
What is an aw in golf?
Quick Answer: An AW is an approach wedge often referred to as a gap wedge by some golfers and companies. The two names basically mean the same thing and can be referred to each other interchangeably. The approach wedge golf club is a popular club that is carried in a 14-club golf bag because of its versatility and usefulness on the golf course.
What is the loft range of an AW Golf Club?
The Loft of an AW Golf Club Golf Club Typical Loft Range Distance Lob Wedge 58 to 65 degrees 50 to 90 yards Sand Wedge 54 to 58 degrees 60 to 100 yards Approach Wedge 46 to 54 degrees 80 to 120 yards Pitching Wedge 45 to 53 degrees 100 to 140 yards
What are Aw wedges used for in golf?
The 4 unique wedges in your golf bag are used to strike golf balls to varying heights and lengths. To put it simply, each golf club helps golfers have more control in their game. More specifically, AW wedges are used for shots that range between 50 to 80 yards.
What are the characteristics of an approach wedge in golf?
Distinguishing Characteristics. The approach wedge has a flat bottom, much the same construction as a pitching wedge. Unlike the sand wedge, the approach wedge is made for hitting off firm surfaces or even the rough -- but not the sand.

What does 5 AW in golf mean?
When shopping GlobalGolf.com, we refer to the different club makeups with abbreviations such as 3-PW (which would contain every iron from the 3-iron through the 9-iron as well as a pitching wedge) or 5-PW, AW, SW (which would contain every iron from the 5-iron through the 9-iron as well as a pitching wedge, approach ...
What does W mean on a golf club?
The term "pitching wedge" is now used by virtually all manufacturers and players to describe this club; Karsten Manufacturing (maker of the PING brand) simply labels their pitching wedges "W" for "wedge".
What is a 5-PW Golf Club?
4-PW = 4 Iron - Pitching Wedge. 5-P = 5 Iron - Pitching Wedge.
What is 6 AW golf?
If you have seen the abbreviation AW when referring to golf clubs, you're probably wondering what it actually stands for, which club it is and when to use it. Quick Answer: An AW is an approach wedge often referred to as a gap wedge by some golfers and companies.
What is a Ping W wedge?
While a little unconventional in terms of wedge markings, it's actually simple to understand. W, U, S is an abbreviation for Pitching Wedge, Utility Wedge, Sand Wedge, found on PING's labeling of their golf clubs. W stands for Pitching Wedge. U stands for Utility Wedge / Gap Wedge. S stands for Sand wedge.
What does 4 AW mean?
4-AW and 5-PW mean the specific clubs that come in a set. an AW is commonly called a “gap wedge” and is usually 50-52 degrees in loft and exists now due to manufactures making the lofts of irons 3-5 degrees stronger than they used to be to aid in distance/marketing.
What does 6 SW irons mean?
Mid-irons are numbers 5, 6 and 7 and short irons are numbers 8, 9 and wedges such as a Pitching Wedge (PW), Gap or Attack wedge (GW or AW) and a Sand Wedge (SW)
What does 5 GW irons mean?
When shopping for an iron set, you'll see them listed per their set make-up (i.e., "3-PW", "4-PW, GW" or "5-PW, AW"). This shorthand indicates that all clubs in between are included, so a 3-PW set would include the 3- through 9-irons as well as a pitching wedge.
How far should a 5 iron go?
The average distance a male golfer can hit a 5 Iron golf club is 160 yards. A female can hit a 5 Iron 140 yards. Professional golfers are known to hit 195 to 205 yards with a 5 iron.
What is PW and AW in golf?
The "A" or "AW" stamped on certain golf clubs stands for "Approach" or "Approach Wedge." Approach wedges are simply another name for a Gap Wedge (GW), a golf club with a loft between a Pitching Wedge (PW) and a Sand Wedge (SW).
What degree is aw wedge?
Loft (degrees) of golf wedges and their distancesClubLoft angle (degrees)DistancePitching wedge (PW)45 – 53 degrees80 – 120 yardsApproach (gap) wedge (AW)46 – 54 degrees70 – 110 yardsSand wedge (SW)54 – 58 degrees60 – 100 yardsLob wedge (LW)58 – 65 degrees50 – 90 yards1 more row
What does 4 PW mean in golf clubs?
Pitching WedgeNumber to Pitching Wedge The most common variation will be a specific numbered iron through to a pitching wedge with the standard set up being 4-iron to pitching wedge, a total of seven clubs - 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9-irons, and a pitching wedge.
What does AW mean in golf?
The AW stands for ‘Approach Wedge’ and some of you may also refer to it as a ‘gap wedge’. If we rally back to 20 years ago, most golfers used to only carry two types of wedges in their golf bags – a sand wedge and a pitching wedge. In contrast, golfers nowadays carry a lob wedge, a pitching wedge and, our topic for the day, an AW golf club.
What is an AW golf club?
An AW golf club is used to produce accurate and controlled shots that can get you to 100-yards with minimal effort. Also, if you see an obstruction between the trajectory of your swing to the flag, think no further and grab hold of your AW golf club. The closer you can get to the hole, the better chances you have of making a lower score.
Why are gap wedges called gap wedges?
They are also known as gap wedges because their uniquely designed lofts can help golfers arch golf balls over water hazards, bunkers and even trees. The true value of approach wedges is that they do all of the above very accurately. If you master how to use an AW golf club, your golf ball will be able to soar over to approximately 10 ...
Why are approach wedges used in golf?
This is because of the fact that approach wedges are used to swing shorter shots on the greens or when you wish for the ball to go high and land softly. Golf Club. Typical Loft Range. Distance.
What is loft in golf?
With regards to its shaft, Loft literally refers to the clubface’s angle. Golfers ask about a golf club’s loft because it helps determine their shots’ distance and trajectory. To put it simply, the more the loft, the higher your golf ball should soar in the air. An AW golf club, typically, is produced with a loft of about 46 to 54 degrees, however, ...
What are AW wedges used for?
To put it simply, each golf club helps golfers have more control in their game. More specifically, AW wedges are used for shots that range between 50 to 80 yards.
What is the difference between an AW and a PW golf club?
Golfers often question the difference between an AW and PW golf club and the answer is quite simple. An AW golf club is used for precision, i.e. to strike the ball so that it soars high and lands softly.
What is an "A-Wedge" Golf Club?
The "A" or "AW" stamped on certain golf clubs stands for "Approach" or "Approach Wedge."
A-Wedge Loft
An A-Wedge or Approach Wedge has between 48 to 51 degrees of loft, with 50 to 51 degrees being the most common.
The Club of Many Names
Depending on the manufacturer, you may see A-Wedges labeled or described as:
What is wedge golf?
Wedges are the clubs used for the shorter and more accurate shots in golf. Approach shots, chip shots, pitch shots, bunker shots, lob shots to mention just a few. There are different types of wedges generally defined by the lofts they have.
What is the gap between a pitching wedge and a sand wedge?
The next wedge is called a Gap Wedge. If your pitching wedge is 46- degrees and your sand wedge 54-degrees there will be a distance gap of about 30 yards between these clubs. A gap wedge is designed to bridge that 30 yard "gap". Your gap wedge will have more loft than your pitching wedge and less loft than your sand wedge.
What is a pitching wedge?
Pitching Wedge. The pitching wedge is often the final and most lofted club in most modern iron sets. Pitching wedges are generally in the range of 44 to 48 degrees loft and used for hitting the longest wedge shots into a green. Pitching wedges are also quite handy for short pitch and run shots around the green. Example of a Wilson Staff wedge.
What is the difference between a sand wedge and a pitching wedge?
The sand wedge is more lofted than a pitching wedge, generally between 54 and 58 degrees. As the name suggests, one of its main functions is to hit from the sand in bunkers.
What is the name of the club called the Approach Wedge?
As noted in the first sentence, "approach wedge" is just another name for gap wedge, and gap wedge remains the most common name for this club (but approach wedge is beginning to catch up).
What is an approach wedge?
The Approach Wedge: What It Is and How It's Used. The approach wedge has a higher loft than the pitching wedge but a lower loft than the sand wedge. Cleveland Golf. Brent Kelley is an award-winning sports journalist and golf expert with over 30 years in print and online journalism.
Is an approach wedge a good buy?
If you need an approach wedge to fill the gap between your PW and SW —you feel you need more precision in your scoring clubs and approaches into the green —an approach wedge is a good buy.
What wedge do golfers use?
The technology has changed to the point that golfers use a pitching wedge, an approach wedge and a lob we dge on their trek to the green.
How far can you use an approach wedge?
Uses of the Approach Wedge. The approach wedge can be used on shots from 50 to 80 yards. The gap wedge will help the golfer get over bunkers, water hazards and trees and is quite accurate. A well-struck approach wedge should be able to land anywhere between 10 and 15 feet from the hole and should stop quickly or even back up if ...
What is an approach wedge?
An approach wedge, also commonly called a gap wedge, is used by golfers when a pitching wedge is too much club on the golfer's approach to the green. Less than 20 years ago, golfers had two wedges in their golf bags - a pitching wedge and a sand wedge.

First, The Short Answer
Now For The Detailed Answer
- If you’re a tech-savvy individual, you’ll be glad to find that there is quite a bit of technology (and technical language) involved in this sport. Even if you are the most technologically challenged person in the world, a little bit of research and practice is all you need to prepare. Much as our needs encourage new developments in technology, our golf bags have started to support more …
The A Doesn’T Stand For ‘Auxiliary’ Or ‘Attack’
- Golfers often question the difference between an AW and PW golf club and the answer is quite simple. An AW golf club is used for precision, i.e. to strike the ball so that it soars high and lands softly. Each approach wedge is designed for the purpose of hitting golf balls over obstructions, and a precise shot will, almost certainly, result in the ball reaching closer to the flag. AW golf clu…
Our Final Thoughts
- Now, let’s get back to your question, “What is an AW golf club?” An AW golf club is used to produce accurate and controlled shots that can get you to 100-yards with minimal effort. Also, if you see an obstruction between the trajectory of your swing to the flag, think no further and grab hold of your AW golf club. The closer you can get to the hole, the better chances you have of ma…
Why Use An Approach Wedge?
Loft of An Approach Wedge
- Lofts are not standardized across the golf manufacturing industry, so approach wedge lofts can vary from company to company. They generally fall into a range of 46 degrees to 54 degrees, and what loft a company selects for its approach wedges will be influenced by the lofts of the pitching wedge in front of it and the sand wedge behind it. You gene...
Other Names For The Approach Wedge
- As noted in the first sentence, "approach wedge" is just another name for gap wedge, and gap wedge remains the most common name for this club (but approach wedge is beginning to catch up). But there are other names for it, too. This club is called by more different names than any other club in golf. And golf manufacturers are the ones who decide what to call their versions. I…
Why All Those Different names?
- Marketing. A desire by one manufacturer to be different from another. Who knows. But we wish everyone had just stuck with gap wedge, because all these different names for the same club only creates confusion. Some manufacturers today are even starting to do away with wedge names altogether (at least in marketing) and focus instead on the specs: the loft and bounce anglecom…
Buying An Approach Wedge
- If you need an approach wedge to fill the gap between your PW and SW—you feel you need more precision in your scoring clubs and approaches into the green—an approach wedge is a good buy. They are typically not included in 8-club base sets of irons, which means you'll probably be shopping for your approach wedge as a separate, standalone purchase. Check the loft of your P…