Start with gapping. A modern pitching wedge is often 43 or 44 degrees, which is what a 9-iron was twenty years ago. Add a 56° sand wedge and you have thirteen degrees between them — a gap roughly thirty metres wide. Which is why you need a gap wedge around 50 or 52 degrees.
Bounce is the angle between the trailing edge of the sole and the ground when the club sits at address. More bounce means the sole skids off the turf rather than digging. Less bounce allows clean contact on firm ground but buries the club in soft conditions.
A rule that works in practice: if you take a deep divot and attack steeply, you want 12 to 14 degrees of bounce. If you sweep and barely mark the turf, take 8 to 10. Most players complaining that the wedge "bounces into the ball" are carrying too much bounce for their swing.
Slovak courses change dramatically across a season. April is soft with wet bunkers, and that wants more bounce. By August the fairways at Bernolákovo are firm as a car park, and high bounce will skid the club into the equator of the ball. If you can only own one 56°, take a versatile 10 to 12.
The grind is what the maker removes from the heel, toe or trailing edge. Relief in the heel lets you open the face without lifting the leading edge, which is what flops and tight lies demand. If you never open the face, a full (F) grind will serve you better.
How many wedges? Above 20 handicap, two above the pitching wedge is plenty: 52° and 56°. From 15 down, a trio of 50/54/58 or 52/56/60 earns its place. A 60° is a club for players with a sound technique — if you are only digging trenches with it, take it out of the bag.
And grooves. A new wedge is sharp and spins around 9,000 to 10,000 rpm on a full shot with a tour ball. After seventy rounds it is often 7,500, and you can see the difference on the green. A groove check takes us five minutes and tells you exactly how much wedge you have left.
