Video Understanding Bounce and Sole Design

[Desmond]

I know there are extreme specs for wedges suitable for very few (if any) players. The former Merit Zero Bounce wedge company products increased customer scoring averages by 3 to 5 shots per round.

By low bounce, i mean 6-7 degrees or so - but to me, bounce is only a starting point/number - I look at where the bounce is cut off - look at Edel - they make a high initial bounce at the middle and leading edge and then cut off that medium sole bounce with trailing, toe and heel relief. They have an 18 deg bounce wedge to get the initial slide but so much relief that it plays with great versatility from tight lies. Not as great from soft sand because it effectively turns a medium sole into an almost narrow sole with all that relief - so you've really got to hit the back of the sole first into the sand first to get glide

For most amateurs, as TIger and Jason Day on a video I saw, both say - no regular Joe should have less than 12 degrees of bounce. Well, I don't know about that - you can have a Ping Eye 2 grind with 8 bounce and a wide sole, and it glides well (more effective bounce), plays from the bunker great and somehow still offers great versatility on tight conditiions. Probably the best wedge grind for a sand wedge for most of us; or an M type grind with 12 bounce and medium width and limited heel, toe, trailing edge grind (but with little trailing edge relief, not as versatile). But the Eye 2 (or PM grind) - now that is a grind for the masses.

 

[DataDude]

I have just bought my 5th wedge. My course really changes throughout the year with the weather in this part of the country. We have hot dry summers, warm dry falls, wet cold winters, and super wet cool springs. From November to may the course is varying degrees of wet and mushy to soft and lush. From 4th of July to Halloween though it can be dry, hard, and fast for really long stretches. I now have a 50.10, 52.12, 54.08, 58.12, and a 60.12. I switch them out quite often.

I have been using the 50.10 a lot lately because the greens are nice and soft from the wet winter and the grass is growing as fast as they can mow it so stopping power and loft aren't needed as much. Also the grass that I am chipping and pitching from is wet and lush so it's much easier to get clean contact with less loft. During the summer when the grass gets short and the greens are hard as a rock and super fast I will hit a lot of the exact same shots with a 50.08 because they will need the extra height to stop and I don't need the bounce since the ground is hard.

 

[OITW]

Always great hearing Vrska break down tech

 

[93civiccpe]

Merit Zero Bounce wedges were trendy for a short while, during a time period when internet forum discussion forum boards had lots of posts spreading misinformation about "Tour pros having bounce ground off their wedges". So the common refrain became "bounce is for hackers' and forum participants bought up whichever brands were around that offered the lowest bounce options. I imagine that's when the Merit Golf Zero Bounce wedge line was born, from the misguided thinking that if low bounce is good, zero bounce must be even better,

That's crazy.. I really struggled taking my 58 with lower bounce out of wet bunkers a week ago. Today we also had wet bunkers and I had 2 shots and this time used my 54 degree which has more bounce and both times hit out perfectly to inside 4 feet... A zero bounce wedge would only add frustration to my game

 

[JB]

As I measure a few club heads in the Tech Studio, I am reminded of this video with @vgolfman

 

[GolferDad66]

Thanks again @JB for posting or forwarding. I am learning so much about the game of golf and clubs on this site. keep it going!!!

 

[JB]

Bumping this one back up as I have begun a testing on different sole sizes and how they impact golfers in various lies. Pretty interesting so far, but will have more coming soon.