The Purpose of an Approach Wedge in Golf

The approach wedge has a loft of 50 to 54 degrees. It has more loft than a pitching wedge and less loft than a lob wedge. It is used on short shots to the green when the golfer wants to hit the ball high and land it softly.

The approach wedge can be used on shots from 50 to 80 yards. The gap wedge will help the golfer get over bunkers, water hazards and trees and is quite accurate. A well-struck approach wedge should be able to land anywhere between 10 and 15 feet from the hole and should stop quickly or even back up if the golfer follows through and puts backsping on the ball.

A gap wedge has a flat bottom, much the same way the pitching wedge has. It is unlike the sand wedge, which has a rounded bottom and will bounce off the sand and help drive the ball out of the bunker. Unlike the sand wedge, the approach wedge is made for hitting off firm surfaces or even the rough -- but not the sand