Wedge bounce for fairway shots

[Pingfan1967]

OK, after much research seems that conventional wisdom is that on "most" wedge shots around the green, more bounce is better.  I plan to replace my current 56 - 11 wedge with a 54 - ?  Reason being is that I don't hit my 56 as long as I used to (could hit 100 yds at one point) and I really like to hit the sandwedge from 95 to 100 yards.  My question is this - does bounce really matter that much for a full shot since the club should make contact with the ball first then the ground?

[Jakester23]

I don't think it matters much on full swings.  I have a 54*/14 wedge that I have no problem hitting full swing.  I don't think you can have to much bounce.

[Patch]

This is not an answer to your question. Just another perspective.

I carry 4 wedges. PW, AW, SW, and a LW  I could not tell you what the bounce is on any of them. I can look at them, and  know which one has more bounce, but that's about it. I know my SW has the most bounce.

In my case, over the years, (trial and error if you will) I have learned to look at the situation, and pick the appropriate wedge for the shot at hand. I might sometimes pick the bounce that is not accepted by the masses as correct, but it is the bounce I am most comfortable with for that particular shot/lie situation.

I am now fooling around with a 58* (?) zero bounce wedge that is, for lack of a better description, very interesting for me.

[Pingfan1967]

You guys are probably right - I'm probably overthinking it.  I've been playing golf for over 20 years and have never paid any attention to bounce or grind on wedges.  I only looked at loft.  Problem is now there are too many choices which MAKES you think about these things when you go to buy.  Bottom line - I don't think, for example,  having 13 degrees bounce versus 9 degrees would make that much difference anyway for a guy that plays 2 days a week with his buddies.

[Jakester23]

You guys are probably right - I'm probably overthinking it.  I've been playing golf for over 20 years and have never paid any attention to bounce or grind on wedges.  I only looked at loft.  Problem is now there are too many choices which MAKES you think about these things when you go to buy.  Bottom line - I don't think, for example,  having 13 degrees bounce versus 9 degrees would make that much difference anyway for a guy that plays 2 days a week with his buddies.

I think the bounce would make more of a difference in the bunker or around the green then it would during a full swing.

[mvmac]

My question is this - does bounce really matter that much for a full shot since the club should make contact with the ball first then the ground?

Even though full swing mechanics are different, bounce is still beneficial on full swings. It gets the clubhead out of the ground and prevents taking big divots.

[saevel25]

If you hit the ball first, then no the bounce does not matter. Bounce is their to help on mishits, primarily shots were the clubhead hits the ground slightly before the ball. More bounce gives you a bit more leeway on that. On full swing shots, I would say hitting the ball first or slightly thin is a much better outcome than slightly fat even with more bounce.

I've hit a lot of greens in regulation hitting just the ball and taking no divot at all.

In the end, I think bounce on full swing can't hurt you. It will help higher handicap players on certain shots.

[iacas]

You guys are probably right - I'm probably overthinking it.  I've been playing golf for over 20 years and have never paid any attention to bounce or grind on wedges.  I only looked at loft.  Problem is now there are too many choices which MAKES you think about these things when you go to buy.  Bottom line - I don't think, for example,  having 13 degrees bounce versus 9 degrees would make that much difference anyway for a guy that plays 2 days a week with his buddies.

Check out these threads: and .

Bounce (or "Glide") does matter.

[Finley]

For my swing, I prefer less bounce from the fairway. I bought a 56.14 and countiously hit fat shots. With a 56.12 and 60.8 , I make solid contact from tight lies.

[iacas]

For my swing, I prefer less bounce from the fairway. I bought a 56.14 and countiously hit fat shots. With a 56.12 and 60.8 , I make solid contact from tight lies.

Two degrees of bounce was not the difference between "continuously fat shots" and "solid contact."

[mvmac]

For my swing, I prefer less bounce from the fairway. I bought a 56.14 and countiously hit fat shots. With a 56.12 and 60.8 , I make solid contact from tight lies.

The bounce just helps the sole "glide" through the turf.

[Finley]

Both good points. With the higher bounce the front edge of the wedge sits off the ground higher. Personally, my eye doesn't like that. Looks like I would catch it thin, resulting in fat shots. Not the clubs fault, all on me. My 56.12 sits nice to my eye, so the thought of hitting it thin doesn't enter my mind. Quiet the mental game we play.

[Hardballs]

I prefer low bounce, 6* or 8*, I've never been a big divot taker anyway, however, in summer, when bunkers are soft and fluffy, (I'm from the uk, summer only lasts 8 days over here!) the low bounce on my sand and lob is useless for me in the bunker, the lack of bounce allows the club head to bury itself deep into the sand and it's not a pretty sight, so I bought a high bounce 58/14* and the difference was instant! High bounce is definitly your friend in certain situations, like soft bunkers, mud, or thick rough! So if it's really wet/muddy, or really hot sunny, I'll swop my 62/6* to 58/14* but I always keep my 56/8* because it's great on fairways and around the green

[graham57]

I prefer low bounce, 6* or 8*, I've never been a big divot taker anyway, however, in summer, when bunkers are soft and fluffy, (I'm from the uk, summer only lasts 8 days over here!) the low bounce on my sand and lob is useless for me in the bunker, the lack of bounce allows the club head to bury itself deep into the sand and it's not a pretty sight, so I bought a high bounce 58/14* and the difference was instant! High bounce is definitly your friend in certain situations, like soft bunkers, mud, or thick rough! So if it's really wet/muddy, or really hot sunny, I'll swop my 62/6* to 58/14* but I always keep my 56/8* because it's great on fairways and around the green

I'll second that! Like one of the other posters, I only ever paid attention to loft, and never bounce. However, a couple of years ago we started playing regular rounds in Thailand (the rest of our golf is played in Germany, where we live, and the UK), and found that the grass there was very different to the conditions I was used to. The individual blades are much thicker and stronger, so the ball tends to sit up more. This was causing my wedges to slide right under the ball, barely making contact and often - on attempted lob shots - sending the ball almost vertically a couple of feet in the air, and not much else. On the other hand, we get a lot of rain at my home course, and the sand in the bunkers is often caked hard, resulting in frequent thinned shots. I was then fortunate enough to read an excellent article in a golf magazine, explaining bounce and its effects, and have since been experimenting with different bounces and lofts. Basically, I now have several wedges and pick them to match the ground on the course I am playing. If I am travelling and playing several courses, I will make sure I have a good mix in my bag - I can compensate for more or less loft by opening the clubface, but it is now more important to me to play each shot with the appropriate bounce. Probably like many casual golfers, I never missed bounce until I fully understood it, and now working consciously with it has really helped improve my short game.

[mvmac]

I'll second that! Like one of the other posters, I only ever paid attention to loft, and never bounce. However, a couple of years ago we started playing regular rounds in Thailand (the rest of our golf is played in Germany, where we live, and the UK), and found that the grass there was very different to the conditions I was used to. The individual blades are much thicker and stronger, so the ball tends to sit up more. This was causing my wedges to slide right under the ball, barely making contact and often - on attempted lob shots - sending the ball almost vertically a couple of feet in the air, and not much else. On the other hand, we get a lot of rain at my home course, and the sand in the bunkers is often caked hard, resulting in frequent thinned shots. I was then fortunate enough to read an excellent article in a golf magazine, explaining bounce and its effects, and have since been experimenting with different bounces and lofts. Basically, I now have several wedges and pick them to match the ground on the course I am playing. If I am travelling and playing several courses, I will make sure I have a good mix in my bag - I can compensate for more or less loft by opening the clubface, but it is now more important to me to play each shot with the appropriate bounce. Probably like many casual golfers, I never missed bounce until I fully understood it, and now working consciously with it has really helped improve my short game.

Good thread for you to check out. Bounce just helps the club "glide" through the turf.