Yesterday when we talked about sand play, I dropped the word “bounce” on you (in the comments) and I want to make sure you have a good grasp of it.
Check out this diagram at Golfsmith that demonstrates bounce and come back and we’ll talk about it some more.
In a nutshell, when you put the sole of the club on the ground (as if addressing a ball), the bounce refers to the amount that the leading edge of the club face is lifted off the ground. Drawing a line from the sole of the club (where it’s touching the ground) up to the leading edge and taking the difference in angle between that line and the ground refers to the bounce angle of the club. For a typical sand wedge, the bounce is usually 10-14 degrees.
So how did it come about? Gene Sarazen is credited with the invention of the modern sand wedge in the 1930′s. It’s said he came up with the idea after he received a flying lesson and observed how the rudder stabilized the plane during flight.
In a sense, this is exactly how the modern sand wedge does its job. Have a look at that diagram again. You can see how, when swung correctly, the bottom of the sole will hit the sand and keep the leading edge from digging in. The club will scoot right through the sand and the ball will float out.
Bounce can also come into play from other lies on the course. When you use a sand wedge for longer shots, you should be aware of the lie and how bounce is going to affect the shot.
One important case is when you have a tight lie on hard pan. When using a club with more bounce like a sand wedge, your margin for error is small. If you hit the shot a little fat (contact the ground behind the ball), the bounce will cause the club head to, well, bounce. The result with be a skulled shot that goes low and long. In that circumstance, you might want to consider a wedge with less bounce or even a bump and run shot if the situation calls for it.
A wedge with less than standard bounce is more appropriate for hitting from the fairway or from compacted bunkers. A wedge with more than the standard bounce is helpful from very fluffy sand or deep rough. The standard 10-14 degrees of bounce fits right in the middle.
That, my friends, is Bounce 101.
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Good article, I never really understood that.
What club do you hit for a 30y up and down from the fairway or a nice lie? I try a sand wedge, but I have noticed the occasional skull.
It really depends on the overall situation. I tend to favor my sand wedge in that situation, because I’m so comfortable with it. However, there are so many other variables that come into play. For instance, the hardness of the lie. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
I also consider how far I want the ball to fly, and how much I expect it to roll. I consider whether I need to carry the ball over a hazard, or whether my path to the flag is open and I can run it there.
I also consider the pin placement. For instance, is it near a ridge or on a tier where I need the shot to fly high and stop quickly, or is it safely in a flat area where I don’t need to worry? Is it close to the front of the green, or more in the middle or back?
I have an idea of what “bounce” is,but what does it mean when the bounce is given a number designation,such as “1″? When would I use a wedge with a bounce of “1″? I am looking at buying a “Feel” 74 degree wedge with a bounce of “1″,but what situations would I use it for?
Vince, the bounce number is typically in degrees. In the diagram linked in the post above, it’s an expression of that bounce angle.
I’m not familiar with the Feel wedges and wasn’t even aware that there was a wedge on the market with that much loft.
I just had a look at their website and they indicate that their preferred method of distance control is to use one club (the 73 degree wedge) and a full swing, and let distance be decided with ball position (further forward for a high shot and back for a low show).
The club’s bounce is relatively low at 7 degrees making it mostly inappropriate for the sand, except maybe when it’s wet and packed. It would probably be OK for tight fairway lies.
I’m not really a fan of using only ball position to control distance because you wouldn’t be able to groove a repeatable swing (a Dave Pelz fundamental) You’d have to change the bottom of your swing arc to adjust for the ball position, otherwise you risk hitting it thin or fat as the ball is more forward or back.
I can’t say that the club doesn’t have merit, as I’ve never tried it or heard feedback from anyone who has, but I personally don’t know if I’d be willing to give it a shot.
If you do try it out or buy it, I’d be interested to know how you make out with it.
I picked up a 68 from Pine Meadow just to try a high degree loft. They call it the last wedge. Probably because you use it once and it is the last time you’ll ever use it. Kidding, but there is very little room for error.
I’ve been able to use it successfully a few times and for like a 10 to 20 yard shot that you need to sit or a shot that has to get up high and down quick like a steep bank. But it is very easy to skull. I’m inconsistent as is so if I pull that club out it’s a crap shoot.
I carried a 64-degree wedge for a while, and found that there’s definitely a smaller margin for error but that when I worked on solid wedge fundamentals, it was just as easy to hit as my other wedges. In other words, it mostly magnified existing problems as opposed to being inherently hard to hit.
I also found that I rarely pulled it out of my bag. I just didn’t have much use for it so I took it out in favor of a 2-hybrid, which I use virtually every round. I might give it a try again, but right now, I’m happy without it. If anything, I would probably get rid of my 52-degree wedge and add a 60. I doubt I’d go down to a 64-degree again.
I picked up the same club today from Academy.
I have a 60 I use for bunkers and anything I think I’ll overhit with my pitching wedge, but I tend to have a problem where when 20 yards off the green I’ll just hit from one side to the other and can’t seem to hit a short high shot with enough backspin to not roll off the green.
What turned me on to this particular club (after googling a bit about bounce and loft) was that it isn’t really a wedge at all, it’s what I think they would consider a ‘blade’ club. This will allow me to adjust my stance in relation to the ball for distance and still get a nice rise and plop for the short shots without losing control from contacting the ground too early.
Another important factor to consider is the club face angle. Opening the club face will add more bounce to the club and closing the face will reduce it.
It is possible to hit a SW from a tight lie by closing the club face a little but I would practice the shot first before attempting on the course.
Wow a 74 degree wedge. “But what situations would I use it for?”. A flop shot into your front shirt pocket. I honestly can’t think of a situation where you would need such a high loft. Phil Mickelson has used a 64 degree wedge but still only uses it in situations where the lie is tight and needs an extremely high trajectory.
When you open a club (such as in the sand or a cut shot) does it affect or change the degree of bounce. instructorgolf@yahoo.com
Eddie,
Opening the face of the club does increase the effective bounce. I suppose technically, the actual bounce is fixed by the design of the club, but opening the face up causes the bounce angle relative to the ground to increase some.
Incidentally, you should be aware that posting your e-mail address is an open invitation for soulless spam bots to harvest it for nefarious purposes.
You guys are collectively “the man.” Good info. I’m about read out but will come back with a question or two later about wedges and proper bounce. Thanks.