Ideally, you’ll have 4 to 6 degrees of loft between your clubs – this will cover all distances and make sure you don’t have two clubs performing the same role. The key is to check the loft of any wedge you put in your bag. Keep in mind that some companies will call their approach wedge a gap wedge, utility wedge, or even an attack wedge. The pitching and sand wedge loft gap has increased to closer to 10 or even 12 degrees in many golfers’ bags. With pitching wedges being made much stronger in loft (some pitching wedges are now as strong as 41-43º) and sand wedges still requiring a certain amount of higher loft to get out of bunkers, the approach wedge has become much more necessary. A gap wedge is another way of describing the approach wedge, as it fills the gap between the pitching wedge and the sand wedge. The approach wedge is used to fill what is becoming a very large gap in lofts for golfers. What is an approach wedge?Īn approach wedge is a club that fits between the pitching wedge and sand wedge, with approximately 48-54 degrees of loft. Let’s look at what an approach wedge is and, most importantly, whether or not you need one in your golf bag. More and more golfers these days are switching to four wedges, and that includes the approach wedge (we’ll explain why). Things like the 7 iron, driver, and putter are difficult to go without… However, other clubs, such as an approach wedge, are not something that all golfers think about including. Certain golf clubs have a guaranteed spot in every golfer’s bag.

Pitching wedge golf club