Updated August 29, 2024. This article was thoroughly audited by multiple golf experts and coaches for its accuracy. You can read more about our rigorous testing protocol here.
Wedges are one of the most important components of a golfer’s bag. They play such a huge part from inside 100 yards that many golfers will carry up to four wedges in their bag during a round.
But with the pitching, gap, sand, and lob wedge, many golfers assume that there isn’t much difference between the four. And that’s one of the most terrible assumptions to make.
To cut through a crowded market, we’ve tested tens of the best gap wedges available to golfers to find the top picks to purchase in 2024.
A gap wedge provides excellent performance and is sure to help you lower your scores by tightening up your short game!
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Last updated on 2024-10-01. The links are affiliate links. Product images are served from Amazon Product Advertising API.
Table of Contents
Best Gap Wedges 2024
Titleist Vokey SM10 Wedge
Best Overall Gap Wedge
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SPECIFICATIONS
- Loft: 50°-52°
- Lie: 64°
- Shaft Length: 35.5”
- Swing Weight: D3
PROS
- Exceptional versatility with six sole grinds
- Improved spin control in varied conditions
- Lower CG placement for enhanced feel
CONS
- Steeper learning curve for less skilled players
The Titleist Vokey SM10 wedge continues the legacy of its previous models while introducing subtle yet impactful improvements.
During our testing, we found the new Spin Milled cutting process creates a sharper, more consistent groove system, resulting in improved spin control, especially in damp conditions.
Also, the advanced center of gravity placement provides a more solid feel and improved flight control compared to the SM9. We noticed this, particularly on partial shots, where the SM10 offered enhanced feedback and precision.
The six available sole grinds, a standard feature of Vokey wedges, offer exceptional versatility. The grinds were slightly more forgiving than previous Vokey models, making it easier to execute a variety of shots around the green.
While the SM10 maintains its status as a players’ wedge, the subtle refinements make it more accessible to a broader range of golfers than the SM9. However, higher handicap players may still face a learning curve.
Overall, the Vokey SM10 represents a notable evolution in Titleist’s renowned wedge line, offering enhanced performance without departing from its winning shape and style.
Read our honest Titleist Vokey SM10 Wedge Review
Cleveland CBX 4 Zipcore Wedge
Best Gap Wedges for High Handicappers
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SPECIFICATIONS
- Loft: 50°-52°
- Lie: 64°
- Shaft Length: 35.5”
- Swing Weight: D3
PROS
- Exceptional forgiveness for a cavity-back design
- Versatile sole grind for various shots
- Impressive spin control on full shots
CONS
- Less workable than blade-style wedges
The Cleveland CBX 4 Zipcore wedge builds upon its predecessor’s success, offering improved performance for game-improvement players and high handicappers.
In our testing, we found the cavity-back design provides remarkable forgiveness without sacrificing feel or control.
The Zipcore technology, now refined, enhances perimeter weighting for better stability on off-center hits compared to the CBX 3.
We noticed the Dynamic Sole grind offers more versatility, allowing for easier open-face shots while maintaining effectiveness from tight lies.
The UltiZip grooves and the new face milling pattern generated more spin on full shots, particularly in wetter conditions.
While less workable than blade-style wedges, the CBX 4 balances forgiveness and shot-making ability.
It’s an ideal choice for mid-to-high handicappers seeking confidence around the greens and consistent performance on full shots. The CBX 4 Zipcore represents a significant step forward in Cleveland’s game-improvement wedge lineup.
Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Wedge
Best Golf Wedge for Greenside Control
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SPECIFICATIONS
- Loft: 50°-52°
- Lie: 64°
- Shaft Length: 35.37”
- Swing Weight: D4
PROS
- Affordable price point for advanced wedge
- Excellent distance control on full swings
- Offers high spin rates on pitch and chip shots
CONS
- Doesn’t have full face milling for additional forgiveness
Cleveland’s outstanding RTX 6 ZipCore golf wedge provides mid handicappers with top-tier spin, clean, crisp turf interaction, and a dazzling finish that looks great in the golf bag.
What we liked best about the RTX 6 ZipCore was how easy the club is to use on the course.
By that, we mean there’s nothing this wedge can’t do, no matter what it faces. Powered by the UltiZip groove system, the RTX 6 generates premium spin control with a consistent rollout.
From the mid-range bunkers or rough, the ball comes out quickly with a lot of softness. In contrast, from the fairway or light rough, the RTX 6 provides moderate trajectory control that produces a penetrating and highly accurate flight path to the target.
Great for all golfers, the Cleveland RTX 6 Zipcore offers spin, distance, and total control for your short game.
Callaway Mack Daddy 5 JAWS Wedge
Best Gap Wedges for Mid Handicappers
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SPECIFICATIONS
- Loft: 50°-52°
- Lie: 64°
- Shaft Length: 35.5”
- Swing Weight: D0
PROS
- Multiple grind options offer a customized experience
- JAWS grooves design creates staggering spin
- Incredible versatility from any lie or situation on the course
CONS
- A bit on the pricey side, it could be too much for high and mid handicappers
The Mack Daddy 5 JAWS Wedge from Callaway delivers multiple grinds and bounce options for a customized short game experience.
Featuring the JAWS groove system, the MD5 imparts high spin rates for exceptional control around the green.
From the fairway, the MD5 delivers distance with a high launch. Along with its impressive accuracy, golfers carrying the MD5 wedge can dial in their ideal shot height.
For beginners and high handicappers, the MD5 offers excellent value with fantastic turf interaction. The wider sole moves through rough and sand easily, creating the clean contact that golfers crave.
Low handicappers will find the MD5 delivers an affordable price with high performance, making it an accessible wedge for serious players.
The Callaway Mack Daddy 5 Jaws Wedge offers something for all golfers, which will save more pars and lower your overall scores with confidence.
Read our full Callaway JAWS MD5 Wedge Review
Ping Glide 4.0 Wedge
Best Luxury Wedge for Mid Handicappers
SPECIFICATIONS
- Loft: 50°-52°
- Lie: 64°
- Shaft Length: 35.5”
- Swing Weight: D2
PROS
- Milled grooves offer jaw-dropping spin rates
- High, quick launch with plenty of spin
- Exceptional turf interaction makes wedge easy to hit
CONS
- Smaller shape can cause inconsistency for inexperienced golfers
The Ping Glide 4.0 offers experienced golfers a short-game weapon with a smaller blade that delivers accuracy and pinpoint control from around the green.
The wedge also carries razor-sharp grooves that generate a ton of spin with a high launch that lands softly on the putting surface with stopping power.
If there’s a chief complaint about the Glide 4.0 gap wedge, it centers around the size of the club head. Since most amateurs need forgiveness, the Ping wedge might not be ideal, but we feel it packs a punch and produces the spin we need to pull off par-saving shots.
Great for low-to-mid handicappers, the Ping Glide 4.0 delivers exceptional all-around performance with style to burn.
TaylorMade Milled Grind 3 Wedge
Best Gap Wedges for Turf Interaction
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SPECIFICATIONS
- Loft: 50°-62°
- Lie: 64°
- Shaft Length: 35.5”
- Swing Weight: D3
PROS
- Excellent milled club face gegnerates ton of spin
- Milling along the sole provides exceptional turf interaction
- Raw face grooves offer even more texture for spin control
CONS
- Not as forgiving as larger wedges
TaylorMade’s excellent Milled Grind 3 wedge offers the adventurous golfer many innovative features and benefits. The wedge offers a raw face design that produces much spin from the fairway and deeper rough.
The MG3 provides raised Micro Ribs between the deeper grooves to add even more rotation to the golf ball. The Ribs also help with trajectory and keep the ball on target on full-speed swings from over 80 yards.
Another advancement that TaylorMade created with the MG3 wedge is the refinement of the shape of the club head.
This wedge no longer looks bulky and chaotic, but instead, it provides the classic appearance of a top-notch short-game weapon similar to the best Vokey wedges.
While we wish the wedge were more forgiving, it’s hard to be disappointed in the exquisite all-around performance of the revamped Milled Grind 3 wedge from TaylorMade.
PXG Sugar Daddy II Wedge
Best Value Gap Wedges for Mid Handicappers
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SPECIFICATIONS
- Loft: 50°-52°
- Lie: 64°
- Shaft Length: 35.5”
- Swing Weight: D5
PROS
- Full milling offers first-rate appearance
- Exceptional finish in either Chrome or Xtreme Dark
- Two sole grinds cover all conditions and course situations
CONS
- Expensive price point deters casual golfers
The PXG Sugar Daddy II offers a dynamic combination of accuracy and short-game skill that works extremely well for low and mid handicappers.
With two different sole grinds, PXG covers the bases for anything you need from a wedge on the links.
We really love the look of this wedge. The full-face and head milling give it a sleek, razor-sharp appearance that few wedges can match. The milling along the sweet spot also produced exceptional spin rates on full swings, helping us stop shots quickly on the greens.
The wedge does come at a hefty price for casual golfers who don’t play more than once a month.
But with golf clubs, you typically get what you pay for, and that’s certainly the case with the Sugar Daddy II gap wedge, as it offers premium performance anywhere on the course.
King Cobra Wedge with Snakebite Grooves
Best Value Golf Wedge for High Handicappers
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SPECIFICATIONS
- Loft: 50°-52°
- Lie: 64°
- Shaft Length: 35.25”-35.75”
- Swing Weight: D3, D4
PROS
- Extremely affordable with price point under $100
- Full face milling with Snakebite grooves
- Thick-thin face design offers lower CG
CONS
- Best for high handicappers looking for value
The King Cobra golf wedge with Snakebite grooves offers outstanding all-around performance for less than $100.
While providing premium spin, the Cobra gap wedges also deliver full-face grooves that offer superior forgiveness than most short-game clubs at this price point.
Available in three different sole grinds, the King Cobra wedge also delivers progressive face grooves, helping the wedge generate the distance you need from the fairway without sacrificing spin.
We loved the mid-range penetrating flight this wedge produces with impressive consistency. The reliable ball flight helps you gain confidence when it comes to attacking target areas on the green.
Also, if you like collecting data on the course, the wedge comes with the Arccos sensors installed to help you track distance and accuracy.
If you are looking for a golf wedge on a budget, the King Cobra wedge provides performance without putting a dent in your wallet.
Callaway Mack Daddy CB Wedge
Best Value Gap Wedges for Beginners
SPECIFICATIONS
- Loft: 50°-52°
- Lie: 64°
- Shaft Length: 35.5”
- Swing Weight: D3
PROS
- Big cavity-back design offers high launch
- Wide sole provides superb turf interaction
- High spin face delivers solid feel and responsiveness
CONS
- Doesn’t have sophistication of forged wedges
Callaway’s easy-to-hit Mack Daddy CB wedge comes with a larger cavity-back design that provides incredible forgiveness to high handicappers and beginners.
Offering a seamless transition from super game-improvement irons, the MD CB gap wedges deliver aggressive distance that soars with a hearty slice of spin.
The wedge comes with two sole grinds that offer consistent and dependable ball flight that you can rely upon from the fairway or light rough.
With full swings, the CB delivers muscle to the golf ball for high-distance results that help you reach areas of the green that might seem just out of reach.
We really love the shape and feel of this gap wedge. It doesn’t try to hide what it’s best at. The Mack Daddy CB produces distance, spin, and forgiveness without shame, making it a great entry golf wedges for inexperienced golfers.
How We Tested the Golf Wedges
Our testing process for gap wedges begins in the lab, where we examine and evaluate each club’s specifications. This data provides a baseline for our performance expectations and helps us understand the design behind each wedge.
Next, we move to indoor testing sessions using launch monitors. Here, we gather data points on ball speed, launch angle, and spin rate for full and half shots.
We hit dozens of shots with each gap wedge, paying close attention to how the clubs perform on center and off-center strikes to gauge forgiveness and consistency.
We then move to outdoor testing on the practice green and golf course, focusing on full shots and shots around the green.
For full shots, we evaluate performance from various distances and lie conditions. Around the green, we test the wedges’ versatility by executing various shots, including chips, pitches, bunker shots, and flop shots.
We assess factors like turf interaction, trajectory control, spin, and overall feel and responsiveness at impact.
After completing all testing, our team heads back to the lab to discuss our findings. We compare notes, analyze data, and debate the merits of each wedge.
Based on this evaluation, we determine which wedges deserve awards and should be included in our final list.
How to Choose the Best Gap Wedges
Bounce
Bounce is the angle created by the leading edge of gap wedges and the lowest point of the trailing edge of the sole.
The more bounce the wedge has, the easier it is to lift the golf ball from trouble on the golf course, like sand bunkers and deep rough.
Less bounce helps on full swings from the fairway because gap wedges mimic the design of a short iron.
Sole Grind
Sole grind refers to the shape of the sole of the wedge. Every sole grind offers a different shape, usually by removing material from the surface.
Different sole grind options help golfers play anywhere from firm turf to softer sand traps. With the gap wedge, golfers typically play with a firmer sole grind to help them generate the distance and trajectory they need for the shot.
Finish
The finish of gap wedges refers to the appearance of the golf club’s head. Most wedges offer a chrome, satin, or darker, silkier finish that looks similar to the other irons in your set.
Most professional golfers play wedges with a raw finish because it imparts more spin on the golf ball through its unique texture.
Not every golfer likes the raw look, especially compared to the chrome finish of most top-tier gap wedges.
Questions & Answers
What is a gap wedge?
Gap wedges fall between a pitching and sand wedge with a loft of roughly 50-52 degrees. Most professional golfers can hit a gap wedge anywhere from 120-140 yards in distance.
Another way that it can come in handy is through short pitch and chip shots, as the loft on the face doesn’t completely lend itself to opening for a wide stance shot.
Golfers can instead use gap wedges further back in their address and hit lower shots with a healthy amount of spin that checks up on the green for more accurate short gameplay.
What is better for a beginning golfer: A sand or gap wedge?
As a beginning golfer fills out their bag, they may look to add more wedges to their club collection. Most beginners and inexperienced golfers ask themselves whether there is a difference between adding either a gap or a sand wedge.
The difference between the two wedges is primarily in distance and loft. Most gap wedges have a loft of 50-52 degrees and can be hit around 120 yards.
A sand wedge has a loft that runs anywhere from 56-to-58 degrees and can be hit comfortably around 90 to 100 yards.
For beginning golfers, buying a sand wedge first is probably more feasible as the club helps in deeper rough and, of course, bunkers.
How does a gap wedge differ from a pitching wedge?
A gap wedge is sandwiched between a pitching wedge and a sand wedge in the loft. Pitching wedges come after the 9-iron and typically have a 44-48 degree loft making them more suited for long shots from the fairway or rough.
Rarely do advanced golfers use the pitching wedge for shorter chips and pitch shots as they typically go for a club with more loft.
It is lofted from 50-52 degrees and bridges the yardage not covered between the pitching and sand wedge.
Most golfers can hit their pitching wedge 25-35 yards longer than their sand wedge, and gap wedges can divide the two and give a golfer more options in that yardage section.
How vital are sharp grooves with gap wedges?
Grooves are everything with wedges. They impart spin on the golf ball as the grooves create friction against the softer cover of the ball to create the spinning and upward trajectory off the clubface.
The reason that golfers prefer sharper grooves is that more spin equals more stopping power on the greens.
By knowing what your golf ball will do from the fairway with a specific wedge, you can dial-in distance and create the ideal shot for getting close to the cup.
A new wedge will provide the most spin to a golfer, but the grooves can become less sharp over time, requiring them to be freshened by either replacement or by sharpening the grooves.
Can I sharpen the grooves of my gap wedge to refresh their condition?
Grooves can go dull after playing with them, so golfers like to keep them sharp either with a tool that can sharpen the grooves or via a professional.
PGA Tour golfers like Tiger Woods prefer to play with new wedges at each tournament to get the advantage provided by a new wedge.
But for the average golfer who doesn’t have several hundred dollars to spend after each time they play 5-10 rounds, the ability to sharpen and maintain their wedges is essential to keeping their short game in tune.
Advanced golfers will typically change their wedges out every year, or at the very least, resharpen the grooves and replace the grip for better tackiness to the hands.