THE PROBLEM WITH TOO MUCH BOUNCE ON A WEDGE

One of the biggest faults I see in intermediate and advanced golfers in their short games is they create too much lag in their pitching and chipping swings. That is, they lead with the hands too much and the clubhead lags behind.  This usually stems from a powerful swing which compresses the ball. This golfer often struggles with touch around the greens and often struggles with taking too big of a divot. The problem I see stems from the selection of wedges that they are using. I teach my students to use low-bounce wedges, which help to get the leading edge under the ball without having to lead with the wrists. Leading with the hands through impact creates a low punchy style of a shot that is often inconsistent, and runs out too much and creates usually quite a deep divot. By using wedges with less bounce, the golfer can play the ball farther forward in their stance, open the face slightly, and use a smooth “armsie” swing and still get the leading edge under the ball without hitting it skinny or driving the leading edge deep into the ground. It is important, when playing the short game this way, that the clubface is fractionally open, and the ball is played up in the stance. If we open the face on a high-bounce wedge, the leading edge is raised too high off turf, and we will run the risk of hitting it skinny or be forced to hit down on the ball too much.  this leads to getting too steep, creating a lower-than-desired shot that relies on spin and a good bounce.