Even some of the most experienced golfers do not know the exact use of the wedge club in their set, labeled ‘A’ or ‘AW’.
So this guide will talk you through what the use and purpose of this wedge club are, how much loft it has, and where to fit it into your game.
Slightly confusingly, the ‘A’ in A-wedge usually means one of two things; either attack or approach.
This is because the club is ideally designed for accurate and aggressive shots for approaching, but it is praised for its versatility, fitting a lot of different situations.
This type of club can also be a source of confusion due to the immense number of names it falls under. As well as the expected ‘A’ (Attack or Approach) or ‘AW’ (Attack Wedge or Approach Wedge) the same club could be stamped as:
- G
- GW
- U
- UW
- Or just with its specific loft angle
The more likely of these alternatives that you will notice is ‘G’ or ‘GW’. The ‘G’ stands for ‘Gap’ (and ‘GW’ then being ‘Gap Wedge’) which, I believe, perfectly describes the role this club plays.
The club was designed to fit the ‘gap’ in between the uses of a Pitching Wedge (PW) and a Sand Wedge (SW).
The A-Wedge series of clubs was ultimately created because, in older sets of clubs, there was a noticeable loft gap between the Pitching Wedge and Sand Wedge, limiting adaptability for players.
This is why the A-Wedge is praised for its versatility, allowing players to carry out a variety of different shots with the niche loft this club provides, especially from within the fairway.
The much less commonly seen ‘U’ represents ‘Utility’ (and of course ‘UW’ being ‘Utility Wedge’) simply because of the unique utility this wedge club provides.
Frequent users of A-Wedge clubs describe it as easier to imagine the A-wedge clubs as an 11 iron and the Pitching wedge as a 10 iron
So what is the loft of this club and what is it best for?
What Is The Loft Of An A-Wedge Club And When Should It Be Used?
In more niche cases, the A-Wedge can range anywhere between 46 and 54 degrees, but in almost all cases an A-Wedge will fit somewhere between 50 and 52 degrees, maybe occasionally straying a little out either side.
It is very likely that a standard A-wedge club will be included with a normal set of irons.
When using the A-Wedge, it is best to differentiate the shots that you will be pulling off with it from other clubs. Sand-Wedge (SW) and Lob-Wedge (LW) are intended to be used for pulling off short-length shots in the green.
However, the wedge clubs with lesser loft, being the Pitching-Wedge (PW) or A-Wedge clubs, will be used to pull off longer distance full power, or close to pull partial power shots.
The difference between the use of an A-wedge or a Pitching-Wedge (PW) is how far you want to travel.
This is to make sure to take full advantage of the loft variety in your set of clubs, instead of having too many similar clubs.
The general rule for this is that a full power swing from an A-Wedge should carry around 10-15 yards less than an equivalent power shot from a Pitching-Wedge (PW).
If you are a low-handicap player, the best loft for an A-Wedge club would be around 50 to 52 degrees. However, if you are looking for an A-Wedge to fit within a game improvement set of clubs, then as low as 48 degrees may be preferable.
Some players actually choose against getting an A-Wedge club, instead choosing to have a lower loft throughout sections of their set and instead have a Pitching-Wedge (PW) with a slightly higher loft.
Because of this, some manufacturers do not even offer an A-Wedge option. The significance of an A-Wedge is the customizability it allows for you within your game and your set of clubs.
Should You Get An A-Wedge Club?
Most golfers find it important to have a club that fills the gap between a Pitching-Wedge and a Sand-Wedge since the loft difference is often very significant.
If there was not a need for A-Wedge clubs, they would not have been created and used so widely.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is The Loft Of A Pitching-Wedge (PW) And A Sand-Wedge (SW)?
The average loft of a Pitching-Wedge club ranged between 44 and 48 degrees. A Sand-Wedge club on the other hand ranges between 54 and 58 degrees.
This means between the two clubs there is on average a minimum of 6 degrees difference between the two.
This may seem minor, but this is just a minimum, and with even just 6 degrees difference there are a variety of situations where a loft in the void could be necessary.
What Is Loft?
In Golf, loft refers to the angle between the clubface and the ground when they are touching.
Generally speaking, the higher the loft the less distance it will travel but the higher it will go, and the lower the loft, the more distance it will travel, but it will not go as high.
Who Invented The A-Wedge?
The original wedge was patented by a man named Edwin Kerr MacClain way back in the 20s, and the A-wedge is simply a modification of his classic concept.
It was developed by leading golf manufacturers who saw the gap between wedge styles as a gap in the market.
- Should Tee Boxes Be Level? - January 23, 2024
- 3 Hybrid Distance - November 15, 2023
- Innovations in Golf Mobility: An In-depth Review of Top Golf Scooters - October 12, 2023
