If, like me, you watch a lot of golf on the TV, then you will have heard the commentators talking about players "using the bounce" when chipping and pitching around the green. You may have then given a knowing nod to your other half when in truth, you really haven't got the foggiest as to what they are talking about. If that is the case with you, then read on as we are going to dig (or be shallow, depending on the bounce!) into this tricky subject so when it is time for you to buy a new wedge, you will be able to make an informed decision.

What exactly is wedge bounce?
The leading edge (front) of your wedges will be higher than the trail edge and the angle created between the two points is the bounce angle. This means that with virtually all wedges, when the club is placed on the turf, the leading edge does not sit flush with the ground. The higher the bounce angle the further the leading edge will be raised from the ground. As the name implies, the bounce is there to stop the club digging into the turf or sand and causes it to bounce instead of dig.

Most manufacturers will state the bounce on the head of the wedge immediately after, or underneath, the loft. One example would be 60/08. So, the loft is 60-degrees and the bounce angle would be 8-degrees. The range of bounce angles varies from 4-degrees as the lowest up to 15-degrees at the other end of the spectrum.

Is wedge bounce important?
Wedge bounce is an extremely important aspect of becoming proficient with your wedges - if you are using the wrong kind of bounce for your technique, or for the ground conditions you usually play on, then you will find it far more difficult to make the correct contact with the ball. Even highly skilled players would find chipping and pitching much more difficult if they were using the wrong bounce for their game or conditions.

How do I know what bounce is right for me?
To answer this question, I am going to categorise wedges into three sections, low bounce, mid bounce, and high bounce.  

Low Bounce
A low bounce wedge will have less than 8-degrees of bounce and is ideally suited for playing off tight and firm fairways like those usually found on links courses. The low bounce angle allows the leading edge to sit more flush with the ground and allows the golfer to “nip” the ball and produce those wonderful low checking pitches that stand to attention on the third bounce. They also work well when the golfer opens the face at address to play more of a lob shot. Opening the face adds bounce so this becomes a more difficult shot if your wedge already has plenty of bounce on it.

The low bounce wedge will also suit the golfer that tends to have more of a sweeping action when playing chips and pitches, if you are someone that takes a sizable divot or have a habit of catching the ground before the ball, then the low bounce option is most definitely not for you. The leading edge is far more active on a low bounce wedge and catching the ground first will cause it to dig in and can often result in those embarrassing shots where the divot goes as far as the ball.

I often hear that tour pro’s mainly use low bounce wedges but that is simply not the case. There is a good mix of different bounces used on tour, with the primary driving forces behind their choices the same as I have discussed above. They are of course in a more advantageous position than most golfers, and they can simply add a new wedge to their bag whenever the conditions demand it. For the majority of amateur golfers, I would advise against opting for a low bounce wedge in the higher lofts as the margin of error is extremely small and elevated levels of precision are required to get the most out of low bounce wedges.

Mid Bounce
Mid bounce wedges have bounce within the 8-degrees to 14-degrees range and are without question the most versatile option. They allow the golfer to play a wide range of shots and can be used effectively from all ground conditions. As a rule of thumb, I would always encourage the beginner golfer to keep things simple and opt for a mid-bounce wedge, they are not too demanding to use and yet they allow you to play lots of different shots around the green which increases your creativity. An essential part of being a short game maestro.  

They will also be a solid choice for use out of bunkers but as I mentioned above, opening the face to play more of a lob shot or on a bunker shot does increase the bounce and because of this, you will now see many wedges available with different “grinds.” I will discuss grinds in more detail here, as this aspect has now become almost as important as the bounce itself.

High Bounce
High bounce wedges have bounce that is 14-degrees or higher and they are an ideal choice for the golfer that gets a little steep on their pitches and work extremely well in very wet conditions or out of the bunker. Until recently they were a choice that brought significant limitations on the shots you could play with them and skilled golfers would not use wedges with high bounce. That has started to change now with the different grinds available allowing for more versatility around the greens. Several tour players use wedges with high bounce. High bounce wedges are usually only found in the 56-degree to 62-degree range of lofts.



How to use the bounce effectively
There have been significant changes in the short game techniques of the best players over the past twenty years, and only Phil Mickelson and few select others still chip and pitch the way that short game greats like Seve did. Technology has allowed wedge construction to evolve, and the improved manufacturing processes have allowed for increasingly elaborate bounce and grind combinations to appear on wedges.  

This has dramatically improved the margin of error and when the bounce is employed correctly you can contact the ground slightly before the ball and the wedge will simply glide over the surface and slide under the ball. I will discuss the techniques involved in this in greater detail in an upcoming article but essentially using the bounce means removing the leading edge from contacting the ground and instead you feel like it is the trail edge of the wedge that impacts the turf.

When done correctly you can slide the club under the ball, even on extremely tight lies and barely even bruise the grass. It looks highly impressive when done correctly, and with the right wedge in your bag, you could well be the player that draws admiring gasps from your friends.