Do your wedges have different bounces?

[Javs]

I watched this video from Titleist today. Made me wonder how many people carry wedges with different bounces. I was told a long time ago by friend who was a professional that the best set up was to have more bounce on my 54 or 56 degree wedge and less bounce on my 58 or 60. I have always gone with this setup and it has worked great!
 

https://www.titleist.com/instruction/soft-vs-firm-bunker-lies?&sc_src=email_5197860&sc_lid=512108280&sc_uid=nLMhMC1dgH&sc_llid=66666&utm_source=Emarsys&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MKT-Instruction-Newsletter-20240714&sc_customer=1329565

[chisag]

52 minutes ago, Javs said:

I watched this video from Titleist today. Made me wonder how many people carry wedges with different bounces. I was told a long time ago by friend who was a professional that the best set up was to have more bounce on my 54 or 56 degree wedge and less bounce on my 58 or 60. I have always gone with this setup and it has worked great!
 

https://www.titleist.com/instruction/soft-vs-firm-bunker-lies?&sc_src=email_5197860&sc_lid=512108280&sc_uid=nLMhMC1dgH&sc_llid=66666&utm_source=Emarsys&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MKT-Instruction-Newsletter-20240714&sc_customer=1329565

 

... Yup, in Phoenix where most every lie is very tight I have 8* with my 58 and 11* with my 54. Back in the Midwest I played 12* in my 58 and 10* in my 54. I also have to laugh at the video calling what he hit off of "firm sand". Firm Sand in Phoenix is more like powdered sugar sprinkled on top of a brick patio. 

[jaskanski]

Yes - 50 degree 10 degrees of bounce, 54, 8 degrees of bounce, 58, 6 degrees of bounce.

The sole grind and width also makes a difference.

[Javs]

1 minute ago, chisag said:

 

... Yup, in Phoenix where most every lie is very tight I have 8* with my 58 and 11* with my 54. Back in the Midwest I played 12* in my 58 and 10* in my 54. I also have to laugh at the video calling what he hit off of "firm sand". Firm Sand in Phoenix is more like powdered sugar sprinkled on top of a brick patio. 

That’s funny. We have three courses here and each have the different sand as described. Some within the same course. They refurbished most of the bunkers on two of the courses and the sand is thick, soft and heavy. However, the last course it all varies on the bunker. 

[Javs]

2 minutes ago, jaskanski said:

Yes - 50 degree 10 degrees of bounce, 54, 8 degrees of bounce, 58, 6 degrees of bounce.

The sole grind and width also makes a difference.

Yes agree fully. I didn’t even address my PW or GW. My 54 is 12 degrees and a D while my 58/60 (depends on the course which wedge) are 8 degrees and a M. 

[NM01]

At the moment no. Fit to D grind in 54 and 60°

[Donn lost in San Diego]

Horses for courses.  I recently took what was a spare of my 52 x 09, and decided, hey, use both.  Bend one down to 50, take the spare and bend it up to 54.  That solves the issue of too much gap between PW and my shorter clubs. Sand wedge is always much more bounce, 12 -14, depending on what kind of sand.  And a lob for me is 6 or 8 because I am lobbing from hard pan or tight lie, not rough grass, at my usual course.  This is also why I don't use different bounces in my 2 gap wedges.  The turf is similar.  The course has very little grass rough.  It has other ways to muck up my score.

The other answer is, my wedges have different bounce depending on whether I just fling it down or throw it hard at the ball I have to chase.

[RetiredBoomer]

 

Things never stay the same, this season.
Equipment wise, it's been a wild ride.

I needed long end help so a 4-wood is inserted between driver and Heavenwood.
The blended iron set is on hiatus so it's all nine of the T350s.

That leaves room for a putter and one add-on wedge---
thus the Mizuno and Cleveland wedges are on hiatus too.

The T350    43, 48, and 53° set wedges are equivalent 
to old fashioned 8, 9, and PW as far as I'm concerned.

So that leaves me with my SM10-T Grind 60-04, my one "add-on" wedge.

It is atrocious for full shots.
It has almost NO bounce, so if I play it back in my stance, 
it digs in like an axe.

If I play it forward, the ball goes straight up like a roman candle.
My 60 or 70 yard approach goes forty yards, tops.

But it' magic for short side chips, so that's my wedge--almost no bounce.
I have to have it.

In the past, with add on wedges, I always bought the lowest bounce available with each loft.
Then I re-learned how to use bounce.
Now, I don't have add-on wedges except the for the one.
Not in my bag right now.

Academically, I think a variety of grinds is a good idea.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ri

[Josh Parker]

I have low bounce for my 58*

Mid/lowish bounce 54*

Mid/high bounce on 50*  

Edited September 24 by Josh Parker
Corrected 52* to 50*

[RetiredBoomer]

3 minutes ago, Josh Parker said:

I have low bounce for my 58*

Mid/lowish bounce 54*

Mid/high bounce on 52*  

That's how I'd do it, too.

The 52 would probably be mostly a full shot club.

Since there's so little loft gap between the 52 and 54°,
the difference in sole grind is probably why you have them both.

 

[Josh Parker]

1 minute ago, RetiredBoomer said:

That's how I'd do it, too.

The 52 would probably be mostly a full shot club.

Since there's so little loft gap between the 52 and 54°,
the difference in sole grind is probably why you have them both.

 

It should read 50*  

Was typing to fast I suppose. But yes. The 50* is more of a full shot or bump and run greenside. 

[TJ Hall]

On 7/14/2024 at 4:03 PM, Javs said:

That’s funny. We have three courses here and each have the different sand as described. Some within the same course. They refurbished most of the bunkers on two of the courses and the sand is thick, soft and heavy. However, the last course it all varies on the bunker. 

3 courses with different sand???

We have 3 bunkers on the same hole that have different sand!

[Javs]

5 minutes ago, TJ Hall said:

3 courses with different sand???

We have 3 bunkers on the same hole that have different sand!

Well I did also say some on the same course or hole. So, guess we are both battling that scenario!

[Shrek74]

My 60 is a lower bounce at 6*. It's used most of the time with an open face of some type, so that lower bounce helps with that.

My 54 is a mid bounce at 8*. It's on the lower end of the mid bounce, also because the grind allows a bit of face manipulation.

My GW (48*) is a set wedge, but is still mid bounce with 9*.

The conditions here are pretty middle of the road, so the mid bounces work pretty well.

[Javs]

I have changed my wedges to the PXG:

Sugar Daddy III RH Black - 54/10S
Sugar Daddy III RH Black - 58/07C

So far I am loving these wedges!

[KC Golf]

Yes.  I find more bounce helps than less bounce.  But bounce also makes sense of you also have the right grind as well.

[chisag]

4 minutes ago, KC Golf said:

Yes.  I find more bounce helps than less bounce.  But bounce also makes sense of you also have the right grind as well.

 

... Like forgiveness in an iron, the more effective bounce the better. If you play in lush conditions around the green, lots of bounce gets you through the thick grass smoother. But if you play in Links conditions with very tight lies everywhere, you need less bounce or it will literally live up to it's name and "bounce" the leading edge right into the ball. You can play lob wedges when the leading edge can easily get under the ball but most pros reduce their bounce when playing in The Open because the ground is so hard with virtually no grass at all. 

... I had to change my wedges and my approach when I moved to the desert going from exclusively using my LW around the green to bump and runs with my 50* wedge. Not only are the lies very tight, if Bermuda grain is growing into the shot, the club head can actually get stuck in the ground, something that never happened with bent grass. 

[KC Golf]

1 hour ago, chisag said:

 

... Like forgiveness in an iron, the more effective bounce the better. If you play in lush conditions around the green, lots of bounce gets you through the thick grass smoother. But if you play in Links conditions with very tight lies everywhere, you need less bounce or it will literally live up to it's name and "bounce" the leading edge right into the ball. You can play lob wedges when the leading edge can easily get under the ball but most pros reduce their bounce when playing in The Open because the ground is so hard with virtually no grass at all. 

... I had to change my wedges and my approach when I moved to the desert going from exclusively using my LW around the green to bump and runs with my 50* wedge. Not only are the lies very tight, if Bermuda grain is growing into the shot, the club head can actually get stuck in the ground, something that never happened with bent grass. 

These are very good points.  I think firm or very firm conditions do merit less bounce.  But also, I think your skill level allows you to apply your experience with low bounce wedges,  I am seldom in those type of conditions where next to no bounce wedges would help me.  But I am a more shallow with my wedge swings vs steep, so that may help me as well.

i think grind is definitely as important as bounce with my wedges,

[buckpillar]

I like my wedges with an 8* to 10* bounce, with my attack angle and swing I found with the higher bounce I have a tendency to scald/blade one every now and then.

It doesn't mater what loft since I manipulate the wedges for each shot.

[TJ Hall]

Vokey SM8s here…52 (F grind) and 60 (M grind) are 8 degrees, while my 56 (S grind) is 10 degrees.

[bens197]

My bounce experience is so odd to me.  I understand well, how each suits certain shots however with my current setup, one just does not match my game.

Currently PING S159

50 S 12

55 H 11

59 T 7

On paper, the S & H are only 1 degree apart.  On the course, I cannot hit the H grind if my life depended upon it.  I spoke with @Berg Ryman about this during our WNY outing and can only attribute it to the shape of the grind.  While the H and T share a *similar* shape, the H has rendered itself near useless while the T has become easily my favorite wedge.

I am trying to decide what to do with the 55 at this point.  I don’t play many courses with plush sand and if I don’t end up experimenting with the grinding wheel, I may just offer it up to someone looking for a wedge.

 

[GolfSpy_APH]

Most definitely do! 

Especially since my wedges are used for so many different shots and situations I need different grinds or bounces so I always have the proper club for the particular shot.

[Bad Golfer]

I was blessed to be picked for MGS Vokey Wedge Fitting app. This is what I ended getting fit into using the Vokey wedge App and also done by a Titleist Premier Fitter in person. The app is a great tool to get you very close to the perfect wedge fit for you. It all depends on your swing and the most common course conditions you play in. It also determines selection of wedges on how you use each club for different shots.

I ended up being fit into a 50.08 F, 54.10 S, and a 58.08 M.

As you can see while the bounce matches on 2 of the wedges the grind is different on all 3. 

Here is a link to the testing thread if your interested in trying out the Vokey App. I will tell you that the results were mixed on what some of the testers thought of the App.

 

https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/65661-vokey-wedge-fit-app-2024-forum-review/?do=findComment&comment=1100944

Edited September 25 by Bad Golfer

[GaDawg]

50* wedge - 8* bounce

56* wedge - 12* bounce

60* wedge - 4* bounce

[Berg Ryman]

Bounces are indeed all different, 11 degree in my gap, 13 in the 55, and 10 in the 60. 

Admittedly, I'm focused now on getting grinds that work more for me than caring about bounce. I get they're related but bounce can be delivery dependent in how you utilize the bounce, grind impacts my personal performance and feelings around a wedge more.

[racingdaly]

Florida so frequently playing in wet conditions.  52.09, 56.14, 60.12. Got fit into the 56 and 60 Vokey SM8s at my home course so they were definitely tailored to the typical conditions there and my propensity to chunk the ball.  Added the 52 TM MG4 recently and that was the only bounce available in that loft, which is fine since it is primarily for full swing shots from fairway (or let's be honest, rough).