By Devon M

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  • 8 Replies
  1. I have been looking at playing possible 4 wedges lately. I want to gap them evenly, such as 46,52,56, and 60. I have been wanting to get some SM6 wedges, but have never been able to quite understand bounce. Could someone help explain? Or make a recommendation as to what bounce is best for what wedge?

  2. Bogeypro

    Bogeypro
    hampton cove, AL

    My advice - don't gap them based on loft. Hit them and gap them based on distance you hit them. Choose a grind based on how you will use that wedge, your style of play, usual course conditions, etc...

    Grinds: If you open it up more for touch shots (think 60 degree or 58 degree), get a grind that lets you open it up more. Wedges like 46 and 52 will most likely be used for full swing, so choose a standard grind for those.

    Bounce: depends on a couple things... course conditions (soft or hard, type of sand, etc), your technique (are you a digger or picker). Lower bounce for hard conditions, more bounce for softer conditions. Lower bounce can be used by pickers, more bounce for diggers can prevent them from digging. I prefer 10 degrees across the board... just my opinion, but it seems to be a great all around bounce.

    Best advice - find a fitting center and have a pro watch you hit a variety of shots - chips, pitches, flops, sand shots, etc... They can help analyze your technique to help find the right bounce and grind for you.
  3. John T

    John T
    Youngstown, OH

    Notwithstanding the usual answers of "get fitted", "see a professional", etc., I will try to give you something to think about before you go further with your selections, get more advice and start to demo some of your options. That way, you will have a better idea of what to be looking for.

    Putting it simply, bounce is the angle between the bottom of the sole of the club vs. the leading edge of the face (see the "wedges" part of the Titleist website for more explanation of bounce).

    Bounce tends to help stop the club from "digging" into the ground, the more bounce, the more resistance to "digging". Therefore, the amount of bounce that you would want would depend on where you are playing your shot (ie deep grass, fairway, hardpan, sand, etc.). Sand needs more bounce if it is soft and fluffy, less if like wet mud or concrete. Hardpan needs less so the club does not bounce off the ground (pun intended). Deep grass/rough could use more.

    Also, it depends on the type of swing you have (ie sweeper, tweener or digger). Sweepers need less bounce, diggers need more. Also depends on the course conditions you are playing on. There are charts and diagrams on the "wedges" and/or Vokey sections to further inform and help you decide.

    What you would select would also depend on the irons you are matching the wedges with.

    Since you gave a range, assuming you are between a sweeper and digger, you may want to think about something like:
    46 - 8 degrees bounce (pitching wedge)
    50 - 8 degrees (gap wedge)
    54 - 12 degrees (for a high bounce option for sand, etc.)
    58 - 6 or 8 degrees. (lob wedge).

    Sole grinds are another story. That is where personalization comes in and I won't touch that here.

    I use 4 wedges myself as it is usually more useful to have more options from 100 yards in rather than adding say a 5 wood at the top end of the bag.

    Happy selecting and let us know how you do!
  4. Darron K

    Darron K
    Fate, TX

    It all depends on your swing and the types of shots you hit or are able to hit. I would suggest going to a Titleist Thursday or seeing a Certified Titleist fitter. That is truly the only way you'll find out what's best for you.
  5. You guys really know your stuff, I appreciate it! Tim I agree with you in carrying 4 wedges. I feel comfortable with my long game, but I want to have a dialed in short game, and would love to be able to have several options when it comes to wedge shots. The description of bounce you gave me helped a lot, and I will be looking for a place to demo wedges when one pops up around me. Right now there are none in North Carolina where I am!
  6. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    It also depends on your style of wedge play. The "traditional" wedge setup is 48-08, 52-08, 56-08M and 60-10S. 48-08, 54-14F and 60-08M is a good 3 wedge setup. It depends on whether you are a "digger" (take deep divots) or a "slider" (shallow divots) or a "shot maker" (somewhere in between). The K grind for 56,58,60 has 12* bounce.

    The advertised bounce on the 58-04L and 60-04L is deceiving. They have narrower soles than the 58-08M and 60-08M but the leading edge bounce is greater. I personally found it easier to use the M grind wedges off a hardpan lie.

    54-10S is a good wedge too.

    My wedge setup is 48-08, 52-08 (bent to 53), 60-08M (bent to 58) and I keep a 62-08M in reserve for courses with deep bunkers with hard sand. I use the 60-08M as a greenside bunker sand wedge. I can also play the 62-08 in a small bunker with soft sand.

    The more "old school" setup would be a 50-08 and 58-08M.

    They do have 50-12 and 52-12 F grind
  7. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    The picture below is my bag.
    Post Image
  8. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    Historically, 54-10M grind (bent to 53) worked between 2012-2016 (been using 54-10S SM5 since last year because it is better for chipping).

    It seems like 58 and 62 or 64 as a lob/x wedge combo historically has worked well. I used a 258-12 as a sand wedge between 2007-2010. I had Cleve 58 and 64 DSG until 2011 when I went to SM2. In 2011 I had 58-04 and 62-07 SM c-c. I carried 60-10M (bent to 59) between 2012-2014) and then 58-06L and 64-07T until early 2015 when I got an SM5 60-04L.

    I just upgraded to SM6 with 52-08 (bent to 53), 60-08M (bent to 58) and 62-08M. I retained my SM5 48-08. The 62-08 is the answer for deep bunkers with hard sand and it even works in small bunkers with soft sand.

    I'm more of a slider with wedge shots these days.
  9. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    Current wedge setup is Fourteen RM21 42* (9 iron replacement), SM6 (46-08, 52-08 and 60-12K bent to 58*) and Callie MD3 64-08.
    Post Image

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