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Match up ones gap wedge to the irons or the wedges?

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smgoldstein

smgoldstein

2022 Goat Cupper
Albatross 2024 Club
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So I have a 50 degree gap wedge that is part of my Epon iron set. I carry 54 and 58 degree Cleveland RX4 wedges a well. I also have a 50 degree RX4. I keep on going back and forth of which gap wedge to put in the bag. Match up the irons or match up the wedges? First world problems.
 
I never got along with my GW from my set. I never seem to be able to control the distance. I went with 50* SM7 and now have a 49* SM8. I feel like my distance control is much better and I also have more versatility which chips and pitches.
 
Match up the wedges.
 
Mines 49* and from the set. I use it for 90% of my wedge shots. The only time I don’t is out of greenside bunkers or if I’m extremely short sided.

I also use it for full shots. I like it a lot more than a true wedge for full shots.
 
Matched up my wedges with my last 2 iron sets because no GW available with sets. Prior to that I preferred a set GW. Have changed my mind going forward now. Non-set wedge adds more versatility IMO.
 
For me it depends on how I use it. My AW has historically been a full swing club, so I tend to stick with set AW. I have played some specialty wedges in that spot too, but the Apex Pro AW is so versatile, I don’t need one there.
 
match with wedges
pw is the only wedge ill match with irons
 
I’m rolling with my set gap wedge. I play one length, and it works for me better than a “real” wedge. The only one I use that isn’t part of the set is a Tour Edge One Out +, and I only use it out of bunkers. I’d like to get a one length sand wedge, but they’re still too pricey for my liking.
 
I think it depends upon the intended use, as well as the iron set. My gap wedge is primarily used for full swings. I hardly ever use it around the greens. So, the most important factor for me is that it gaps well on full swings as the next club in the progression from my pw. I use my other two specialty wedges for almost all of the partial shots and greenside work. For this reason, I am going to pick a gap wedge that on full swings, is 10 to 15 yards shorter than the pw. Sometimes the set gw is exactly what I need. However, some of the set gap wedges don’t fly as far as they should, relative to the pw. This has been particularly true for me with the Cobra Forged Tecs that I have played for most of the year. Thus, a specialty wedge actually fit my purpose better, even though it doesn’t seem like it would intuitively.
 
I prefer the set because I tend to play it more like an 11i and use other wedges around the green.
 
Which ever one fills the right distance gap and feels the best for you. Who cares if it matches your irons? It all about filling the correct distance gap.
 
For me it depends on the set a lot. How versatile is the set of irons? Big game improvement heads are fine for full swings, but for me they are very awkward around the green and prone to chunks and thins. I guess this comes down to what you're playing and how you use it.
 
I don't go with the set gap/approach wedge, my 50* is my Swiss Army Knife, I use it for all kinds of shots, and the Cleveland CBX2 works really well everywhere I need it.
 
I've gone both directions. Ive played with both specialty pitching and gap wedges and I've played with set pitching and gap wedges.

Right now I like having the iron set matching gap wedge even though I play MBs. I think they play better with fuller swings. I also like that they spin a little less, but still enough from the rough. Gapping seems better as well.

For me it also turns my chipping with lower lofted clubs into a more consistent bump and run. Though I will recognize that the soles aren't as forgiving if I used a specialty wedge.

I have thought about combining my gap and Pitching wedge into one specialty wedge and go with a 3 wedge setup, but unless I continue to play long courses where I need that additional firepower up top, I like having that good gapping for my approaches into the green.
 
I currently have the set GW. It does the job, but it will get replaced with a Ping Glide at some point to match my SW.
 
I'm currently a set GW player.
 
Match up to the wedges
 
Of the two, you should play the one that works better for you.

I make more full swings than partials with my gap wedge, so I've matched the set on my last three iron sets. Works well on full and partial shots. And with all three iron sets, if you asked me which shot I felt most comfortable standing over, it would be a 100-105 yard shot - a full gap wedge for me.
 
I went away from my set GW shortly after the original Cleveland CBX wedges came out. I'm still gaming those same irons, Cobra KING F6. Cobra designed that set to progress from a game improvement cavity back PW to a traditional muscle back GW. Never was quite as good with that set GW as I thought I should be so the CBX pitch made sense. Data from my "approach" spreadsheet suggests I made the correct move however I've also continued a focus on improving my wedge game the past few years so that should also be contributing to the spreadsheet differences I'm seeing. For me, that data seems sufficient to stick with a cavity back wedge setup.

Set GW was 50* Cobra KING F6 (n=244 attempts) / Replacement GW is 48* Cleveland CBX (n=495 attempts)
APPROACHES TO GREEN (not greenside chips etc...) - set wedge was 70.90% successful at being on green / CBX wedge is 74.14% successful
UP DOWN (after missing a green with given club) - I was 28.17% successful following set wedge approach / I am 28.13% successful following CBX wedge
AVERAGE ADDITIONAL SHOTS REQUIRED TO HOLE (following attempt with each club) - 2.303 strokes following set wedge / 2.176 following CBX wedge
 
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I'm a big fan of the wedge that matches the set.

It gives you a better option for full shots and something easier to not on tight lies around the greens.
 
I have both lol. My AP1 set has a W at 48 and I have 52, 56, and 60 in my wedges. If I had weaker lofts in my iron set and had to choose I would probably pick a gap wedge that matched my iron set as I use it almost exclusively for full shots and like the forgiveness of my irons. The Cleveland CBX2 would probably be the best option there.
 
I echo some of the responses so far. I think it depends on use, your game, and the irons you play. A lot of GI set gappers are clunky. I'd go with a cbx there, and I love the Glide 3.0's for slightly less large players distance type sets. Like I'd play a glide with the Forged Tec, I play the set GW with my Apex Pros because it's brilliant, I play a Vokey F with my blades and Honma CB's, and I'm still deciding between the set gap and and a Vokey with my T100S. You want it to gap well and fit what you use it for. There are better clubs for each depending on what those uses are.
 
When I bought my Pings, I got the matching GW / UW to the irons. The added a CBX2 at 54. That setup has treated me well.

now that I’m about to get a bag of Hogans, I’m going to transition to the Equalizer wedge at 50*, so the opposite thinking. One more interesting thing to talk about after the Experience.
 
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