Wedges on tight lies

[BrianM]

Played on Friday at Fortrose and Inverness on Sunday morning, played really well on both days but really struggled around the greens on tight lies when short sided, twice I had bunkers to get over and twice I thinned them into said bunkers.
What bounce would people recommend for this type of shot?

 

[bobmac]

If you play a lot of links golf, then I would suggest medium-low bounce, then practice.

Open your stance and clubface
Ball position central,
weight and hands forward to encourage a steeper angle of attack
Make sure you take some sort of divot.
Don't be greedy by trying the ''hero shot''. In some circumstances, just get it on the green somewhere is advisable

Others will disagree

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Played on Friday at Fortrose and Inverness on Sunday morning, played really well on both days but really struggled around the greens on tight lies when short sided, twice I had bunkers to get over and twice I thinned them into said bunkers.
What bounce would people recommend for this type of shot?

Personally I'd go low for a links course and prefer 6 degrees but it also depends on variables like angle of attack

 

[LincolnShep]

This is my absolute nightmare shot. I would rather be 100 yards away than have to play a 30yd chip off a tight lie.

 

[HPIMG]

I just recently got fitted for new wedges I went with 4 bounce on my 58 for tight lies I think 4 is as low as I would go.

 

[Maninblack4612]

Stan Utley, short game guru, says you can play high bounce wedges from tight lies. He demonstrated this by using a sand wedge from the car park. He says that low bounce wedges make it more likely to dig in, even on tight lies.

 

[Captain_Black.]

I play this shot (only when there is no other choice)
60 degree lob wedge - 8 bounce
Hands right forward
Play it off the back foot
Hops up into the air lovely, not too high & rolls out.

 

[SteveJay]

Links course member here. I have a Vokey 60 degree with 8 degrees of bounce for that type of shot.

Struggled with my previous set of wedges which was 10 degrees. For me the lower bounce gives me so much more confidence and the grind allows me to open the face if needed without adding too much to the bounce.

 

[GreiginFife]

If you play a lot of links golf, then I would suggest medium-low bounce, then practice.

Open your stance and clubface
Ball position central,
weight and hands forward to encourage a steeper angle of attack
Make sure you take some sort of divot.
Don't be greedy by trying the ''hero shot''. In some circumstances, just get it on the green somewhere is advisable

Others will disagree

Wot he said. It's one of the very, very few areas of this game where I actually do have some strength and this is how I play it. My 56 is as much loft as I need with 10 degrees of bounce and as Bob says, it's just learning to open the face, steepen the swing and try to hit through the ball and not "across" it as it were (thinning it basically). I'm no pro, of course, but this will work 9/10 times for me.

 

[jim8flog]

When I used to play links course I used to take my Ram* Tom Watson links grind wedge It is 51 degree with negative bounce (-1 degree) and a sole width of about 1/4 of an inch.

*This was when RAM were a top brand.

During the summer when our course dries out to rock hard in places I have a 52 with 5 degree bounce.

 

[garyinderry]

With short sided shots on links the main thing to really look at is the lie.
By this I mean is there things going in your favour. Maybe the ball is on a slight upslope, wind into the face are two things you would ideally like to have. Upslope will help get more elevation and into the wind can be used to spin the ball more and hold it up.
Really look at it and see if it's sitting clean or ever so slightly down in a little depression or pitch mark.
Your skill level and how much you have practiced the shot then should dictate how cute you can get with the shot.
Sometimes flipping it to 10, 15 feet is the best you can safely hope for.
How far you need to carry it and how much green is there all need to be weighed up.
If its super tight you can't really open a very high bounce wedge. You can play it sqaure faced or very slightly open and get a decent result with a 60.
With lower bounce wedges and wedges that have heavy relief shaved off them you can really crank it open and get cute with it. Again this all depends on your level of skill and how much you have practiced it.
If the ground is firm then you can play it steep and cut the ball up.
It's been that wet recently that it's probably a good idea not to try that.
Using the bounce and slipping the club in there shallow is ideal.
Sometimes you have to take your medicine if you leave yourself in such a position. Get down in 3. Give yourself a look at 2 and make sure it not any worse than 3.

 

[Albo]

I have 12 degrees of bounce on my 60 and I’m happy with this sort of shot, just don’t try to get too close to the pin with it, as Bob said anywhere on the green is good, always think putter with your next shot, if you can do that you’ll be fine.
I play mine middle of stance, weight forwards and commit when I run into problems it’s usually because I decel on the way down

 

[BrianM]

I’ve got 56 with 12 bounce and a 60 with 14 bounce.
I’m thinking I’ll just need to practice with the 56 in this instance or get another 56 with lower bounce to try and make it easier.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Sometimes you have to take your medicine if you leave yourself in such a position. Get down in 3. Give yourself a look at 2 and make sure it not any worse than 3.

Think that is sound advice for any type of course for most mid-high handicap golfers. Too many lose shots trying to go for the high tariff shot or get too clever where a chip to 15 feet still gives an outside chance of making a putt and should be no more than 3 to get down

 

[harpo_72]

I’ve got 56 with 12 bounce and a 60 with 14 bounce.
I’m thinking I’ll just need to practice with the 56 in this instance or get another 56 with lower bounce to try and make it easier.

60 degree is a lot of loft so perhaps use it but don’t open it up because the bounce doesn’t help.. sometimes you have to dance with the partner you brought..
By the way my short game is atrocious and it used to be good .. I blame it on the lies and the advice I got from the club scratchers was less loft .. so in the end a putter is used.
But there is a really good solution, don’t miss the greens ..that’s what I have been working on.

 

[Mandofred]

In the last year+ I've gone with a 60 with low bounce (6) to a 58 with 12? bounce...and now to have switched to 64 with 10 bounce. Quite liking the 64....it has saved me quite a bit....but you do have to relax and give it a good swing. If I don't need a soft landing or short rollout I stick to my 54 for chipping. Some days I barely use the 64, other days I end up needing it all the time to plop over a bunker or something where the 54 just wouldn't do it.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

I like Dan Grieve’s approach to short game.