How does "bounce" work, in a wedge?

Question

I don't understand how the bounce makes a club more likely to dig...

What would be the difference two sand wedges with 10 degree bounce and one with 14 degree?

Answer 1

While the definition of "bounce" has been addressed in the answers above, I'd suggest that you pay particular attention to how much "bounce" a wedge has when you're making the decision to buy it. Many, if not most, people just pick up a sand wedge and if they like how it looks, buy it irrespective and oblivious to how many degrees of bounce it has. The type conditions you normally play on (hard ground or softer turf), angle of attack (steep or more shallow), the type sand at your home course (firm or fluffy), all need to be factored in when deciding on how much bounce you need on your sand wedge. Too much for your needs and you'll hit more thin shots, too little and you'll hit more fat.

edit: the difference between 10 and 14 degrees is that the 14 degree will have more bounce and will therefore be more applicable to fluffy sand, a shallow angle of attack, and cushy lies.

Answer 2

The term "bounce" is used to describe a specific design of the soles of irons and wedges that is intended to reduce the "drag" of the sole through sand, longer grass or Bermuda grass; or, to reduce the incidence of hitting behind the ball (fat shots).
A bounce sole design is characterized by the rear sole edge (the trailing edge) being closer to the ground than the front sole edge (the leading edge) when the club is addressed behind the ball. That relationship of the front and back of the sole creates an angled surface on the bottom of the sole, which resists the clubhead digging deeper into sand or digging deeper into tall grass.

At the same time, if the bounce angle of the sole is too great, it will be a killer when trying to hit shots from hardpan or very thin turf – the trailing edge will contact the hard ground first and literally could cause the leading edge to "bounce" into the belly of the ball, thus creating a far greater chance of hitting the dreaded bladed shot

Answer 3

I see golfers all the time that don't use the bounce of the club, it's there for a reason...The worst thing you can do is put your hands too far forward and try to chip or pitch the ball with out using the bounce of the club...Paul Azinger said that the best players use the bounce of the club around the green..That means you won't dig the leading edge in the turf and wind up being inconsistent with your distance control..The best combo is about 6-8 degrees, works for all types of lies...

Answer 4

Actually, the bounce part of the wedge does NOT dig... It skips or bounces off of the sand... the trailing edge is what will dig.

Answer 5

the more bounce you have in a wedge the faster it will come off the club face and should have more spin.