Golf Wedge Use Explained
- Pitching Wedge. A Pitching wedge has the broadest loft and the longest shaft. The pitching wedge is used to play pitch and chip shots.
- Gap Wedge. A gap wedge act as a bridging wedge between the pitching wedge and sand wedge. ...
- Sand Wedge. A sand wedge is primarily used to hit bunker shots. ...
- Lob Wedge. A Lob wedge is used to hit high-flight shots. ...
What is a gap wedge in golf clubs?
The gap wedge is a club designed to fit in between your pitching wedge and sand wedge. The gap wedge can also be known as an approach wedge. The loft on a pitching wedge is between 45-48 degrees and a sand wedge between is 54-58 degrees.
What loft gap wedge should I buy?
Investigate getting a gap wedge 50, 51, 52 degrees worth of loft. Make your same full swing; you’ll hit the gap wedge the right distance. Gap wedges are also very useful for a little bump and run shots, little chip shots around the side of the green. My gap wedge, my 52, it’s actually my favorite chipping club.
What is an a-wedge golf club?
"It is a club that is designed for accurate—or aggressive—approach shots. Whether you're in the fairway or the rough or attempting a long bunker shot, an A-wedge is a very versatile golf club that can be used in a lot of different situations."
Can you use a gap wedge for full shots around the Green?
Better players will also use the Gap Wedge for shots around the green more than full shots, so they won’t be needing the forgiveness the game improvement options have. The Gap Wedge is a very versatile club, it can be used for full shots or shots around the green. Full shots with a Gap Wedge will range from 80 to 110 yards.
What is a gap wedge good for?
Gap wedges are one of the most important clubs in a golfer's bag. They are designed to fill the gap between your sand wedge and your pitching wedge, which makes them indispensable for all sorts of shots.
What does a gap wedge replace?
The gap or approach wedge is designed to fit into the gap between the modern pitching wedge and the sand wedge hitting distance. They will normally have a loft of about 50 to 54 degrees and a full swing should take the average golfer 90 to 110 yards.
Can I use my gap wedge as a sand wedge?
Use your gap wedge in a bunker if you are uncomfortable using your sand wedge. The gap wedge can mimic the sand wedge because it has so much of its weight around the bottom of the club. To get the ball out of a bunker, hit the sand 3 to 4 inches behind the ball.
Is a gap wedge the same as a pitching wedge?
Gap / Approach Wedge Your gap wedge will have more loft than your pitching wedge and less loft than your sand wedge. In our example a 50-degree gap wedge would do perfectly! Gap Wedges are also known as approach or utility wedges but "gap" is a very handy way to remember them because that's what they do.
Does a gap wedge hit further than a pitching wedge?
A gap wedge, with a loft of 50 to 54 degrees, will hit a ball farther than a sand wedge and shorter than a pitching wedge.
Which wedge to use around the green?
For the average golfer, chipping with a pitching or gap wedge will produce the most consistent shots around the green. Using a gap wedge will be the best place to start for standard chips, but a pitching wedge could work better if the ball is sitting up in the rough.
Do high handicappers need a gap wedge?
High handicappers usually don't play often, so the necessity of having and using the so-called scoring clubs becomes even more important. A variety of wedges should be considered, including the pitching wedge, lob wedge, sand wedge and gap (between pitching and lob) wedges.
Which wedge to use for chipping?
What degree wedge is best for chipping? For most golfers, a gap wedge or a sand wedge with loft of between 52° and 56° will produce the most consistent outcome when chipping. This is because you'll be able to play most short-game shots you're likely to come across out on the course.
Why is it called a gap wedge?
In golf, a gap wedge, also known as an approach wedge, is a wedge used to hit a shot with higher and shorter trajectory than a pitching wedge and lower and longer trajectory than a sand wedge. The name derives from the club's design to fill the "gap" between sand and pitching wedges.
What is the difference between a lob wedge and a gap wedge?
A lob wedge would be 40-50 yards for men, 25-40 for women. A gap wedge would fall in between your pitching wedge and sand wedge yardages. And these clubs will, when properly struck, produce a very high, arching shot. So if you need to get over a tree, for example, a wedge comes in handy.
What wedges should a high handicapper carry?
What Loft Wedges Should A High Handicapper Carry? High handicappers should carry at least a 56-degree wedge. In addition, it makes sense to have a 52-degree wedge and a 60-degree wedge to have a variety of shots.
What degrees is a gap wedge?
What degree is a Gap Wedge? A gap wedge has a loft of 50 – 52º. Golfers tend to hit a gap wedge 75 – 100 yards.
How far can you hit a gap wedge?
Many gap wedges can be hit 90 yards, less than the average pitching wedge shot, which is about 105 yards, but more than the average sand wedge (70 yards), according to Leaderboard.com. Distances may vary between golfers. You should practice hitting your sand and pitching wedges to determine the differences in distance.
What is a gap wedge?
The gap wedge is a golf club that is used for distances too short for a pitching wedge and too long for a sand wedge. It has a club head angle that is in between those of its cousins the pitching and sand wedges.
What is the difference between a pitching wedge and a sand wedge?
The pitching wedge is usually around 45 degrees while the sand wedge is between 54 and 58 degrees. Golf club makers have decreased pitching wedge loft degrees over recent years, with the gap wedge becoming an option for golfers.
What does a club face bounce do?
The club face bounce determines your ability to hit the ball through sand, grass, etc. Your gap wedge gives you a higher amount of bounce (6 degrees or more) that will help you hit off hard and dry fairways or soft fairways.
Which is better, steel or graphite wedges?
Steel is more durable than its graphite counterpart, and a steel wedge can help to control the shot. Graphite gap wedges provide extra distance for a golfer while eliminating shock from the shot.
Where is Tim Bodamer?
Tim Bodamer is a freelance writer based in Seminole, Florida. He attended Edinboro Univerity of Pennsylvania where he studied journalism. He has 15 years of writing experience and specializes in sports, business and general interest topics.
Do you need a gap wedge for sand?
You should practice hitting your sand and pitching wedges to determine the differences in distance. If you're comfortable with the distances with which you're hitting your wedges, you may not need a gap wedge.
What is a gap wedge?
A gap wedge basically sits between the pitching wedge and the sand wedge in terms of the loft, and therefore in terms of the distance the ball will go.
How far should a gap wedge go?
So it stands to reason that gap wedge is going to fill that gap and it should go 80 yards. And that’s why that gap wedge can be so useful in your bag because if you’ve got 80 yard shot on the golf course, you hit a good full sand wedge it doesn’t reach.
How many degrees of loft is a sand wedge?
And the average sand wedge is around about 54, 55, 56 degrees for most sets of the sand wedge. So, a gap wedge is probably going to be numbered either 50, 51 or 52 degrees of loft.
How many clubs can you carry in a gap wedge?
So, if you’ve got space in your bag and space is you’re allowed to carry 14 clubs.
What is a gap wedge?
With pitching wedges typically lofted from 42 to 46 degrees, the gap wedge is so-called because it closes the "gap" in loft between the pitching wedge and sand wedge. A typical gap wedge might might be lofted from 48 to 54 degrees. The gap wedge also goes by the names A-wedge, attack wedge and approach wedge.
What is the loft of a lob wedge?
A typical lob wedge might have a loft of 60 degrees to 64 degrees. As its name implies, a lob wedge allows a player to "lob" the ball high into the air, from where it will drop steeply down onto the green, with little or no roll. With pitching wedges typically lofted from 42 to 46 degrees, the gap wedge is so-called because it closes ...
What is a 60 degree wedge?
Wedges feature the shortest shafts and highest lofts of any golf clubs. In fact, wedges are often identified by their loft rather than their name. A lob wedge might instead be called a "60-degree wedge," for example. Sand wedges were invented (generally credited to Gene Sarazen) to make shots out of sand bunkers easier.
What is the difference between a pitching wedge and a sand wedge?
Pitching wedge: The lowest-lofted of the wedges (the one that hits the ball the farthest), pitching wedges (abbreviated PW) are usually included in a set of irons. The PW is considered one of the basic clubs every golfer carries. Sand wedge: Designed specifically to make hitting shots out of bunkers easier. Abbreviated SW.
Why are gap wedges called wedges?
Today, the other two wedges that are common are: Gap wedge: So-named because it falls in-between the pitching wedge and sand wedge in loft. The gap wedge has more loft than a PW, less loft than a SW.
How many yards is a lob wedge?
A lob wedge would be 40-50 yards for men, 25-40 for women. A gap wedge would fall in between your pitching wedge and sand wedge yardages. And these clubs will, when properly struck, produce a very high, arching shot. So if you need to get over a tree, for example, a wedge comes in handy.
How many degrees are sand wedges?
Typically, sand wedges have lots from 52 to 56 degrees. As lofts on irons have decreased over time (e.g., a 5-iron today might be lofted at 26 degrees, whereas 30 years ago a 5-iron would have been lofted at 32 degrees), it has become more popular to carry additional wedges.
What is the maximum loft of a lob wedge?
A lob wedge has the maximum loft that ranges from 60 to 64 degrees. The bounce of a lob wedge could be anywhere between 0 to degrees. You should not hit the full-swing shots with a lob wedge since it will raise the ball too high ad you will not get the desired distance.
How long should a golf wedge be?
Like the other Golf Clubs wedges also differ from each other based on the shaft length. Ideally, the length of a pitching wedge should be 0.25m shorter than the 9-Iron; the gap wedge should be a half-inch shorter than the pitching wedge; the sand wedge should be shorter by 0.75 inches than the gap wedge and the lob wedge should be 1-inch shorter than the sand wedge.
What is the angle between the clubhead and the shaft called?
The angle which the clubhead makes with the vertical plane of the shaft is known as the loft of a golf club. In other words, the angle between the clubhead and the shaft is called the loft. The broader loft allows you to gain more height in your shots but at the same time, this will give you the minimum distance.
What is a gap wedge?
Gap Wedge. A gap wedge act as a bridging wedge between the pitching wedge and sand wedge. The gap wedge’s loft ranges from 50 to 53 degrees and the bounce is between 5 to 10 degrees. The major use of a gap wedge is to hit mid-chip shots. You can reach a distance of up to 65m.
What is the bounce of a pitching wedge?
The Pitching wedge has a bounce between 2 to 5 degrees. The Gap wedge has a bounce between 5 to 10 degrees. The Sand wedge has a bounce of between 10 to 14 degrees. The Lob wedge has a bounce between 0 to 10 degrees.
How much bounce does a golf club wedge have?
Apart from this the bounce also helps you to get a higher flight of the ball. The bounce of golf club wedge varies between 2 to 14 degrees. The standard bounce of different wedges are as follows:
What is a wedge in golf?
Wedges are the club that can provide you with the maximum flight and backspin keeping the ball within the green. A golf club set consist of the following wedges: Pitching wedge: The most common wedge. Gap wedge: The bridging wedge. Sand Wedge: The rescuer wedge.
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 are lob wedges called?
Beginning in the latter stages of the 20th century, lob wedges (sometimes called X-wedges) ...
What is an A wedge?
The A-wedge is a golf club that is another name for a gap wedge, which is used for shorter and softer shots, and one of the four main types of wedges, which include (from least loft to most loft) the pitching wedge, A-wedge, sand wedge and lob wedge.
How to identify a wedge in golf?
A golf club manufacturer might identify an A-wedge by stamping an "A" or "AW" on the sole near the toe of the club, but it's becoming more common all the time to stamp the wedge's degrees of loft there. The "a" in A-wedge stands for either "approach" or (less commonly) "attack," and you might see a manufacturer use one of those names ...
What does the A in a wedge mean?
The "a" in A-wedge stands for either "approach" or (less commonly) "attack," and you might see a manufacturer use one of those names ( approach wedge or attack wedge) instead of A-wedge. As already noted, A-wedge itself is just another name for the gap wedge, a club known by more different names than any other modern club in golf: gap wedge, ...
Who is Brent Kelley?
Brent Kelley is an award-winning sports journalist and golf expert with over 30 years in print and online journalism. The A-wedge is a golf club that is another name for a gap wedge, which is used for shorter and softer shots, and one of the four main types of wedges, which include (from least loft to most loft) the pitching wedge, A-wedge, ...
