Loft of an Approach Wedge
| Iron Make/Model | Approach Wedge Loft |
| Wilson D9 | 47 degrees |
| Callaway Apex | 48 degrees |
| Cobra KING Radspeed | 48 degrees |
| Titleist T300 | 48 degrees |
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.
What is a gap wedge in golf?
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 a sand wedge used for in golf?
The sand wedge, as the name implies, is designed to be used in sand traps (bunkers) around the green. It has 54 to 58 degrees of loft makes it a good club to slide under, lift the ball, and land it into the green. Using an approach wedge to do that is doable but not easy.
What are the wedges in a golf club set?
A golf club set consist of the following wedges: 1 Pitching wedge: The most common wedge 2 Gap wedge: The bridging wedge 3 Sand Wedge: The rescuer wedge 4 Lob Wedge: The widest loft wedge
What is the difference between pitching wedge and approach wedge?
Pitching wedges have a loft of between 46 and 48 degrees. Approach wedges have lofts between 50 and 52 degrees. The extra loft on the approach wedge helps it to get up in the air, but decreases the distance hit. Pitching wedges also tend to have a lower degree of bounce than gap wedges.
What distance do you use an approach wedge?
about 90 yardsAn average golfer will hit an approach wedge about 90 yards and elite golfers with high speed swings will be closer to 130 yards and beyond. This is something that you need to spend time on a launch monitor figuring out for yourself.
Is an approach wedge the same as a lob wedge?
An approach wedge is a golf club that will fit between your pitching wedge and your sand wedge. The approach wedge will typically have between 50 and 54 degrees of loft. The lob wedge is a club with more loft than your sand wedge. Traditionally, a lob wedge will be anywhere from 58 to 64 degrees of loft.
What is an approach wedge?
"Approach wedge" is another name for the gap wedge and is the wedge that fits between a golfer's pitching wedge and sand wedge in the progression of lofts. That is to say, of the three clubs the pitching wedge has the least amount of loft and the sand wedge the most, with the approach wedge in-between.
Do I really need an approach wedge?
Approach wedges can always be very useful around the green for pitch shots that need to run. If you are in need of filling a specific shot or distance at the bottom of your golf bag, an approach wedge is a great way to make sure you're covered.
What wedges should a mid handicapper carry?
A mid-handicap only needs to carry two or three wedges in their bag. The first is a 45-degree pitching wedge, the second is a 50-degree gap wedge, and the third is a 54-degree sand wedge. These three wedges are the most important and should be the first wedges you get.
How do you hit an approach wedge?
27:0631:54Hit Your Wedges Like a Pro With These Simple Tips - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd it's really easy to thin shots. If you start doing that as i lean the handle. Forward. Now itMoreAnd it's really easy to thin shots. If you start doing that as i lean the handle. Forward. Now it starts to pull that leading edge closer to the turf. And i can hit it lower on the golf. Ball.
What degree 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. The thing that you have to pay attention to is the loft gapping in the set.
Is approach wedge a gap wedge?
Some manufacturers choose to call them gap wedges while others call them approach wedges. 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.
What loft is an approach wedge?
Gap wedge – The gap wedge, often referred to as the approach wedge, or the A wedge, has a loft of 51° to 53 degrees.
What is a 56 degree wedge used for?
A 56-degree sand wedge is suited for hitting out of the sand or for a golfer who hits behind the golf ball a lot. The higher degree of bounce helps the club glide through the sand or dirt, which makes it the most versatile wedge in the bag.
What is the average distance for 7 iron?
The average golfer hits their 7 iron 145 yards, but the average distances will vary between 128 and 160 yards. Golfers in their 20s typically hit the ball the longest, and the distance tends to decrease as the golfer gets older.
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.
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).
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 is an approach wedge?
To me the approach wedge is a club for elite golfers or low handicappers who want extra options in their scoring clubs and who know their distances well. It is more of an advanced golfers club so beginners and intermediates don’t need it until they develop their skills a bit more. Approach Wedge Vs. Pitching Wedge.
What is the difference between lob wedge and approach wedge?
Lob wedges are designed to get the ball in the air very quickly and for getting up and down in tight spots, the approach wedge is more for longer distance attacks. These are very different clubs and I would suggest that if you are looking for a third wedge, the approach wedge is the one you should go for before the lob wedge.
How many wedges should I use for short game?
Dave Pelz, the shortgame guru, suggests carrying as many wedges as possible and recommends four or five. Whilst I don’t disagree, I certainly think that you should have at least three wedges. A pitching wedge (48 degrees as standard) an approach wedge (52 degrees as standard) and a sand wedge (56 degrees as standard).
What is a pitching wedge?
The pitching wedge is designed to hit the ball further than an approach wedge and with a little less spin, it is one club stronger than an approach wedge. It is slightly longer in length with less loft, around four degrees if you are set-up properly.
How often do pro golfers change their wedges?
Pros change their wedges fairly frequently and some even change them almost monthly or more . The world these guys live in is so different to ours that it is almost not worth paying attention to.
What is a bounce wedge?
Bounce is a really technical specification of modern wedges. It is a measurement of the angle of the leading edge of the club to the ground when the shaft is vertical. It is a feature that helps to stop your wedge from digging into sand or soft ground during the swing.
Which is stronger, a sand wedge or an approach wedge?
The approach wedge is one club stronger than the sand wedge and so will go further with less spin. The sand wedge also has a slightly different shape as it is designed with more bounce to help you escape from bunkers more easily.
What is an approach wedge?
An approach wedge, also called a gap wedge, is a golf club that fills the gap between a pitching wedge and a sand wedge. Approach wedges have more loft than a pitching wedge but less loft than a sand wedge. This means you’ll be able to hit the pitching wedge the furthest, followed by the approach wedge and then the sand wedge.
Why was the approach wedge needed?
The approach wedge was needed because manufacturers started lowering the loft of pitching wedges – well, irons in general. However, they kept the loft of sand wedges the same. This created a large gap between the pitching wedge and the sand wedge.
Should every golfer use an approach wedge?
Yes, every golfer should use an approach wedge. That’s unless you want to make the game even harder for yourself.
Approach wedge vs. pitching wedge
We now already know that approach wedges have more loft than pitching wedges. But there’s another critical difference between the two clubs. That’s the bounce.
Approach wedge vs. sand wedge
We already know that approach wedges have less loft than sand wedges. And bounce is another critical difference between these two clubs.
Final thoughts
The approach wedge fills the gap between the pitching wedge and the sand wedge. It was needed because golf club manufacturers lowered the loft of pitching wedges but kept the loft of sand wedges the same—an approach wedge slots in between them.
Why add an approach wedge to a golf swing?
Adding an approach wedge would drastically increase the chance of landing the ball on the green. Simply using the appropriate club and not changing a swing can lead to more accurate shots. Before the beginner realizes it, his handicap had gone down while his skill level remained.
How many yards does an approach wedge hit?
Always swing aggressively during the downswing and turn the hips toward the target. If an approach wedge hits 85 yards at full swing and the target is at 75, beginners normally try to swing slower, hoping to deduct 10 yards from the distance.
How far does a pitching wedge hit?
The pitching wedge is intended to be used in a full swing and for most golfers, land the ball within 80 to 110 yards. It is used when a 9 iron would hit the ball farther than the target distance which may be a body of water, out of bounds, and other undesirable locations. In contrast, the approach wedge is mostly used to hit within 50~80 yards (full swing).
What is the best wedge for bunker shots?
The SM7, from Titleist, has a nice bounce, toe, and heel that makes it great on both full swings and the sand wedges, for bunker shots. It’s used in tournaments by some of the biggest names in golf and pros rate Vokey SM7 as the best golf approach wedge.
How many quarters to use a pitching wedge?
In the absence of an approach wedge, a golfer needs to train using a pitching wedge in full, three quarters, and a half swing to determine the yardage of each swing. When faced with a distance below the reach of a pitching wedge but greater than that of a sand wedge, the approach wedge is the most convenient choice.
What degree loft is a good golf club?
It has 54 to 58 degrees of loft makes it a good club to slide under, lift the ball, and land it into the green. Using an approach wedge to do that is doable but not easy. It’s best to use the sand wedge for that purpose. The sand wedge is also used outside of the bunker.
Who uses the lob wedge?
One of the golf greats who like to use the Lob Wedge (58~60 degrees) is Phil Mickelson -the master of the short game. Famous for the line, “There’s only one way to chip, a million ways to putt, and a million ways to swing”, he uses the lob wedge for low flight shots that quickly land and rolls towards the hole.
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 an Approach Wedge?
Approach wedge, as mentioned earlier, has a versatile structure that fits between a pitching and sand wedge. Certain manufacturers also refer to it as a middle or gap wedge and are most common among golfers at present.
What Degree is an Approach Wedge in Golf?
Approach wedge has a loft of around 50-54 degrees, and a few are as low as 46, depending on the manufacturers. The A-wedge is similar to a pitching wedge as they are mean to cover longer-distance pitches.
What are the Other Names of Approach Wedge?
Commonly known as Gap wedge, Approach wedge has different names by different brands and golfers.
Benefits of Using an Approach Wedge
Approach wedges for your club are popular among golfers due to their versatility and high performance. The gap wedge, as we know, fills the gap perfectly between pitching and a loft wedge.
Best Approach Wedge to Buy
Now that you are aware of the uses of an approach, it is time to make a list of the best A-wedge in the market today. Depending on your requirements and experience in the game, you may pick the best that suits your budget:
What is the Highest Degree Wedge in Golf?
So does the loft degree affect the speed of your ball? Yes, the higher the loft degree, the higher the ball gets shot after you hit. Hence, if you expect your golf ball to fly high, you need to lay hands on a loft of 58 degrees or more.
Approach Wedge vs. Pitching Wedge – The Difference?
Today, golfers have different options available to choose between their desired wedges. Pitching and approach wedge are commonly used golf wedges today and have a few distinct differences.
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.
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 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.
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:
How far can you hit a shot with a wedge?
You can even hit a shot up to a distance of 125m using wedges. Wedges come with the highest loft and the shortest shaft. They also have the heaviest clubhead. A pro golfer always uses the appropriate wedge matching the purpose of his shot that allows him to roll up on the scoreboard.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 generally want your wedges to have gaps …
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…