Making improvements in the game of golf becomes tougher as you become a more accomplished player. Some advantages can be gained with some of the correct equipment, although there is a lot of misleading information.
Here is some useful information on the bounce on golf wedges. Golf Wedge Bounce, Explained.
Your golf wedges and putter will be your scoring clubs, especially when you become a more consistent ball striker, so it is important to have a good understanding of bounce of wedges.
The Bounce on a golf wedge is simply the angle formed between the leading edge and the exact position the sole of the wedge meets the ground. Each manufacturer will design wedges targeted at both different surfaces, and different techniques of each golfer.
The Golf Wedge Bounce is basically the part of the golf club that hits the ground at impact. A golf wedge does not sit flat on the ground as per the below photo. Notice the angle formed between the leading edge and the sole? This is known as the golf wedge bounce angle.
Surfaces
As a general rule of thumb, golfers that are playing firmer conditions should choose a lower golf wedge bounce, and golfers playing softer conditions should consider a wedge with more bounce.
That’s all well and good but what if I play a variety of golf courses with different conditions? This is where a mid bounce wedge can help a golfer accommodate most playing conditions.
If you are playing a course with bunkers that are very soft, then a higher sand wedge bounce might be a good option. The opposite is true if you are playing a course with harder bunkers.
Technique
A lot of golfers have different techniques for chipping, pitching, and bunker shots.
If you have a steep angle of attack and cut across the ball, then a golf wedge with more wedge bounce would be ideal so it doesn’t dig into the ground so much.
If you have a fairly shallow angle of attack and don’t take divots, then a wedge with less bounce would be ideal.
Golf Wedge Grinds
To narrow the gap in different golf course conditions, companies have introduced all sorts of different grinds. This is the additional shaping of the sole of the wedge.
The sole plates of some of the wedges have been crafted to accommodate players that like to open or keep the face square whilst playing shots around the green.
Most golf manufacturers have produced a sole grind designed for opening the face, keeping it square, harder or softer surfaces and also bunker shots. A wedge designed for mainly bunker shots will generally have a wider soleplate and more golf wedge bounce loft.
Conclusion
There are a couple of things to consider when choosing the correct bounce on a golf wedge. The type of playing conditions and your technique are normally pretty good indicators as to how much bounce you will need.
A club with more bounce is generally easier to use for most golfers because a lot of us have a steeper angle of attack.
If you are undecided as to which bounce option you should choose then a mid bounce wedge would be ideal as it generally covers most playing conditions. It might also pay to have a look at a wedge bounce guide.
For some tips on a shot in which you need a sand wedge, check out the link on How to Play a Bunker Shot.
The Golf wedges also come in handy for the chip shot. Have a look at the post on How to Chip a Golf Ball and get on the right track.
Callaway Golf is one of the leaders in Golf Wedge Technology, have a look out the post on some of the Callaway Mack Daddy Wedges.
If you have any questions, please leave them below.
Nice article on golf wedges. Lots of information but was wondering because I play in Scotland on mostly soft ground as it rains all the time would a mid bounce be the best to choose or a high bounce as its soft conditions most of the time and the fact that am not that good at golf.
Hi Andy
I appreciate your comments.
A higher bounce wedge is always better in the softer conditions. If you also tend to have a steeper angle of attack and take a larger divot, then a higher bounce wedge should be considered. This will help slide under the turf or sand a lot easier and not dig.
Good luck with your golf.
Cheers
Chris
I stumbled across your site looking for a golf club for a friend who is a huge golfer. I on the other hand am not. I had no idea there were different wedges for different conditions. I know he golfs in a dessert type area with very little rain other than the irrigation system. I am assuming the the wedge with more bounce is the best? Thanks for this informative article.
Hi Jim
I appreciate your comments.
It can depend on both conditions and technique. A player that cuts a cross the ball and takes big divots will benefit from a wedge with more bounce as it doesn’t dig into the ground and just bounces off the surface. Players with a shallow angle of a approach that don’t take divots would benefit from a wedge with less bounce. These are just general rules as both hard and soft surfaces should also come into consideration when choosing a wedge.
A mid bounce wedge will cover most conditions if golfers are playing a lot of different golf courses.
Cheers
Chris