Are gap wedges necessary?

[titaniummd]

I was just wondering if gap wedges are necessary.

I have a PW, SW (56degrees) and a LW (60 degrees).

If I am between PW and SW, I choke down on the PW by an inch.

[Cody]

I recently demo'd a set of mizuno mx-19's.

It came with pw and gw as the wedges. That was the best round of golf i've played at that course. It was all because of that damn gap wedge!

It was a perfect club to just barely swing and stick it on the green.

[cockergod]

I think it all depends on how large of a gap you want between your PW and SW. If you have a 46* PW to your 56* SW that is a huge gap. Some times you want something in between so you don't have to choke down to much or change your swing from full to 3/4 or something like that.

[bigphil]

I think it all depends on personal preference. i for one love my gap wedge! i hit my pw about 150yds +/- a couple yds, and my gap is a 52º and i hit it about 128 yds...perfect!

[Fourputt]

My PW is 45°. My SW is 56°. The gap wedge is definitely necessary, and at 50° it fits nicely in between. It's also my go-to chipping club.

[blackxpress]

It's also my go-to chipping club.

Mine too.

[joseywales]

They aren't "necessary" but they do make it a whole lot easier. They allow you to pull a club from your bag and hit it a certain distance without having to choke down or alter anything that you normally do. I think if you demoed one, you would probably buy one.

[patriots87]

Is it necessary to have a gap wedge (50 deg.), sand wedge (56 deg) and a lob wedge (60 deg.) or can manage without the lob wedge?

[patriots87]

Also I am 6'5 and have my irons at +1 inch, is it necessary or beneficial to get your wedges lengthened as well or does standard length work?

[Klean]

Also I am 6'5 and have my irons at +1 inch, is it necessary or beneficial to get your wedges lengthened as well or does standard length work?

At your height, you should definately go to a fitter. I doubt standard length clubs will work for you.

As far as gap wedges, I can't live without mine. I hit my PW about 105-115 and my GW (52deg) around 85-95. It's a perfect club for that yardage since the only other wedge I carry is a 60. And that only goes about 65yds on avg.

[lucky7]

You definetly dont need a lob wedge. I recently took my 60 out of my bag and i havent missed it. I chip with a gap or pw most of the time unless i need to flop(sw). Since u r a higher handicapper i would say to try not to use the 60. I see so many people using the 60 when they dont need to. Hit a nice bump and run and save yourself some strokes.

[joseywales]

If I was that tall (6'5), I would absolutely lengthen my gap wedge.

[FlopShotArtist]

You definetly dont need a lob wedge. I recently took my 60 out of my bag and i havent missed it. I chip with a gap or pw most of the time unless i need to flop(sw). Since u r a higher handicapper i would say to try not to use the 60. I see so many people using the 60 when they dont need to. Hit a nice bump and run and save yourself some strokes.

I'm a high handicapper (or mid, w/e you think a 16/17 is) and I always used to use a 60* even when I was a 35 handicapper, and it was the best part of my game. Anyone can use a 60*.

[lucky7]

im not saying anyone cant use a 60. What im saying is that people use their 60 too much. Its a club for hitting high shots for when u have little green to use. People, especially high handicappers, use them when they could use a lower lofted club and roll it close.

[mochila]

im not saying anyone cant use a 60. What im saying is that people use their 60 too much. Its a club for hitting high shots for when u have little green to use. People, especially high handicappers, use them when they could use a lower lofted club and roll it close.

word-----

[ds91b]

Agree about when to use a 60....I've got a 50 that matches my cavity irons and a 54 and 60 that are traditional wedges. I use the 50 for full swings and the bump and runs, and use the others around the green. Just have more confidence with the matched GW from longer range.

[joshtpa]

You definetly dont need a lob wedge. I recently took my 60 out of my bag and i havent missed it. I chip with a gap or pw most of the time unless i need to flop(sw). Since u r a higher handicapper i would say to try not to use the 60. I see so many people using the 60 when they dont need to. Hit a nice bump and run and save yourself some strokes.

Im not sure I agree with that completely. I play a 54 degree and a 60 degree. The 60 degree wedge comes into play a lot in my game. When I am 75 yards away, it is the perfect distance for me to take a full swing.

Its all about what you are comfortable with. Some, like me, like to use their LW in different situations. Others like to pitch the ball.

[CG031]

I don't believe so. I have a big gap in my clubs, it goes PW (47 degrees) to 56 degrees...I have pretty good precision in my wedge game, so I can hit the 47 real soft, and choke up, or hit the 56 hard...it doesn't really matter. I will probably eventually go with a 54/60 combo, just to ease the gap a little.