Gap Wedge vs Pitching Wedge
One of the biggest areas in which amateur golfers can quickly improve is their wedge play.
But considering you can add up to four wedges to your golf bag to tackle approach shots, pitch shots, and chip shots around the green, you need to know what each wedge can do for your game before assembling your collection.
The pitching wedge and the gap wedge are two of the most essential wedges since they share the closest distance gap.
In this article, we’ll break down the benefits of each golf wedge and provide advice on how each golf club should be played on the golf course.
What is a gap wedge?
Also known as an approach wedge (AW) or utility wedge (UW), the club fills the critical loft gap between your pitching and sand wedges, typically ranging from 50 to 54°.
This versatile club is essential for those awkward distances between 80 to 110 yards where a full pitching wedge goes too far and a sand wedge falls short.
On the course, the gap wedge helps in various situations. Golfers can use it for precise approach shots when they need more control than a pitching wedge. It also offers more distance than a sand wedge.
It’s particularly valuable for three-quarter shots from the fairway when precision is key to getting the ball close to the hole.
Around the green, the gap wedge delivers controlled chip shots with moderate height and reasonable roll-out. It offers enough loft to get the ball airborne while maintaining distance control in light rough.
Many golfers also favor the gap wedge for longer bunker shots where more distance is needed than a standard sand wedge shot.
The gap wedge provides excellent feel and consistency for partial swing shots from 60 to 80 yards, making it indispensable for scoring opportunities.
What is a pitching wedge?
A pitching wedge, or PW for short, is the first wedge in the golf bag, delivering a loft between 44 and 48 degrees.
The next wedge used from the short irons, the PW typically rounds out iron sets that you purchase from golf equipment manufacturers.
On the course, you can use the PW for full shots into the green when you need height and soft landing but less distance than your 9-iron.
The club is an excellent option for bump-and-run shots around the green and shorter chip shots when you need the ball to release and roll toward the hole.
The pitching wedge is versatile enough to handle light rough and tighter fairway lies with equal effectiveness.
The pitching wedge loft makes it a viable option for mid-range bunker plays from inside 100 yards.
The bounce angle of the PW helps get the leading edge through the sand for ball-first contact, which delivers a nice spin that can hold the green.
Is a gap wedge the same as a pitching wedge?
No, the gap wedge carries a loft of 50 degrees, while a pitching wedge loft typically registers around 44 degrees.
Both wedges are classified as an approach wedge that can hit full swing wedge shots into the green.
In comparison, the sand wedge loft typically registers around 54 to 56 degrees, while a lob wedge is roughly a 60-degree lofted wedge.
Should I use pitching wedge or gap wedge for chipping?
We love using our pitching wedge for chip shots around the green because it offers a lower loft than the gap wedge.
When trying to build a consistent short game, you need reliable ball flight and rollout, something the pitching wedge does better than the gap wedge.
The gap wedge carries an increased loft, so it tends to pop the ball up in the air, which is much tougher to judge on a shot-by-shot basis.
In general, it is tougher to find consistency with a higher-lofted wedge than with a lower-lofted wedge when considering short approach shots.
When should I use my gap wedge?
For full shots, the gap wedge covers 80 to 100 yards for the average male golfer.
Proper spacing between the wedges should cover roughly 10 yards, so whatever your comfortable distance for your gap wedge is, your pitching wedge should cover roughly 10 yards further in length.
The gap wedge can also work as an attack wedge on shorter shots from the fairway with a clean entry to the green.
By “clean entry,” we mean a direct look at the pin without any hazards directly in between the hole and the ball.
If you are looking at a hazard that must be cleared, such as water, deep rough, or a bunker, then you should look at a sand wedge and lob wedge as the right golf wedge for the shot because they offer more loft than the gap or pitching wedge.
When should I use my pitching wedge?
We recommend using your pitching wedge in two different situations: full swings and chips just off the green.
On full swings, the pitching wedge, which has less loft than a sand wedge, can carry shots anywhere from 100 to 150 yards, depending on swing speed.
Short irons typically add another 10 to 15 yards compared to this approach wedge, something to consider if you are on the borderline of using the PW compared to a scoring iron.
For chip and pitch shots, this club offers a tall and wide hitting area to control short game shots with a lower launch angle with roll out that helps get the shot near the cup.
If you are carrying only three wedges, then you can experiment using the PW from various lies but we encourage you to practice those shots before putting them in play during a round.
What is a 60-degree wedge called?
The 60-degree wedge is called the lob wedge because it’s primarily used for bunker shots and plays from deep rough where a high-arcing shot is needed.
Since it is a higher-lofted wedge used primarily in specialty situations, golfers rarely use the lob wedge on full shots. Instead, they rely on the sand wedge for attempts into the green at around 80 to 90 yards.
On full swings, the lob wedge hits the ball incredibly high, which is much tougher to control, especially when compared to other wedges in the golf bag.
If you are considering using the lob wedge as your final wedge from 80 to 100 yards, then look at hitting the ball into a larger scoring zone on the green that will help you post a par on the scorecard.
Gap Wedge vs Pitching Wedge
Final Thoughts
When looking at what wedge to use on the course, you must take into account your lie, the distance to the landing zone, and weather elements such as wind and rain.
Also, carrying an extra wedge should be considered if you are struggling with the proper distance gap between wedge shots.
A sand wedge and lob wedge offer more versatility from trouble spots on the course, such as plays from the bunker or deeper rough.
While carrying more wedges in your bag is certainly a good thing when playing on a more sophisticated course, you might only need three wedges, including the pitching, gap, and sand wedge, if your course is more links-like, with wide open areas around the green.