If you've encountered the term 5-AW in golf and found yourself wondering exactly what it means, you're not alone. This isn't a standard stamp you’ll find on most clubs, and its ambiguity can be confusing. However, it almost certainly points you toward a specific and incredibly useful club in your bag: the Approach Wedge. This article will clear up the mystery of the 5-AW, show you where the club fits into your set, and give you practical, coach-approved advice on how to use it to lower your scores.
Before we break down the "5-" part of the equation, let's focus on the heart of the matter: the "AW."
AW stands for Approach Wedge. You’ll also frequently see this club labeled as a Gap Wedge (or GW). These two names refer to the exact same type of club and are used interchangeably by golf club manufacturers. Its purpose is right there in the name "Gap Wedge" - it's designed to fill the yardage "gap" that often exists between a golfer's Pitching Wedge and their Sand Wedge.
For decades, a standard iron set went straight from a Pitching Wedge (PW) to a Sand Wedge (SW). However, as club technology evolved, manufacturers started making irons with stronger lofts to help golfers hit the ball farther. A modern PW might have a loft of 44-46 degrees, while a traditional SW has a loft around 56 degrees. This created a huge 10-12 degree loft difference, resulting in a significant yardage gap of 20-30 yards where many amateurs felt "in between clubs."
The Approach Wedge was created to solve this very problem. With a loft typically sitting between 48 and 52 degrees, it provides a perfect full-swing option for those awkward distances and gives golfers a more versatile tool for shots around the green.
The "5-" prefix in "5-AW" is where the confusion lies because it's not official terminology. After working with countless golfers, here are the most likely explanations for what you've seen or heard:
The most probable explanation is that "5-AW" is a simple misunderstanding of "50 AW" or "50°" stamped on a wedge. A 50-degree wedge is one of the most common lofts for an Approach Wedge or Gap Wedge. If you have a club with this marking, your mystery is solved: you're holding a 50-degree Approach Wedge. This gives you a fantastic option for full shots inside 115 yards and for controlled pitch shots around the green.
Another common scenario involves how iron sets are packaged and sold. Many game-improvement or combo iron sets are sold as a package that starts with a 5-iron and includes every club down through the Approach Wedge. For example, a set might be listed as a "5-AW" set, meaning it contains the 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 irons, plus the Pitching Wedge (PW) and Approach Wedge (AW).
In this context, "5-AW" isn't the name of a single club but rather a description of the set's composition. It's shorthand to let buyers know which irons and wedges are included in the bundle.
While less common, it's possible a specific manufacturer, past or present, used "5-AW" as a unique model identifier or part of a series number. Golf companies are always looking for ways to differentiate their products. However, even if this is the case, the critical piece of information remains the "AW." It tells you the club's function is that of a modern Approach Wedge, built to perform in the scoring zone.
No matter which scenario applies to you, the key takeaway is to stop worrying about the "5" and start focusing on understanding the role of your Approach Wedge. This club is a game-changer once you learn how to use it.
The secret to a great short game is repeatable, predictable distances. You achieve this through "loft gapping" - ensuring the difference in loft between each of your wedges is consistent. This eliminates those awkward distances and gives you a comfortable, full-swing club for more shots into the green. An ideal wedge setup has 4 to 6 degrees of loft between each club.
Your Approach Wedge sits snugly between your Pitching Wedge and Sand Wedge:
Here's an example of a perfectly gapped modern wedge set:
With this setup, a golfer has a specific club for nearly every yardage inside 120 yards, allowing them to make confident, aggressive swings instead of trying to "take something off" a PW or step on a SW.
Think of your AW as a scoring weapon. It's not about raw power, it's about precision and control. As a coach, I see players' scores drop dramatically once they master this club from three key scenarios.
This is for those distances where a PW is too much club and an SW isn’t enough. This is your AW's bread and butter.
What about when you’re 75 yards out? This is a classic "in-between" distance. Using the "clock system" with your AW is a simple and effective way to handle it.
The AW is often the most underrated chipping club. It creates less spin and more roll-out than a Sand Wedge, making it a higher-percentage choice when you have plenty of green between you and the hole.
That "5-AW" you were curious about refers to an Approach Wedge, an essential scoring club designed to perfect your distances inside 120 yards. By understanding how to gap it properly with your other wedges and mastering how to hit it from full, partial, and greenside distances, you are giving yourself a powerful tool to attack more pins and lower your scores.
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