Gap wedges and pitching wedges are two of the four main types of golf wedges. Although each wedge is slightly different in terms of form and function, all are primarily used for shorter shots within 120 yards of the green. The primary difference between a gap wedge and a pitching wedge is the loft angle of the club, which controls how far the ball flies and what types of shots can be made.
Types of Wedges
The four main types of wedges are the lob wedge, sand wedge, gap wedge and pitching wedge. As only 14 clubs are permitted in the golf bag at any one time, not all golfers will carry all four wedges.
Loft Angle
The loft angle is the angle the club face makes with a vertical line when it rests on the ground. The larger the loft angle, the higher in the air the ball tends to go when struck. A highly lofted ball tends to go a shorter distance and land more softly.
Pitching Wedge
The pitching wedge has the smallest loft angle of the four standard wedges, typically from 45 to 48 degrees. As such, the pitching wedge will usually hit the ball the farthest, about 105 yards for an average amateur golfer. The pitching wedge is primarily used to hit the ball from the fairway to the green from this distance, but it is also often used for short chip shots near to the green. In a pitch shot, a golfer takes a small backswing rather than a full swing and "pitches" the ball up to the green.
Gap Wedge
A gap wedge has a slightly larger loft angle than a pitching wedge, usually about 50 degrees, resulting in a higher-lofted ball that flies an average distance of 90 yards for an amateur golfer. The gap wedge was designed to fit into the yardage gap between the pitching wedge's 105 yards and the sand wedge's 70 yards.
Bounce
Bounce refers to the amount that a club face is lifted off the ground when the club is at rest. Gap wedges have a bounce angle of 5 to 10 degrees, while pitching wedges normally have a negligible bounce of 0 to 5 degrees. Bounce is advantageous in thick grass conditions, as it helps prevent the club face from getting caught in the long grass, but it hurts in the fairway, where a correctly swung club should take a divot from the ground rather than "bounce" off it.
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