Iron Set Gap Wedge or Different Model & WHY?

[rkj427]

Just curious to see what the general consensus would be on playing a Gap Wedge which came with a set of irons or using a different brand/version altogether.

Scenario: I have a couple sets of irons, all 4- Gap, and both sets have a 44 degree Pitching Wedge, and 48 degree Gap Wedge.

Would you then look for a sand and lob wedge to compliment these or would you pick something different in place of the set Gap Wedge?

I could go with another 52 degree Gap, 56 degree Sand and the possibility of a higher lofted Lob or not.

Or I could go with a 54 degree Sand and a 58 degree Sand/Lob?

Course fairway or grass conditions here usually tend to be neutral, or sometimes soft, but other times firm due to weather, but the bunkers are always towards the firm side here.

[cnosil]

I typically play set gap wedge because I use it for full shots.   I then get a sand and lob wedge from some wedge OEM.  If I was to use the gap for only partial shots  I’d probably match the wedges.  

Edited November 26 by cnosil

[Rob Person]

I play what my set came with, which fortunately has 6-60⁰

Before that,  my old old old set had 4-pw. I sourced out a 52⁰ and a 58⁰ each of different brands.  

If or when I upgrade, I will probably do one of 2 things. Either try to stay within the brand as it would keep the feeling through the set dynamic.  Or, I would go with a matched set of wedges beyond the pw. Probably a 50/54/58 or  52/56/60

[Indy_Oz]

I have a GW for my P790s, but it still has a steelfiber i95 shaft in it- I replaced 5-P shafts with some pulled KBS x-stiff shafts to get something that felt stiff enough. I found I preferred the TM MG3 and MG4 50* gap wedges in terms of feel around the green and distance control for chips to full shots over the P790.

Since starting to test the '24 P770s, I have really liked the feel of the set 9i and PW for chipping around the green as well as full swings. Much nicer feel than the old P790 PW. So that has me very seriously considering buying a P770 GW. My P770 PW is 46* (I had it checked- spec is 45*), so I would either order the P770 with 51* loft to stick with 5* gapping (9-PW is 5*) or I would get it stock 50* and move to 54* & 58* specialty wedges (currently playing 56* and 60*).

The P770 PW seems to give me good spin numbers, so I don't think I would lose a massive amount of stopping power switching from an MG4 gap wedge. Maybe having both as options depending on the course conditions is the right way to go, so putting a matching shaft in the current MG4 and testing that against a P770 GW might be the way forward. Gives me another excuse for some informal testing. Ha ha.

Decisions, decisions...

[TJ Hall]

My iron set came with a 47 degree PW and a 51 degree GW….then have 56 and 60 degree wedges as well.

My 56 and 60 are Vokey SM8s that I love, found an all black SM8 52 degree in the local store that I couldn’t pass up.

So I play 52/56/60 in the Vokeys and then 4-PW in my TM irons.

[William P]

My current gamers are 5-PW and then I have a 4-wedge setup that takes me from Gap thru Lob. 46*,50*,54*, and 58* respectively. I have rarely purchased the iron set GW as I prefer the wedges to be matched. I'm sure it is all in my head, but it helps to provide setup consistency in the short game for me.

[Coulter]

I have a 4-gw (50 degree) that I use for full shots and everything down to around 50 yards. After that I have a 54  degree wedge from another company that I use from 50 yards and in. My 58 degree pretty much just sits in my bag. I can use the 54 for every shot I typically need to play. I don’t really ever play a flop shot but even when I’ve messed around with it the 54 has done good with it. 
 The reason I use the 50 from the set vs buying a 50 degree wedge is I can expect all of my full shots to feel the same with a really consistent similar outcome vs a different wedge may change some things up. Plus these PXGs are amazing so that helps

[Tom the Golf Nut]

Historically I always used the set gap wedge. I use the gap for full and partial shots and in the past when I played cavity backs I preferred the gap to match. I carried that thought process over into players distance irons up until this year. Vice does not have a gap wedge in the VGI 01 irons so I was forced to get a non set wedge. But I did go with the Vice VGW01 to try, and it works perfectly. But I would have just kept the King Tour gap wedge in the bag if it didn't live up to my expectations. In the end I was forced to change but glad I did. I'm sure @IndyBonzo is glad it worked as well or he might be missing a Gap Wedge.

[Hacker60521]

@rkj427 your set sounds a lot like mine. I’m playing the PW and GW that matches my iron set and then added 54 and 58. But my previous set stopped at 9I so then I added 4 wedges 

[IndyBonzo]

28 minutes ago, Tom the Golf Nut said:

Historically I always used the set gap wedge. I use the gap for full and partial shots and in the past when I played cavity backs I preferred the gap to match. I carried that thought process over into players distance irons up until this year. Vice does not have a gap wedge in the VGI 01 irons so I was forced to get a non set wedge. But I did go with the Vice VGW01 to try, and it works perfectly. But I would have just kept the King Tour gap wedge in the bag if it didn't live up to my expectations. In the end I was forced to change but glad I did. I'm sure @IndyBonzo is glad it worked as well or he might be missing a Gap Wedge.

Totally agree Tom.  I absolutely love the matching gap wedge in the Cobra King Tour set that was formerly @Tom the Golf Nut’s, and I have said repeatedly the Maltby TS1 (set matching) gap wedge has previously been the best club in my bag for two seasons.   Based on this, if a GW is offered with a set, I would not be inclined to look outside for one.  

[Hosel_Rockets]

Up until this season I'd always used the approach wedge that came with my iron set, however I did make the switch this year to a 50 degree Vokey to match my 54 and 58. Overall I was pretty happy with my decision, as it just feels more versatile than my P790 A-Wedge. I find that I use the Vokey 50 degree more for longer chips than I did with the P790 previously.

However, I will say that I have played a few courses with short par 3's where I miss the P790 A-Wedge for specific tee shots, as it's just more forgiving, and the look just inspires confidence in comparison. Weighing my options though, I've always stuck with the Vokey 50 as it's more handy around the green, and I feel very comfortable hitting 50% and/or knockdown shots with my pitching wedge.

[Purdyd]

6 hours ago, Indy_Oz said:

Since starting to test the '24 P770s, I have really liked the feel of the set 9i and PW for chipping around the green as well as full swings.

I really like the p770 (prior version) pw and gw.  Works well with the p790.

i had them bent a 1/2 degree strong.

so I think that is sort of my thought on this

there is a lot of space between some irons and wedges and you can have lofts adjusted

so you might consider filling in the gap or even pitching wedge with more of a mixed set, say the more player oriented version of your club brand and gapping the loft to go with your preferred wedge or wedges

 

Edited Wednesday at 06:17 AM by Purdyd

[Josh Parker]

12 hours ago, rkj427 said:

Just curious to see what the general consensus would be on playing a Gap Wedge which came with a set of irons or using a different brand/version altogether.

Scenario: I have a couple sets of irons, all 4- Gap, and both sets have a 44 degree Pitching Wedge, and 48 degree Gap Wedge.

Would you then look for a sand and lob wedge to compliment these or would you pick something different in place of the set Gap Wedge?

I could go with another 52 degree Gap, 56 degree Sand and the possibility of a higher lofted Lob or not.

Or I could go with a 54 degree Sand and a 58 degree Sand/Lob?

Course fairway or grass conditions here usually tend to be neutral, or sometimes soft, but other times firm due to weather, but the bunkers are always towards the firm side here.

Personally, I didn't like my set gap wedge.  In this situation, I would make the 44* a 45* and then do a 50, 54, 58

[JohnFP]

Whatever works for you as long as everything is probably spaced from a yardage perspective. I use Apex 19 4-PW, the PW is 43, so I picked up a 48 vokey and had it bent to 47, then a Vokey 52 and 58.  I believe the 52, 58 is a typical LPGA setup.

[MattWillGolf]

I normally go with a gap wedge that is part of my iron set. But the 51 degree wedge that is part of the Paradym X set was not working well for me. It was a quite a bit shorter than gap wedges from previous sets and it wasn’t consistent with distances. I ended up buying a Vokey SM10 50 degree wedge. It is a predictable consistent performer.

[MarvChamp]

Good topic. I use my Mizuno JPX800HD set 49 degree gap wedge MOST of the time. It has 5 degrees bounce per specs and a medium-wide sole (which I believe adds some bounce?).

I was told (perhaps wrongly) I should use it where there are firmer conditions, so I seldom use it for close chips or pitches around the greens. where there are soft conditions. (I have other, higher lofted wedges but seldom carry them, I guess b/c I don't practice enough.)

Which is maybe why my injury-prone old man handicap has gone north over the horizon.

Best wishes this Thanksgiving, Marv.

Edited Wednesday at 01:06 PM by MarvChamp
Add loft of gap wedge

[Parshooter36]

I dropped the set gap wedge this year for gapping purposes. I had an 18 yard gap between my pitching wedge and gap wedge, so I replaced my 48 degree GW with a 46 degree wedge that went with my 50°, 54°, 58° setup.

[cksurfdude]

As a GI iron player, I do play the GW that comes with the set - and funny enough it turns out to be one of the more used clubs near and around the green. 

I'm more comfortable with it on full-ish shorter approach shots, too, vs a specialty wedge. 

Currently the GW is 48° then I go to 54 - 60. Both are "GI" style wedges.

54 I've been playing for several years so have gotten accustomed to working with that loft; 60 is more my rescue type wedge for situations like deep greenside bunkers where I need the extra help from the extra loft.

[daniel__tg]

What a great topic to bring up at this time.

 

I'm currently running 4-P in my set, where the P ends at 46°, and then I go 50/54/60 with my Callaway Jaws Raw. However, I recently did a fitting and the fitter brought up a good point in that I'm rarely using the 50° for anything besides full shots and should go with the set wedge. Still haven't quite pulled the trigger on that, but it does make sense. I almost never pull my 50° unless the shot I'm going for is right in that distance range and it might make more sense to have some of the iron set's tech behind it (mainly CG placement). I also really want the new Callaway Opus Platinum wedges, and if I can save a few on a $230 wedge versus a set wedge I'm all in 

Edited Wednesday at 04:01 PM by daniel__tg
spelling is hard

[Siamese Moose]

I have done it both ways, and it mostly depends on how the gapping works out. In my last two sets (TM M3 and now Ping i530) I have found a small but significant difference in yardage between the set GW and a traditional wedge, even at the same loft. The set GW always goes a little farther. With my old M3s I used a milled grind gap wedge, as that gave me the best gappinig. Now with my i530s I use the set wedge. The SM10 wedge at the same loft is about 6-8 yards shorter, and that leaves too big a gap for my liking. However, I don't like chipping with the i530 GW, it's a little too hot for me to control the distance well. It's definitely an imperfect situation!

Edited Wednesday at 02:00 PM by Siamese Moose
spelling

[Shrek74]

I'll try and not push the usual "get fit" discussion, as at this point that's pretty much a given.

I've actually gone through this exact scenario the last 2 seasons. Last year (the last 3 years actually) I played a "specialty" GW. This season, when I got new irons I ordered the set GW.

My reasoning for ordering the set GW instead of a specialty wedge was centered around the GW being my last full swing club. I wanted to have that similar look and feel with all my full swing irons. Plus I figured it can still do it's job around the greens with bump and runs and the like since it did have a similar bounce to the outgoing specialty GW.

Has it worked? Not really. I've lost almost a full shot in my strokes gained for the short game. Granted, the GW is not the only club that contributes to that number. But what I've seen on the course tells me that it really hasn't worked the way I wanted it to. I'm getting the distance I wanted from it on those full swing shots, but nothing around the green has worked like it did with the specialty GW.

Everyone's experience will be different. Everyone's needs will be different. I'll be picking up a new specialty GW next Spring and working with both of them next year. I'm replacing my other specialty wedges as well, since they've not performed on course like my previous wedges did. Yes, plenty of this has to do with me. But I've actually put in more short game chipping work this season than I've ever done, and still got worse. So I'm going back to what I had, with their new releases in the Spring.

As far as lofts are concerned, my PW is 43.5* and set GW is 48*. I was using a 54* and 60* specialties. I'll likely change to 48*, 52*, and 56* next season. I hardly ever use my 60* except greenside bunkers. As long as I can open my 56*, I'll be fine. Plus the 52/56 combo gives me a lot more options inside 50 yds and greenside. And quite honestly, us amateurs don't really need something like a 60 as it gets us into more trouble than it's worth. At least that's what all the articles, shows, and videos talk about. And quite honesty, I agree with that, for me.

Edited Wednesday at 02:03 PM by Shrek74

[Bearlyscratch]

I think you have to think about it a bit differently. What club would you use to hit various yardages in the wedge window? I’m a scratch, but I struggled when I had 4 wedges (48/52/56/60). It can be hard to determine when to hit that soft GW 115 or a hard SW. I switched things up to 6* gaps..47/53/59. It makes the choice of what to hit much simpler. Instead of having 2 clubs to choose from on every shot, I have 1 significantly better option. It makes committing to the shot a lot easier. 
 

I would ask yourself what shots you are missing if/when you remove x wedge from the bag. It may be that you would lose shots if you dropped one…if so keep them all. It may also be better for you to get really good at hitting 1 type of shot. 56 or 60 out of bunker is no longer a binary for me. 59 is all I have (for most). What I came to find was that my 56 was a wasted club. I rarely used it, and it didn’t turn out better when I did. Think through your options like that. 
 

Without knowing you, I’d probably suggest 48-54-60. 54 is plenty of loft for most chips. 60 helps you land soft when needed. I’d practice 1/2-3/4 shots with the 48/54 more than any other club. Dialing in wedge distances is the key to becoming a decent player. 

[sman3115]

My set (Mizuno MP20MMC) doesn't have a matching GW so I originally bought a MG3 52 to match my new wedge setup and I liked it, but as other's have said, I use it only for full shots, it's more like an 11-iron for gapping purposes than a true wedge so I bought a Pro223 GW which is essentially set matching.  It's more similar to my irons in terms of feel, consistency, and turf interaction than the MG3 on full shots which is the only way I use it so that's what is in the bag.

Funny thing is I do use my PW in a variety of ways, but not my GW.  That's full shots only in the 105-115 range so it really is an "11 iron" but my PW I'll use in any fashion from full shot 120-130, punch shots, half swings, three quarter swings, pitches, bumps, all sorts of stuff.  It's probably my most versatile club in the bag.

[Bob Jerabek]

I play 5-P Mizuno MP245 irons. Since the Pitching wedge is 43* I play 48*, 54*, and 58* Vokey wedges. Gaps pretty well for me.  Never have used a set gap wedge or other wedges. Heck I can remember when a pitching wedge was 51-52*. No such thing as a lob wedge, you made due with a sand wedge @56*.

[Berg Ryman]

16 hours ago, rkj427 said:

Just curious to see what the general consensus would be on playing a Gap Wedge which came with a set of irons or using a different brand/version altogether.

Scenario: I have a couple sets of irons, all 4- Gap, and both sets have a 44 degree Pitching Wedge, and 48 degree Gap Wedge.

Would you then look for a sand and lob wedge to compliment these or would you pick something different in place of the set Gap Wedge?

I could go with another 52 degree Gap, 56 degree Sand and the possibility of a higher lofted Lob or not.

Or I could go with a 54 degree Sand and a 58 degree Sand/Lob?

Course fairway or grass conditions here usually tend to be neutral, or sometimes soft, but other times firm due to weather, but the bunkers are always towards the firm side here.

Bend your set gap to 49, increasing bounce a degree, get a 54, bend a 60 to 59 decreasing bounce... boom, now you're me in my current wedge set-up, and isn't that the goal of everyone?

Seriously though, if the 4 degree gapping works for you and makes it easy to hit every shot, I'd say stay there. Maybe look for something super versatile in grind at 56 so you feel confident opening it up to add loft if need be, or if you want to find a fifth wedge for assistance I'd say do that.

[BJacks56]

Had this exact same discussion when I got my set of JPX-923 4-GW this summer. PW- 43° and GW 48°. What I did was use the existing spread (~6°) and went with a 54° sand and a 60° lob, both used Vokey wedges. While I’m dialing in the distances no need to drop the $200 a wedge just yet. 
 

What I’ve found is I use my gap for full shots around 100 yards and pretty much exclusively my 60° around the green or bunker. Saving the 54° for the funky shots of 60 yards to 20. 
 

The 6° spread has really worked out for my swing. Now if the ball would just get in the damn hole!

[Nick_D]

I use both my set gap wedge and a 50 degree vokey. The Mizuno Pro 225 gap wedge is 49 degrees but normally my carry number with it is a full club longer than my 50 degree vokey. Might be because I don't ever really play a real full shot with the vokey, but I like to have options between the two and don't really have a need for another club at the top end of my bag. 

[slash25rc]

Currently use the Gap in my set, but looking to get fit for a new set of ZXi5s in January. Most options do not include a G wedge from Srixon, so I am not sure if I can order one--I am sure I can though. Regardless if I keep the 50 degree gap that comes with the set, backed with a 44 PW, I plan on getting new wedges alongside. In that case, I plan to have 44 PW, bend a 50 to 49, and have a 54 and bend 58 to 59 to have 5 degrees of loft difference throughout. 

[Pinetree]

I currently use and iron set gap wedge and a 54 and a 58 Cleveland wedge.  I like the looks of the iron set gap wedge and use it for full shots,  I mostly use the Cleveland wedges for chipping and usually don't use them for full shots.

Edited Wednesday at 11:07 PM by Pinetree
Updating

[Dasher9]

I play the Callaway Apex AI200 5-A.  The PW is 43, AW is 48.  Callaway Opus wedges 52, 56 & 60.  Provides better gapping.  Distance wise the AW is similar to PW 5 yrs ago.  This provides the best gapping for me as I also carry a driver, 3 wood and 19 deg UW.  Because distance wise it plays more like a PW I like the one that matches the set.  I could get an Opus 48 but when I tried that in the past with another wedge set the distance gapping wasn’t great.  I much prefer this set up.  
 

Figure where your best suited for gapping purposes.  I enlist the help of our PGA pro who is a great resource.  
 

best of Luck