Bounce on wedges

Follow Thread

By Sean C

  • 0 Likes
  • 8 Replies
  1. Im purchasing new clubs this year and I have decided to build them from the putter back instead of buying a traditional set. Im a long hitter and have found that most of my game is played from green - 140. Or so it seems. I have decided to go with the following Vokey wedges 60, 58, 56, 52, & 48. I'll cary 5-9 in Irons. I have read and read about the bounce and understand what bounce is but its still confusing to me. I was thinking this set up 60 (8), 58 (12), 56 (10), 52 (8), 48 (6). Does this look like a good plan or am I way over thinking this? lol Thanks for the help everyone.

  2. Cameron D

    Cameron D
    Newport, RI

    Sean, 

    I would be careful with adding that many wedges to your set.  You want to make sure there is proper gapping through your whole set, and if you get lofts that are too close to each other, you won't be able to optimize your set make-up when you get to your longer irons/hybrids/fairway metals.  

    When dealing with bounce, just remember that "diggers" need more bounce and "sliders" need less.  The "diggers" will tend to take more divots on fuller shots, where as the "sliders" will tend to pick the ball.  Also, consider what you would be using out of sand and softer conditions.  These wedges should have slightly more bounce to help you through the turf.  Meaning, if you are a "slider" and need less bounce in all wedges, then I would go with the mid bounce in the wedges used in these softer conditions like bunkers.  Or if you are a "digger", then consider higher bounce options for those same irons.  

    These are things that a Club Fitter will be able to indicate for you.  If you have any other questions, please let us know.

    Cameron

    1-888-TITLEIST  

  3. Thanks for the advice. The only reason I am thinking of using so many wedges is I tpically hit my 60 from 50yds and in. My 56 or SW I use for my 90-105 yd shots. My thought was the 58 might take care of that 60-85 yd shot currently struggle with. However I have never owned a 58 or a 52 (gap) wedge so Im unsure if its really a noticalbe difference in distance control. I guess I'll have to find a club fitter to hit these wedges but it seems difficult to find a fitter with Vokey wedges around Indianapolis.

  4. Quintin H

    Quintin H
    Morehead, KY

    I am >100y from the green, or I am around the green(if not on the green). I avoid the shot I don't like. Sure sometimes I mess up and land between 50-100y, in that case I use a partial swing PW and go for the easiest part of the green to hit.

    What do you do when you are inside your full LW distance?..........I'm betting you take a partial swing, you can do that with other clubs. But the main idea is to stay out of the range you don't like.

  5. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    Sean C said:

    Im purchasing new clubs this year and I have decided to build them from the putter back instead of buying a traditional set. Im a long hitter and have found that most of my game is played from green - 140. Or so it seems. I have decided to go with the following Vokey wedges 60, 58, 56, 52, & 48. I'll cary 5-9 in Irons. I have read and read about the bounce and understand what bounce is but its still confusing to me. I was thinking this set up 60 (8), 58 (12), 56 (10), 52 (8), 48 (6). Does this look like a good plan or am I way over thinking this? lol Thanks for the help everyone.

    I agree with Cameron plus experience dictates that too many wedges makes the short game confusing and also means sacrificing the top end.  Anything more than 4 wedges is overkill.

    My current setup is AP1 PW, 50-08, 54-14 and 60-10 (the 50 and the 60 are bent 1* strong).   This is 5* spacing between the Vokeys.   This works in a lot of conditions.  The 60-10 works very well in soft greenside bunkers and you have to play it a little back on hard lies.  The 54-14 has a narrow sole and is easily playable on hard lies.  The 50-08 works in soft sand if you play a slider swing.  I can use either digger or slider as the need dictates.

    In 2006 I started with a set of Harmonized (50 PW, 52 GW, 55 SW, 60 LW, 64 XW; found the 52 of no value).  I then traded the 55 and 60 for a Vokey 58-12 and used that until 2009.   From 2009-2011 I played with home made irons so my setup was 47 PW, 55 SW, Vokey SM2 60-07 and 64-07, 

    I used Eye 2 irons in 2011- May 2012.  I started with SM c-c 54-11 and then traded the 60 and 64 for a SM c-c 62-07 in 2011.  I also found out the 50-08 worked better than the Eye 2 W so I've been using that since last summer.   I briefly tried a SM c-c 58-04 (it plays more like an old sand wedge) and I only used it in soft greenside bunkers.

    When I changed irons to AP1, I traded the SM c-c 58-04 and 62-07 for the SM4 60-10.   I love the 60-10 (which is 59-09) to death; it has 10* effectve bounce but I have a feeling the leading edge is more like 13*

    I also found out the SM c-c 54-14 is much more versatile than the SM c-c 54-11.

     

     

  6. Don O

    Don O
    Madison, WI

    Definitely find a fitter with a sand pit and outside pitching area, to define your best set of wedges.  Getting them with your irons works, as well.  The AP2/CB/MB are 43 degree 9 irons and the AP1 is 41.  So your first wedge will depend on which set of irons.  Work with him on full shots and your problem close in shots.  Looking at your entire set,  the fitter can help you can decide on 3 or 4 wedges.

    I got my wedges before I got my irons, so I have an AP1 45 PW, and Vokey 48/54/58.  I can take out the PW and choke the 9I if I need to.  My last set of irons had a 40 9I and a 44 PW, so the 48 made sense as a GW.

  7. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    Also if you want a 4 wedge setup consider replacing the 3 and 5 woods with a 4 (17*) wood.      Then replace the 3 iron with a 21 hybrid. 

    My nephew's bag (which is also a guest bag) contains driver, 5 wood, 4/23 hybrid, 5-PW, 52-56-60-64 and putter. 

    The absolute necessary bag setup for me is 13* draw driver, 910F 19*, 910H 27*,  HL3 34* persimmon hybrid, AP1 8-PW,   SM  c-c 50-08 and 54-14, SM4 60-10 and putter.  I have a 910H 21* available but really fare better with a choke down stinger shot with the fairway.  I carry the 34 hybrid in place of the 6 and 7 irons mainly because I hit it just as far as the 6 iron and have learned how to work the distance pretty well (it also drops the ball on a dime); it started out as a novelty (LVG quit making persimmon hybrids last year; I played with a persimmon 10 wood between 2010 - 2011 as a middle club and could drop it on a dime from 165).  I play to a 13 handicap with this odd-ball so-called "old geezer" setup (best score to date is +6 for 18 holes on a short course and  +2 with 3 missed birdie putts on a par 34 course; I generally score 85 on a 6.1kyd par 72 course).

    I actually got around the golf course with a TM Burner 7 wood and SQ2 5/26 hybrid through 2011 until I got the 910F this summer.  

     

  8. Quintin H

    Quintin H
    Morehead, KY

    If you want to become the Dave Pelz poster boy, you need to add 46, 50, and 54.

    Bounce, except for special shots, is for mistakes. The correct bounce will limit how bad your mistakes can be.....too much bounce and you will tend to blade the ball, not enough and you will dig into the ground. The bounce that works best for you depends on how you swing the club.

    The bad thing about bounce is it limits what you can do with a wedge, if you have a 56.16 you can't do as much as you could with a 56.12, simply because the bounce gets in the way, However the 56.16 will be better out of thick rough and sand.

    And to reflect this difference there is an old saying, everyone should carry at least 1 high bounce wedge.

    How many wedges you carry depends on how many wedges you are going to practice with...........and keep in mind, will you be better off practicing for an hr with 1 wedge or 15min each with 4 wedges.

  9. Skylar T

    Skylar T
    Coral Springs, FL

    I would not recommend that many wedges.  Stick with 3 or 4 at the most.

Please login to post a comment.

Sign In

Haven't registered for Team Titleist yet?

Sign Up