Wedge bounce evolution

[Micah T]

I’ve always been a vokey guy: Sm6 -Sm8. Latest set is a 50* (F grind 12 bounce) 54 (F grind 14 bounce) and 60 (K grind 14 bounce)Each set that I buy, I seem to add more  bounce to my gap and sand wedge. I’ve always had 14 degrees of bounce on my 60 degree, and it’s always been my favorite/ most dependable club. So I’ve departed from my previous idea of having different grinds and bounces on each wedge to aid versatility, in favor of more consistent striking and distance control. Anyone else gone down this rabbit hole?

[Kenny B]

11 hours ago, Micah T said:

I’ve always been a vokey guy: Sm6 -Sm8. Latest set is a 50* (F grind 12 bounce) 54 (F grind 14 bounce) and 60 (K grind 14 bounce)Each set that I buy, I seem to add more  bounce to my gap and sand wedge. I’ve always had 14 degrees of bounce on my 60 degree, and it’s always been my favorite/ most dependable club. So I’ve departed from my previous idea of having different grinds and bounces on each wedge to aid versatility, in favor of more consistent striking and distance control. Anyone else gone down this rabbit hole?

I've had the best short game ever the past few years using my Callaway PM Grind 54º and 60º wedges with C Grind.  The 54º has 14º bounce and the 60º has 12º bounce.  I don't see me changing.

[PankaGolf]

I like 8 bounce across the board now. 
 

I play pretty much the same swing across all shots and clubs with wedges now just adjust length I like to nip all my wedge shots with a one bounce stop approach, pretty much never play flops now as they’re such a low percentage. 
 

bunker shots I do the G. Player approach and use less loft and speed focus on contact.

Edited January 1, 2022 by PankaGolf
8 not 9

[RollingGreens]

I recently was fitted for new wedges. I’ve always played vokeys for my sand and lob wedge. When I was fitted a year ago I got a set of mixing hot metals and went 4-gw. Just swapped out the gap wedge this year and went for the specialty wedges vs the set version. The hot metal gw was 7 bounce, I landed in a 50 of 12 bounce, 54 10 bounce, and 60 8 bounce all sm8. I found it interesting that I performed the best in the fitting going high to lower bounce across the wedges. It allowed the 50 to be more versatile vs primarily full shots. Had some small difficulty yesterday when I tried them for the first time with the 50, hitting a little shorter and off the toe than I would want but things seemed to have even themself out and the end. Hopefully just from not swinging in a while vs too much bounce in the 50

[chisag]

... Where you live and play makes such a huge difference. Bounce is your friend and most of the time the more the better. But living in Phoenix with very tight fairways and even worse thin and tight Bermuda rough, I had to move to low bounce wedges. Even then I had to adjust my short game as a pitch/lob with a 58* into the grain around the green can actually stop the bounce from working and grab the bottom of the club like velcro. Hitting a lob shot is just about impossible from that same spot as hitting it a micro millimeter fat again will stop the club like it hit a brick wall. That same shot off bent grass is perfect when using the bounce and hitting it slightly fat on purpose. I saw Mickelson do a demonstration and even he said when faced with a tight lie on Bermuda with the grain growing into him he doesn't risk a pitch but puts the ball back in his stance and hits a bump and run. 

... Knowing how your grass/sand interacts with your wedge is essential for good wedge play and choosing the right sole grind. The sand in Florida is usually much fluffier than the sand in the midwest which is heavier and denser and different again from the packed sand in AZ that is almost none existent in the desert. I am always amazed to play a course charging $150 or more that has hardpan in their bunkers. 

[Micah T]

3 hours ago, chisag said:

Up in the SLC valley it’s bent grass and soft fairways: down south in St. George the resort courses more closely resemble what your describing. Since I almost always take a divot or at least bruise the ground, I’ve come to the conclusion that more bounce is the way to go. 

[Jweck21]

I treat my 48° and 52° wedges like 10 and 11 irons, I have what would equate an F grind on them. My Sand wedge has less bounce (a product of our local sand situation) but it mostly gets used as a 12 iron. My lob wedge has almost no bounce and is incredibly utilitarian around the green but is mostly useless when used for full shots (it'll dig to China). Bounce selection should match the manner in which you play the club and the turf conditions you typically play. 

Something a lot of people overlook on wedges is the shaft selection. I run KBS Tour V X-Flex in my irons but I use DG X-100 in my 48° & 52° wedges, I've run X-100 in my 56 but I've also ran S-400 and seem to prefer it and I run an S-400 in my 60°. Shaft selection in your wedges can really help you tune in your ball flight and spin. I choose the X100 shafts because they give me a lower trajectory with adequate spin to stop the ball but not so much that I over spin the ball back. The S-400 stafts are heavier and aid in "feel"

[Kansas King]

I'm a huge believe in bounce. I play the PM grind wedges and plan on playing them forever. I agree with others that the bounce you play is largely dictated by the conditions you play in. However, I would argue that you should generally play with about as much bounce as you can on all your wedges. Conditions aside, I haven't seen many good reasons to play with less bounce. Obviously this is a more complicated topic as there are different sole designs, sizes, and leading edge grinds that can all affect the level of effective bounce. With wider soles maybe you can and should use less bounce and vice versa. On the whole though, I've always found non-scratch golfers tend to get themselves in trouble when using wedges with razor sharp leading edges with low bounce. I honestly don't see wedges with sharp leading edges very much anymore. They're kind of pointless unless you're playing on the tightest of surfaces or are the best of ball strikers. 

At the end of the day, the grass and ground is usually soft enough in Kansas that I can always play with a lot of bounce. I love nothing more that slapping the bounce of the wedge off the ground when around the green and getting repeated and reliable results. I've never found going after the ball with the leading edge to ever give reliable results. 

[Deepred]

I carry 50/5 52/10 55/11 58/4

sometimes all at once and sometimes I very them depending on the course. 

[BostonSal]

Decades ago, success with the Clevelnd 691 model 58º made me a low bounce advocate forever.

That was a truly great golf club for me.

I've bemoaned on these very pages the Titleist exclusion of the L-Grind 58-04 with the SM8s.

 

Today, I order every wedge with the lowest bounce available in the particular loft.   Even sand irons.

That works for me, but I play with plenty of bounce appreciators. I would guess that they're in the majority.