Green Side Bunker: Loft and Bounce

Understanding how your sand wedge works is just as important as how you swing it. Between loft and bounce the options seem endless. Most effective wedges used in the sand range from 54 - 60 degrees of loft. While most range between 6 - 16 degrees of bounce.

Open face increases bounce (original image credit)

Every club has bounce on the bottom of the club. Basically, the angle built into the sole of the club creates a certain level of bounce. Higher bounce creates more actual bounce off whatever terrain it hits. And lower bounce creates less. Because we can not have an unlimited number of wedges in our bag, we are forced to carry several wedges that work well in most conditions.

The condition of the sand is one factor in choosing the proper bounce on a wedge. Soft fine sand requires more bounce. While hard packed sand requires less bounce. There is no absolute formula in choosing a wedge because in addition to the actual bounce on the wedge we have to consider the way we use it. When executing a green side bunker shot the proper address position requires that we open the club face to some degree. Because of this we are adding to or exposing more of the bounce on the sole of the club. And if we consider wet sand, which makes even the softest fine sand pack together, one more possibility is added to the conditions we face.

The use of a sand wedge in the fairway or thick rough around the green is another factor to consider when choosing the proper bounce. From a short distance on the fairway the most significant factor is how hard or soft the ground is. If the turf is wet and somewhat saturated a low bounce wedge will tend to dig into the ground. While a higher bounce wedge will slide and effectively bounce a little reducing the margin of error. If the ground is firm and dry, a lower bounce wedge will typically have sufficient bounce to appropriately slide under the ball. And a higher bounce wedge will react more dramatically and bounce too much, causing thin shots.

(more to come...)