
What kind of golf wedges are the best?
An AW golf club is an Approach Wedge, also commonly called a Gap Wedge. They are used by golfers when a pitching wedge is too much club when approaching the green. Not so long ago, golfers had only two wedge clubs in their bag, a pitching wedge and a sand wedge.
What Golf Club wedge to use?
If you have seen the abbreviation AW when referring to golf clubs, you are probably wondering what this means and is used for. Quick Answer: A gap wedge is often referred to as an approach wedge by golfers and companies. The names basically mean the same thing so you can refer to them interchangeably.
What is an AW Golf Club used for?
Jul 14, 2021 · What is an "A-Wedge" Golf Club? 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). It's also common for golfers to refer to one of these clubs as an "Attack Wedge." A-Wedge Loft
How many golf wedges should I carry?
Jan 20, 2021 · 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 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
What does 5 PW and AW 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 is aw in golf iron set?
An AW is an approach wedge. An approach wedge is a club you use between the pitching wedge and the sand wedge. Sometimes people will refer to the AW as a gap wedge. The AW is essential because it fills the gap between the sand wedge and the pitching wedge.
How far does an aw wedge go?
It is always tough to throw out numbers on how far a golf club goes because there are so many factors involved. Factors such as swing plane, swing speed, contact, and other various factors can come into play. But a rough estimate is that men hit an approach wedge 70 to 110 yards and women are around 40 to 70 yards.Jan 20, 2021
What does 8 PW AW iron set mean?
This refers to a set of irons that includes all irons between 4 iron and 9 iron and also includes both a pitching wedge which is standard in most iron sets as well as the A wedge which refers to a 'gap" wedge. Typically a pitching wedge has about 46 degrees of loft and the typical gap wedge has 52 degrees of loft.
What does 4 PW AW iron set mean?
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.Jul 9, 2019
What is the difference between a PW and AW?
AW is best for approach shots between 50 and 85 yards from the fairway or rough and usually has an angle around 50 degrees. PW is your long approach pitching wedge, good for shots between 100-130 yards out. They usually sit at 44 to 48 degrees in loft angle.Jun 29, 2020
What degree is aw wedge Ping?
Years ago, the traditional gap wedge would have been about 52 degrees, but since then, the degrees of loft on golf clubs have changed quite a bit. The loft of the Ping U Wedge in the G425 series is 49.5 degrees. This is a set with fairly strong lofts that allows golfers to get much more distance with their clubs.
What is a Aw?
If you have seen the abbreviation AW when referring to golf clubs, you are probably wondering what this means and is used for. Quick Answer: A gap wedge is often referred to as an approach wedge by golfers and companies. The names basically mean the same thing so you can refer to them interchangeably.
What is Al wedge?
A lob wedge, also known as a lofted wedge or an L-Wedge, is a wedge used in the sport of golf, known for being one of the shortest-hitting clubs and providing the most loft on a shot. Lob wedges are used to produce shots with a very high arc, and are most often used for shots over hazards and other obstructions.
What clubs are included in 4 AW?
Not so long ago, golfers had only two wedge clubs in their bag, a pitching wedge and a sand wedge. These days there are four wedges in use: the pitching wedge (“PW”), the gap (or approach) wedge (“AW”), the sand wedge (“SW”), and the lob wedge (“LW”).
Do you need a gap wedge?
Summary. Gap wedges are an essential part of every golfer's bag. They give you more versatility with your shots and allow you to get out of difficult situations when needed, which makes them a must-have for any serious player.Sep 28, 2021
What is the Degree of Loft in an Approach Wedge?
There’s a typical loft range for approach or gap wedges of 46 degrees to 52 degrees.
How Far Does an AW Golf Club Go?
How far a golf club goes is always tough to determine because there are so many factors that can come into play. Factors such as swing plane, swing speed, and contact can all play into how far the ball will travel after it has been hit with the golf club.
What Are Popular Uses for an AW Golf Club?
Approach wedges are not only used for wood shots to the green from distances beyond 70 yards, but they can also be used in other instances on the course.
How Do You Swing an AW Effectively?
Short irons require a similar swing to that of your approach wedges. When swinging on short irons, you place the ball in the middle of your stance and make an exaggerated golf club’s motion to get it in the air.
What Are Popular Brands of Approach Wedges?
There are many wedges marketed for golfing by various companies. Most of these will be rated as being in the intermediate-to-advanced category, but there are a few that occupy the top rung on this ladder.
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 does AW mean in golf?
Quick Answer: An AW is an approach wedge often referred to as a gap wedge by some golfers and companies.
What is an approach wedge?
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. Although there are many different types and brands of approach wedges, all of them are somewhat similar. Let’s jump into some of the most common questions regarding what an approach wedge is ...
How does an approach wedge compare to a wedge?
An approach wedge compares to other wedges because of the loft and distance that you can hit the wedge. For instance, a pitching wedge is the lowest lofted wedge and goes the farthest distance. Next, an approach wedge or gap wedge goes the next farthest. A sand wedge comes in after that. Finally, a lob wedge is the shortest in terms ...
What is the range of loft of a wedge?
The normal range of loft than an approach or gap wedge has is 46 degrees to 52 degrees of loft. The range is basically the largest range of degrees of loft that any type of wedge has on the market. It is nice because it gives more options for golf consumers and can accommodate for different types of golfers and their needs.
How many yards does a golfer hit a wedge?
Factors such as swing plane, swing speed, contact, and other various factors can come into play. But a rough estimate is that men hit an approach wedge 70 to 110 yards and women are around 40 to 70 yards. Remember, that is a very general estimate.
What swing do you use on short irons?
It involves the ball in the middle of your stance and a steep swing to get the ball up in the air.
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.
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.
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 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 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 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.
Is an A Wedge the Same as a Gap Wedge?
An A wedge is the same as a Gap wedge so don’t let the marketing gurus fool you. Yes, with new technology, golf clubs have been developed over the years and they now have different names for each type of golf club.
The Benefits of Using an A-Wedge Golf Club
We have already talked about that A wedge fills the void between a loft and sand wedge – this is the major factor as it gives a golfer more options for their short game chipping.
The Downsides of Using an A-Wedge Golf Club
A downside with this type of club is that if you’re hitting shots out onto the golf course for precision, they won’t go as far because they have more loft (angle).
What is the Typical Distance Range of an A-Wedge?
The distance range of an A-Wedge golf club is anywhere from 55 yards to 118 yards. Factors affecting your approach wedge yardage include club loft, clubhead speed at impact, the weight of the ball you’re using, and wind.
How to Use an A-Wedge Club
Ultimately what matters for any type of wedge is how well your swing feels while you use it during a game.
Do I Need A Wedge Golf Club?
Although golf is a complicated game, the trick for more consistent chip/bunker shots is to simplify swing mechanics.
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 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.
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 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 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 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.

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…