Gap Wedge: match your irons or not?

[Klubster]

I find the new iron/wedges to be hilarious.  When I had my 1962 Wilson Staffs, the set was 2 iron-PW plus a sand wedge.  Now to cover the same lofts, I have a set starting with a 4 iron ending with five wedges.  We should just forget numbers/letters and just  stamp them with lofts.

[Ripken08]

1 hour ago, Klubster said:

I find the new iron/wedges to be hilarious.  When I had my 1962 Wilson Staffs, the set was 2 iron-PW plus a sand wedge.  Now to cover the same lofts, I have a set starting with a 4 iron ending with five wedges.  We should just forget numbers/letters and just  stamp them with lofts.

You'd still have the same number of clubs so who cares

[soul_daddy]

Set gap wedge for me. I like the consistency of feel for my full shots with the added bonus that I don't have to fret replacing another wedge every 1-2 years.

[Pepperturbo]

On 8/23/2021 at 11:53 AM, ChipNRun said:

If there is a rule it is this: If you hit mainly full shots with GW, match it to irons. If you hit a lot of partials with your GW... open the face a little... match it to your specialty wedges.

This... or better yet, don't upgrade your irons to strong lofts cause others think WOW.

 

Outside very skilled players, I don't see an average golfer getting much benefit from them, other than confusion regarding gapping and, oh no, I got to have another wedge...  when the hell am I going to practice with each of these clubs...????????? 

[jbrunk]

Everything matches to some degree. Four sets:

Ping i200 UW 50° head & shaft matches irons, Glide 2.0 Stealth SW/LW

Callaway 2018 Apex MB AW 51° head & shaft matches irons, Betti SS303 SW/LW

Srixon Z785 AW 51° same model as irons set, MB head (irons are CB), Zipcore SW/LW

Mizuno S18 GW 51° matches SW/LW, MP-15 irons 

 

In general, I’d prefer to have the gap match the sand/lob.  These sets just worked out this way.  As long as the iron set PW is also playable around the green (45-48°), a matching higher lofted gap wedge is ok.

[nilopol]

My opinion is if your irons are built with some forgiveness (ie not blades) than go with the gap from the set.  

[ChipNRun]

5 hours ago, Pepperturbo said:

This... or better yet, don't upgrade your irons to strong lofts cause others think WOW.

 

Point taken. For a long time, a set of irons needed to be based off of a 45* or 46* pitching wedge to make my short list. 

 

My Mav MAX set is the first time I have broken with this in forever.

 

[CMZ24]

On 7/31/2022 at 8:40 PM, sshadow2 said:

I currently use a Vokey GW but I've been told by multiple fitters than I should be using one from my iron set. I'm nearly ready to make that switch since I now have one.

Interesting. A lot of fitters on YouTube will tell you the opposite. Much more versatility with the specialty wedge and you don’t really need forgiveness on a wedge from inside 150 unless you’re a really bad player. 

[ChipNRun]

13 minutes ago, CMZ24 said:

On 7/31/2022 at 7:40 PM, sshadow2 said:

I currently use a Vokey GW but I've been told by multiple fitters than I should be using one from my iron set. I'm nearly ready to make that switch since I now have one.

Interesting. A lot of fitters on YouTube will tell you the opposite. Much more versatility with the specialty wedge and you don’t really need forgiveness on a wedge from inside 150 unless you’re a really bad player. 

 

Reminds me of a conversation with country club assistant at a pre-covid PGA sectional fall clearance sale. He had quit carrying specialty GWs on the rack because most of his players were using the GW from their iron set.  He was selling new 50* and 52* for $75 each because they arrived in April, and were still on rack at Thanksgiving.

 

From my experience, not all set GWs are created equal. For awhile I played Callaway X20 irons which came with GW and SW option. The GW was wild, could get zero distance control with it. Later I ended up with a set of TM SLDR irons (still in back-up bag). The SLDR GW was superb, both for full shots and finesse shots around the green.

 

I would suggest that most of us could do well with either an iron-set or specialty GW, as long as  we learned how to use it. (This assumes it's not some wonky GW that just won't work). 

[Lord Viking]

The law says...

If it's mizuno set gap is ok

Any others go specialty 

[Conrad1953]

A specialty wedge is too fine an instrument in my old clumsy hands. I have a Ping iron set and

carry the whole set from 3-LW. Precision is just not a part of my game. If I'm 40 yards from the

green I'm happy to just get the ball on the green somewhere and avoid the 20 yard chunk or

70 yard line drive that I am more likely to hit with the specialty wedge.

[lefty74pgh]

I play Z585, but they don’t make a GW in left handed. I play a CBX2 at 48* for my gap wedge.

[mikey15]

Specialty gap wedge. I ordered the set gap wedge for my 225's, but it felt weird to me. Think I just got used to the Vokey 50* and it's maybe my favorite club in the bag. 

[NightTrain]

My vote is for matching it to the wedges, you never know when you might want some versatility with it, which you typically won't get with the iron-set GW.

[aussieb]

First approach is how consistently can you hit your exact number with full, half and quarter shots with your gap? For me, it's better to have a specialty wedge for tighter dispersion. Whereas others have contact that varies so forgiveness is the governing factor.

Second, I take it around the greens for lengthy chips and long bunker shots as that's the versatility required.  I also test chips out of longer, fluffy Bermuda grass and Zoysia fringes as it's a specific need of my course that I can struggle with.  Others may require more or less function.

 

[stimpmeterp]

Worked my way back down to a 7.2 index (from 13) over the last year without a gap wedge in the bag.  Went from a 46° to my 56° and, shockingly, didn’t miss it.  Got used to hitting 75% shots with the former and getting creative with the 56°.  Now I’ve added a 50° SM8 that matches my Vokeys and the goal is not to have that perfect 115 club but instead for more options around the green.  It will be nice to have that number now in the bag - but I didn’t miss out much hitting hard sand wedge or 75% PW.  Just my story - your mileage may vary.

[rkillian]

I went from using the set gap wedge to a specialty wedge. Both at 48*. I was rarely at a full swing distance with that club and I’ve found I can still hit that distance with the specialty wedge, though the flight with it is noticeably lower but with more spin. Where I’ve seen the most improvement is around the green. The set gap wedge was harder to control. The specialty wedge reacts exactly how I expect it to for a given strike. It has become my favorite club to use around the green when I can. 99% I’m using my 48 or 54 around the green now and have been better for it. 

[LeftyMatt24]

I used to only have specialty 50 or 52 degree wedge but went with the AW from the TCB set. It is my favorite club. I can use it for partial shots and there is definitely added forgiveness. I definitely use my sand and lob wedge less now because the set gap wedge is slightly more forgiving but still looks great by the ball. 

[RolandofGilead]

My set has a 48* stock PW which I have bent to 50* so my answer is to match the set. Only two higher lofted wedges is sufficient for me in the short game plus I like chipping with the iron-like “gap wedge”. I much prefer the blade iron look for full shots as well.

[larryd3]

set matching gap wedge.  I'm using it for full shots so for me I want it the same as the other irons

[jarediogolf]

I don’t think you can make a rule on this. 
I’m testing a new set of irons. Tour Edge C721 irons which has a 44* pw. 
I was between the 49* set wedge and a 48 degree Mack Daddy CB wedge. 

The MD CB is winning. 

 

I think something like the Mack Daddy CB is perfect in this spot. Very forgiving but also some versatility. The shaft also matches my ES21 54* 58* wedges. It all flows nicely 

[20footputt]

Yes I usually use gap for full swings only about 110 yards so I like it matching my irons.

[JahSteve]

i use a set wedge kinda...

 

I play Hogan edge irons the set only went to PW with the GW/SW/LW being another line (equalizer). I found a Mizuno JPX 919 F "set" wedge and love it. havent tried the equalizer wedges but for a full shot which my GW is I went "set" wedge just not from my set... 

[WilCox]

Nope.  Most "set" gap wedges today don't really match the irons (at least the ones I've seen).  If it doesn't match to begin with, what's the purpose?

Edited August 11, 2022 by WilCox

[kstrong84]

On 8/23/2021 at 2:18 PM, bazinky said:

Personally, if the GW loft is >=50, I would match it to my higher lofted wedges. If the GW loft is <50, I would match it to my iron set.

 

My rationale is that I'm hitting a lot more partial and open-face shots with the higher lofted wedges, and want something that is easier to manipulate in that fashion. 

 

I agree with this sentiment.  I run a t100s PW that is 44* and a t100 50* that's bent to 49*, a long with a 54* and 60*.  

 

I had an SM9 50* that was nice but my gap was too large and I prefer the 5 yards I get out of the bent t100.

 

I should also add that pretty much the only chipping I do with a gap wedge are bump n runs so the less grabby grooves of a set wedge are more preferable for that purpose.

[rsballer10]

I've had both options and to be honest it doesn't matter too much to me. The only issue with the set gap wedges is that occasionally I would get a shot or two that spun back too far to be useful. It really only happened on severely sloped greens. I currently use a 50 degree vokey because the T100 set I bought used didn't have a gap wedge.

 

I've never had an issue flighting the set wedge lower, as that has been the usual complaint against them. I think those are the same people that say that a more forgiving iron isn't workable. Every club is workable if you execute the shot correctly.

[10rettrkr]

Base on distance terrian, I use the follow rules, 9 @ 100/ less, P @ 90/less, A/G @ 80, S @ 70.

If the distance is 60 or less I'll use the 7/8 to running it up onto the green, there fore I like my clubs to match.

[chadwzimm]

I usually always match my gap wedge to my wedges vs. my irons.  I prefer to play a 46° PW so I’ll do a 50° gap wedge.  I only play two wedges in my bag (50° and 56°).

[azgreg]

I use a set gap wedge. It's a full swing club so I think it should match the other full swing clubs.

 

[millertime904]

I'm a pretty high handicap, but I've found a good game improvement style wedge (cleveland cbx, cobra king x) to be a happy medium between  a matched set wedge and a wedge-wedge.  Still some forgivemess on full swings and more workability if needed.  Not as good as a traditional wedge, but still really good.

 

Had a shot today that was right at range for a full swing gap today.  Have one of the new cobra king X's and dropped it within a few feet of the pin and the spin stopped it right there.  Wouldn't have happened with a set matched wedge.

Edited March 15 by millertime904