What Is Bounce In Golf Wedges? Is More Always Better Or What Bounce Should I Have?
Golf is an easy enough sport to pick up and play but as you start to improve your game and your interest increases, there seems to be a whole world of new terms, ideas and concepts for you to get your head around and Wedge Bounce is another one of those concepts although it is quite straight forward.
All wedges come with bounce. Bounce can be a difficult concept for golfers, and knowing what bounce to choose for your wedges makes things even more complicated. Your wedge is going to have bounce, whether you like it or not. It will either be a high, low, or medium bounce. Understanding what this is and how it will affect your golf game is extremely important.
Obviously with bounce we are talking about our short game around the green and when we have mastered hitting the ball straight with our Drivers, Fairway Woods, Hybrids and Irons, our short game is the best place to look to for improving our scores.
What Is Bounce In A Golf Wedge
The bounce on our wedge is really just an angle. It is an angle between the leading edge of your club and the lowest point on the sole. The area is the part of the club that will make contact with the ground as you come into impact. If you have a high degree of wedge bounce than the leading edge of your club will be pretty far off the ground at setup. Higher bounce gives you some forgiveness even if you happen to miss your wedge shot a bit. Mid bounce wedges are going to be the most versatile type of wedge. High and low bounce wedges have specific applications that they will work best in.
What Are Low Bounce Wedges
Low bounce wedges are not as standard as mid and high bounce wedges. For a wedge to be considered a low bounce, it will be between 4 and 6 degrees. Low bounce wedges will do best in firm turf conditions.
If you like to make clean contact with the golf ball and not have all that much interaction with the turf, the low bounce wedges are for you. Some players who like to be very precise with a sixty-degree lob wedge will get it in a low bounce.
Using a low bounce wedge out of a bunker or very thick rough does make things a bit more complicated. Typically the low bounce wedges will be preferred by the lower handicap player that can feel the difference in bounce and play it accordingly.
Who Do They Suit (Swing Styles)
- Shallow attack angles
- Minimal divots
What Types Of Shots & Lies
- Hardpan bunkers
- Flop shots and clean contact shots
- Tight lies
What Are Standard Bounce Wedges
Standard bounce wedges are the most common type of wedge. Most wedges purchased off the shelf in a store are going to fall in this standard bounce category. These standard bounce wedges are going to range between seven and ten degrees of bounce.
Since these are standard or mid bounce wedges, they are designed to be used on the majority of turn in normal conditions. You can do a lot with a standard bounce wedge. You can use them out of bunkers or around the green, and they work for most playing ability levels.
Who Do They Suit (Swing Styles)
- Moderate attack angle
- Standard golf swing
- Standard divot depth and length
What Types Of Shots
- Bunkers to normal turf
- Firm to normal turf
What Are High Bounce Wedges
A high bounce wedge will have more than ten degrees of bounce. The high bounce wedges are used for soft turf and soft sand. If you have a ball sitting up high on the grass, the high bounce wedge is a perfect club to attack with.
If you struggle with getting out of bunkers, the high bounce wedge is sure to help make things easier on you. The high bounce allows the wedge almost to pick your golf ball out without getting stuck in the sand. Another positive of the high bounce wedges is that you can generate a lot of spin with this wedge.
Who Do They Suit (Swing Styles)
- Players that take big divots
- Steep angles of attack
- High spin golfers
What Types Of Shots
- High spin shots
- Bunker shots
- Shots from deep turf
- Shots from fluffy lies
What Bounce Do I Need For My Wedges
Now that you have a general idea of what bounce is in a wedge, you will have to take a look at your golf clubs and see what types of bounce you are carrying. As a general rule, most players like to carry a variety of bounces in their wedges. If you have everything in a high bounce, you will struggle with a hard turf lie.
If you have everything in a low bounce wedge, the bunker shots may get quite tricky. Many players like to put a high bounce on their lob wedge, standard to high on their sand wedge, and then a lower bounce on their gap wedge.
A gap wedge with lower bounce will be better for full swing shots off a standard turf lie. Since this is a shot that could very likely come up during your round, its smart to carry golf clubs that leave you these options.
Is More Bounce Always Better?
Since it is generally understood that bounce and forgiveness go hand in hand, many people think that more bounce is always better. This is not the case. More bounce on a wedge can be a great thing when hitting out of bunkers or fluffy lies in the rough.
However, more bounce when you are playing on very tight fairways is going to limit you and your ability to play certain types of shots. When people use too much bounce on a shot with hard turf, there is a chance that they will dig the club in and hit behind the ball, or end up hitting the golf ball thin.
No bounce is considered better than another. Choosing a bounce that works for your game and the types of shots that you like to hit is the most critical aspect of buying a golf wedge.
What is the Average Bounce on a wedge?
As customizations in golf clubs have gotten more popular, there are many more choices in wedge bounce and grind. Standard wedge bounce is around 10 degrees, and that is probably the most common wedge bounce or about average. Again, you would probably not want to use ten degrees on all of your clubs as you won’t have very much versatility.
How Do I Know If I Am Using The Wrong Bounce?
If you have the wrong bounce in your wedges, you will feel restricted in some of your shot-making skills. If you feel like you can’t hit bunker shots out of soft bunkers or you can’t hit shots from the tight turf, chances are you have the wrong bounce in your wedge to suit your game.
Another indication that you may have the wrong bounce or the wrong wedge overall is if you can’t spin your wedges at all. You should be able to get some spin on your shots, especially the shots around the green or out of the bunker.
Many beginner golfers take whatever wedge comes with a beginner set. These wedges may not have very much bounce, or they may have too much bounce. Regardless of your handicap level, golfers should invest in high-quality wedges that fit their game and the golf course types that they play.
What Bounce Do The PGA Tour Pros Use?
Just as we recommend that amateur golfers diversify the bounce in their wedges, you will see the professionals doing the same thing. More often, they will have a high bounce in their lob wedges and lower bounce in their gap wedges.
As always, there are exceptions to this rule, and some players just don’t enjoy bounce and want everything to be low. Certainly, there is nothing wrong with this as bounce and grind configurations are supposed to make the game easier on a player. There is no real right or wrong way to get that done.
What Is The Best Bounce For A High Handicapper?
High handicappers should make sure that they have enough bounce in their wedges. Bounce tends to give you a good amount of forgiveness. Since a low bounce wedge requires you to hit the ball almost directly on the center of the clubface with very little turf interaction, there is a high possibility of an error. Luckily a higher bounce wedge can help you kind of skip through a lousy shot and still get some loft and spin on your shot.
What Is Grind In Wedges?
The grind on wedges is the thickness of the material on the sole of the club. Some grinds are very sharp, and things and others are more wide. Grind and bounce work together to help golfers add more shots to their short game. The key to being a great short game player is having a variety of shots that you can use around a green. The more tools that you have in your golf bag, the easier it will be to improve your short game.
Should I Get Fit For Wedges?
Getting fit for wedges is a personal decision. If you feel as though your game is to the level that custom equipment can help you, then a custom wedge makes a great deal of sense. When getting custom fit for wedges, there are a few things that you should take into consideration.
Don’t just get fit for one wedge. Get fit for a set of wedges. Even if your wedges are different models from a few manufacturers, having some consistency and variation in bounce and grind is extremely important.
If you plan on going in for a wedge fitting, you might as well make sure the shafts and grips are also perfect for your game. Most wedges come in a standard wedge flex. Although this flex works for the majority of players, it is not always suitable for very high or very low swing speed players.
A slower swing speed player that attempts to play with a heavy wedge flex shaft may struggle when it comes to full swing shots or shots that require speed. Traditionally getting out of a tough bunker lie is going to take some clubhead speed. If you are accustomed to swinging graphite shafts and you have a heavy steel wedge in your hand, you may end up leaving the ball in the bunker.
Video Review
Looking At The Best Wedges
There is no question that some wedges are better than others. Many people say that the Vokey wedges are the best golf wedges on the market. You may be wondering what makes the Vokey wedge so great. Two things contribute to the success of the Vokey wedge.
Vokey Wedges
The first is feel, and the second is versatility. There is not a pitch or chip shot in golf that you can’t make with a Vokey wedge. They have a bounce, grind, and loft option that can help you hit any shot in golf. This can sometimes be a bit overwhelming for a new player, but its certainly worth considering and looking into.
The Vokey wedges spin well and allow you to feel as though you have some control around the greens. This is the area of your game where you are going to want the highest level of confidence.
Check Out More Vokey Reviews:
Cleveland Wedges
Cleveland golf comes very close to Titleist golf when you talk about a high quality, high performing wedges. Cleveland usually has a few lines of wedges available at any given time. The wedges are usually for high, medium, and lower handicap players.
The current line of Cleveland CBX 2 wedges are a cavity back design that will help the higher handicap players get the ball up off the ground and close to the pin.
For the players looking for a bit more workability and feel in their wedges, the RTX Series is excellent to consider. The RTX is available in several different configurations, and it truly has a classic wedge feel perfect for the lower handicap player.
Check Out More Cleveland Wedge Reviews Here:
Callaway Wedges
Callaway has had a very positive response to their Mack Daddy wedges. These wedges have great technology and some excellent grooves. If you like to spin the ball or feel as though you have trouble spinning the ball, you may enjoy the Callaway MD5 series.
The Mack Daddy wedges are built for the mid to low handicapper that does not need as much forgiveness around a green. These wedges are available in several different bounces and grind options so you can get the perfect fit for your game.
Check Out More Callaway Wedge Reviews Here:
Recap
Hopefully, by now, you have a good understanding of what bounce is in a golf wedge. Experimenting with different types of wedges and varying degrees of bounce could be the step that your short game needs to get to the next level.
Choosing a variety of bounce and grind on your wedges will make you a better player capable of pulling off a variety of golf shots.
Sources and Good Images/Videos
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Hi, I am Matthew, a mid handicap golfer who likes to play as much as possible. I love trying out new gear and this blog is where you can find all the gear I have tested over the years!
