How much bounce is too much or not enough???

Hi boys & girls!

I've got a quick question here. How much bounce on a sand wedge is not too much and just enough at the same time. I use mine as much on the fairways as in bunkers (obviously). Hence my question, what is the best all around bounce angle to easily play out of the bunker without impairing play in the fairway? According to some, 12° sounds about right. Comments?

Well, here's the rub.

The reason that bounces come in so many different varieties is that bunkers come in many different varieties.

Harder, coarser bunkers require less bounce, while soft, fluffy bunkers require more.

Clubs with more bounce are tougher to 'open up', as the leading edge comes that much more off the ground (increasing your chance of blading the ball). Conversely, clubs with less bounce are easier to open up, but will dig in softer conditions, lending themselves to a greater chance of going fat.

I play with a 56° SW and a 60° LW - the LW has 9° of bounce, the SW has 11° (each bent 1° weak). I actually preferred a LW with 6° of bounce (I plan on grinding the sole of my current LW), just so I had a 'digger' option and 'bounce' option out of the traps, depending on what I was looking at.

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AHA!

So THAT's why my 60 deg LW is so much easier to play in bunkers than my SW.

The smaller bounce makes it easier to 'pick' the ball off the fairly hard, compact sand in our bunkers (Denmark - think plenty of rain), while my SW tends to 'dig in' and demand a fairly substantial effort to get the ball (and about 10lbs of sand) out of the trap.

Things are beginning to make sense, here.

So, let's say you need to use your SW from the fairway - pitching in or even a fullish swing from some 80-90 yards out. Would you then prefer low or high bounce?

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For any tight lie, the less bounce, the better. That's why no-one tries to flop it off a cart path; there's no ability to dig, so you just end up skulling it instead.

Makes sense.

Since most of our bunkers are quite firm, I think I'm going to go look for a low-bounce SW.

Ben, you are spot on with your comments, good replies.

Guys,

So Would a Sand wedge with Less Bounce be preferred in Florida where the sand is soft? Also would Less bounce SW be better for pitching?

Barry

No, you need bounce to throw up more sand when it's soft, when sand is compacted or wet then you can use something like a PW.

Pitching: it depends on the lie, a SW is not good on a hard lie but is OK on a more fluffy one. In stead of getting a special SW just use your PW with a smaller backswing or choke down on the grip in places where the SW is not ideal.

I was having trouble with my LW, I could hit the SW perfectly off tight lies and out of the sand. But couldn't hit the LW off the short grass. I noticed that the LW has a significant bounce compared to my SW, which has a wide sole (making it good in the sand) but a sharp leading edge with what looks to be no bounce. I have an Acuity 60º that I decided I wasn't going to use, and as it wasn't plated, so I've started to grind down the bounce until it plays as good as my SW off the fairway. I have a 6º bounce Cleveland for those long ruff lies.

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Agreed, softer conditions need more bounce, while harder conditions need less bounce.

But, could a wedge with zero bounce still be effective in both soft, and/or hard lies if the club face is opened, or closed properly for a particular soft/hard condition? GJS

I do have a wedge with zero bounce, I don't use it now though. It has a very flat sole that tapers away to a point at the leading edge (it's called a Black Widow). It is designed to lay naturally in an open position and is good for really popping the ball up. It does work on hard or soft lies and was helpful for hoisting the ball out of a deep green side bunker if the sand was compact or wet.

I replaced it with my 52 degree vokey gap wedge which is far more useful.

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Best Regards
Brian

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Funny o'l game!

I was reading the following at Golf Illustrated, and remembered your post.
I hope it helps answer your question:

How do you know what is the right bounce for you? If your home course has hard ground without much grass and bunkers that are firm with little sand, then you want a minimum of bounce. If your fairways are lush with deep rough, and especially if your bunkers have lots of sand, then maximum bounce will serve you much better.
If you have the wrong bounce characteristics for your course, then you'll have a much tougher time with consistent contact, even if you have good technique. Simply ask your teaching pro if your wedges have the right bounce characteristics for your course.
The Secret To Using A Wedge's Bounce
Bounce can also be used to create a more forgiving impact, even if you are playing from the fairway. When you lay the club open, you are exposing the bounce. A perfectly square club, especially with the handle forward, is not exposing the bounce at all.
It is possible to lay the club open just the slightest amount, exposing the bounce enough to get the club to slide, without worrying about drop-kicking the club into the back of the ball. This sliding impact will allow you to hit even a few inches behind the ball and still get a playable result. A digging situation will not allow you to hit even the slightest bit behind the ball without getting a terrible result.

Thanks jamesh, Good info.

You see, with all the different answers here, we'd need a different sand wedge for every course... or even every hole for that matter. At my local courses, alot of holes are different: i.e. some of which the ground is as hard as ciment whereas others don't drain as well and extremely fat shots occur. Alas, the joys of golf... and geology.

I use a sand wedge where the sand is soft and a pitching wedge where it is wet or compact, you can get an idea which when you ground your feet into the sand.

I like to play a specialised shot that works in all sand conditions by turning the sand wedge round 180 deg in my grip so that the face is pointing directly down towards the ground (like a closed hook). I then hit behind the ball with a good follow through and the ball flies out under good control. This is particularly good with a buried lie.

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Best Regards
Brian

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Funny o'l game!