What is a GW in golf?
Golf Term A “GW” is an important club known as the gap wedge. As the name implies, it fills in the large distance gap found between your pitching wedge (PW) and sand wedge (SW), which occurs because of the large difference in the lofts of those two clubs.
What is a gap wedge in golf?
Golf Term A "GW" is an important club known as the gap wedge. As the name implies, it fills in the large distance gap found between your pitching wedge (PW) and sand wedge (SW), which occurs because of the large difference in the lofts of those two clubs. More ›.
What is a pitching wedge on a golf club?
Jul 12, 2012 · Now a gap wedge a GW some people call it an approach wedge something like that, it’s basically fills that gap that yardage space between pitching wedge and sand wedge should aim to get at around about 52 degrees but it might be 50 or 51 degrees depended on your specific pitching wedge and sand wedge setup, but don’t worry too much about the numbers that …
What is an wedge?
Jul 14, 2021 · 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). It's also common for golfers to refer to one of these clubs as an "Attack 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.
What does G stand for on golf club?
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.
What is the difference between GW and PW?
A “GW” is an important club known as the gap wedge. As the name implies, it fills in the large distance gap found between your pitching wedge (PW) and sand wedge (SW), which occurs because of the large difference in the lofts of those two clubs.
What is an W wedge?
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 the difference between AW and GW?
Essentially, they are the same thing. It might be easier for many golfers to simply call the wedge by the loft degree instead of the name given to it.Jan 20, 2021
How many degrees is a pitching wedge?
An ideal progression is for the pitching wedge to be 45 degrees, followed by a 50-degree gap wedge and complemented by 54- and 58-degree sand and lob wedges.Feb 23, 2018
What degree wedge is a pitching wedge?
44 to 48 degreesThe 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.Mar 2, 2018
What are the 4 types of golf wedges?
There are four styles in the wedge family: the pitching wedge, the gap wedge, the sand wedge and the lob wedge. Each club has a specific loft that makes it more suitable for certain shots. The Pitching Wedge (46-48 degrees) is the least lofted of all the wedges.
What's a 52 degree wedge used for?
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.
What is Au iron?
The utility wedge, also called as a gap wedge or an all wedge, is a wedge used to hit a golf shot with a higher but shorter trajectory versus other wedges that help with lower but longer trajectories. This type of wedge is supposed to be in between the sand and pitching wedges, and originated in the early to mid 1990s.Sep 24, 2018
How far should you hit a 60 degree wedge?
You will want to hit your 60 degree wedge between 75 and 90 yards to score well. If you are hitting it over 100 yards you are swinging too hard.Mar 15, 2016
Are steel shafts better than graphite?
Typically, steel shafts are much heavier, more durable and are generally less expensive than their graphite counterparts. They are more often than not made from stainless steel and they tend to weigh in between around 90g-120g. Torque or lateral twisting found in all graphite shafts is lower in steel irons.Dec 18, 2019
How far should a 9 iron go?
120 yards 100 yardsBeta ProgramClubMen's Average DistanceWomen's Average Distance8-iron130 yards110 yards9-iron120 yards100 yardsPitching wedge110 yards90 yardsSand wedge90 yards80 yards9 more rows•Mar 15, 2022
How far apart are GW/AW?
If you have ever noticed that your yardage gaps between your irons remain quite consistent it’s about 10 yards apart from most of your irons but until you get to your pitching wedge and sand wedge then you might feel there is quite a big gap with your sand wedge going almost 20 to 25 yards shorter ...
How deep is a golf green?
Most greens are about 25-30 yards deep that means your sand wedge would not get to the front edge but your pitching wedge would get right to the back edge, maybe even off the back edge of the green. So my solution for this and I think you should have this in your bag would be a gap wedge.
How many degrees of loft do you need to change a golf club?
Now there is a reason for that and that’s because throughout the set the degrees of loft that change between a three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, and pitch would change by between three and half degrees and four degrees per club for most manufacturers.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
What is a sand wedge?
Sand Wedge. The sand wedge is designed to get you out of those dreaded sand traps or bunkers around the green. This is very intimidating for many golfers and takes practice as well as the right equipment. Many golfers question whether they actually need a sand wedge at all.
How many degrees does a sand wedge have?
It is also used for shorter approach shots of about 80 to 100 yards and typically has a loft of 54 to 58 degrees. Again, you need to get to know your sand wedge and how for you can hit it. It can also be played at less than full strength.
What does less loft mean on a pitching wedge?
The basic theory is that, when hit correctly, less loft means greater distance. While this was done to irons and the pitching wedge it did not affect the sand wedge. In other words, the modern pitching wedge will go a lot further than one from 10 or 20 years ago.
What is the loft of a lob wedge?
It is normally used for distances of 60 to 70 yards and it has a loft of around 59 to 63 degrees.
How many yards does a golf swing take?
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.
How far away can you swing a gap wedge?
It is much easier to get the right distance at a full swing. The gap wedge will allow you to do that if you are within 90 to 100 yards of the green. This will mean more consistency and accuracy.
How many clubs can you carry on a wedge?
The rules dictate that you may not carry more than 14 clubs.
How many degrees of difference between wedges?
The rule of thumb is that a player should have four degrees of difference between wedges. For instance, a golfer with a pitching wedge lofted at 46 degrees should have a gap wedge of 50 degrees, a sand wedge at 54 degrees and a lob wedge of no less than 58 degrees.
What is the difference between a gap wedge and a sand wedge?
This means that it has a loft somewhere between 50 and 54 degrees, putting it in the middle of the pitching and sand wedges in terms of loft.
What is the loft of a lob wedge?
Lob wedges have a loft of between 59 and 65 degrees and are designed to lift a golf ball quickly, then land it with lots of spin. The individual first taking up golf can become very confused by the different kinds of wedges and what these golf clubs are used for.
How does a sand wedge work?
The height a sand wedge can make a golf ball go when it is properly played translates into the ball usually stopping quickly after it descends onto the green. Some sets of golf clubs come with a sand wedge, while others do not.
What does degree of loft mean in golf?
The degree of loft on a golf club influences the trajectory of the ball when the club strikes it correctly—the higher the degree of loft, the more quickly the golf ball goes into the air.
How many different types of wedges are there?
The individual first taking up golf can become very confused by the different kinds of wedges and what these golf clubs are used for. This is because there are four different types of wedges, each with a different degree of loft, which is the key characteristic that separates one wedge from another.
How far can you hit a gap wedge?
The gap wedge is used to hit the ball between 90 and 110 yards, which fills the gap between the optimum distances for pitching and sand wedges. Rather than having to choose between swinging a pitching wedge easy or a sand wedge very hard to make the ball go these distances, a golfer can opt for the gap wedge, which can accomplish ...
