Bounce, groove and grind to lower scores
The only thing more exciting than knowing I had 18 holes to play on Sunday was, with everyone in the family away at the cottage, it meant I could hang around unhurried after the round and check out the Titleist demo day set up on the range.
On this day, I was singularly focused on the wedges in my bag.
I had done a special fitting a couple years ago and ended up with a set of Japanese-made wedges called Miura that were gaining notoriety for their exquisite form and finish.
As much as I wanted to love them, if I was honest, after 50plus rounds in a variety of conditions across five or so countries, they had not instilled the confidence and marksmanship from 100 yards in that was such a foundation of my game and an immense source of enjoyment for me about the game.
I had taken them out of my bag at Cabot Cliffs and replaced them with my old Titleist Vokey wedges whose grooves had been well worn but whose shape and markings I had come to know and love.
I simply love talking to these reps at the major golf club and ball companies. Rishi, the Titleist product specialist, looked at my well-worn wedges and was quick to give me a refresher about wedge bounce, grind and the impact that old, worn out wedge grooves can have on clubs that you count on way more than your driver. He showed me some data that his company had compiled on how much less your ball rolls out when you have fresh grooves.
Rollout is simply the distance your ball rolls after it lands. A worn wedge that has 75 rounds on it rolls out an additional eight feet past where the new wedge stops. When you get to 125 rounds, which could be as little as a year or two for some players, you get a total of 24 feet of rollout.
Worn grooves are less deep. Which means lower spin. Lower spin means a higher flight and less control of trajectory. Lower spin also messes up your distance, and results in reduced carry yardage.
Golf is tough enough without adding in more elements that keep changing. Which is a solid argument for sticking to the same brand and model of ball, and keeping your wedge grooves as fresh as you can afford. By simply investing the time and energy into keeping on top of your groove depth, you will be rewarded with a level of trajectory and rollout consistency that can’t help but build your confidence and enjoyment.
And what about grind and bounce? Let’s keep it simple and just worry about bounce. The softer the playing conditions that you encounter most often, like well watered turf, soft sand bunkers, and soft, thick rough, the more bounce you need in your wedges. The more bounce you have, the less you will have to worry about your club digging in and hitting short, fat shots from the fairway or sand.
If you play in a lot of firm conditions, such as brown, fast turf on fairways and hardpan bunkers, you will want wedges with less bounce so the leading edge of your club’s sole will dig in and prevent the dreaded skull.
While it is true that you could drive yourself silly with all the permutations and combinations you would encounter in a typical season, following just a few simple rules about bounce can pay dividends way beyond worrying about keeping up with the latest 460cc driver of the month.
Deeper love and fascination with golf happens when you can overdevelop a specific aspect of your game that reflects your natural abilities and strengths. That’s where confidence blossoms.
If you’re not a natural born “bomber” of the ball off the tee, or a super crisp mid-iron swinger, think about the prospect of paying extra attention to your wedges. I’m not sure there’s anything more enjoyable than feeling in control of every hole from 100 yards in.
Ask your CPGA professional about how fresher grooves and the right bounce can help you.