Oregon Drift

By Jon Dodson, Club fitting specialist, Bandon Golf Supply

How much bounce do you have on your wedges?  What, you’re not sure?  What is bounce you say? Well, “bounce” or “rake” in golf is the term used to describe the angle created when raising the leading edge of the club off the ground. This angle can be very important in picking the proper wedges for the golf course(s) that you play.

When Gene Sarazen created the “sand wedge” he did so by soldering extra material to the trailing edge of a wedge in order to create an angle between the leading edge and trailing edge of the club. This angle, measured in degrees, when striking the ground will promote lift similar to an airplane wing.  This lift enables the club to get through the turf or sand without digging like most pitching wedges. The more bounce, the more lift. Less bounce means less lift.

How much bounce should you have? Well that depends on your swing and the turf and/or sand conditions where you play golf. The softer the sand, the more bounce you want. The softer the turf, the more bounce you want. Someone taller or steeper in angle of attack may want more bounce as well.  The firmer the turf or sand, the less bounce you want. Ideally though, all players would carry multiple wedges that will fit a variety of turf conditions. 

Most pitching wedges that come with sets today have between 4 and 8 degrees of bounce. A typical sand wedge will have between 12 and 14 degrees of bounce, where as a “low bounce” sand wedge will have between 8 and 11 degrees of bounce.

How much bounce should you have? Take a closer look at what type of sand and turf you play from the most. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have multiple wedges that you can rotate into the bag for different courses and different conditions.

Better yet, see your club fitting professional to help put together the best blend of lofts and bounce angles in your wedges. You might just see your scores improve.