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The Big Bounce Theory NCGA: Should amateurs con-


sider having more or less bounce in their wedges when they play a course that doesn’t have rough, such as the new Poppy Hills? RW: Amateurs have steep


swings. Even with tight lies, I would direct them toward wedges with bounce on them. For the better player, with tighter lies you can definitely do without bounce. But I’ve always said that bounce is your friend. You can always take bounce off a wedge, you just can’t add bounce back on. It’s all about angle of


attack and the types of shots you are trying to hit.


Understanding Wedges


The bounce of a wedge is determined by the bounce angle, sole width, sole camber and sole grind.


With tighter lies, your first instinct is to go with less bounce. But as steep as the average player is, I would recommend more bounce. If anything, they can play it off their back foot, put their hands forward and almost play it like a chip shot. If you have a low-bounce wedge for your chip shots, you’re going to be digging to China on bunker shots. There’s no right or wrong answer. It’s just so player dependent. NCGA: What kind of


setup would the pros have at Poppy Hills? RW: Rory Sabatini has


zero bounce on his wedge, and Will McGirt is right next to him with the most bounce you can have, and they’re both hitting the same shots. One just releases a little sooner and one picks it. It’s just really personal preference. It’s funny because these


guys don’t know the exact bounce. They will tell me they feel this or swing like that, but then I’ll put them on TrackMan and it’s not even close to what they are doing. NCGA: Do the pros get


fitted for wedges like they do for drivers? RW: We’re the only


LOFT ANGLE


company that has a wedge fitting system. It’s just like an adjustable driver. We focus on 125 yards and in. I would say it’s just as


FACE TO SOLE ANGLE


SOLE RELIEF


CAMBER


BOUNCE • Bounce is built into the sole of a wedge to keep the club from digging into the turf or sand.


BOUNCE ANGLE


SOLE WIDTH


SOLE


important to get your driver and irons fitted as it is to get your wedges fitted. You need to know what you are—a low bounce guy, a high bounce guy or a me- dium bounce guy. I love watching Sabatini


• The greater the bounce, the more the sole will resist digging • Bounce helps prevent fat shots by keeping the wedge moving • More bounce is important on sand shots • Too much bounce makes shots from tight lies more difficult


play. He’s got five trajecto- ries for a 40-yard shot. He can hit a draw and a fade. He’s got five windows and he can hit it through all of them. These guys are calling shots, saying it’s going to bounce twice and spin left. And then the next one is going to bounce right and spin sideways. It’s so clear there are ways to fit guys with wedges.


Equipment


What kind of wedges should you play with at the new Poppy Hills? NCGA Golf visited the Cleveland equipment truck parked outside the driving range during the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. With Poppy Hills eliminating rough, we wanted to know how the pros would recommend attacking the newest course in Pebble Beach. We talked with Rob Water, PGA Tour manager for Cleveland Wedges.


Check Your Gaps When Getting Fitted for Wedges


S


ince the Rules of Golf only allow 14 clubs, there


are always gaps in distances. This can hold especially true for the wedge distances of certain players, since they will be using these clubs up to 125 yards. Club fitters can apply gapping techniques to make sure a golfer selects wedges with the proper loft combination so that every distance is covered. The fitters can also bend a wedge a degree or two during the fitting process to help fill a gap between distances and clubs. –Benn McCallister VP Sales and Marketing Worldwide Golf Shops


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