• 05-05-2004
    anap
    question about high/low bounce wedges....
    can someone give me a quick rundown on what high/low bounce in wedges mean? what do the 2 numbers after the degree loft (ex:52-07) mean and how does the higher and lower numbers affect the shot. also, what are the highest and lowest that those numbers go? thanks.
  • 05-06-2004
    Bravo35223
    Try This
    First, go to this website from Cleveland and look at the charts. This explains it much better than I ever could.

    [url]http://www.clevelandgolf.com/proshop/wedges/900_form.php[/url] (This comes from another poster here who supplied it in another discussion about wedges).

    Tell us a little more about your game, so we can better help you.

    1) How long have you been playing?

    2) What is your handicap?

    3) How often do you play?

    4) How much $$ do you have invested in equipment and how much do you want to spend in the future?

    Looking forward to your replies. There are several excellent posters here that can help you.
  • 05-06-2004
    anap
    bravo, i've been playing for about 4 years but not consistantly. i haven't even played this year yet but plan on playing a lot. i just bought the mizuno mx-23's, steel shaft +1" length, 2 degree up. i shoot in the 90's and i'm willing to spend any amount really, as long as it can improve my game. thanks for your help.

    anap
  • 05-06-2004
    JeffGallo
    Re: high bounce vs. low bounce wedges
    Simply put, bounce is a measure of how far below the leading edge the bottom of the sole falls. If you hold a wedge in front of you with the grip toward the ground and the toe toward you, you will notice that the trailing end of the sole is raised above the bottom of the clubface. This dimension of the clubhead is measured in degrees, this is where the two extra numbers come from. It is the degree measure of the club's bounce.
    Bounce is designed in a clubhead to regulate how easily or deeply the club cuts into the ground. I belive that bounce is the most important specification of a wedge outside of swingwieght. So essentially, if you have a verry upright swing, cut very deep divots and often have trouble because you take too much sand in bunkers you need a lot of bounce on a wedge. However, if you tend to hit shallow divots and are very capable of controlling your clubs from the sand, you can do with lower bounce. It is important that you know your limitations because more bounce can make many shots easier but less bounce makes the club more flexible for hitting more varied shots around the greens. For example, to hit high pitches or flop shots you have to play the clubface open and doing this adds bounce to the club. Meaning that hitting those shots with higher bounce on a wedge is more difficult because the sole has to be forced into the ground so that the head slides under the ball, and given that bounce is designed to keep the club out of the ground those shots will become more difficult. Of course as I've said larger bounce makes other shots much easier. So understand what your shortgame limitations are and learn as much as you can about playing characteristics of different wedges and try them! that is most important try your buddies' wedges and see what works for you. hope this helps.
    -Jeff
  • 05-06-2004
    Bravo35223
    Something to consider
    Anap:

    Jeff's explaination is very accurate and as your game progresses over time, if you have good ability (and hit many shots with your wedges) you can develop the skills he has with his. This is a sophisticated explanation.

    One of the reasons I ask posters about their "background" as I did you - is to find the best way to give them practical advice. One phrase we have heard many times in our culture is "You have to walk before you can run".. This is so true in golf.

    My take from your replies are: You are learning and don't play as much as you would like but are trying to play more often. You hope to have more sophisticated skills in the future as your playing experience increases.

    Having concluded this - A practical consideration for you (as you play sporadically) is for you to get:

    1) At least one [B]high[/B] bounce wedge (for soft deep sand situations and deep rough).
    2) At least one (or MORE) [B]low[/B] bounce wedges for A) approaches B) Chips C) Pitches

    Jeff is right that over time (as you develop more sophisticated skills) your ability to adapt different wedges to different conditions can realistically follow his description. My thought is: What about the meantime as you are working through this?

    Many irons have a matching PW that has a 48* loft. This leaves you with a "gap". If you can hit the PW 115 yards (for example) you are left that vast area between 5 yards (off the green with a putter) and 115 yards. What do you do?

    This is why so many golfers have 2-4 wedges. Check the posts on "Whats in the bag?" Most people here have 2-3 wedges IN ADDITION to the PW that matches their irons. [U]So do the pros on the TOUR.[/U]
    1) Gap Wedge - often 52-54* and is a low bounce because you hit it most often from the fairway (100 yards out) or greenside out of light rough. The need for high bounce is not necessary because you are hitting from the fairway, around the green (fringe) or light rough (at worst).

    2) Lob Wedge - often 56 - 60 degree [B]low bounce [/B] for same situations as above - except 75 yards out (vs 100).

    3) Sand Wedge - often 56 - 60 degree HIGH bounce for bunkers and deep rough. The extra weight/mass of the flange (see Jeff's reply) helps the club carry through the sand/grass...

    There are many good wedges out there. The Titleist Vokeys and Cleveland ones are extremely popular. Recommend the Cleveland site because it is very comprehensive.

    Good luck...Wedges are very important

    Good luck.
  • 05-07-2004
    anap
    thanks so much for the info, its very helpful. so what #'s would be considered high and what would be considered low? what is the lowest and highest bounce available?

    anap
  • 05-07-2004
    Slingblade61
    Awesome info!

    I played today with this sort of thing in mind and I came to the conclusion that I need another wedge.

    I use a sand wedge alot and if I am reading it correctly the stamp on the head says 56/14, I assume this to mean 56 degrees, 14 bounce? I could be wrong, but I wasn't paying attention to "bounce" when I bought it but I will be when I buy the next one.

    Thanks.
  • 05-08-2004
    Bravo35223
    Anap:

    Check the Cleveland website for the info on what is the lowest and highest. This may vary by manufacturer.

    Slingblade:

    Try a 52* low bounce. The Cleveland 900 Series is a good one. This will be a good gap wedge for you. If you want to go all the way, you could consider a 58* low bounce as your lob....
  • 05-08-2004
    sandbag
    Definitely go with a high bouce for your sand shots
    with either a 60 or 56. Go with low bounce for tight chip shots since you are less likely to hit it thin. I have 4 degree bounce on my 60 and 12 on my sand and love it. Hope this helps.
  • 05-08-2004
    dorkman53
    [QUOTE=anap]thanks so much for the info, its very helpful. so what #'s would be considered high and what would be considered low? what is the lowest and highest bounce available?

    anap[/QUOTE]
    For wedges, 4-8 degrees would be considered low bounce, and anything around 12 or above would be high bounce, but this is relative to the loft in question. A 10 degree 56 degree sand wedge would be relatively low bounce, but a 10 degree 52 degree gap wedge or 60 degree lob wedge would be considered high bounce for those clubs. Sand wedges are generally expected to have the highest bounce angles, because they are to hit out of higher rough and sand, and need more protection from excess digging.