It used to frustrate me like hell (and as you are reading this then I am sure you feel the same) when you play a great approach shot but end up a club or so short of the green. Would you believe it you are now faced with a shot over a deep bunker guarding the front of the green with very little ground to work with before the pin! What to do next? Well the safe shot from there would be to play a chip and run to the side of the bunker into the heart of the green leaving you with a long par putt.
The alternative shot would be to take on the bunker with a lofted club producing a high flop shot with the ball landing softly onto the green. This would give you every chance of ending up close to the hole. If you are going to play this shot then your next reaction is to reach for the most lofted club in your bag, problem is you have a really tight lie on very short grass and you only have a Sand Wedge available – think again. I have learnt the hard way that attempting this shot with an open faced Sand Wedge can lead to disaster with the ball ending up in the bunker and your confidence in tatters. The problem with a Sand Wedge is that it is designed with a high amount of what we call “Bounce”.
What is Bounce?
Quite simply the bounce of any wedge is referring to the part of the club head that makes contact with the ground, effectively the club head will bounce off the turf and the angle that this bounces off is determined by the sole design. The higher this angle then the more bounce developed.
The high bounce on a Sand Wedge is perfect for Bunker Shots or open faced high approach shots where the ground is either soft or you have a lot of grass under the ball. A Lob Wedge can make all the difference on a tight lie as you have a higher lofted club with a lot less bounce which means the club will have more chance of getting under the ball to produce the shot you are looking for. Investing in a Lob Wedge can certainly improve your play around the green and ultimately take shots off your handicap. Don’t make the mistake of choosing one with a very low amount of bounce say 8 degrees or less as this can be very difficult to play with. A bounce of around 10/12 degrees will give you the flexibility you need, remember you want to have the same confidence in this shot as if you were hitting a standard pitching wedge.
