Wedge Bounce effect on ball flight

Follow Thread

By Greg R

  • 0 Likes
  • 25 Replies
  1. Greg R

    Greg R
    Volo, IL

    For years I have played the SM58.08 and have been able to control the trajectory of the wedge nicely, hit it high or low when needed. This year I have played a few rounds with my new SM4 58.06 and I can't seem to flight it down. All my wedges have been the same spec wise over the years, with this years new bounce being the only change.

    So my question is, what effect to bounce have on ball flight and/or trajectory?

     

    Thanks,

    Greg - Titleist Staffer

  2. Ken O

    Ken O
    Canton, CT

    I'm not sure of the difference in your new wedge, but maybe you should hold the club differently. Just open the face a little by rotating the outside edge away from you to increases the bounce angle. Or reduce the
    angle by moving your hands forward as you address the ball
    and reduce the loft of the club.
  3. Quintin H

    Quintin H
    Morehead, KY

    Greg,

    It could be you are getting more under the ball with less bounce, I doubt it.

    The bounce doesn't have a direct effect on trajectory, it is the center of gravity, the lower cg = higher trajectory.

    If you read about the newer clubs, V grooves made since 2010, they were made to have a higher trajectory to help stop the ball on the green because they have less spin.

    I have cc 48.06  54.14  58.12 and they really hit the ball high.

    This does make distance control quite a bit harder and near impossible in the wind.

  4. Greg R

    Greg R
    Volo, IL

    Thanks for the responses guys. I only ask because I remember reading here or hearing on TV coverage last year that Voke changed the bounce on Rory's wedges and he got back to the ball flight and distance that he was looking for with the new grooves. So I am trying to dial in my wedges to give me the flight that I am looking for. And I am wondering if I got the the wrong bounce.

    Thanks Again!

    - Greg

  5. Ryan Crysler

    Ryan Crysler
    West Palm Beach, FL

    Bounce does affect trajectory: high bounce = lower trajectory low bounce = higher trajectory. The sole width also has an indirect affect on bounce as well, especially the change from the SM58.08 and the new SM4 58.06. The 58.06 is narrower than the 58.08 and narrow soles help reduce the bounce affect. The affect of bounce is similar to ball contact on a driver. If the ball hits lower on the face (with a high bounce/less dig) the ball will fly lower and with perhaps more spin. If the ball hits higher on the face (with low bounce/more dig) the ball will fly higher with perhaps less spin. This assumes the exact same swing! Hope this helps.
  6. Quintin H

    Quintin H
    Morehead, KY

    Ryan

    Wouldn't it be, if using the exact same swing, then you would hit the ball in the same place on the clubface?

    So since you are hitting the same place on the clubface, exact same swing, what would the effect of bounce be?

  7. Nate S

    Nate S
    Saint Johns, FL

    The more bounce, the less the club will dig. The less bounce, the more the club will dig. Hence if you tend to take a divot then take less bounce and vice versa.

  8. Remember bounce alters the position of the club face in relation to the ground therefore, if you were to make the same swing with say a 56.08 and a 56.14 the ball would strike higher on the face with the 56.08. The resultant - a higher flight with the 56.08.
  9. Ryan Crysler

    Ryan Crysler
    West Palm Beach, FL

    You would not be hitting the ball in the same place. The lower bounce club will be lower through impact. The ball will hit a smidge higher on the face. The only way to hit the same spot on the face with a higher bounce club would be to slighly forward press, negating bounce, but changing the swing fundamental.
  10. Quintin H

    Quintin H
    Morehead, KY

    Ryan

    Are you saying you can't hit a low bounce club the same as a high bounce club?

    The bounce wouldn't be getting in the way.

  11. Ryan Crysler

    Ryan Crysler
    West Palm Beach, FL

    Launch conditions would be different assuming the same is exactly, robot-like, the same.
  12. Ryan Crysler

    Ryan Crysler
    West Palm Beach, FL

    The *swing:
  13. Quintin H

    Quintin H
    Morehead, KY

    Ryan

    "Launch conditions would be different assuming the same is exactly, robot-like, the same."

    I don't understand what you said.

    So you put a high bounce wedge on a robot, you fix it to make solid contact, ball first.

    Now you take a low bounce wedge, same loft, have the robot make contact on the same spot on the face.

    Which is going to launch higher?

  14. Ryan Crysler

    Ryan Crysler
    West Palm Beach, FL

    Lower bounce. I meant to say "swing is exactly, robot-like, the same."
  15. Quintin H

    Quintin H
    Morehead, KY

    Ryan

    Why would lower bounce, when hit in the same spot on the face with a robot swing, hit higher than the high bounce?

    It seems, since the high bounce has more mass under the impact spot, thus a lower center of gravity, the higher bounce would launch the ball higher.

  16. Ryan Crysler

    Ryan Crysler
    West Palm Beach, FL

    It's actually the same amount of mass, just shaped at a different angle. The high bounce angle raises the leading edge and the ball makes contact on a lower part of the face compared to a lower bounce angle wedge.
  17. Quintin H

    Quintin H
    Morehead, KY

    Ryan it appears that you are going to run this around in circles, you are back to saying that you cannot hit a low bounce wedge the same as a high bounce wedge because of the bounce, which is absolutely wrong.

    It is true that a high bounce wedge is limited because of the bounce, but a low bounce wedge is not required to slide under the ball lower than the high bounce wedge. You can hit a low bounce wedge the same as a high bounce wedge.

  18. Ryan Crysler

    Ryan Crysler
    West Palm Beach, FL

    My position has been the same throughout this thread. We'll just agree to disagree.
  19. Ryan Crysler

    Ryan Crysler
    West Palm Beach, FL

    For more information, I'll defer to the Tour Reps:

    http://www.titleist.com/teamtitleist/b/tourblog/archive/2011/04/29/equipment-updates-from-the-nationwide-tour-van-south-georgia-classic.aspx

  20. Quintin H

    Quintin H
    Morehead, KY

    I thought you wanted to let it go as we agree to disagree, but I guess not.

    Yes, if you set the club on the ground the leading edge will be higher with a high bounce wedge.........but like I keep trying to tell you, you don't have to set the club on the ground, you can have a low bounce wedge strike the ball exactly the same as a high bounce wedge as long as you are hitting the ball first.

    Lets say that the difference of vertical distance from the leading edge to the bottom of the sole between a high bounce and a low bounce wedge is 4mm.

    If I set the 2 wedges on the ground then the high bounce wedge face is 4mm higher than the low bounce wedge face.........but like I keep telling you, you don't have to set the clubs on the ground. So if you hover the clubs with the face at the same place in relation to the ball, then the faces will be in the same place but the sole of the high bounce wedge will be 4mm closer to the ground.......but the faces will be in the exact same spot. Now you swing both clubs exactly the same, they will hit the ball in exactly the same place on the face.

    Like I keep telling you, but you keep thinking you have to put the sole of the club on the ground, every shot you can do with a high bounce wedge, that requires hitting the ball first, you can do exactly the same with a low bounce wedge...........it is true that there are shots that require hitting the ball first, that I can do with a low bounce wedge that I cannot do with a high bounce wedge. But these shots I don't need, thats why I use the same 58.12 in the article, I will never need to do more of lob than what I can do with it. Plus the 58.12 has the 962 grind(Vokey calls it M grind) so it CAN, but not REQUIRED, be hit higher on the face than a standard grind like my 54.14.

  21. Quintin, I am a bit unsure as to why you are adamant that RC (one of the most famous titleist fitters) Is wrong. Look at the pictures of the different bounce sand wedges wedges next to each other in the following: http://www.titleist.com/vokey_wedge_guide/# You will see that the face will be in different positions dependant on bounce
  22. Quintin H

    Quintin H
    Morehead, KY

    Warren

    Please explain the physics that says a low bounce club must hit the ground.

    I do understand the physics that limits how low a high bounce club can go, but I don't understand the restriction you are putting on a low bounce club.......the bounce does not have to touch the ground........therefore you can hit a low bounce wedge exactly the same as a high bounce wedge as long as you are hitting the ball first..........notice I did not say you could hit a high bounce wedge exactly the same as a low bounce wedge, that is because the high bounce wedge is restricted and the low bounce wedge is not.

  23. Greg, I think you and the others are overlooking one of the most important changes from your SM58.06 and the new SM4.....the grooves. While the SM4 is the best "new/conforming" groove available, that would seem to be the thing that stands out to me..just a thought. Carl

  24. A way of flighting the ball lower with your wedge (or any club) is to put it in the front of your stance and let your hands lead. It takes some practice, but it's a shot in your bag not everyone has. You will have enough spin to keep it to hold on the green, and it can cheat the wind.

    -Nunzio

  25. Over to you Rory:

    http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CLRYkVx9og0

    'the bounce makes it come out that little bit lower'
  26. I just changed my 56 degree wedge to a 54 and the distance has dimineshed, why?

Please login to post a comment.

Sign In

Haven't registered for Team Titleist yet?

Sign Up