Cleveland Golf Clubs
Choosing Wedge Bounce: The Number That Matters Most
Bounce affects your short game more than the model name on the club.
What bounce is
Bounce is the angle between the leading edge of the wedge and the lowest point of the sole. High bounce means the leading edge sits further off the ground when the club is soled. Low bounce means it sits closer.
That single measurement determines whether the club digs into the turf or skids across it.
Match it to your strike, not your handicap
Steep swings need more bounce. If you take deep divots, a low-bounce wedge will dig, the club will stall in the turf and the shot will come up short. High bounce stops that happening.
Shallow swings need less bounce. If you sweep the ball and take little or no divot, a high-bounce wedge will bounce off firm ground and catch the ball thin. Low bounce lets the leading edge get under the ball.
Handicap does not decide this. There are low handicappers with very steep actions and high handicappers who pick the ball clean.
Match it to your course too
Soft, wet, lush turf tolerates and often requires more bounce. Firm, dry, tight links-style turf usually calls for less.
If you play one course almost exclusively, fit to that course. If you travel around, fit to the middle and accept that a few conditions will suit you less.
Practical starting points
Sand wedge: most golfers are well served by mid-to-high bounce. It is the club you use from bunkers, and sand wants bounce.
Lob wedge: this is where bounce choice gets personal. High bounce for steep players and soft turf, low bounce only if you are shallow and play firm ground.
Gap wedge: mid bounce works for almost everyone, because this club is mostly used for full and three-quarter shots where turf interaction is less extreme.
How Cleveland labels it
Cleveland states bounce in degrees on the sole and pairs bounce with grind. The grind letters tell you how the sole has been shaped, and the number tells you how much bounce is left. Read them together — a low-bounce number on a heavily relieved grind plays lower still.
Fitting tip: Look at your divots. Deep and long means high bounce. Shallow and short means low. It is the cheapest fitting information you have and it is lying on the practice ground right now.
Model names current as of September 2026.