High Bounce, Low Bounce, WTH?

[Coagulator]

Ok so excuse the ignorance here but-
What is the difference between high and low bounce angels when applied to wedges? When I played in high school- I had a PW and a SW and for the life of me I seriously can't remember their loft degree angles. Now I read about all you guys having 3, 4, 19 wedges or so and it just blows my mind, add in the bounce angle quotient and I'll just call it good for the day!

Currently I have a PW and an AW in my bag 44 and 47 degree loft angles.I assume the have typical bounce angles if any at all <shrug>. I also assume that at the point I'm at it really won't make a difference.

I guess my the main reason for this post is do I need to go out and get a SW or will the AW do for me at this point. In addition I'd like to understand the concept of the High and Low Bounce figures so when I'm at a Scratch handicap I know what the hell I'm doing .

[IrishGolfer]

'Tor

This is not life or death stuff, in most cases golfers can survive with standard bounces on their wedges and be none the wiser, but since you asked, bounce is important in a few areas:

The set-up of the course you play. I play on a links course with very hard and tight lies. A high bounce wedge would not let me play certain shots. Also the sand can be quite compact. Playing a softer course with fluffy sand, I would probably benefit more from a bit more bounce.

Angle of attack. I have a fairly shallow swing and don't take much of a divot. Again a low bounce wedge helps me here. Conversely "diggers" will benefit with higher bounce.

Put into context I agree with your comments. We all tend to get overly scientific with our equipment. Standard stuff works fine in most cases if properly executed. I'll leave it to the scientists here to correct my assumptions.

[Eracer]

Bounce angle can most easily be understood by holding a club so that the shaft is vertical, then looking at the angle the sole of the club makes with the ground. The sole of a higher bounce club will hang down at a steeper angle.

The purpose of bounce is to prevent the leading edge of the club from digging into the ground. This is why wedges designed for sand play have higher bounce - with a proper swing the club doesn't dig in nearly as deep when it enters the sand. Conversely, a low-bounce design allows the player the ability to play delicate shots off of tighter lies, as they are able to direct the leading edge of the club into the ball without fear that the "bounce" will cause the club to rebound off the turf before it contacts the ball.

Bounce angle is important to the design of the 3-PW, but most people (myself included) don't pay any attention to that. We are concerned with the bounce angle of our wedges. Unlike IG, I have a steep swing angle, so I benefit from higher bounce angles, and have trouble with lower bounce wedges.

Keep in mind that there are other factors that influence the effective bounce of a club. Loft, sole camber, sole width, sole radius, bounce height, offset, and others, all contribute to the playability of any club.

[chemboy2]

Those are some pretty damn strong lofts on your PW and AW. I don't imagine either of those clubs is going to have anything more than 7-8* of bounce. While carrying a bag full of wedges may not be for you, I would highly recommend a 54-56 SW for the sand as well as the "touch" shots around the green. How much bounce that SW should have is a discussion worth having with someone that knows your and the courses you play on. (something like 10* would be a decent mid bounce angle if you don't someone to consult with)

[ualtim]

Wow! A 44 degree PW? Thats like a 7-8 iron from 20 years ago. In reality, you are really not carrying any wedges in the bag. The 47* is along the lines of a modern PW, but you could probably stand to put another wedge or 2 into your bag. What is the loft of the 3 iron on that set? 18*?

[SilverUberXeno]

I carry three wedges with higher lofts than the ones you've got; 52/56/60. Aside from different lofts, they've all got different bounce angles. You could CERTAINLY benefit from additional wedges, or at least one. I use every one of mine just about every round I play.

[Coagulator]

Well I am carrying the Taylor Made R7 Draw irons 4-AW...it's strange to me that you guys are commenting about the angles ...

TaylorMade Golf - Irons - r7 Draw Irons - Specifications

You can see above the listing of the lofts. I guess I will pick up a SW asap!

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by Coagulator

Well I am carrying the Taylor Made R7 Draw irons 4-AW...it's strange to me that you guys are commenting about the angles ...

TaylorMade Golf - Irons - r7 Draw Irons - Specifications

You can see above the listing of the lofts. I guess I will pick up a SW asap!

It's become common among manufacturers to lower the lofts of their irons. This helps them lay claim to the "longest irons on the market".

Joe Golfer tests three different 5-irons (all he knows is, they're 5-irons) with three different lofts. He hits the one with the lowest loft the furthest on the simulator. Which clubs are he going to buy? The manufacturer's know this. They are all trying to push lofts lower while maintaining control by increasing the game-improvement features of the clubhead.

[sandwedge]

Since your AW is 49* I would definitely recommend going with a 54*-56* sandwedge. Get as much bounce on it as you can handle. I have a 54-14 and a 58-8 for my sand and lob wedge. I like having the different degress of bounce on my wedges. Since the 54 is high bounce I use it more out of softer sand and thick rough. The 58 is used more for hard wet sand and tight lies.

[cypressperch]

giving you about adding a 54* and 58* wedge. From other posts, I think you are probably getting familiar with what bounce is. Like IrishGolfer said, however, course conditions will determine how much bounce you want to have in your wedges. (The bounce in clubs other than wedges is so slight as to not matter that much, if there is any bounce at all.)

Sandwedge's 14* bounce 54* wedge would not be very useable from fairways that were hard and thinly grassed. The bounce would hit the ground and the clubhead would truly "bounce" with the front edge of the club hitting into the ball, skulling it to who-knows-where. In hard sand, the same thing might happen. With somewhat lush fairways and fairly soft sand, that same club would be absolutely deadly and good to have around. I personally have a 54* and 58* wedge, but I have chosen to have 10* bounce in each which is sort of a compromise, and the courses I play sort of need a compromise since I get all kinds of lies from very tight to very lush.

Learn some different types of swings and shots to hit with your wedges, and you will really knock strokes off your scores.

Sincerely, Cypressperch

[zaphod]

Well said Cypressperch,

I have three wedges 48*, 52* 60* with 8-10* bounce because of hard fairways. We have soft sand but my 60* wedge works fine in the sugary stuff. Saves room for another hybrid.