Explaining Bounce and Bounce Angle in Wedges

Illustrating bounce angle in golf clubs
Courtesy of Cleveland Golf

"Bounce" and "bounce angle" are elements present in all iron golf clubs, but the terms are commonly used almost exclusively in reference to wedges.




How Much Bounce Do Wedges Have?

There is no industry standard for bounce angle; each company decides how much bounce to build into its wedges, and what options of loft and bounce angles to offer.

Bounce angle can range anywhere from zero degrees to 14 degrees or higher. You can think of bounce angles of 4 degrees or less as low bounce; 5-10 degrees as medium bounce; and anything above 10 degrees as high bounce.

Today, many golf manufacturers provide golfers with a wide range of loft-bounce combinations from which to choose. A company might list its wedges as, for example, 46-8, 50-8, 50-12, 54-10, 56-14, 58-4, 58-8 and so on, where the first number represents degrees of loft and the second number represents bounce angle.

Some wedge soles are designed so the golfer can change the effective bounce angle by opening the clubface.

Bounce Controls Digging

What is the purpose of bounce on a wedge sole? Think of bounce as a way to control how much your wedges dig into turf or through sand or rough. The more bounce a wedge has - the higher its bounce angle - the better it will resist digging. Another way of saying it: Higher bounce equals smaller, shallower divots.

You can also think of bounce as a feature that reduces the drag on a wedge moving through sand, or through longer or thicker grass.

If you hit a lot of fat wedges, you might be using wedges with too little bounce (lower bounce making it easier for your wedges to dig). If you are hitting a lot of thin wedge shots, you might have too much bounce (higher bounce causing the sole to literally bounce up after contacting turf).

But bounce angle doesn't exist in a vacuum; your swing and course conditions affect how much bounce is best for you.

Does a Golfer's Swing Type Influence Bounce Requirements?

Yes! Swing type does have an impact on how much bounce will work best for you:

  • Golfers who swing their wedges steeply into impact (a steep angle of attack) need more bounce;
  • Golfers who sweep into the ball (shallow angle of attack) require less bounce.

"Golf course conditions and the way the golfer swings the wedges down into the ball have a bearing on how much bounce is good or bad for any golfer," says club designer and clubfitting researcher Tom Wishon, founder of Tom Wishon Golf Technology.

How Do Course Conditions Influence Bounce Requirements?

The short, and general, answer is this:

  • Firmer conditions require lower bounce angles;
  • Softer conditions require higher bounce angles.

These are good rules of thumb. Many tour pros change out the specs on their wedges from week to week based on the golf courses they are playing.

Another way of stating the effects of the golfer's swing and course conditions on bounce requirements is this:

Favor higher bounce angles ...

  • ... the fluffier the sand;
  • the deeper the sand;
  • the lighter the sand;
  • the longer the grass in the rough;
  • the softer the fairways;
  • the steeper you swing the wedge down into the ball (the steeper your angle of attack).

Favor lower bounce angles ...

  • ... the more coarse the sand;
  • the more shallow the sand;
  • the heavier and wetter the sand;
  • the shorter the grass in the rough;
  • the firmer the fairways;
  • the more level you swing the wedge down into the ball (the shallower your angle of attack).

    Do You Need to Care About Bounce Angle?

    If you are a golfer who wants to maximize your ability to score well, definitely. You can experiment with demo clubs, or discuss your options with your friendly local PGA Professional or knowledgeable pro shop staff. Better yet, you can schedule a wedge fitting with a clubfitter.

    If you're a recreational golfer, an occasional golfer, someone who just wants to get out in the fresh air and enjoy time spent with golf buddies, well, don't sweat the technical stuff. But next time you buy new wedges, do keep in mind the general rules of thumb about bounce mentioned above.

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    Your Citation
    Kelley, Brent. "Explaining Bounce and Bounce Angle in Wedges." ThoughtCo, Dec. 23, 2016, thoughtco.com/explaining-bounce-and-angle-in-wedges-1560782. Kelley, Brent. (2016, December 23). Explaining Bounce and Bounce Angle in Wedges. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/explaining-bounce-and-angle-in-wedges-1560782 Kelley, Brent. "Explaining Bounce and Bounce Angle in Wedges." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/explaining-bounce-and-angle-in-wedges-1560782 (accessed November 21, 2017).