Wedges and Bounce

Hi,

I'm looking at buy a new wedge and was wondering if somebody can full explain what bounce is?

Also what loft is a PW normally?

I currently have a PW and a LW and am not sure if i'll need 2 wedges to fill the gap between my 115 yard PW and my 55 yard LW or if i will be able to get away with just a 53 degree or a 56.

It's the 60-100 yard distance thats costing me shots at the moment.

Thanks

Darren

To keep this answer simple, wedges with no/low bounce will have a tendency to dig into the ground. This is ok from fairway and roughs where the lie is tight. Clubs with bounce reduces this tendency so it is good for bunker shots as it will not dig in too deep.

When you setup with a club that has bounce, you will notice that the leading edge of the club doesnt actually touch the ground. If you look at the bottom, you can see that the sole of the cub is not flat but has angles to it. I I think you definitely should have one more wedge. Look for one that is around 54 or 56 degrees to fill the gap between PW and 60LW (you can also get a 52degree "gap" wedge as well if you are going to get a 56 degree. They call it gap because a PW has 48 and normal SW has 56). You dont necessary need two though.

Bounce is how much off the ground the leading edge of the club face is at address. A club with 0º bounce will be touching the ground. A club with 18º bounce you could probably slide a twig under the leading edge.

That depends on the age and make of your clubs. It could quite honestly be anywhere from 43º to 50º.

Assuming you have a newer (last decade) set, your PW will probably be around 48º.

Well, the question is not what letters are stamped on the bottom of my new wedges, the question is what are the lofts of my current wedges, and what lofts do I need to buy to fill that gap?

So, assuming again that your PW is 48º, and your LW is 60º, then I would proceed to buy a 52º and 56º wedge. I would probably buy the 56º with 12º or more of bounce, and the 52º with 6º or less. This will effectively give you a couple of options out of the sand (although, technically any iron in your bag can be used). The other thing this does is keeps your loft gaps consistent, which should keep your yardage gaps consistent.

You and the majority of golfers worldwide.

You're welcome.

Ben

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Thanks for the reply's.

I have a new set of irons that i bought earlier this year.
They're the Nike Pro Combo irons so i'm guessing the Wedge will be around 48º.

So for a bunker shot low bounce is good as it will help the ball enter the sand.

I can't understand the benfits of high bounce. Why would you want the leading edge of a club to be so far off the ground?

Thanks

Darren

High bounce is used for fluffy sand. It helps keep the club from digging too deep. Low bounce is for hard sand, or compacted sand, where you need to dig a little.