Ever pull a club from your bag labeled AW and wonder what on earth it is and when you're supposed to use it?
You’re not alone. The Approach Wedge is one of the most misunderstood clubs in golf, yet it might be the single most important one for filling those awkward "in-between" yardages that kill scorecards. This article will explain exactly what an AW is, why it exists, and how to use it to shoot lower scores. We’ll cover everything from loft and distance to specific on-course situations where this club becomes your best friend.
First things first, let’s clear up the name. AW stands for Approach Wedge. However, golf manufacturers love to keep us guessing, so you might also see this club labeled as:
Despite the different names, they all refer to the same type of club designed for one specific job: to "bridge the gap" in loft and distance between your Pitching Wedge (PW) and your Sand Wedge (SW). Think of it as the missing piece in your scoring arsenal. It slots in perfectly to give you a full-swing option when your PW is too much club, and your SW isn’t enough.
In most modern iron sets sold today, the AW is the club that immediately follows the PW in the sequence. So, your set progression would typically look like this: 8-iron, 9-iron, Pitching Wedge (PW), Approach Wedge (AW), and then a Sand Wedge (SW), which you might have bought separately.
To really understand the value of an Approach Wedge, you have to look at how golf clubs have changed over the years. Golf companies are in a battle to sell you more distance. One of the ways they achieve this is by "strengthening" the lofts of their irons. What used to be a 7-iron loft 30 years ago might be labeled as an 8-iron or even a 9-iron today.
This has a significant knock-on effect throughout the rest of your bag, especially at the bottom end with your wedges.
Let’s look at a typical modern set of game-improvement irons:
Do you see the problem? There is a massive 10 to 12-degree loft difference between those two clubs. In golfing terms, that’s a canyon. Every 4 degrees of loft roughly translates to about 10-15 yards of distance for a full swing.
So, a 12-degree gap means you likely have a 25 to 35-yard hole in your yardage chart.
Imagine you’re standing in the middle of the fairway. The GPS on your watch says you have 110 yards to the pin.
You pull out your rangefinder to double-check. Yup, 110 yards.
You know from practice that a smooth, full swing with your Pitching Wedge flies about 125 yards. Your full Sand Wedge, on the other hand, only goes about 90 yards.
What’s the play? Do you try to take 15 yards off your full PW swing? Do you try to smash your SW and pray it gets there? Both of these are low-percentage shots. Trying to "manufacture" a shot by drastically changing your swing length or speed is a recipe for inconsistency, leading to fat shots, thin shots, and missed greens.
This is precisely where the Approach Wedge shines. It fills that gap perfectly, giving you a smooth, confident, full swing for that 110-yard shot.
The Approach Wedge is designed to sit neatly between the PW and SW. Therefore, the most common loft for an Approach Wedge is between 48 and 52 degrees. This provides a nice, even 4-6 degree progression from your PW to your AW, and then again from your AW to your SW.
A good wedge setup might look something like this:
This creates consistent, predictable yardage gaps between your scoring clubs, eliminating those awkward "in-between" distances and giving you a specific club for almost any situation inside 130 yards.
Knowing your numbers is fundamental to good coarse management. If you don't know the exact lofts of your clubs, you're just guessing. Here’s a simple, step-by-step process to get control of your short game:
When you’re done, you’ll have a clear picture of your personal yardages. For example:
Now, when you have 110 yards to the green, the decision is easy. It’s a stock AW. No more second-guessing, no more trying to invent messy half-swings under pressure.
The AW isn't just for full swings. It's one of the most versatile clubs in your bag for a variety of specialty shots. Here are the three primary situations where you should reach for it.
This is its primary job. Any time you're faced with a shot where your PW is too much and your SW is not enough, the AW becomes the default choice. Having this club allows you to make an aggressive, confident swing instead of a tentative, decelerating one. This single function will save you strokes immediately.
Sometimes you need a lower, more piercing ball flight to cut through the wind or to control your distance with a less-than-full swing. The AW is magnificent for this.
Let’s say you are _95_ yards out. That might be a full SW for you, but the wind is in your face. A high-lofted SW shot could get tossed around and come up short. Instead, you can take your AW and make a controlled three-quarter swing. The ball will come out lower, with more energy, and bore through the wind more effectively while traveling the same 95-yard distance.
Don't just think of your Sand Wedge as your only around-the-green club! The AW is a fantastic option for longer chips and pitches where you want a bit less airtime and more rollout.
It fills the chipping "gap" too, giving you a trajectory that’s right in the middle between a high, soft-landing SW shot and a low, fast-running 9-iron shot. It gives you another arrow in your quiver to handle any short-game challenge.
So, do you need an Approach Wedge? If you are a serious golfer who wants to shoot lower scores and have more confidence from 120 yards and in, the answer is a resounding yes.
The modern game, with its stronger-lofted irons, has made the yardage gap between the pitching wedge and sand wedge a real problem. The Approach Wedge is the purpose-built solution. It eliminates guesswork, gives you a go-to club for those tricky in-between distances, and adds wonderful versatility to your short game. It simplifies your decision-making, allowing you to focus on one thing: making a good, confident swing.
The Approach Wedge might have confusing names, but its purpose is beautifully simple: it's a scoring club that fills a critical yardage gap in your bag so you have the right tool for the job. Understanding its loft and exactly how far you hit it will give you a clear advantage on the course, turning those frustrating "in-between" lies into genuine birdie opportunities.
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