Any downside to not using wedge bounce?

[sadclevelandsports]

So my current wedges come with a decent amount of bounce as standard (CBX2's). I'm finding that opening the club and using the bounce is fine, but sometimes I'll catch a bit of bermuda and end up with a really crap wedge shot or skull the ball. Sometimes I feel like it's a safer option to just come a little steeper on the ball and try to hit ball first. Is that a completely ridiculous thought? Haven't been golfing terribly long, and wedge game has come a good way, but am I going down the wrong rabbit hole thinking about just getting super low bounce wedges and forgetting about grazing the grass with the bounce?

[Ger21]

You always want to hit the ball first. You don't try to "bounce" the club into the ball, after hitting the ground first.

[sadclevelandsports]

14 minutes ago, Ger21 said:

You always want to hit the ball first. You don't try to "bounce" the club into the ball, after hitting the ground first.

Sorry I'm talking about just in relation to chipping. I've been told by more than one pro that the goal is to graze the grass behind the ball. Me and my golf had a segment about the same thing as well. As long as I'm not losing out on the "most efficient" way of chipping, I'm happy to forgo this method. 

[Kale_m]

Digging... lots of digging. 
 

inconsistent strikes 

[Stuart_G]

1 hour ago, sadclevelandsports said:

So my current wedges come with a decent amount of bounce as standard (CBX2's). I'm finding that opening the club and using the bounce is fine, but sometimes I'll catch a bit of bermuda and end up with a really crap wedge shot or skull the ball. Sometimes I feel like it's a safer option to just come a little steeper on the ball and try to hit ball first. Is that a completely ridiculous thought? Haven't been golfing terribly long, and wedge game has come a good way, but am I going down the wrong rabbit hole thinking about just getting super low bounce wedges and forgetting about grazing the grass with the bounce?

 

If trying to use the bounce is causing problems, I would suspect the problem may be in the execution, not the intent.    Generally using the bounce is much more forgiving than the steeper type of approach.   So it's really a better question for the instruction sub-forum.  

 

 

[sadclevelandsports]

Sorry picked the wrong forum.

 

I'd say opening up and grazing the grass isn't an issue 9/10 swings, it's just that one time that really starts the rage and then it's off to the races. I was thinking of just going steeper and avoiding the chance all together since I heard Rickie Fowler did the same thing for the same reason...or maybe it's the reason he's not playing so well..

[Stuart_G]

6 minutes ago, sadclevelandsports said:

Sorry picked the wrong forum.

 

I'd say opening up and grazing the grass isn't an issue 9/10 swings, it's just that one time that really starts the rage and then it's off to the races. I was thinking of just going steeper and avoiding the chance all together since I heard Rickie Fowler did the same thing for the same reason...or maybe it's the reason he's not playing so well..

 

Not an instructor but as I understand it ...  in theory it might sound like a good idea but in reality it's at least as sensitive to miss hits (if not more so) and the consequences of those mishits tend to be more severe than when trying to use the bounce.

 

Just my take but Monte's videos on the subject are well worth the cost.

 

https://video.rebelliongolf.com/programs/use-the-bounce-2?categoryId=4491

Edited March 29, 2021 by Stuart_G

[me05501]

This video does a great job of explaining why using the bounce is the right way to go about it:

 

 

 

If you just want to improve your low-point consistency this is good stuff to dig into:

 

 

[Cwebb]

Hitting the ball first is never a bad idea

2 hours ago, sadclevelandsports said:

Sorry I'm talking about just in relation to chipping. I've been told by more than one pro that the goal is to graze the grass behind the ball. Me and my golf had a segment about the same thing as well. As long as I'm not losing out on the "most efficient" way of chipping, I'm happy to forgo this method. 

 

Watch this video from 3 time major champion Padraig Harrington.  If trying to brush before the ball and "using the bounce" isn't proving to be consistent for you, why not simply try to hit the ball first like he and millions of other good/great players have through history.  Try "using the bounce" under the ball and after it, instead of intentionally before it.

 

 

 

[mogc60]

Thump the ground! Thump it, hard! Not dig it and definitely don’t brush the grass. Whoever told you to brush the grass gave you bad advice. What if the grass is 2 inches long or razor tight. Learn to thump the club and feel it slide and jump back up. Ground contact is the key to solid wedge shots. You’ll find that you can thump the ground way harder than you’d think even on short shots. Bounce is your friend. 
You actually are on the right page though throwing out the brush the grass idea and getting steeper. It’s the middle ground between digging and brushing where you’ll hear that thump. 

Edited March 29, 2021 by mogc60

[Cwebb]

1 hour ago, mogc60 said:

Thump the ground! Thump it, hard! Not dig it and definitely don’t brush the grass. Whoever told you to brush the grass gave you bad advice. What if the grass is 2 inches long or razor tight. Learn to thump the club and feel it slide and jump back up. Ground contact is the key to solid wedge shots. You’ll find that you can thump the ground way harder than you’d think even on short shots. Bounce is your friend. 
You actually are on the right page though throwing out the brush the grass idea and getting steeper. It’s the middle ground between digging and brushing where you’ll hear that thump. 

Yup....and keeping the face square or somewhat open to the path through impact.   Anything closing down through impact will decrease effective bounce and want to dig more.  Lots of players have thought they were "square", but are actually a little closed, leading to "chunky" feedback into the ground.  Most good chippers and pitchers, use a somewhat open face, even on straight forward shots

[Hstead]

In my experience, leaning the shaft and using the leading edge not only makes contact consistency more difficult, but the ball does not spin like it used to and it comes out hotter.  With the agronomy of todays courses, with tighter mown areas around the greens, green speeds a little quicker and firmer, the old days of trapping the ball and getting it to check is much more difficult.  The ball just doesn't spin like it used to.  I cannot use near the speed I did when I was younger around the greens.

 

Now everything has to be super slow, high, soft, low spin, off a tight lie.  I have battled this over the years.  For me, I have to stay super relaxed, grip, forearms, shoulders, everything super soft.  Then I have to make sure I am slow, not adding speed.  And lastly, I got this tip from Chase Cooper who got it from EJ Pfister, who got it from Tom Pernice Jr.  Feel like the knuckles of your right hand are the bounce, feel like those knuckles hit the ground right behind the ball.  It works well for me.,

Edited March 29, 2021 by Hstead