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Main
Date: 07 Oct 2006 02:20:45
From: Dr Nick
Subject: help picking Wedges
|
hey all, I've been looking into getting a new wedge set (eithr GW or AW and
SW and LW) I havea set of the warrior custom clubs (the "FREE" wedges) that
arn't that bad, I'm going to give them to my father who I just got hooked on
golf. I'm looking for somethign to replace them with that isnt' expensive
(probably looking at knockoffs from pinemeadow.com or gigagolf.com) but when
looking at wedges I keep seeing bounce specs. some are labeled as "tour
bounce" while others I've seen have 0 bounce. what is the deal with bounce?
I currently use my wedges off the fairway, on the fringe and use my LW out
of bunkers (easy to pop up and out with the 60 degree loft) any suggestions
on how to buy wedges?
the iron set I have has graphite shafts, so I'd assume i should get graphite
in my wedges as well?
thanks
-N
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Date: 07 Oct 2006 15:22:26
From: Don Fordham
Subject: Re: help picking Wedges
|
"Dr Nick" <Drnick5@cox.net > wrote in message
news:SEHVg.30675$iA5.19813@dukeread11...
> hey all, I've been looking into getting a new wedge set (eithr GW or AW
> and SW and LW) I havea set of the warrior custom clubs (the "FREE"
> wedges) that arn't that bad, I'm going to give them to my father who I
> just got hooked on golf. I'm looking for somethign to replace them with
> that isnt' expensive (probably looking at knockoffs from pinemeadow.com or
> gigagolf.com) but when looking at wedges I keep seeing bounce specs. some
> are labeled as "tour bounce" while others I've seen have 0 bounce. what is
> the deal with bounce? I currently use my wedges off the fairway, on the
> fringe and use my LW out of bunkers (easy to pop up and out with the 60
> degree loft) any suggestions on how to buy wedges?
>
> the iron set I have has graphite shafts, so I'd assume i should get
> graphite in my wedges as well?
>
> thanks
> -N
Bounce angle tells you how far the rounded flange on the bottom of the club
extends below the sharp leading edge of the clubface at address. Bounce
keeps the club from digging in. In general, high bounce angles are your
friend in the sand but your enemy on tight fairway lies. Tight meaning
short grass where the ball is resting very near the ground underneath, in
other words, there is not much room to get the club under the ball.
In the sand, the bounce keeps the club from going deeply into the sand which
would cause a fat, weak shot. It tends to make the clubhead path more
shallow through the sand.
On a tight fairway lie, too much bounce can cause a less than perfect shot
to bounce the clubhead off the ground causing a "skull", or thin shot.
Typically, the SW will have the highest bounce angle in a set of wedges
while the GW will have the least and the LW somewhere in between. The
thinking is that the GW will not be used frequently from the sand, so it
requires less bounce. Since you say you use the LW as your primary sand
wedge, you should probably try to find one with the highest bounce you can,
and find a SW with relatively low bounce.
Don
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Date: 07 Oct 2006 13:36:36
From: Nick Vital
Subject: Re: help picking Wedges
|
Thanks for the info, with al that being said, can you suggest some wedges
that woudl work (a sand wedge with low bounce and a LW with a good amount of
bounce?
"Don Fordham" <dfordham@elp.rr.com > wrote in message
news:SCPVg.43816$DU3.16522@tornado.texas.rr.com...
>
> "Dr Nick" <Drnick5@cox.net> wrote in message
> news:SEHVg.30675$iA5.19813@dukeread11...
>> hey all, I've been looking into getting a new wedge set (eithr GW or AW
>> and SW and LW) I havea set of the warrior custom clubs (the "FREE"
>> wedges) that arn't that bad, I'm going to give them to my father who I
>> just got hooked on golf. I'm looking for somethign to replace them with
>> that isnt' expensive (probably looking at knockoffs from pinemeadow.com
>> or gigagolf.com) but when looking at wedges I keep seeing bounce specs.
>> some are labeled as "tour bounce" while others I've seen have 0 bounce.
>> what is the deal with bounce? I currently use my wedges off the fairway,
>> on the fringe and use my LW out of bunkers (easy to pop up and out with
>> the 60 degree loft) any suggestions on how to buy wedges?
>>
>> the iron set I have has graphite shafts, so I'd assume i should get
>> graphite in my wedges as well?
>>
>> thanks
>> -N
>
> Bounce angle tells you how far the rounded flange on the bottom of the
> club extends below the sharp leading edge of the clubface at address.
> Bounce keeps the club from digging in. In general, high bounce angles are
> your friend in the sand but your enemy on tight fairway lies. Tight
> meaning short grass where the ball is resting very near the ground
> underneath, in other words, there is not much room to get the club under
> the ball.
>
> In the sand, the bounce keeps the club from going deeply into the sand
> which would cause a fat, weak shot. It tends to make the clubhead path
> more shallow through the sand.
>
> On a tight fairway lie, too much bounce can cause a less than perfect shot
> to bounce the clubhead off the ground causing a "skull", or thin shot.
>
> Typically, the SW will have the highest bounce angle in a set of wedges
> while the GW will have the least and the LW somewhere in between. The
> thinking is that the GW will not be used frequently from the sand, so it
> requires less bounce. Since you say you use the LW as your primary sand
> wedge, you should probably try to find one with the highest bounce you
> can, and find a SW with relatively low bounce.
>
> Don
>
>
>
>
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Date: 07 Oct 2006 22:02:33
From: Don Fordham
Subject: Re: help picking Wedges
|
"Nick Vital" <drnick5@cox.net > wrote in message
news:GARVg.8712$Go3.7165@dukeread05...
> Thanks for the info, with al that being said, can you suggest some wedges
> that woudl work (a sand wedge with low bounce and a LW with a good amount
> of bounce?
>
>
Everything's relative. You won't be likely to find a SW with "low" bounce,
only "relatively" low bounce. The common range of 56degree sand wedges is
from 10-14degrees of bounce. My recommendation is that, based on how you
use your wedges, you want to be on the low end of that range. For your LW
the range of bounces is wider and lower, probably from 3-10 degrees. Here
you should be on the high end of the scale.
I won't recommend any brands because I make my own clubs and I'm simply not
that familiar with anything but club components.
Don
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Date: 08 Oct 2006 07:15:19
From: S McFarlane
Subject: Re: help picking Wedges
|
"Nick Vital" <drnick5@cox.net > wrote in message
news:GARVg.8712$Go3.7165@dukeread05...
> Thanks for the info, with al that being said, can you suggest some wedges
> that woudl work (a sand wedge with low bounce and a LW with a good amount
> of bounce?
>
>
The so-called tour bounce phrase comes from the fact that a high bounce
high-lofted wedge plays well when you're on tour-quality courses with a
tour-quality game.
A high bounce in a lob wedge is a liability if: 1. your swing sucks (like
most of ours), and you don't mostly hit the ball with precision (if your
swing is very tight, then bounce has no effect at all on your shots from
short grass, since ideally the face of the blade makes clean contact with
the ball well before the sole hits dirt..) 2. you often play on courses
with lots of dead pan and/or hard earth. The two factors are somewhat
related. A tour caliber player could hit a 60* wedge off concrete and get
good results, because their swings are nothing if not precise. The club may
be damaged by contact with the cement, but the first shot at least will look
nice. So, how much a problem the hard turf presents is a function of your
skill level.
For us regular folks, a high bounce wedge can lead to problems off tight
lies, because we're much more likely to come in at a less than optimal
attack. If the bounce hits hard ground before making contact, the club
will...bounce, we'll contact the ball on the leading edge (a.k.a skull).
We're also much more likely to find ourselves playing off of hard fairways,
something tour players don't ever have to worry about. On the typical tour
fairway, a high bounce wedge will take a divot in the very unlikely case of
a fat shot.
On the other hand, if you are in the despicable Bermuda rough common around
these parts, or the types of rough that tour players find themselves in, a
high bounce wedge is a very handy tool. The tendency to not penetrate the
turf changes from a liability to a big plus in this and other scenarios. I
believe high bounce lob wedges are becoming popular among highly skilled
golfers because they don't have to worry so much about mishitting them when
the lie is less than optimal (fairway / dead pan), they don't have to make
this shot very often anyway, and they regularly encounter situations where
the high-bounce / high-loft combination is useful.
Wedge selection all comes down to fitting your abilities and the situations
you are most likely to encounter. If you often find yourself on tough
ground and needing to stop the ball in it's tracks on the green, a high
bounce lob wedge is not a good choice. If you often find yourself in rough
around the green that is a challenge for low bounce wedges (and a 52* wedge
doesn't have enough stopping power), then a low bounce LW is a not the best
choice.
Any given configuration of wedges has it's pros and cons. You just have to
analyze your game and the playing conditions you typically face to decide
what mix is best for you. If you are playing a four wedge bag, this is
maybe not so critical. Almost all gap wedges have low bounce, and usually a
gap wedge's loft will do OK in cases where you would prefer the extra loft
but really need the low bounce. An example where this is not the case: you
play on courses whose sand traps suck as hard as the one I play on. The
sand is very heavy, and plays more like dirt. High bounce wedges don't work
well almost any time of the year there, and it would really be nice to have
that 60* wedge without high bounce. I play a lot more shots out of rough
where the bounce is a blessing than out of the sand, so high bounce it is
( and even in the dirt bunkers the gap wedge usually does well enough.)
If you are playing a three wedge bag, then the decision can make a
significant difference. With a high bounce lob wedge, the highest loft with
low bounce will be the pitching wedge. Just about every round I play at
least one shot where a well hit lob wedge leaves an easy putt but a pitching
wedge will leave a tough one coming back. If the lie is tight enough to
scream for a low bounce wedge, I have a tough decision without the 52*
compromise.
Bottom line is: there's no one answer for all people. There's only the one
that works better for the individual player more often than not. Right now
I'm grappling with the 3 wedge vs. 4 wedge question. I'm leaning heavily
towards 4 wedges, but that costs a club on the high end. I hate to only
have three wedges, but I also hate to spread them thin in the > 200 yd
range...
Scott
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Date: 08 Oct 2006 18:19:04
From: Dr Nick
Subject: Re: help picking Wedges
|
WOW, a great response, thanks so much, that made a lot of sense. Currently I
have PW,GW,SW,LW I'm looking to replace at LEAST the LW and SW (the ones I
use the most) I don't use the GW all that often.
thanks again
"S McFarlane" <spam@nothanks.com > wrote in message
news:bA1Wg.441$Gp4.406@trnddc08...
>
> "Nick Vital" <drnick5@cox.net> wrote in message
> news:GARVg.8712$Go3.7165@dukeread05...
>> Thanks for the info, with al that being said, can you suggest some wedges
>> that woudl work (a sand wedge with low bounce and a LW with a good amount
>> of bounce?
>>
>>
>
> The so-called tour bounce phrase comes from the fact that a high bounce
> high-lofted wedge plays well when you're on tour-quality courses with a
> tour-quality game.
>
> A high bounce in a lob wedge is a liability if: 1. your swing sucks (like
> most of ours), and you don't mostly hit the ball with precision (if your
> swing is very tight, then bounce has no effect at all on your shots from
> short grass, since ideally the face of the blade makes clean contact with
> the ball well before the sole hits dirt..) 2. you often play on courses
> with lots of dead pan and/or hard earth. The two factors are somewhat
> related. A tour caliber player could hit a 60* wedge off concrete and get
> good results, because their swings are nothing if not precise. The club
> may be damaged by contact with the cement, but the first shot at least
> will look nice. So, how much a problem the hard turf presents is a
> function of your skill level.
>
> For us regular folks, a high bounce wedge can lead to problems off tight
> lies, because we're much more likely to come in at a less than optimal
> attack. If the bounce hits hard ground before making contact, the club
> will...bounce, we'll contact the ball on the leading edge (a.k.a skull).
> We're also much more likely to find ourselves playing off of hard
> fairways, something tour players don't ever have to worry about. On the
> typical tour fairway, a high bounce wedge will take a divot in the very
> unlikely case of a fat shot.
>
> On the other hand, if you are in the despicable Bermuda rough common
> around these parts, or the types of rough that tour players find
> themselves in, a high bounce wedge is a very handy tool. The tendency to
> not penetrate the turf changes from a liability to a big plus in this and
> other scenarios. I believe high bounce lob wedges are becoming popular
> among highly skilled golfers because they don't have to worry so much
> about mishitting them when the lie is less than optimal (fairway / dead
> pan), they don't have to make this shot very often anyway, and they
> regularly encounter situations where the high-bounce / high-loft
> combination is useful.
>
> Wedge selection all comes down to fitting your abilities and the
> situations you are most likely to encounter. If you often find yourself
> on tough ground and needing to stop the ball in it's tracks on the green,
> a high bounce lob wedge is not a good choice. If you often find yourself
> in rough around the green that is a challenge for low bounce wedges (and a
> 52* wedge doesn't have enough stopping power), then a low bounce LW is a
> not the best choice.
>
> Any given configuration of wedges has it's pros and cons. You just have
> to analyze your game and the playing conditions you typically face to
> decide what mix is best for you. If you are playing a four wedge bag,
> this is maybe not so critical. Almost all gap wedges have low bounce, and
> usually a gap wedge's loft will do OK in cases where you would prefer the
> extra loft but really need the low bounce. An example where this is not
> the case: you play on courses whose sand traps suck as hard as the one I
> play on. The sand is very heavy, and plays more like dirt. High bounce
> wedges don't work well almost any time of the year there, and it would
> really be nice to have that 60* wedge without high bounce. I play a lot
> more shots out of rough where the bounce is a blessing than out of the
> sand, so high bounce it is ( and even in the dirt bunkers the gap wedge
> usually does well enough.)
>
> If you are playing a three wedge bag, then the decision can make a
> significant difference. With a high bounce lob wedge, the highest loft
> with low bounce will be the pitching wedge. Just about every round I play
> at least one shot where a well hit lob wedge leaves an easy putt but a
> pitching wedge will leave a tough one coming back. If the lie is tight
> enough to scream for a low bounce wedge, I have a tough decision without
> the 52* compromise.
>
> Bottom line is: there's no one answer for all people. There's only the
> one that works better for the individual player more often than not.
> Right now I'm grappling with the 3 wedge vs. 4 wedge question. I'm
> leaning heavily towards 4 wedges, but that costs a club on the high end.
> I hate to only have three wedges, but I also hate to spread them thin in
> the > 200 yd range...
>
> Scott
>
>
>
|
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Date: 08 Oct 2006 23:50:29
From: Howard Brazee
Subject: Re: help picking Wedges
|
On Sun, 8 2006 18:19:04 -0400, "Dr Nick" <Drnick5@cox.net > wrote:
>WOW, a great response, thanks so much, that made a lot of sense. Currently I
>have PW,GW,SW,LW I'm looking to replace at LEAST the LW and SW (the ones I
>use the most) I don't use the GW all that often.
Besides using the gap wedge for gap distances, I find it is useful
when I want to adjust my normal chip from my standard PW chip.
|
| | | | | | |
Date: 10 Oct 2006 02:34:36
From: Donald
Subject: Re: help picking Wedges
|
"Howard Brazee" <howard@brazee.net > wrote in message
news:9k3ji2t5vv8keutaeq4rknc0b4ro1hfnnm@4ax.com...
> On Sun, 8 2006 18:19:04 -0400, "Dr Nick" <Drnick5@cox.net> wrote:
>
>>WOW, a great response, thanks so much, that made a lot of sense. Currently I
>>have PW,GW,SW,LW I'm looking to replace at LEAST the LW and SW (the ones I
>>use the most) I don't use the GW all that often.
>
> Besides using the gap wedge for gap distances, I find it is useful
> when I want to adjust my normal chip from my standard PW chip.
Yes, and a small blade style head works much better for short pitches and chips
than a large oversized cavity back style for the 48 to 52 lofts.
D.L.
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Date: 08 Oct 2006 23:09:44
From: Roger Thaat
Subject: Re: help picking Wedges
|
Dr Nick wrote:
> WOW, a great response, thanks so much, that made a lot of sense. Currently I
> have PW,GW,SW,LW I'm looking to replace at LEAST the LW and SW (the ones I
> use the most) I don't use the GW all that often.
>
> thanks again
>
One last thing...decide how many wedges you want. You have four, and if
the lofts are conventional they're 48, 52, 56, 60. You can drop to 3,
and add a hybrid or a 5-wood or something up near teh top for getting
long distances out of rough.
I have 47, 54, 58 and am very happy with my array.
--
Roger Thaat
You may remember me. I used to be called Howard U. Dewing, but only one
guy ever answered the question.
|
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Date: 07 Oct 2006 15:16:03
From: Roger Thaat
Subject: Re: help picking Wedges
|
Dr Nick wrote:
> hey all, I've been looking into getting a new wedge set (eithr GW or AW and
> SW and LW) I havea set of the warrior custom clubs (the "FREE" wedges) that
> arn't that bad, I'm going to give them to my father who I just got hooked on
> golf. I'm looking for somethign to replace them with that isnt' expensive
> (probably looking at knockoffs from pinemeadow.com or gigagolf.com) but when
> looking at wedges I keep seeing bounce specs. some are labeled as "tour
> bounce" while others I've seen have 0 bounce. what is the deal with bounce?
> I currently use my wedges off the fairway, on the fringe and use my LW out
> of bunkers (easy to pop up and out with the 60 degree loft) any suggestions
> on how to buy wedges?
>
> the iron set I have has graphite shafts, so I'd assume i should get graphite
> in my wedges as well?
>
> thanks
> -N
>
>
First...no need to get graphite in wedges.
Second...these are like precision hand tools, get 'em specifically for
the job you're going to do. Bounce refers to the angle of the sole from
the leading edge. Set the club on a hard surface like a table, with the
shaft at a conventional angle. If the leading edge is far off the table,
it's got a lot of bounce. If it touches the table, there's no bounce.
If you need a full swing, 110 yard club, for example, you'd want a
52-54* with minimal bounce.
If you want a conventional sand wedge, it's 56* with 10-12* of bounce.
A lob wedge you can use from tight lies would be 60* with 4-8* of bounce.
Third...you won't regret spending the extra $ for quality, like Vokey or
Cleveland. I've used Wilson, Ray Cook, no-name and others over the
years, but getting Vokey Spin Milled 54 and 58 wedges has changed my
short game forever. Combine good equipment with a top quality spinnable
ball and you can do interesting things around the greens with a little
practice.
--
Roger Thaat
You may remember me. I used to be called Howard U. Dewing, but only one
guy ever answered the question.
|
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Date: 07 Oct 2006 16:10:30
From:
Subject: Re: help picking Wedges
|
stay AWAAY from the L wedge's. I like my Wilson 52* gap wedge more than
anything else. SW is for sand only . It's the bottom/leading edge makes
a wedge.
|
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Date: 08 Oct 2006 02:38:59
From: JJK
Subject: Re: help picking Wedges
|
<dirtymm@msn.com > wrote:
> stay AWAAY from the L wedge's. I like my Wilson 52* gap wedge more than
> anything else. SW is for sand only . It's the bottom/leading edge makes
> a wedge.
You've never used your SW from the rough or a lush fairway?
|
| | |
Date: 07 Oct 2006 19:22:37
From: long&left
Subject: Re: help picking Wedges
|
dirtymm@msn.com wrote:
> stay AWAAY from the L wedge's. I like my Wilson 52* gap wedge more than
> anything else. SW is for sand only . It's the bottom/leading edge makes
> a wedge.
>
stupid advise...don't have time now to explain why
|
| |
Date: 07 Oct 2006 11:30:24
From: Birdie Bill
Subject: Re: help picking Wedges
|
On 7, 12:36 pm, "Nick Vital" <drni...@cox.net > wrote:
> Thanks for the info, with al that being said, can you suggest some wedges
> that woudl work (a sand wedge with low bounce and a LW with a good amount of
> bounce?
>
Most players go the other way - higher bounce SW, and low bounce LW.
I read your reasoning, but don't like it. You want to be able to use
your LW
for chips & pitches, and high bounce makes that more difficult. The LW
is hard enough to hit off a tight lie, don't make it more difficult.
As far as make & model, you can't go wrong with Cleveland. Titleist
Vokey
are also nice. Forget about saving money on your wedges - these are
your money clubs! If you have to, buy used.
Avoid cavity back wedges. You slap the sand with the back of the club,
so you want it smooth so it doesn't grab, and it bounces better. You
don't need the benefits of cavity back in a wedge, anyway.
Also avoid graphite shafts for wedges - no feel. You want as much feel
in your wedges as you can get. You can't use the feel to influence
the shot you are taking, but you store that memory for future shots.
Before you buy your wedges, I suggest you read Dave Pelz book
"Short Game Bible". He has a very good section on how to choose
wedges.
|
| | |
Date: 07 Oct 2006 14:47:11
From: Dr Nick
Subject: Re: help picking Wedges
|
thanks for the advice, was thinking of doing somethign like this, getting a
2nd LW with a lot less bounce (for off fairways and the fringe) and getting
one with higher bounce for rough and sand shots, what are peoples thoughts
on this? currently I use my LW out of the sand, rough, fairway, anywhere
close to the green, (it's a cheap warrior custom wedge I got for free, but
it works) it has 7 degrees of bounce. my sand wedge I use off the fairway
and on some chips shots from teh rough and usually hit it pretty well.
I really like the 60 degrees of loft comming out of the sand (espically in
steep green side bunkers) but I suppose I could just dial open the face of a
sand wedge to provide more loft.
"Birdie Bill" <bighorn_bill@hotmail.com > wrote in message
news:1160245824.079658.30170@m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com...
>
>
> On 7, 12:36 pm, "Nick Vital" <drni...@cox.net> wrote:
>> Thanks for the info, with al that being said, can you suggest some wedges
>> that woudl work (a sand wedge with low bounce and a LW with a good amount
>> of
>> bounce?
>>
>
> Most players go the other way - higher bounce SW, and low bounce LW.
> I read your reasoning, but don't like it. You want to be able to use
> your LW
> for chips & pitches, and high bounce makes that more difficult. The LW
> is hard enough to hit off a tight lie, don't make it more difficult.
>
> As far as make & model, you can't go wrong with Cleveland. Titleist
> Vokey
> are also nice. Forget about saving money on your wedges - these are
> your money clubs! If you have to, buy used.
>
> Avoid cavity back wedges. You slap the sand with the back of the club,
>
> so you want it smooth so it doesn't grab, and it bounces better. You
> don't need the benefits of cavity back in a wedge, anyway.
>
> Also avoid graphite shafts for wedges - no feel. You want as much feel
> in your wedges as you can get. You can't use the feel to influence
> the shot you are taking, but you store that memory for future shots.
>
> Before you buy your wedges, I suggest you read Dave Pelz book
> "Short Game Bible". He has a very good section on how to choose
> wedges.
>
|
| |
Date: 08 Oct 2006 04:41:49
From: skewe
Subject: Re: help picking Wedges
|
Try looking at this GigaGolf Wedge, you can customize it and you pay
about $19-$40 for a custom made club
GigaGolf Pursuit X5 Series Black
http://www.golfer-review.com/prdt.php?id=25131_Pursuit_X5_Series_Black
GigaGolf Pursuit X5 Series Chrome
http://www.golfer-review.com/prdt.php?id=25132_Pursuit_X5_Series_Chrome
GigaGolf Pro Open 690
http://www.golfer-review.com/prdt.php?id=25088_Pro_Open_690
S McFarlane wrote:
> "Nick Vital" <drnick5@cox.net> wrote in message
> news:GARVg.8712$Go3.7165@dukeread05...
> > Thanks for the info, with al that being said, can you suggest some wedges
> > that woudl work (a sand wedge with low bounce and a LW with a good amount
> > of bounce?
> >
> >
>
> The so-called tour bounce phrase comes from the fact that a high bounce
> high-lofted wedge plays well when you're on tour-quality courses with a
> tour-quality game.
>
> A high bounce in a lob wedge is a liability if: 1. your swing sucks (like
> most of ours), and you don't mostly hit the ball with precision (if your
> swing is very tight, then bounce has no effect at all on your shots from
> short grass, since ideally the face of the blade makes clean contact with
> the ball well before the sole hits dirt..) 2. you often play on courses
> with lots of dead pan and/or hard earth. The two factors are somewhat
> related. A tour caliber player could hit a 60* wedge off concrete and get
> good results, because their swings are nothing if not precise. The club may
> be damaged by contact with the cement, but the first shot at least will look
> nice. So, how much a problem the hard turf presents is a function of your
> skill level.
>
> For us regular folks, a high bounce wedge can lead to problems off tight
> lies, because we're much more likely to come in at a less than optimal
> attack. If the bounce hits hard ground before making contact, the club
> will...bounce, we'll contact the ball on the leading edge (a.k.a skull).
> We're also much more likely to find ourselves playing off of hard fairways,
> something tour players don't ever have to worry about. On the typical tour
> fairway, a high bounce wedge will take a divot in the very unlikely case of
> a fat shot.
>
> On the other hand, if you are in the despicable Bermuda rough common around
> these parts, or the types of rough that tour players find themselves in, a
> high bounce wedge is a very handy tool. The tendency to not penetrate the
> turf changes from a liability to a big plus in this and other scenarios. I
> believe high bounce lob wedges are becoming popular among highly skilled
> golfers because they don't have to worry so much about mishitting them when
> the lie is less than optimal (fairway / dead pan), they don't have to make
> this shot very often anyway, and they regularly encounter situations where
> the high-bounce / high-loft combination is useful.
>
> Wedge selection all comes down to fitting your abilities and the situations
> you are most likely to encounter. If you often find yourself on tough
> ground and needing to stop the ball in it's tracks on the green, a high
> bounce lob wedge is not a good choice. If you often find yourself in rough
> around the green that is a challenge for low bounce wedges (and a 52* wedge
> doesn't have enough stopping power), then a low bounce LW is a not the best
> choice.
>
> Any given configuration of wedges has it's pros and cons. You just have to
> analyze your game and the playing conditions you typically face to decide
> what mix is best for you. If you are playing a four wedge bag, this is
> maybe not so critical. Almost all gap wedges have low bounce, and usually a
> gap wedge's loft will do OK in cases where you would prefer the extra loft
> but really need the low bounce. An example where this is not the case: you
> play on courses whose sand traps suck as hard as the one I play on. The
> sand is very heavy, and plays more like dirt. High bounce wedges don't work
> well almost any time of the year there, and it would really be nice to have
> that 60* wedge without high bounce. I play a lot more shots out of rough
> where the bounce is a blessing than out of the sand, so high bounce it is
> ( and even in the dirt bunkers the gap wedge usually does well enough.)
>
> If you are playing a three wedge bag, then the decision can make a
> significant difference. With a high bounce lob wedge, the highest loft with
> low bounce will be the pitching wedge. Just about every round I play at
> least one shot where a well hit lob wedge leaves an easy putt but a pitching
> wedge will leave a tough one coming back. If the lie is tight enough to
> scream for a low bounce wedge, I have a tough decision without the 52*
> compromise.
>
> Bottom line is: there's no one answer for all people. There's only the one
> that works better for the individual player more often than not. Right now
> I'm grappling with the 3 wedge vs. 4 wedge question. I'm leaning heavily
> towards 4 wedges, but that costs a club on the high end. I hate to only
> have three wedges, but I also hate to spread them thin in the > 200 yd
> range...
>
> Scott
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