Blog :: Industry News :: About Golf Wedges: Bounce, Grind and Phil Mickelson’s Club Refresh
About Golf Wedges: Bounce, Grind and Phil Mickelson’s Club Refresh
What is meant by the bounce angle of a golf wedge, the camber, the width, and the grind? And how does a golfer decide which wedge configuration is best, or should golfers use multiple wedges depending on course conditions and style of play? Finally, how important are the grooves and how often should wedges be replaced? All these questions are answered below, along with some interesting facts about PGA Tour Pros and some of the newest wedges on the market.
Browse any decent golf store or shop online and you’ll quickly discover a dizzying array of golf club choices, empowering the modern golfer with tools tailored for specific course conditions, style of play, ability level, and even color and design preferences. Put simply, it can be difficult to sort through the technical jargon — but I’m here to help. Understanding the wedge is important because recent developments by manufacturers and pressure from Tour Pros has prompted a rush of product enhancements and wider selection, not to mention getting the right club for your golf game. The difference between “just any wedge” and the right one can mean significant score differences.
Choosing The Right Wedge
Any of the major brands, such as Callaway, Nike, Titleist, Taylor Made, PING, will have a good selection of wedges — based both on looks and function. Fortunately for us it’s hard to find an ugly club these days, so let’s focus on the technical stuff. If you’re looking for a new wedge remember these key points:
- The wedge’s loft determines its use. They range from lofts in the 40’s to lofts in the 60’s, with the lower numbers producing longer shots and requiring less skill and the higher numbers producing shorter shots and requiring more skill.
- Low Loft (40’s) | pitching wedge –gap wedge — sand wedge — lob wedge | High Loft (60’s)
- Higher lofted clubs, such as lob wedges, require more strength and finesse; lower and medium lofts are easier to play and work well for women and seniors.
Definitions: Bounce, Camber, Width, Grind, Radius
Now that you have an idea of which wedge or wedges to look for based on general use, ability, and loft, let’s focus on the finer details. The diagram to the right highlights the different parts.
- Bounce: the angle (in degrees) from the leading edge of the club to its lowest point compared to the flat ground.
- Camber: the curve of the sole from the leading edge to the trailing edge.
- Width: the thickness of the sole
- Grind: based on how much the bounce (the bottom of the club) has been ground down (material removed). Manufacturers have their own grinds, and Pros often have their clubs modified to suit their needs.
- Radius: at address, whether the leading edge is straight or slightly curved (open).
Putting it All Together
Let’s take what we know and figure out which wedges you’ll need. The bounce angle on wedges varies depending on the purpose (sand vs. lob) but it also varies within the same wedge. So while a lob wedge might have a bounce of 10° for general use, it may have a 6° for tighter lies. Compare this to a sand wedge with a bounce of 14° or a pitching wedge with just 4° of bounce. Here’s what to look for:
- Low bounce angles for harder surfaces like fairways or dense bunkers, and for tight lies. The sole will cut through material cleanly.
- High bounce angles for softer surfaces like loose sand, and for obstructions like tall grass. The sole will “bounce” through; it won’t get hung up.
Before we move on and finish up with some interesting and useful tidbits, it’s important to remember grooves. The names are quite fun, “Zip Grooves,” “Mack Daddy Grooves,” just to name a couple. The big deal with grooves is their ability to grab the golf ball and affect its trajectory and spin. Deeper, wider, sharper-edged grooves provide much more “grip” than shallower, narrow, grooves. New rules regarding grooves are shaking up the market, prompting manufacturers to create clubs with aggressive grooves while they still can. Now’s a good time to upgrade your wedges.
Let’s end up with fun facts and useful tips.
Phil Mickelson’s New Wedges
Roger Cleveland of Callaway Golf reports that he makes four or five 60° wedges for Phil each year! Mickelson replaces his wedges as soon as they lose their effectiveness — when the ball stops reacting like he wants it to. Is that a bit much? Not at all! Irons are used more frequently than other clubs, and when they are used, they encounter the worst conditions: sand, mud, grass, rocks, twigs…all sorts of nasty gunk to soften and flatten out grooves (not to mention fill them with gunk) which makes your wedges less and less effective over time. So the more you use your wedges the faster they lose their edge, which means less control.
Well I hope you’ve learned something about wedges and found some inspiration to try a few new wedge configurations and improve your game. Modern golfers have the best tools, and you should feel confident that Discount Golf World is ready to help you maximize your potential by offering the highest quality equipment and tailored club selections. Now get out there and hit the links!
Posted in Industry News, Buyers Guide, Equipment
