What is “bounce” on a golf wedge?
Wedges have two main characteristics that are important to know about, loft and bounce. Most everyone knows what loft is (the amount of angle the club face has and it is measured in degrees) and can identify a club with more loft or less based upon looking at it. However the characteristic that isn't always clear to people is the bounce.
Bounce is an angle that is measured on the sole of your wedges. If you set your wedge down on the ground with the grip end pointing at your belt buckle, look closely at how the leading edge sits. Is it on the ground or a bit above it? If you can stack a few pennies under the leading edge, that means your club has a lot of bounce. This design is very important with wedges because you want to have some amount of stabilization for the club head as it interacts with the turf.
Both your swing style and the course conditions you most frequently play on will help you determine the best bounce angle for you.
• Swing Styles: Typically, a player who has a steeper attack with the golf club to the golf ball would benefit from a wedge with more bounce angle. By having a wedge with more bounce the club works through the surface more easily and will dig in the ground less. On the other hand, a player who has a shallow attack with the golf club to the golf ball would need a wedge with less bounce angle. The wedge with less bounce will allow the club to dig more into the ground and through the surface.
• Course Conditions: When playing a golf course that has both a firm ground and firm sand in the bunkers a wedge with less bounce angle would be best so the club has more ability to dig through the surface. A golf course that has both a soft ground and soft sand in the bunkers would require a wedge with more bounce angle so the club would dig less and work more easily through the surface.