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This is an older THP TV spot, but some might have missed it. Wanted to bring it back because a number of people had questions about this recently.
Video Understanding Bounce and Sole Design
This is awesome! I have always wondered what affect bounce had on my game and if a high handicapper such as myself would benefit from a specific sole design and bounce.
Thanks for sharing it again!
Thanks for sharing it again!
I had this question about bounce in my head just yesterday, so this is a timely video 
I remember watching this one on another thread. It really answers a ton of questions I had about bounce and soles in general.
Still don't have a clue what I like or need from one club to another outside of "that one feels good" or "that one doesn't feel good".
Still don't have a clue what I like or need from one club to another outside of "that one feels good" or "that one doesn't feel good".
Bounce and grind has always confused me. I am never quite sure on what exactly I should pick. Through trial and error, I have found that I prefer lower bounce on my higher lofted wedges and higher on my lower lofted (50-52). Some companies use V-sole designs in their irons and I have some experience with that in some Srixon's a few years back. I cannot say that I noticed a huge benefit from it. But, couldn't really say it hurt me either. I have seen some people point out that they won't purchase a particular set because of v-sole. Knowing that Callaway doesn't use that type of design at this point, would you be able to explain why it can be polarizing for some people?
Full disclosure. I am at work and can't watch the video until I am home. So, if it was covered in any way, I apologize.
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What types of bounces would you recommend to the person who has things like soft fairways, but firm sand? Would you tell them lower bounce gap wedge, mid bounce sand wedge, higher bounce lob wedge? Middle for all three? Or will it all depend just on how steep/shallow they are to begin with?
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Wow....all these years I worried about the bounce on my wedges and never once thought about the bounce on the rest of my irons !
Speaking of iron bounce, does anyone namely pros get custom grinds on their irons?
I did not realize this until now that Callaway offers the sure out wedge in-
New Loft Offerings
Now available in 4 loft offerings: 56, 58, 60, 64.
I have been struggling with my wedges the last 2 years so I did something drastic, sold them all and went with the Cleveland smart sole 4.0 for reasons explained.. kind of wish I knew Callaway had a few different options. Thought I researched it well but not good enough it seems. As of now I'm taking the sole and bounce into major consideration due to some of my woes.
New Loft Offerings
Now available in 4 loft offerings: 56, 58, 60, 64.
I have been struggling with my wedges the last 2 years so I did something drastic, sold them all and went with the Cleveland smart sole 4.0 for reasons explained.. kind of wish I knew Callaway had a few different options. Thought I researched it well but not good enough it seems. As of now I'm taking the sole and bounce into major consideration due to some of my woes.
Yes a few, but that is much, much rarer than wedges and in those rare occasions the main reason is typically just to get the bounce dialed in (as opposed to some exotic iron sole grind) and in those even more rare occasions it really is for the sole, its usually just some rounding at the heel.
Addl comment... There are several players who have the trailing edge of the irons ground, which lowers the effective bounce and decreases the front-to-back camber radius (making it more curved).
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In that case, I would recommend a lower effective bounce in whatever the main bunker club is (typically the most high lofted wedge/lob) and higher bounce in the lower two lofted wedges (gap/sand), but their swing (especially angle of attack) would certainly factor in. As always, get fit!
Thank you. Find a good fitter and they can help! How you deliver the club (especially angle of attack and swing speed), the course conditions you play on and how you like to use each wedge should be the major factors in a wedge fitting.
ShootzGolf
Active member
When getting fit you cannot tell one bit how the bounce is working for you unless you are hitting off of real turf.
V type soles are typically something that looks fairly wide and playable but is really a narrow sole/high(er) bounce option. When the face is opened, like in a bunker shot, then it typically really plays like a high bounce wedge because the front part of the V if you will is really exposed and getting close to vertical and the back side of the V still really isn't being used much. Obviously there are different severity of V soles and V soles can be great for some players (I am NOT implying its a bad design feature), but again, a narrow/high bounce sole with similar measurables would play very similar/same to one with a V sole.
As for your low loft/high bounce + high loft/low bounce combo, that is more rare than the reverse, but LOVE to hear you have tried out different combinations to make it work for your swing and playing style. Great example there.
Excellent knowledge from @vgolfman
Based on that video, and the question you answered above, would there be a general rule in that the firmer the conditions you play in, the less bounce you would recommend?
Or is this also dictated by how steep someone is with their swing?
I can play a multitude of different conditions during the year with our league matches at different clubs, so when I got new wedges last year I went with the mid-bounce option on all 3 of them (Cleveland RTX4) thinking that it would give me a compromise between the various courses as I don't have the disposable cash to have multiple wedges with the same lofts but in different bounce options
Based on that video, and the question you answered above, would there be a general rule in that the firmer the conditions you play in, the less bounce you would recommend?
Or is this also dictated by how steep someone is with their swing?
I can play a multitude of different conditions during the year with our league matches at different clubs, so when I got new wedges last year I went with the mid-bounce option on all 3 of them (Cleveland RTX4) thinking that it would give me a compromise between the various courses as I don't have the disposable cash to have multiple wedges with the same lofts but in different bounce options
Thanks for sharing, even more glad now I got fitted.
While I agree an outdoor wedge fitting is ideal, I STRONGLY DISAGREE that you can't have a truly great wedge fitting indoors off of turf. How one delivers the club and what part of the sole comes in contact with the ground on partial shots/chips/pitches/lobs (remember, on full shots you should be hitting the ball first anyway) can still be clearly seen, and therefore fit to, indoors. Much, much, much more important than the indoor/outdoor question is the quality/knowledge of the fitter and the tools/clubs he or she has to fit with. Get fit!!!!! Indoors or out.
As a general rule yes, but again, how a player delivers the club and the shot he/she likes to play is the bigger factor.
I typically don't recommend players have different wedges for different conditions if they are just switching courses every Saturday with their buddies. If they have a house in a wet northern climate they play in 6 months a year and another place in the desert they play 6 months a year, YES get two sets of wedges. If your playing a different courses (some soft and some firmer) week in, week out then there are two main options I recommend...
1. Get all med bounce wedges, assuming they work with your swing (like the way you went)
2. Get some higher bounce wedges and some lower bounce wedges depending on the shots you like to play from 40-50 yards and in (see one of my previous answers - I prefer this option)
Thanks for the information, it is much appreciated you coming in here and answering questions for us all
I have done a lot of work with my swing over the last few years and it is a lot shallower than it used to be, but I will definitely look at having different bounce options through my wedges and learn to play even more shots with each club based on the conditions and distance I need when I come to replace these current wedges
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Way back in time, when I was lmmersed in all the aspects of the "whys, and what fors" on iron heads , I took an interests in bounce angles on my wedges. Not so much on my other irons. I wanted to be sure I was playing the right bounce.
To be honest, it became a chore to figure out what I really needed. Even when being fitted by three different golf outlets, bounce never entered into the fitting process, even though I asked. One of those fittings was at the Callaway Center using their (at the time) "state of the art" fitting process. All three fittings told me I needed to play the same specs. Club length, shaft flex, and lie sngle.
To get the bounce issue out of my head, I took the essy way out. I was "picker" of the the golf ball, due to my shallower angle of attack. This meant wedges with less bounce.
Playing in the desert southwest, most of the turf conditions I encountered were more on the firm side. The turf was not divot friendly. Hence my more shallow angle of attack on the ball.
If I had been a ditch digger, taking larger divots, on softer turf conditions, then wedges with more bounce would have been more in order.
It was the same for softer, or firmer bunker sands.
Right, or wrong, that's how understood bounce, and I left it at that.
To be honest, it became a chore to figure out what I really needed. Even when being fitted by three different golf outlets, bounce never entered into the fitting process, even though I asked. One of those fittings was at the Callaway Center using their (at the time) "state of the art" fitting process. All three fittings told me I needed to play the same specs. Club length, shaft flex, and lie sngle.
To get the bounce issue out of my head, I took the essy way out. I was "picker" of the the golf ball, due to my shallower angle of attack. This meant wedges with less bounce.
Playing in the desert southwest, most of the turf conditions I encountered were more on the firm side. The turf was not divot friendly. Hence my more shallow angle of attack on the ball.
If I had been a ditch digger, taking larger divots, on softer turf conditions, then wedges with more bounce would have been more in order.
It was the same for softer, or firmer bunker sands.
Right, or wrong, that's how understood bounce, and I left it at that.
Sounds like your understanding and the wedges you use are spot on.