounce angle. The only time I have not wanted bounce in a bunker is after a couple of days of rain on a poorly maintained course where the bunkers were like playing off hardpan."


It’s a bit presumptuous for a plus 2 who plays on lush courses to assume that we all play with that kind of success & on that kind of track every week. For you, it’s true that fat or sculled shots have nothing to do with bounce. For people who are prone to hitting the ball fat, bounce has everything to do with sculling the ball, unless there’s a good cushion of grass under the ball.

And yes, some of us do sweep the ball. And a sand wedge does have lots of bounce -- by definition -- because there are few instances, greenside at least, where you’d even want to pick the ball out of there.

It’s great that you don’t need a low bounce wedge, though. Or a draw bias driver, or a set of game improvement irons you can't work, or high launch fairway woods, for that matter. Heck, you could load up on bounce if you wanted.

I’ll tell you this, though, if you had to navigate my muni’s course conditions in the winter [perpetually wet, hard bunkers & hard dirt patches in places around the greens when it does dry out, you’d be singing a different tune.

On the other hand, I should be counting my blessings that I can even play this time of year.

[Hidalgo]

It’s a bit presumptuous for a plus 2 who plays on lush courses to assume that we all play with that kind of success & on that kind of track every week. For you, it’s true that fat or sculled shots have nothing to do with bounce. For people who are prone to hitting the ball fat, bounce has everything to do with sculling the ball, unless there’s a good cushion of grass under the ball.

My statements weren't "presumptuous" at all. A wedge is one of the easiest clubs in the bag to hit if you just put forth the time and effort on the practice range and bunker. There's no reason for anyone with a little extra time to put in (even once a week) practicing with the wedge to have the excuse that they hit it heavy. Most every beginning player hits the wedge heavy because they either try to slide it under the ball or help the ball by scooping it. Neither is correct unless a lob shot is required. I shouldn't be called "presumptuous" simply because a person isn't willing to learn to hit the club.

It’s great that you don’t need a low bounce wedge, though. Or a draw bias driver, or a set of game improvement irons you can't work, or high launch fairway woods, for that matter. Heck, you could load up on bounce if you wanted.

Why the sarcasm? All I did was state the facts and provide some direction to the question as I see it. I didn't post sarcasm...and don't appreciate it being directed my way, either. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with a low bounce wedge sole. I personally don't play those shots very much. Mickelson has a 64* wedge that has 4* of bounce. Nothing wrong with that if you want that type of grind and prefer it for some shots.

I’ll tell you this, though, if you had to navigate my muni’s course conditions in the winter (perpetually wet, hard bunkers & hard dirt patches in places around the greens when it does dry out) you’d be singing a different tune.

Now THAT'S funny. FWIW...there isn't a course in my region (as far as I know) that overseeds in the winter. Our fairways are dormant Bermuda, and have also been very wet recently. They are ANYTHING but lush in the off-season. You won't get any sympathy from me because of your course conditions....ours are about the same right now.

On the other hand, I should be counting my blessings that I can even play this time of year.

As should I.

[Flatswinger]

“Bounce has absolutely nothing to do with skulling the ball or hitting it fat.”

The presumption is that all players will practice to stop chunking the ball. In fact, there are legions of golfers who do not, & will not, practice -- not that your practice suggestion was even close to unreasonable. But in this day of game improvement gear I wanted to suggest a club that would help a higher index player at least keep his ball on the same hole he’s playing.

The sarcasm arose 1) when you stated that bounce has absolutely nothing to do with skulling the ball right after I had correctly posted that it can & 2) for me, the post just had an elitist ring to it. Upon reading your 2nd post, though, I realized that at worst, that was inadvertent.

I have no argument with bounce having nothing to do with hitting the ball fat or that only a fat shot [or maybe coming out of it] would cause a bladed ball. But neither can I think of a good reason to be sarcastic. What I do submit is that it would be difficult to convince a player prone to chunking it -- & there are a great many -- that bounce will help him around the greens – at least in winter around here & maybe in winter where you play, too.

[Hidalgo]

“Bounce has absolutely nothing to do with skulling the ball or hitting it fat.”

Understood. But that doesn't change the truth in my statement about bounce angles.

The sarcasm arose 1) when you stated that bounce has absolutely nothing to do with skulling the ball right after I had correctly posted that it can & 2) for me, the post just had an elitist ring to it. Upon reading your 2nd post, though, I realized that at worst, that was inadvertent.

There's nothing "elitist" about telling someone how to fix a problem. The bounce angles aren't the problem when you hit it thin or heavy. Sure...there are Band-Aid fixes......but I don't teach that way.

I have no argument with bounce having nothing to do with hitting the ball fat or that only a fat shot [or maybe coming out of it] would cause a bladed ball. But neither can I think of a good reason to be sarcastic. What I do submit is that it would be difficult to convince a player prone to chunking it -- & there are a great many -- that bounce will help him around the greens – at least in winter around here & maybe in winter where you play, too.

Well...I guess this statement will sound sarcastic to you also....but why would anyone suggest that a player spend the rest of their golfing career using a tricked-up club that might work only part of the time, when in just 3-4 hours they can learn how to use a proper tool for the job and have years of enjoyment afterward? A club that provides a Band-Aid fix around the greens will cause many more problems later on in other situations.

I'm sorry if I came across sarcastic (or elitist as you termed it) but the truth is the truth. And in my opinion, anyone who comes into a place such as this one asking questions about how to improve their game is "probably" willing to put in just a little bit of time to do it. I've never taken shortcuts when teaching golf. I've seen it done, with varying results. A shortcut usually results in an immediately happy player...but the happiness is short-termed.

[aedoue]

I'm a relative beginner, and just had a wedge fitting from a respected local pro. In a nice way, he told me that because my wedge play was awful, I'd have to get low bounce wedges. He told me that the proper way to play a wedge is to hit down and take a divot.

I went back to my teacher, another respected local pro, and he told me that it is not necessary to take a divot with a wedge. He advocates what he calls "nipping the ball," coming through flat, like an iron shot, and letting the loft of the club elevate the ball. He definitely does not mean scooping. He said he played with low bounce wedges. He's a generation or two older than the first guy, if that's a clue.

Am I perceiving correctly that there are differing schools of wedge play? If anyone can shed light on this, I'd be appreciative.