ShotTally / Launch monitor & sim
Wedge gapping calculator
Wedge gapping starts at your pitching wedge and works down. Enter its loft and carry, pick how many wedges you want to carry, and get a recommended loft ladder with expected yardages.
How it works
The tool spaces your wedges evenly in loft between your pitching wedge and a 56–58° bottom wedge, because even loft spacing produces roughly even carry gaps. Modern strong-lofted iron sets (44–45° PWs) are exactly why gap wedges exist: going straight from a 45° PW to a 56° sand wedge leaves an 11° hole — 25+ yards of carry with nothing to fill it.
Three wedges or four?
Count the PW and it's really a 3-vs-4 wedge question. Four total (PW + 3) suits players who hit a lot of partial shots and want a dedicated lob wedge. Three total suits players who'd rather carry an extra fairway wood or hybrid — and most golfers below 10 handicap index get more strokes from the top of the bag than from a 60°. There's no wrong answer, only a gapping answer: whatever you carry, keep the loft steps even.
FAQ
What lofts should my 3 wedges be?
With a modern 45° pitching wedge, the cleanest ladder is 50°, 54°, 58°. With an older 47–48° PW, 52°/56°/60° keeps the same even spacing.
How many yards between wedges is ideal?
10–14 yards of full-swing carry. If two wedges carry within 5 yards of each other, their lofts are too close — bend one or swap it.
Do I really need a lob wedge?
Only if you play courses with short-sided misses and firm greens, or you hit a lot of 40–70 yard partials. Most mid and high handicaps score better replacing the 60° with a club that fills a bigger yardage hole.
Should wedge lofts be adjusted to my set?
Yes — always gap from your actual PW loft, not a generic chart. Manufacturers have strengthened lofts steadily; two 'pitching wedges' can differ by 4°, which is a full wedge gap.