When the competitive conditions become bitter and tough, the knee-jerk reaction among novice players is to quickly pull out every sword from the bag. And YES, it happened last week at Royal Birkdale with players getting low bounce wedge grinds built “just in case”.
The logic seems sound on paper: a tight lie needs a low leading edge to prevent the sole from sliding into the middle of the golf ball. However, in the Tour, the feedback from the trucks is very personal. While firm fairways and tight turf cause an influx of low-bounce wedge options across the course, the geometry of the player's delivery, swing technique, and wrist release play a much larger role in the choice of grind than just the firmness of the ground.
The wedge grind doesn't work alone. The vertical bounce stamped on the rocks only represents how the club sits on a flat surface; dynamic bounce is determined by how the player launches the clubhead at impact. A steep angle with a front shaft lean turns a high-bouncing wedge into a digging tool, while a shallow delivery with a high shaft handle can make even a mid-bounce sole prone to skipping if not accommodated to the exact requirements of a player's lie angle. Examining the wedge setup of Ryan Fox, Shane Lowry, and Nico Echavarria shows how the very different body delivery determines three completely different mechanical solutions when playing in tough Tour conditions.
There is a TON to read here.
Ryan Fox: High bounce retention in steep turf joints
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Details of the Ryan Fox wedge:
- 50° MID Grind: True Temper Dynamic Gold X100, 63° Lie Angle, Standard Length
- 56° MID Grind: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400, 63.5° Lie Angle, Standard Length
- 60° MID Grind: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400, 63.5° Lie Angle, Standard Length
Ryan Fox represents the class of football player who defies conventional wisdom in baked studies. Fox is a heavy hitter who drives the clubhead hard into the ground through impact. Rather than sweeping the ball cleanly, he presses it with a forward shaft and a steep angle of attack, taking unique divots regardless of how firm the sub-base is.
For a player with Fox's delivery profile, falling into low-bounce grinds in tough conditions spells disaster. When the steep angle of attack is paired with a sharp edge and a narrow sole geometry, the clubhead drives directly into the ground without resistance, resulting in greater impact and consistent distance control. By staying on the Mid-Bounce profiles on all his wedges of 50 °, 56 °, and 60 °, Fox maintains the necessary clearance. One bounce acts as a safety valve, allowing the clubhead to pass through the ball, squeeze it into the firm ground, and cleanly exit the target line without stopping.
In addition, Fox often uses his lob wedge to play low shots, running off his back foot. Moving the ball back into position increases the shaft's lean, effectively removing bounce from the clubhead at impact. Because Fox controls his delivery to reverse and drive the ball down, a standing Mid-Bounce is necessary to keep the leading edge high enough to prevent digging. His shaft construction reflects this mechanical division: a dynamic Gold X100 at 50° to match his iron change and strong distance dispersion, followed by Dynamic Gold S400 shafts at 56° and 60° to provide a soft point feel and controlled spin on half-green shots.
Shane Lowry: Straight angles, dynamic touches, and one change
Details of the Shane Lowry wedge:
- 50° MID Grind (bent to 51°): KBS Tour X, +.25″ Length, 2.5° Straight
- 56° MID Grind (bent to 57°): KBS Tour X, +.25″ Length, 2.5° Straight
- 60° LOW Grind (bent to 61°): KBS Tour X, +.25″ Length, 2.5° Straight
Shane Lowry has one of the most unique wedge setups on Tour, defined by precise angles and precise loft tweaks. Standing at normal height, Lowry's 2.5 degree vertical angle configuration across all three wedges is remarkably steep compared to tour dimensions. This feature stems from both a visual preference at address and a delivery structure issue where Lowry pitches the shaft up during the backswing and delivers the clubhead in a toe-down, upright stance.
Lowry's lofts are each adjusted by 1-degree weakness (50° to 51°, 56° to 57°, and 60° to 61°). A weak hub bend increases the vertical jump by 1 degree while adding a subtle offset and changing the appearance of the leading edge. In his gap and sand wedges, this modification maintains a controlled full gap and improves spin levels out of the rough and false fairways alike.
Cleveland RTZ Custom Wedge
The new RTZ Wedges are made with Z-Alloy, a completely new alloy formula that powers a passive design approach for incredible feel, better durability, and more consistency in our best performing Tour Wedges yet. Also, there's a new ADAPT grind that features full-face grooves, giving the RTZ Wedges more flexibility than ever before. Z-Alloy Z-Alloy is a brand new alloy with a better feel. It's soft, light, and incredibly durable. It gives the RTZ Wedges a superior feel, better forgiveness, and more consistency. In RTZ Tour Rack Wedges, the corrosion-resistant Z-Alloy construction ensures long-lasting, like-new performance. HydraZip HydraZip is a unique face blast system with laser etched lines designed to maximize spin performance in wet conditions. This technology is dynamically adjusted by groups of lofts, helping to balance circulation across lofts, while increasing circulation in adverse conditions. ZipCore This low-density core technology replaces heavy materials in the heel and hosel area with lightweight, low-density, vibration-dampening. This proprietary core allows us to move the Center of Gravity closer to where you hit the ball, while simultaneously increasing MOI. UltiZip UltiZip's sharp grooves cut through grass and debris on contact, while deep grooves help create space for grass, sand, dirt, or water to clear the impact area, giving RTZ Wedges stronger, more consistent from the fairway, rough, or bunker.
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Early in the season, Lowry changed from a Full lob lob wedge profile to a 60° Low Bounce grind (bent to 61°). Lowry is a superior short game artist who relies heavily on wrist manipulation, face openings, and shallow turf skimming around the green. Because Lowry naturally adds dynamic bounce at impact by releasing his hands and opening the face, a wedge with one wide geometry or high static bounce becomes a liability in tight spots. Excessive bounce causes the trailing edge to hit the hard ground first, which causes the leading edge to jump up through the middle of the ball. The Low Bounce grind allows the leading edge to stay close to the dirt when the face is open, hoping that his hands will provide the necessary bounce for power at strike.
