Gap Wedge 101: When and How to Use It Effectively

If we did a wedge popularity contest, your pitching and sand wedge would likely be the winners. Many golfers put a gap wedge in their bag to help with loft gapping but never take it out to use it on the course. There are great uses for the gap wedge—if you know when and how to play with it. Look at this gap wedge guide before you play. Try to incorporate a few gap wedge shots into your next round and see if it helps with accuracy. 

When to use the gap wedge

The gap wedge has several uses. The most common are awkward yardage shots, longer bunker shots, approach shots under 100 yards and longer greenside pitches.

Awkward yardage shot

Pitching wedges and sand wedges often have 10 or more degrees of loft separating them. 

What you’ll often see with this large gap in the loft is one club that, for example, flies 120 yards and another that only goes 100. 

The gap wedge fits perfectly in between and hits the 110-yard shot. Of course, yardage will vary depending on swing speed and the wedge you purchase.

However, the most important use for a gap wedge is to fill that space in the bag where a pitching wedge is too much club and a sand wedge is not enough.

Longer bunker shots

Wedge shots where you still have a good 20 to 30 yards to get to the pin can be tricky with the sand wedge. A gap wedge allows you to take the same type of swing you are comfortable with and get just a little more distance from the shot.

This is especially important if your golf ball is in the back of a bunker and you still have lots of sand to get through. Don’t leave it in the bunker. Take the gap wedge and ensure you get out.

Approach shots under 100 yards

Try hitting some half-swing gap wedge shots. You may find the perfect 50- or 75-yard shot. Use the gap wedge as a go-to club for controlled and accurate approach shots of less than 100 yards.

Longer greenside pitches

A pitch shot flies higher than a chip and stops quickly when it hits the green. When there are obstacles between you and the pin (thick grass, sand, etc.), you may consider the gap wedge over the sand wedge pitch shot.

The gap wedge gets you a few extra yards of distance that could help if you come up short on your shot. 

How to use the gap wedge effectively

If you want to start incorporating your gap wedge into your game, here are a few tips to ensure success.

Set the ball position.

The center of the stance is typically best for your gap wedge. You can play it a little further back of center for shorter shots.

Wrist position and shaft lean

At impact, you’ll want a forward shaft lean to compress the ball properly. Keep the lead wrist flat or slightly bowed at impact to hit your gap wedge with a square face.

Steeper angle of attack

To get enough height from your gap wedge shots, use a steeper angle of attack. Treat this club just like a sand wedge to get crisp contact.

Placing a loose golf tee an inch or two behind the ball and working to avoid hitting it on your downswing is a good way to ensure crisp contact and a steeper angle of attack.

Ball first, then turf contact

To get spin and control in your gap wedge shots, strike the ball first and ensure the divot occurs after the ball.

Which gap wedge should I use?

When choosing a gap wedge, pay close attention to the loft. It should fit perfectly between your pitching wedge and sand wedge. For example, if you play with graphite-shafted cavity-back clubs, look for a wedge that offers similar playability, features and feel. A blade-style wedge is a good fit to round out the set for golfers who have blade-style irons.  

In our 2023 MyGolfSpy Best Wedge test, these are the top five best gap wedges:

TaylorMade Milled Grind 4 – Best Overall COBRA Snakebite X TaylorMade Hi Toe 3 Cleveland CBX Full Face 2 Cleveland RTX6 ZipCore

Other names for gap wedges

Depending on the gap wedge you have in your bag, you may see a few other names for it. Gap wedges can also be called:

Approach wedge Utility wedge Attack wedge Dual wedge

The name isn’t really important. The key is that the gap wedge loft fits between that of your pitching wedge and sand wedge. For most golfers, the wedge loft will be between 48 and 54 degrees.

Conclusion

If you have a gap wedge, start using it in your play. You may find this adds a few other shots to your repertoire and fills in some of the awkward yardages. If your iron set doesn’t have a gap wedge, you can fill it in with an individual wedge like the TaylorMade Milled Grind 4 or COBRA Snakebite X, available in various loft and shaft combinations.

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