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Bounce is the angle between a wedge's leading edge and its sole: it lifts the leading edge off the ground so the club skids instead of digging. Titleist's Vokey calls 4° to 6° low bounce, about 7° to 10° mid and more than 10° high. Forgiving wedges lean high: the ones we cover run from 10° to 14°, and 36 of their 42 lofts are high bounce.
Bounce, drawn
Rest a wedge on the ground with the shaft upright and look at it side on: the sole touches the ground behind the leading edge, and the leading edge sits in the air. The more bounce, the higher it sits. Move the slider to see it.
Bounce, drawn to the angle A drawing of a wedge at address, side on; the head shape is generic.
14°: high bounce, in Vokey's terms (more than 10°): it resists digging in soft turf and sand, and suits a steep swing that takes deep divots.
Low, mid or high: which suits you
High bounce (more than 10°) for soft turf, fluffy lies and bunkers with soft sand, and for a steep swing that takes deep divots. It keeps the leading edge from digging, which is why a forgiving wedge carries it.
Mid bounce (about 7° to 10°) for normal turf and a neutral swing. Vokey calls it the most versatile for most players.
Low bounce (4° to 6°) for firm turf, hard or coarse sand and a shallow, sweeping swing that takes little or no divot. It lets the leading edge get under a ball on a tight lie, and digs if the swing is steep.
Each wedge in your bag can carry a different bounce, because each has a different job. If you take big divots or play soft courses, high bounce is the forgiving choice; if you sweep the ball off firm ground, a lower bounce on one wedge helps. These lines and this advice are Vokey's own, on its wedge bounce page; a wedge fitting confirms them for your swing.
The bounce on the forgiving wedges we cover
Each loft's bounce as its maker publishes it. Of the 42 loft options with a published bounce, 36 are high bounce, 6 mid and none low. The Tour Edge Hot Launch Max D and the Cleveland Smart Sole Full-Face publish no bounce angle in degrees, so they are not in the table.
Bounce in degrees for each loft of each forgiving wedge, with the sole the maker names
A dash means the maker does not sell that loft. Each club page lists every loft with its hand and the source. The forgiving wedges page compares the wedges on more than bounce.
The bounce on the wedges in iron sets
11 of the 51 current iron sets whose makers publish a club-by-club table print a bounce for the wedges sold with them, from 5° to 14°:
PING G440: PW 42° with 13°, UW 47° with 13°, 52° with 13°, 56° with 14°.
PING G440 HL: PW 42° with 13°, UW 47° with 13°, 52° with 13°, 56° with 14°.
PING G740: PW 40° with 11.1°, UW 45° with 12°, 50° with 12°, 56° with 12°.
PING G Le4: W 46.5° with 12°, UW 51.5° with 13.1°, SW 56° with 13°.
A set's pitching wedge is mostly played from the fairway, so its bounce matters less than a sand wedge's. If your set stops at a gap wedge, the sand wedge you add is where bounce counts most: the 52, 56 and 60 degree wedges guide says which loft to add.
Bounce, grind and sole width
The bounce angle is one number; the sole's shape decides how it plays. A grind removes metal from the heel, toe or trailing edge, so the face can be opened without the leading edge rising too far; a wide sole spreads the bounce over more ground and resists digging even at a moderate angle. The makers name their soles rather than measure them: V-Shaped, S-Shaped, C-Shaped, Teardrop and Tri-Sole in the table above. For a forgiving wedge, a wide sole and high bounce are the two things to look for; the wedge loft chart covers the lofts.
Driver shafts for a slower swing, more height or a mid flight, with each one's weight, torque and flexes from its maker, and the stock shafts on every forgiving driver.
