What distance is a gap wedge used for?
Sarah Smith
Published Jan 23, 2026
How Far Does The Average Person Hit A Gap Wedge? On average, recreational golfers hit their gap wedge 103 yards, but the range can be between 90 and 120 yards. For shorter shots that only require a 1/2 swing, the average distance will be much less.
When would you use a gap wedge?
Use your gap wedge when you are about 70 to 100 yards from the green. A gap wedge has a loft ranging from 49 to 52 degrees. This club will send a well-struck ball high in the air and allow it to land softly on the green. Use this club if you feel your pitching is too much club and your sand wedge is not enough.
How many yards is a gap wedge good for?
Gap wedges range from 50 to 54 degrees, while most pitching wedges made since 1990 have a loft of about 46 degrees. As a general rule, men can hit a gap wedge about 100 yards, and women about 15 yards less. Here are some ways that you can practice using your new iron and add to your repertoire.
What shots do you use a gap wedge for?
Gap wedges are typically used for shots from the fairway, but they can be used closer to the green as well, making them more versatile than other clubs in the bag!
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.
34 related questions foundIs gap wedge same as approach wedge?
Gap wedges are for flying the ball high on relatively short distances (100-130 yards), while approach wedges are meant to put the ball easily onto the green, if not super close to the hole. If you've been putting any time you're not on the green, then now is the time to learning the art of the approach wedge.
Do pros carry a gap wedge?
Looking at the average configurations and lofts, around 60% of pro players use a pitching wedge with 46 degrees of loft, with 48 degrees being the second most common loft option. With gap wedges, the 52-degree loft is used by 42% of players, with 33% opting for the 50-degree model.
Is gap wedge same as sand wedge?
Gap Wedge Vs Sand Wedge
A Gap Wedge has more loft than a Sand Wedge, this means the Sand Wedge will go shorter than a Gap Wedge. A Sand Wedge will be used more out of the bunker and for chip shots, where the Gap Wedge will be used more for bump and run shots around the green and full shots.
What degree loft is a gap wedge?
You must have a wedge between your pitching wedge loft and your sand wedge loft. The gap wedge (usually around 50 degrees) provides a vital yardage between those two clubs.
How far should you hit a 60 degree wedge?
How Far Should You Hit A 60 Degree Wedge? On average, golfers hit their 60-degree wedge 74 yards, but the range can vary between 60 and 100 yards. Longer hitters who take a full swing will typically be close to the 100-yard range but most golfers only take a 1/2 or 3/4 swing with their 60 degrees.
Do you need a 56 and 60 wedge?
Do You Need A 56 And 60 Degree Wedge. For the average golfer, having both a 56-degree sand wedge and a 60-degree lob wedge is completely unnecessary. A 56 or 58-degree wedge should be a lot more versatile for most and is the highest wedge loft that should be in most bags.
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.
Is a 60 degree wedge hard to hit?
If you simply accelerate through impact, a 60-degree wedge is just as easy to hit as a 55. Play the ball in the middle of your stance and go short backswing to long follow. You'll quickly learn that the lob is the one wedge you can't live without.
Why do I SKY my wedges?
The reason this type of golfer hits wedges so high and short is the weight of the 56, 58 or 60 degree wedge makes it harder to flip at the exact correct time. When you pick up a sand wedge or gap wedge, it has more weight on the face of the club than a common iron.
How do you hit a wedge with backspin?
That's what we are looking for. If you don't already do it, focus on hitting down, leaning the shaft towards the target at impact, and taking a divot with your wedges. It will make you hit it more solid, which in turn will put more spin on the ball. As far as the lie goes, you must have a clean lie to spin the ball.
What wedges does Justin Thomas use?
Interestingly, Thomas brings two lob wedges to tournaments. Typically, he plays with a 60-degree K grind wedge with 6 degrees of bounce, but starting at the 2018 Presidents Cup in Australia, he began using a 60-degree T grind wedge on firm golf courses.
What wedges does Phil Mickelson use?
He uses three PM Grind '19 “Raw” wedges. The PM stands for Phil Mickelson because he helped design the wedges with Roger Cleveland.
What wedge combination is best?
When it comes to common wedge setups on the PGA Tour, there are far more golfers playing with four wedges than three. Looking strictly at the top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking, 80 percent are using a pitching wedge, 50/52-, 56-, 60-degree loft combination.
Can you use a gap wedge in the sand?
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. The sand will explode into the ball and drive it out of the bunker.
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 a 62 degree wedge used for?
Lob Wedge. Lob wedges are the most lofted wedge, with a measurement generally between 58 and 62 degrees. The lob wedge is meant for short approach shots and is best utilized when a player needs to stop the ball quickly on the green or approach a tough-to-reach pin placement.
What's a 52 degree wedge used for?
What Is 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 does bounce mean on a wedge?
Wedge bounce is the angle created between the leading edge and the lowest point of the sole or trailing edge. This is the area of the club that hits through the ground as it contacts the ball. The greater the wedge bounce degree, the higher the leading edge is off the surface at address.