How to choose the right loft and grind for your wedges

I often get asked what wedge and grind setup I use and how I alter the bounce angle to my advantage around the greens.
In this video, I take you through my exact wedge setup, how you should get custom fit for wedges, how high and low bounce options affect your ability to make a good strike on different ground conditions and how to select the right club in bunkers!
I hope you like this video and learn a lot from it!

[@MatthewLoughton]

I've watched every single video on your channel at least once... but I still giggle every single time when you casually get interrupted by holing out and say "ah. there you go, in the hole". It not only shows you can practice what you preach, but you can do it at a high level and explain it very well. What I would give to have a lesson with you. Let me know if you're ever in Cape Town!

[@henrikvester7171]

Best shot gamer Teacher on KZbin period !! 👍

[@mako1134]

Not just KZbin

[@henrikvester7171]

@@mako1134 you win 😀

[@handicapedgolfer1912]

Resonating from your previous advice I’ve stuck with pitching wedge and 9 iron rounds the greens and shot my best score of 80 on a medal this week, unless it’s really necessary the wedges stay in the bag . But when the time comes and you need these shots this advice is massive ,thank you❤

[@Jowa1987]

Have you a specific video of this advice? Thanks in advance.

[@hibbeh]

"there you go in the hole" nothing to see here chaps, this happens every bloody video! 😄 Very informative Dan, Thank you.

[@azahansafetyman1161]

I think my bounce is the cause for additional distance from tight lies. Thanks Dan

[@adrianhillary7300]

Hi Dan, thanks for the video's always learn something. Here in New Zealand we have a lot of Kikuyu grass, and when it is a bit heavier I find it quite difficult to chip out of, as I find the club gets caught severely in the grass. I have tried implementing your toe-down method, with some success. If you have a moment maybe a quick video on how you would attack these chips around the greens. Thanks again.

[@aliasErEf]

Another excellent compréhensible how to …best video …….because manufacturers are making so much confusing branding on wedges ….Vokey for instance … there’s 3 sort of players : 1. beginners, 2. work hard to improve and finally 3. the Michelson’s of this world…..and what type of golf courses you’re playing on Thank you again Dan 🎉

[@Mdrnsamurai]

your book and these videos have really helped my short game... I have so much confidence around the greens and in the bunkers now, which is great... I actually changed my wedge setup and it has been working amazing... technically I'm carrying five wedges but with the lofts in my set my PW (42*) is a 9i and the GW (47*) is a PW at least in the loft and distance department... I finished the bottom of the bag with a Vokey SM10 52.08*F Grind great for those 100-110 yd shots, pitches, and bump and runs, 56.14*F for the soft stuff, bunkers, and deep grass, and my new favorite club the 60.04*T Grind, Lob Wedge for everything under the sun... (Pitches, Chips, Hard Pack Bunkers, Flops, and Tight Lies around the Greens)... I've seen some real improvements in practice and on the course and really happy with all the information that you share with us... Thanks again Dan... Game Changing Golf System imo...

[@Murf1802]

This is awesome. i have all my wedges out and as Dans explained differnt functions, im holding my wedges up and checking to see what im looking at, lol any Athlete has these releases in them, i just never knew when and why lol. im glued to him, my rug in living room has a bare spot from my crazy brain jumping up and giving it a go lol, omg , golf, say what you want, but definitely artistry in my head. my mind set now ,after power waching Dan for a week, i believe i can get on the green or at least a 1 putt from anywhere, lol completely differnt on the course , but dreaming a good thing. Thank you Dan, really sincerely, Thank you. i have a completely new out look on golf, pumped up.

[@chrisharney8960]

After buying Dan's book my 56 is my highest loft wedge. Release 2 is higher and better spin than how i was cutting across my old 60.

[@BrandaneBKK]

Really helpful and clearly explained, thanks Dan. Learning a lot from your videos!

[@marcthomas2333]

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. Greatest video I have seen so far on loft and bounce. Learned so much from this video.

[@davidgaunt4914]

I live in Calgary, Canada. In the summer it’s usually hot and dry, so we get a lot of hard ground with tight lies. I used to have a high bounce 60 and would constantly thin it and send rockets across the green… 2 years ago I bought a 60 degree with 4 degree bounce (for those 10-20 ft chips where I’ve missed the green) and it’s a game changer.

[@ostretch]

Great video, Dan! Would love to see you experiment with TM's TW grind wedges.

[@InsiderCarpentry]

Solid gold advice again... I hurt a little though because i just switched from 56/60 to 54/58!!! I should have watched this first. LOL

[@MD-ww4bh]

I've got an old Mizuno Japan Sand Wedge with the double bounce ridge thingy. Beautiful club, soft as anything so must have been forged well.

[@briangastaldi6136]

Thank you Dan, great stuff! CAN'T WAIT until TaylorMade gets the MG4 grooves on the next full face wedge. Love that they took into account groove wear/durability with the design too.

[@brianmort]

Ive always had 52,56,60…i added a 50 this year for 90yd approach and h/c down by 7

[@mntlblok]

Thank you. Most edifying. In the weeds here, but with that "low bounce" 58° with the ridge, I can't help wondering about where that ridge "points" when the face is laid open - and whether it matters, especially the part of it near the heel. Actually, not sure I can picture why that ridge wouldn't mean "more" bounce. . .

[@justinwildman698]

Dan, this is brilliant. Thank you!

[@JBCharognard]

Hi Dan! Thanks for this video! It answers my questions from last week. Here you advised a standard 56° SW with a 9-10° bounce that you use for sand only. I remember that you advised a 12° bounce in your book. Was it for a different use? (I play in Brittany, France, so this is far from the Monte Rei weather. More like the rather wet weather you have in Woburn, I guess ;) ).

[@kpaxmatt]

Thanks Dan, looking forward to reading the book! It’s the only thing on my birthday list 😊

[@jiml9062]

Great information as I am looking to but a Vokey 60 T grind

[@commonman317]

I'm still a beginner who hits shallow, so, I've been using all low bounce wedges. Just bought a Mizuno S23 Lob wedge 58 with only 4 degrees of bounce. So far, using my Release 2 checklist on bermuda grass here in Florida, I've had some success in executing the shots around the greens. Maybe I should try other bounces? Also, thanks Dan for another great video!

[@apaulmcdonough2170]

I carry a 46°, 50°, 54° and 58°. The 46° & 50° are the same Bounce 08° and Grind. To me I have a "Strong and Weak PW". The 58° is 04° T Grind. My 54° is 10° S Grind. "T" for 'Tight and/or Thin' "S" for 'Soft, Shaggy, Sitting up' I go 50°, 54°, 58° because my "miss" tends to be on the 'softer side' (leave it Short) - more Loft just means even softer and shorter miss. 😉 Plus, if necessary or desired I can "increase Loft" through my setup.

[@guitar1950]

After reading Stan Utley's short game book, I switched to Vokey 54 and 58 degree wedges for most shots around the green. They've worked well for me.

[@pbode1]

Great to hear that a lot of this is personal. I went from high bounce heavy (125g) shaft wedges to lighter shaft (105g) low bounce wedges last year, and it really works for me to feel the head being heavier than before. I use a 54 and 58. 58 (S23 with very aggressive X grind) is my sand wedge and heavy rough emergency. 54 is the jack of all trades except bunker. Especially out of a greenside bunker I've been deadly successful since, opening the club a lot. if the bunker sand is damp and packed, the low bounce still slides under the ball, and in fluffy dry sand it cuts it like a knife. Never got fitted for wedges (yet) so getting the complete opposite of my old wedges was a bit of a gamble based solely on my natural 'nippy' shallow angle of attack.

[@andrewh619]

i think im understanding bounce but i think it would be super helpful if you had a camera shot where it was basically on the ground and you slowly showed the motions of how the bounce or lack thereof affects the ground and the swing. Example: tight lie, high bounce you can show how when the club hits the ball, it would blade it rather than dig under it. or you can show how it is supposed to slide on the ground.

[@jimg6852]

Dan could pull off a release 2 with a pitch fork. Absolute wizard

[@ruatoomey9107]

I only play an old Cleveland cg16 60 lw with 12 degrees of bounce. I can play every type of shot with it and am very confident with that. Personally I think that’s the most important thing, confidence

[@pbode1]

long live the low bounce wedge, the 12:26 twirl really says it all Dan :-)

[@mpstr1nger]

Been waiting for a guild on this! Looking forward to it ❤

[@pipebliss]

Excellent guidance, thank you Dan

[@JBCharognard]

It seems like Taylormade offers these different bounce options, but no grind options, as this is predetermined based on the wedge model and loft/bounce. Vokey on the contrary offers tons of grind options for each loft/bounce. I'm not sure what's best, but Taylormade does have "Full Face Scoring Lines" (groove patterns that extend across the entire face of the club, from the heel to the toe) which surely improve the versatility of the clubs, to play with an open club face, notably.

[@HarryLivestream]

Thank you Dan! Excellent &explanatory indeed

[@BarrieFitzgerald-ch2rw]

My only complaint is I can only subscribe once

[@fraserh3716]

That's reassuring that I'm not missing anything. I find standard 52 and 58 to be fine. I get confused with too many wedges and can do most shots I want with that combo. Occasionally I do want a lower bounce option but not enough to justify a 3 wedge set up

[@Golfadddict]

Great demonstration.

[@craigevison9070]

Subscribed today after watching you earlier with the bulldog 👌

[@DerekCoulson-ok9mj]

This explains so much, brilliant.

[@CSindony95]

Hey, Dan! Thank you for all the content you share with us. I'm seriously thinking about buying your 3 Releases Online School for even more detail, after reading your book. Regarding wedges, I have a questions. Is the TW Grind on the Milled Grind line useful or friendly for all the 3 Releases? It's the grind I've been using for a while and I was looking forward to asking you about them because I wanted to make sure I have proper equipment (I play in all conditions, just so you know). I think this question could help anyone having this same question. Thanks in advance!

[@DanGrieveGolf]

It’s probably not the friendliest grind. If you’re a low handicapper and confident it will be great but a more rounded sole will be easier to use

[@vivektulja4516]

Dan is a very good teacher who does not make bombastic claims about making dramatic improvements to your game.

[@mjheggie2]

Those shafts are tapered correct? Which iron shaft are you using to cut down to length for your wedges?? Thanks Dan! Love your content ⛳️🏌🏼‍♂️🔥😎

[@grandmasterb7398]

Please write a book or do a video on long game setup and striking.

[@spainandy]

ok. maybe i missed it, but i didnt hear much talk about the grind. just loft and bounce. there are many grinds but which for who???

[@vicpnut1]

Well at least right off the bat it turns out i did one thing correct….😜….i carry a standard gap or A wedge (50’ish degrees i think,though i just today got a set of TM Qi irons with an A thats i believe 49),a sand wedge 56,and the short sided have to go over an obstacle 60/ lob……now to see how to actually hit them correctly ..of which i think im close on 1 release (when i use it the ball ends up close more often than not ) that still needs some work …the more typical chip i recently learned elsewhere has been a life saver .but still struggle with high flops and most regular pitch shots (as well as most golf shots if im honest😬🤷🏼‍♂️) …have the 3 releases book in my amazon cart but have a round tomorrow .so trying to see if there any magic here i can implement quickly with lil to no,practice 👍🏼✌️

[@RobertHorrobin]

Could you do a vid on how to use the TW grind? Pleeaase ;-)

[@c_span]

Hey Dan, can you make a “summer” technique video? Similar to the winter one?

[@DanGrieveGolf]

Haven’t had anything like summer yet! Still very much the winter sadly.

[@MichaelWoods-fc8me]

This is a gem!

[@thehappygolfers]

Hi Dan. Can you please list which exact 58° LB Wedge that you said was the most versatile please.

[@matthewlaw8268]

So much to think through which is why my short game sucks!

[@wadesworld6250]

Great video Dan. What do you suggest for dormant Bermuda?

[@davehurley26]

Fantastic video 👍👍 how would you gap the wedges if your pw is 45 degs

[@maxsmart8954]

Seve one wedge 56 degrees could make it a 52 or 60 with adjusting set up.

[@jupitergolfandre]

Hi Dan . I bought the awesome book and have been working on the 3 releases. Decent ball striker overall. HOWEVER I have noticed that many of my hits utilizing all 3 releases are towards the toe. What is the most common cause of this? maybe a good idea for a new video. I did not see anything in the book regarding club impact areas. Thanks again!

[@DanGrieveGolf]

Could be many reasons. Best to get an online lesson on Skillest with me so I can see. Impossible to say without seeing I’m afraid.

[@jupitergolfandre]

@@DanGrieveGolf thank you I may take you up on this as I am across the pond. If I was local I would schedule live. thank you for the quick response.

[@jackt5965]

Watched this video twice and still torn between the 56 degree SM9 10S or 08M. Any pointers Dan?

[@Sreeve94]

How important is it to buy new wedges vs second hand? Does it really affect the spin much, or is that mostly down to technique?

[@pavsrda7803]

Thanks for the video. Q - I play a links course with tight lies, the wedge set of 52 10, 56 10 and 58 04. Reasonable?

[@T1gerJK89]

If you’re going to open the face in the bunker and you’re adding bounce, should you have a low bounce option in the bag?

[@virtualconcats]

World Class -thank you

[@anthonygiuliano6574]

Would having more bounce in my LW then my SW work for me if I only use my LW around the green and bunkers?.. I play In Florida on Bermuda so the lower bounces get stuck I feel … I am use my SW and GW on full and pitch shots and I am shallow with those clubs

[@apaulmcdonough2170]

Usually you want more Bounce/Grind on the SW, than the LW. LW is supposed to be a "Super PW"

[@danniel0143]

How about a low bounce but with a wide sole?

[@apaulmcdonough2170]

This sounds like Vokey's "Low Bounce"(06°) K Grind. I played one of these in 58° (SM 6 vintage). The Wider (Front to Back) Sole increases the "Effective Bounce". It was very Good from light rough and also tight lies, however tight lies on very Firm soil was challenging. I switched to a SM9 58°- 04° T Grind a year ago. EXCELLENT from Tight and Firm with some Practice invested. And still good for short Rough and Medium Sand. I carry a 54°-10° S Grind for those Situations where More Bounce is desirable.

[@sandylim7853]

If my PW and supposedly GW are 44 and 48 degrees respectively, should I still consider a traditional 52 degrees wedge? Or skip that and go with a 56 and 60 degrees? Or go with the 52, 56 and 60? Tks!

[@johnslaw7967]

Does the Bounce hit the sand or the leading edge hit the sand to shoot the ball up

[@seljamil]

Dan, do you feel if you like a low bounce 56, you wouldn’t necessarily need a lob wedge as long as you felt comfortable adding loft at setup?

[@apaulmcdonough2170]

IF you find you are having the Ball release well Past the Hole, then a 60° should help you. IF your "miss" tends to be "Short of the Hole", 60° will only make it Worse. Remember, Tour Pros are playing onto "Fast" Greens (13-14 Stimp Speed) so they are trying to diminish "release rollout".

[@xbocax16]

I have the callaway jaws 50/56/60. All with standard 10 bounce. Are those good for Bermuda here in Florida or should I change it up?

[@martinwilliams4759]

Fantastic

[@tracylyon3969]

Ì wished I had got fitted instead of blindly buying 2 wedges which I didn't know much about. I have a 52 wedge with 10 degree bounce and a 60 wedge with 9 degree bounce. My sand wedge is 53 degree so maybe didn't need the 52 and should have got a 56 instead.

[@anthonybruce3482]

Is there a link to your book so I can purchase? Thank you....

[@apaulmcdonough2170]

Amazon

[@shrkys4]

You mentioned Monterey, are you in California currently?

[@williekp1]

He is at Monte Rei in Portugal.

[@bosskoala7]

How do I know? Only one wedge in the bag. 54! 😂

[@8dragonsx]

What Loft/Bounce would you choose for bunkers with Pro Angle sand?

[@RohitRaghavendraGuruBakshi]

52,56,and 60 is a better gaping, thats what I play.

[@alexbabbage827]

Interesting topic not covered enough.

[@jfvezina3458]

Whatever club he uses, the ball ends up close to the pin

[@steveash656]

TBH I think Dan could hole out with a horse shoe on a stick....🥳

[@ilanmosery]

Why are you just showing us Taylor Made wedges and not others??

[@DanGrieveGolf]

I use Taylor Made clubs and it is more a general video on lofts and grinds, I don’t need to discuss all the different brands

[@highgatehandyman6479]

I can do it all with a 50 degrees.

[@DanGrieveGolf]

Good for you, if you can play all the shots and get the right spin and flight with just your 50 then keep doing what you’re doing 👍

[@Teddytayto88]

First thing you do is buy Vokey wedges and throw out anything else you have