Should I go low bounce on my wedges?

[knicknut]

I'm a 4 handicapper and I'm getting a whole new set of clubs this year to replace my 4 to 7 year old clubs:
Taylormade R7 Superquad TP Driver
Callaway X-Tour 13*
TaylorMade R7 TP 3-PW
Cleveland CG10 52, 56, and 60

However, I'm trying to decide whether I should go low bounce on either (or both) my 56 and 60 (52 has only 1 bounce).

BACKGROUND: Right now, I primarily use my PW, 52, and 56 for full shots, as I am a long hitter and have between 70 and 130 yard approaches on many holes. When I miss around the greens, if I can chip/pitch I usually use my PW, and when I am in the sand or can't chip I usually use my 60, a Cleveland 588 Reg Gunmetal. I enjoy flops but often go with slightly open face pitches (making sure the clubface and hands are even at impact).

As for the courses/conditions I play, I'm from the northeast and play on traditional Bethpage/Winged Foot/Robert Trent Jones-style layouts (often municipal with mediocre conditions, though).

Because I often use my wedges for pitches/full shots from firm lies and because I enjoy opening the face on other shots, I was wondering if going low bounce would be good for me. I often encounter a tight lie (either short grass or no grass on the crappy muni course) where I need some loft, so I feel a low bounce club would help me there.

Since I've never hit low bounce wedges before and I don't have anywhere to demo any wedges, I'm worried the low bounce may dig too much in the sand or heavier rough--will I need at least 1 regular bounce wedge for this purpose? I can attack pretty shallowly if necessary so I'm not sure if that's an issue. I'm willing to change and use my SW out of the sand if the low bounce on the LW will be better for everything but sand.

Anyway, I'd appreciate advice from some of the experienced players here. Should I go low bounce on both the 56 and 60? Just one or the other?

Available: 56/12, 56/16, 56/18, 60/8, 60/12, 60/16

My uneducated guess says go low bounce with both, as 12* of bounce on the SW is as much as regular on the LW and will be enough for sand or heavy rough if need be. No?

[irishiain]

8 degrees isn't really that low a level of bounce anyways.

Given your skill level you should be fine with 12 degrees on your SW for sand shots and you'll probably like the smaller bounce for flop shots and such.

Sounds like a go for me.

[Shoot59]

52 - low bounce (one dot) because you wont be using out of bunkers too much

56 - mid bounce (two dots) for your "go to" bunker club, and it wont be too much for anything but the tightest of lies

60 - low bounce, for ability to lay it open without blading off of any lie, can still be used by good players effectively in the trap.

[knicknut]

I guess the one other thing to consider is that standard bounce goes real cheap on e-bay, low bounce I'd have to get closer to retail [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[jupiterpig]

I just bought a CG11 2 dot 50* gap wedge yesterday on ebay for 77$ shipped...hopefully it will work out good for me

[James.]

without reading any replies, i would go with high bounce on the 56 and use it for a sand wedge. i would go with low bounce on the lob wedge. it's good for a variety of shots, from the fairway to the rough.

[esad]

You could try a "C grind" on your wedges. I know it's popular with some tour players. Basically, they take a wedge and grind the sole in a C shape, which means they take bounce off the sole near the hosel and (I think..sic??) the toe. It's supposed to make it easier to hit flop and other high shots around the green, but still maintain enough bounce for bunker shots.

I know Taylor Made is now making wedges with a C grind, but not sure about anyone else. You'd have to get a clubmaker to grind it for you correctly and I'm not sure how many know how to do it.

[TobDog]

Thise sound like Cleveland CG wedge lofts, really, they offer 3 and most people are not too far off with the middle one, but, you have to ask yourself a few questions.
1. How wet are the courses turf you play in? If its soft soil, you probably want to lean toward more bounce, if you play on harder more compacted turf(think desert dry baby) then lean more to the less bounce.
2. Do you take divots with your wedges usually? Are they big? If yes, you tend to dig more and probably need more bounce than someone who tends to sweep their wedges thru the turf.
3. Make sure you hit the wedge you plan on using on the course you play on, if you can, very important, my first Vokey wedges, I ordered them unseen, I loved the way they felt(Im left handed, dont get to try too much stuff first) and had a little(ok big) problem of knifing the turf with the wedges because the course I used to play had softer/wetter conditions.

tobdog

[knicknut]

[ QUOTE ]
Thise sound like Cleveland CG wedge lofts, really, they offer 3 and most people are not too far off with the middle one, but, you have to ask yourself a few questions.
1. How wet are the courses turf you play in? If its soft soil, you probably want to lean toward more bounce, if you play on harder more compacted turf(think desert dry baby) then lean more to the less bounce.
2. Do you take divots with your wedges usually? Are they big? If yes, you tend to dig more and probably need more bounce than someone who tends to sweep their wedges thru the turf.
3. Make sure you hit the wedge you plan on using on the course you play on, if you can, very important, my first Vokey wedges, I ordered them unseen, I loved the way they felt(Im left handed, dont get to try too much stuff first) and had a little(ok big) problem of knifing the turf with the wedges because the course I used to play had softer/wetter conditions.

tobdog

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, I said I'm getting CG10s. Yes, I've tried to find somewhere to demo these but the very few ranges/courses with shops close by (very few public ones within even an hour of me) don't demo wedges--only drivers and some irons. I don't know any good clubmakers that I would trust to grind them for me, I think I need them to be what I want at retail.

Thanks to the other responses. I think I'll go low bounce on both of them since low bounce isn't that low on these wedges anyway. Would appreciate further imput though.

[TobDog]

I would not get them custom ground from anyone, you probably want to have it done before it leaves the door at Cleveland(Too bad you dont live in Southern Cali, Cleveland has a cool fitting studio) [ QUOTE ]
I think I'll go low bounce on both of them since low bounce isn't that low on these wedges anyway.

[/ QUOTE ]
This is very true, when I got my first Cleveland Wedges 14 was the only bounce they had, now it falls under the less bounce catagory.

tobdog