What is an Approach Wedge and Do I Need One?
By MIKE BAILEY
Until the 1990s, the approach wedge, gap wedge, attack wedge, utility wedge – or whatever you want to call it – didn’t exist. For hundreds of years, golfers played without one, yet it’s become a crucial club today, especially for better players.
An approach wedge, by definition, is a wedge that is used on approach shots. You might argue that’s what pitching wedges are for, and you can undoubtedly hit an approach shot with a sand wedge. But if your wedge setup goes from pitching to sand wedge, there’s a pretty large gap between the full swing shots of those two clubs. Sometimes, that gap can be as much as 30 or even 40 yards. For example, you might hit your pitching 120 yards and your sand wedge 90 yards. What do you do if you have a 112-yard shot?
The old guard will tell you that’s simple. Take something off the pitching wedge. But when you do that, you sacrifice spin and height. It might be challenging to hold the green if you have to come in over water or a bunker next to the green.
Stronger Lofts Created Bigger Gaps
The other factor that has brought the approach or gap wedge (what most people call it today) into vogue is the declining lofts of irons in general. Modern pitching wedges are often the same lofts of the 9-irons from yesterday. Manufacturers can do this because modern irons have lower centers of gravity to get the ball up in the air better, and of course, the combination of lower lofts and CGs is more distance, which is a significant factor in selling golf clubs.
Also, the old sets often included 3-irons and three woods. Nowadays,, hardly anyone carries a 3-iro,n, and most don’t have a 4-iron in their bag, leaving an opportunity for extra wedges, even if you’re staying within the 14-club limit.
Now, some iron sets even include approach or gap wedges. But most golfers still get their gap wedges independent of their iron sets. But how do you shop for a gap wedge? Besides loft, how they different from your other wedges? And what are the most important questions?
Characteristics of a Gap Wedge
There are no standard degrees of lofts for pitching wedges and sand wedges or even gap wedges, but there are ballparks certainly. A pitching wedge generally has degrees of loft between 42 and 46, while a sand wedge is usually between 54 and 58 degrees. The most common lofts for those two clubs are around 44 and 56 degrees, respectively. That’s a gap of 12 degrees.
The easy answer to fill that gap is to look for something right in between. In this case, a 49- or 50-degree approach (gap) wedge would be ideal. In the earlier example of a golfer who hits a pitching wedge 120 yards and a sand wedge 90 yards, a 50-degree approach wedge is probably the perfect choice for a 112-yard shot.
Different Design than Sand Wedge
The approach wedge, however, is more than about loft angles. Other characteristics make it unique, although there is something to be said for having one as part of an iron set because you don’t feel like you are transitioning into a different feeling club for those shorter, full approaches.
So, an approach wedge should definitely feel more like one of your regular irons than a sand wedge. In fact, the sand wedge can be a difficult club to hit full, especially from a tight lie. The reason is that it typically has a wider flange and a good bit of bounce to help it glide through the sand out of greenside bunkers. That’s obviously why it’s called a sand wedge.
This is where an understanding of bounce is so essential. Bounce is the angle created between the leading edge and the lowest point of the sole or trailing edge. A sand wedge with 12 degrees of bounce is typical, and it prevents the club from digging in the sand. On a shot from the turf, the bounce can work against you. Nearly all short irons and wedges have some bounce, but not nearly as much as a sand wedge. That’s because you generally don’t intentionally hit a full approach shot fat like you do a bunker shot. A little bounce is OK, but a lot of bounce off a tight like means there’s a pretty good chance your club will “bounce” up off the turf and catch the ball thin or even top it.
Therefore, gap wedges typically bounce less than sand wedges but more than pitching wedges. Again, we’re filling the gap here.
Approach Wedge Around the Green
Here’s one of the most underrated aspects of a gap wedge. It’s excellent for chip shots. While many players might use their sand wedge on most of their chip shots, the gap wedge will run out a little bit more than a sand wedge, making it ideal for longer chips with a lot of green to work with.
They are also great for bump-and-run shots off the green since they tend to come in lower. It’s a great club to experiment with around the greens. And since you swing slower with it than you would a sand wedge or lob wedge around the greens, there’s more margin for error.
You can even use a gap wedge in the bunkers. An approach wedge might be ideal if you have one of those dreaded 40-yard bunker shots. You can make the same swing you might for a greenside bunker shot with a sand wedge or lob wedge, but because there’s less loft, it should carry farther and run out when it hits the green.