This area can often be a minefield for many golfers, firstly what is it? How will make a difference to my game and how do I know which ones would suit me best?
Wedge bounce is the angle created between the leading edge and the lowest point of the sole or trailing edge. This is the area of the club that interacts with the ground both before and after contact of the ball. You’ll often see it stamped on the club next to the loft.
Let’s go into a little detail on why you may favour towards a low, medium, or high bounce. The two things you should look into is the ground conditions you generally play in and your divot depth.
Low Bounce
Low bounce wedges are typically between 4°-6°, ideal for firm turf conditions and bunkers with harder or coarse sand. Low bounce wedges are designed for clean ball contact with not much ground interaction. low bounce lob wedges can be used to hit high flop shots off tight lies near the green. Low bounce wedges are also useful to players with a sweeper swing style, with shallower attack angles and minimal divots.
Mid Bounce
Mid bounce wedges range between about 7°-10° and are most played on firm to normal turf. This wedge bounce type is the most versatile for more players and can apply to a wide range of course conditions.
While mid bounce wedges are suited for almost all swing types, they most favour a neutral swing style with a moderate attack angle and turf interaction.
High Bounce
High bounce wedges are those with more than 10° of bounce, designed for softer turf, fluffy lies, and bunkers with soft sand. High bounce sand wedges are ideal for preventing the leading edge of the club from dragging too much in the sand, and high bounce lob wedges are beneficial to those who take deep divots with a digger swing style and steep attack angle.
The grind of a wedge
Wedge grind is the manipulation or removal of material from the sole of the club, helping to improve contact with the turf. Grinds allow for more creativity and consistency around the green. If you are a golfer that like to open the face or manipulate the wedge at address then having a wedge with a dual grind, preferably in your most lofted one would be a good choice.
If you play in firm condition and like to open the face, then I would recommend looking a lower bounce with a dual grind. If you are a golfer that plays in firm to mid ground conditions and like to manipulate the face, then I would encourage a mid-bounce with a dual grind. If you struggle with heavy divots, play in soft condition or struggle with depth control in bunkers then high bounce or full bounce would be a good option for you.
If you open the face with a low bounce wedge it can often lower the bounce and allow you to get a lot closer the ball in contact but very unforgiving in soft conditions.
If you open the face on a full bounce or high bounce wedge, then it will increase the bounce further so trying to play a high shot of firm/tight ground conditions would be very difficult and cause the back of the wedge to bounce of the turf prior to contact.
As you can see it can be a bit of a minefield but improving your understanding and complimenting your equipment with your style of play, how you deliver the club and the golf courses you play on can have a huge impact on your short game. Let me know if you have any questions.
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