What Is a Gap Wedge Golf Club?
- Wedge Loft. A gap wedge's angle varies between 50 and 54 degrees. ...
- Shaft Type. Gap wedges are more commonly made of steel. ...
- Distance. The loft of the club determines distance. ...
- Bounce. Bounce is the amount a club's leading edge is above the bottom of the club face. ...
- Finish. A gap wedge should have the proper finish for the ball to gain spin. ...
What is a gap wedge and do you need one?
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. For shots around the green, using a Lob Wedge to get over a bunker or loft it up high will be the better club, but the Gap Wedge is perfect for any bump and run style shots.
What is the Best Bounce for 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 …
What kind of golf wedges are the best?
Mar 02, 2018 · In some cases, people will refer to it as an "attack" wedge, but whatever name you go with, it is ultimately a "gap" wedge to fill the distance void between your pitching wedge and sand wedge." What kind of golf shots would a gap wedge be used for? "It is a club that is designed for accurate—or aggressive—approach shots. Whether you're in the fairway or the rough or …
How to gap your wedges?
The gap wedge is a golf club with approx. 52 degrees of loft, filling the gap between a pitching wedge (48°) and a sand wedge (56°).
What is a gap wedge equivalent to?
So generally think about putting in a gap wedge that's 48 or 50 degrees, a sand wedge that's between 54 and 56 degrees, and a lob wedge that's between 58 and 60 degrees.Feb 23, 2018
What is a gap wedge good for?
What is a gap wedge used for? As set pitching wedges get stronger in loft, the gap wedge helps close the loft “gap” between your pitching wedge and sand wedge. A gap wedge can be used on full shots, pitch shots, bump and run shots, as well as long bunker shots.
Do you really need a gap wedge?
Gap wedges range in loft from 50 to 55 degrees and are a compromise between a pitching wedge and a sand wedge. A gap wedge is particularly important to use today because the five-degree difference in degrees between the SW and PW in the 1960s has now grown to approximately 10 degrees.May 10, 2021
What is the difference between an A wedge and a gap wedge?
Quick Answer: A Gap Wedge and an Approach Wedge are the same club. It is useful for good control of shorter shots near the green.Jan 20, 2021
Is a 52 degree wedge a gap wedge?
A 52-degree wedge is considered a gap wedge and is used to fill the gap between your pitching wedge and your sand wedge. Golfers who have a 52-degree wedge in their bag typically have a pitching wedge that's between 47-48 degrees.
How much bounce should a gap wedge have?
Gap wedge: 52 degrees loft, 8 degrees bounce (notated as 52:8 on the wedge) Sand wedge: 56 degrees loft, 12 degrees bounce (notated as 56:12 on the wedge) Lob wedge: 60 degrees loft, 4 degrees bounce (notated as 60:04 on the wedge)
Do I need a sand wedge if I have a gap 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.
What 3 wedges should I carry?
Most players tend to carry three wedges — a pitching, sand and lob wedge. But if you add a gap wedge, you're already at four. And if you don't need that extra long iron, it's possible you can carry a fifth wedge so you have the right wedge no matter where you play.Mar 3, 2021
What degree wedge is best for chipping?
between 52° and 56°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.Feb 16, 2022
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.
Is gap wedge shorter than pitching wedge?
Here are the lengths I like on wedges. The pitching wedge should be ½” shorter than the # 9 iron in your set. The Gap wedge should be 1” shorter than your # 9 Iron.
How do you swing a gap wedge?
1:195:14How To Hit a Full Swing Wedge - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo we're going to put it about just behind middle of our stance to think about a ball and a halfMoreSo we're going to put it about just behind middle of our stance to think about a ball and a half behind. The middle of our stance right here.
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.
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.
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.
What are the different types of wedges?
In the late 20th century, as more specialization entered golf, golf companies began making additional wedges. Today, the other two wedges that are common are: 1 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. 2 Lob wedge: Usually the highest-lofted club a golfer will carry. The lob wedge creates a very steep angle of ascent and descent, for shots that must get up very quickly (perhaps, for example, to get over a tree) and for shots that you want to hit the green with a minimum of roll.
Why do golfers use wedges?
Because wedge shots have such a high trajectory, they tend to roll very little once they hit the green. More accomplished players can produce a great deal of backspin with a wedge, causing the ball to back up (or "bite") once it hits the green. Any wedge can also be used for chipping around the green.
What is a wedge in golf?
Wedges are the highest-lofted clubs in a set of golf clubs, designed for short approach shots (for most golfers, 120 yards and in), strokes played out of sand, chip shots and pitch shots, and generally any shot for which the golfer wants the ball to ascend and descend sharply.
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.
Is a wedge a golf club?
Wedges are also irons, but golfers think of wedges as a sub-set of irons, or as specialized irons. They are often thought of as their own category of golf clubs, in other words. From the 1930s forward, up until the latter part of the 20th century, it was common for even the best golfers to carry only two wedges:
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.
What is a sand wedge?
Sand wedges are sometimes included in a basic set of irons, but it is unusual for a gap or lob wedges to be included in a packaged iron set. Because the focus with wedges is on accuracy—trying to hit a short shot as close as possible to the flagstick —wedges are often referred to as the "scoring clubs.".
What is the loft of a pitching wedge?
Pitching Wedge (Loft: 43°-48°) Pitching wedges come stock in most iron sets with standard lofts of 43°-48°. More and more golf club manufacturers are decreasing the loft on standard pitching wedges. Years ago, 47°-48° was pretty standard, but now 43°-46° is much more common. This means that golfers are hitting pitching wedges much farther ...
How to get better at wedge golf?
If you want to play better golf, then you have to get good with your wedge game. It all starts with understanding what wedges you need in your bag and what wedge loft you should be playing with each one. Knowing the distance you hit each club, and understanding the gaps you need to fill, is a critical factor in determining your wedge loft needs. ...
What is gap wedge?
Gap Wedge (Loft: 48°-52°) Gap wedges, well, fill the gap in between the sand wedge and pitching wedge. Some iron sets come with approach wedges (A-wedge), which is the same as a gap wedge. With the lofts of pitching wedges going down over the years, this has created an even larger distance spread from pitching wedge to the sand wedge.
How many different wedges are there?
There are four different golf wedges (Pitching Wedge, Gap Wedge, Sand Wedge, and Lob Wedge), each with different lofts and a unique purpose. Wedges come with different loft options, grind, and bounce, all of which are important; however, this article will focus specifically on wedge loft.
What is the highest lofted club?
Lob wedges are the highest lofted club for most players, usually between 58°-60°. Some manufacturers are making higher lofted lob wedges (as much as 64°). I wouldn’t advise playing anything more than 60 unless you really know what you’re doing.
How many wedges should I carry in my golf bag?
I recommend that every golfer consider carrying all four wedges (pitching, sand, gap, and lob). At a minimum, you should carry three (pitching, sand, and lob). If you have a large distance gap to fill in between your pitching wedge and sand wedge, you need to add a gap wedge to your bag.
What type of wedges are used in golf clubs?
The Type of Golf Club Wedges and Their Uses. Included in just about every set of store-bought golf clubs is a pitching wedge. It's the most common type of wedge and one that almost all golfers have in their bag. But the three other types of wedges--gap, lob and sand--give the golfers who use them even more options in their short games.
Which wedge has the least loft?
Pitching Wedge. Of all the wedge types, pitching wedges have the least amount of loft. Generally, such wedges have from 44 degrees to 50 degrees of loft. Golfers can get the club under the ball easily with a pitching wedge, but because of its loft, the ball also will travel some distance.
Who is Larry Anderson?
Larry Anderson has been a freelance writer since 2000. He has covered a wide variety of topics, from golf and baseball to hunting and fishing. His work has appeared in numerous print and online publications, including "Fargo Forum" newspaper. Anderson holds a Bachelor of Arts in print journalism from Concordia College.
What is the short game of golf?
The short game in golf is all about finesse and feel. Thus, it's important that the wedge you're using is comfortable and easy to use. Before purchasing a wedge, you should at least hold it in your hand and take a few practice swings. Even better, hit a few balls with it.
What is a gap wedge?
Gap wedges were created to fill a gap in the loft of wedges. As a result, they have more loft than a pitching wedge and less loft than lob and sand wedges. Gap wedges with lofts between 46 degrees and 54 degrees are most common. With a firm swing, gap wedge shots travel between 90 yards and 110 yards. As a result, they are useful ...
How far can you hit a sand wedge?
While these wedges, which have between 54 degrees and 58 degrees of loft, are good for hitting out of the sand, they can be used anywhere. The maximum distance for a sand wedge shot is about 90 yards.
