Sand Wedge Bounce

[rydaddy]

I'm sorry if the subject of bounce has been beaten to death. I was just wondering what is considered a 'normal' amount of bounce versus high or low bounce, specifically for a sand wedge.

I just ordered a 54/14 and am now second guessing if this was the right thing for me. This was the fitter's recommendation, as he noted I have a 'strong' grip and tend to swing down on the ball. I also told him I take pretty big divots with a full swing of the sand wedge.

What kind of limitations should I expect with a bounce of 14*? I like to use the 54 on my approch shots a lot as well as chips around the green. Most of my greenside bunker shots will be with the 60, unless the sand is real fluffy.

Any advice would be appreaciated!

[hawkeye]

Hi Rydaddy - i can answer your question from the other wedge thread in here!

Ok my first sandwedge was a 57* Cobra which very little bounce (i'd say about 8*). I changed my settup from 48/57/60 to 47/54/58 - the 54 being 14* bounce. I didn't have enough in the Cobra for full shots and 10* didn't seem much more. I went for the 54* and i've been delighted with full shots - full swing 105 yards, and 3/4 & 1/2 shots up to 40 yards out.

The reason i'm changing is the finese shots around the green - i don't like using my lobwedge for these all the time (unless an up-and-under/very little green shot is required). As soon as i open up the face of the 54 (even ever so slightly) i tend to bounce the club off the ground. In Ireland the ground is mostly soft (and it rained for 40 odd days straight this summer) so i've been getting away with it. The odd time on wet courses and almost every time on dry/hard or links courses i have suffered big time - this is why i'm changing.

I've tried some friends' Vokey 54.10 - I didn't lose anything on full shots which was my main concern. I prefer the Ping Tour-W so that's what i'll go for.

Another reason i got the 54.14 originally was to have an easy time getting out of bunkers. I'd be a pretty good bunker player with any wedge and i use my 58.08 for a lot of my bunker play so I won't be losing anything here by changing.

I consulted my club pro who said i could grind down the bounce but it'll never be the same for what i want. Maybe that was the salesman in him coming out!

[gas_can]

  rydaddy said:

I'm sorry if the subject of bounce has been beaten to death. I was just wondering what is considered a 'normal' amount of bounce versus high or low bounce, specifically for a sand wedge.

rydaddy,

Bounce is only one part of the equation when it comes to selecting a wedge. There are "high bounce" wedges with wide, flat soles that are easier to use on tight lies than "low bounce" wedges with narrow cambered soles. The key is picking something you feel comfortable using around the greens. Also, tweaking wedges to fit your specific needs is not a bad idea if there is a club maker in your area who is capable of effectively grinding wedges. I assume by the 54/14 designation that you purchased a Vokey? If so I think you picked a good one, as the wide, flat sole of the Vokey will allow you to use the club effectively to pinch the ball against the tightest of lies without having any issues at all. If you like to put a descending blow on your wedges and face loose fluffy sand, going with more bounce was the right way to go. It might be slightly prohibitive on a full swing flop off a tight fairway lie, but then again I doubt you use your 54 for that shot much anyway.

[TourSpoon]

Another factor is the flange. Is it thin, wide, rounded, or straight? These all make a difference.

I just changed from a 588 56/14 to a Vokey 54/10 and have found it to be about as good as I thought it would be. The 14 was a little too much with some of those delicate pitches. I tried my friends 56/10 and really liked it so I new less bounce would be fine.

Now I found going from the 588 60/3 to the Vokey 60/4 to be a problem. Even though they both have simular bounce they have differing soles and I never had a problem with the 588 but in the Vokey I needed a 60/8. The 60/08 has worked well and I really like both new wedges.

The best thing to do is to try playing with these or tape them up and try to get a feel for fairway shots, sand, chipping and pitching and make a decision based on performance.

[rydaddy]

Thanks for the responses!

I purchased the new Ping Tour-W wedges. I ordered a 60/10 with an "H" grind for the flop shots and a 54/14 for my sand/fairway approach shots.

I actually intend to use the 54 quite a bit for full-swing approach shots. It's tough to say what type of fairways I hit from... some are hard, some are soft. It changes from course to course here in the Sacramento Valley. My swing is definately steep so I suppose that makes a difference when choosing the right bounce.

The 54 will also be used a lot around the green for chip shots. Rarely will I open the face with this club (except for sand shots). That's what the 60 will be for.

I guess what I want is the most versatility. I'll find out if the 54/14 works with my type of swing soon enough. Though I have played golf for many years now, this is the first time I ever considered such things as bounce - so this is an experiment for me.

If I find 14* is too much, I'll just send it back to Ping for a grinding... or I can get another one with less bounce. Then I can choose according to the course I'll be playing.

Thanks for reading my ramblings

[TourSpoon]

  rydaddy said:

Thanks for reading my ramblings

We understand your pain brother.

[Zakko]

Give me a lot of bounce on my sand wedge so I can dig in and let it rip.

With my lob wedge, I prefer the opposite. I love to open everything waaay up and slide her right under.

[Sandwedge74]

ok so wait then...just a little confused here... I use my 56 way more from the fairway and from the rough for ships etc... its a vokey 56 with a 10 bounce..I am trying decide if i need 14 bounce... will a 14 bounce produce a dramatically easier time getting out the sand..my achilles heal in the game?? I paly bunkers with medium soft to firmer sand... never totally fluffy - but if I did come into contact with a fluffy bunker can 10 bounce still be effective?? I ask cuz if the 14 bounce will make SOOO MUCH easier to get out of ANTY type of sand vs. a 10 bounce then its worth it...otherwise... do players effectively use 10 bounce with susccess in the sand??

[La Costa Golfer]

  Sandwedge74 said:

ok so wait then...just a little confused here... I use my 56 way more from the fairway and from the rough for ships etc... its a vokey 56 with a 10 bounce..I am trying decide if i need 14 bounce... will a 14 bounce produce a dramatically easier time getting out the sand..my achilles heal in the game?? I paly bunkers with medium soft to firmer sand... never totally fluffy - but if I did come into contact with a fluffy bunker can 10 bounce still be effective?? I ask cuz if the 14 bounce will make SOOO MUCH easier to get out of ANTY type of sand vs. a 10 bounce then its worth it...otherwise... do players effectively use 10 bounce with susccess in the sand??

Just because you are in a sandtrap doesn't mean you play a 'sandwedge'. And don't let the bounce dictate whether it is successful or not.

I will play a 6* gapwedge when I really want to open up the face and slide under the ball (say when you are right next to a tall lip)...or if in compacted sand and play like it is on hardpan. I will play my 10* lobwedge if I want to explode with a squarer face alignment and want it to spin tight. Play my 14* sandwedge for fluff lies so it don't dig. So to answer...yes....I do play a 10* (and all others) bounce with success.

[Sandwedge74]

ok thanks so if I am reading you correctly: a 14 bounce vokey isnt going to somehow magically make it easier to get out of the sand - and since my game is good with a 10 bounce 56 I should stick with that..

[duff]

Normally, the less bounce the better for approach shots, chips, etc. The higher bounce, the better from sand. Also, less bounce is best for harder ground. More bounce is better for softer turf.

Your swing type can also dictate which bounce is best for you. I would experiment with different types and go with what you prefer.

[atltony]

Unless you strictly play your sandwedge from bunkers, I'd say you're probably better off with the 10 bounce. I just recently switched from a Cleveland 56/14 to a Vokey 56/10... and the sheer versatility of the 10 bounce really shines through while still being quite predictable from the sand. With my old sandwedge with 14 bounce, there was really no way I was going to open up the face to get chips and pitches to check up, seeing as the bounce would lift the leading edge about a quarter inch off the ground when opening the face. This whole predicament led me to chipping and pitching with my 60 degree way too often and usually coming up short. Getting the 56/10 really brought my sandwedge back into play on those chips and mini-flops where I want a slight bit of roll-out.