Golf ScoutGolf club gapping: how do you set up your bag?
Aim for an even step between clubs, often 10 to 15 yards through the irons and wedges. Clubs much closer than about 7 yards do the same job, and gaps over about 20 yards leave shots with no full swing. You can carry 14 clubs, so a common fix is to drop a long club that overlaps and add a wedge.
What gapping means
Gapping is the distance between one club and the next. The R&A's Rules of Golf let you carry at most 14 clubs, and one is your putter, so the other 13 should each cover a different distance with no holes in between. Two clubs that go the same distance waste a slot; a big gap leaves shots you can only play with a part swing.
A worked gapping chart
Here's a typical 14-club bag for a 15 handicapper, using the distances on our chart, with the gap to the next club. It's the same set-up the club gapping calculator starts from.
| Club | Yards | Gap to next |
|---|---|---|
| Driver | 229 | 29 (big) |
| 3-wood | 200 | 12 |
| 5-wood | 188 | 14 |
| 4-hybrid | 174 | 8 |
| 5-iron | 166 | 8 |
| 6-iron | 158 | 15 |
| 7-iron | 143 | 11 |
| 8-iron | 132 | 11 |
| 9-iron | 121 | 11 |
| Pitching wedge | 110 | 12 |
| Gap wedge | 98 | 16 |
| Sand wedge | 82 | 14 |
| Lob wedge | 68 |
Typical total distance at a 15 handicap, plus a putter. "Close" is under 7 yards and "big" over 20, the calculator's starting flags.
Notice the shape: steady steps through the irons, a bigger gap of 29 yards between driver and 3 wood, and wider steps in the wedges as loft climbs.
The steps to aim for
- Irons: 3° to 4° of loft apart. Titleist's T100 irons step 3° at a time, and PING's G430 irons 3.5° to 4°. On our chart that works out at 8 to 15 yards between irons at a 15 handicap.
- Wedges: 4° to 6° apart. That's Vokey's recommendation: for example 46°, 50°, 54° and 58°.
- Woods and hybrids: by distance, not loft. Long clubs bunch up. PING added a 4 wood to its G440 MAX range to give more gapping options, and Foresight's launch tables show a slower swing's 3 iron carrying only 6 yards past its 4 iron.
How to gap your own bag
- Measure each club. Use shots on the course or on grass, not your best on the range, and the same measure for every club: total distance, or carry if that's what your launch monitor gives you. Average 10 or more shots.
- Enter them in the gapping calculator and look at the flags.
- Fix the top end. If two long clubs are within about 7 yards, keep the one you hit more consistently. The 3-iron, 4-iron and 7-wood guides compare the usual candidates.
- Fix the bottom end. Check your pitching wedge's loft: in modern sets it can be anything from 41° (PING G430) to 45° (Titleist T100). Then space your other wedges 4° to 6° apart from it. The gap wedge, sand wedge and lob wedge guides cover each one.
- Spend the 14th club where you play most shots. A common trade for club golfers is a long iron or a second fairway wood out, and a fourth wedge in.
Gapping for slower swings
With less swing speed the long clubs bunch together even more, because there isn't enough speed to launch the low-lofted ones higher and further. A common approach for women, seniors and beginners is more woods and hybrids and fewer long irons. The 7-iron swing speed guide shows how carry changes with speed through the irons.
Check it again
Distances change with new clubs, a new swing, or the seasons: cold air and soft winter ground take yards off every club. Re-check your gaps when anything changes, and don't forget the part swings with your wedges, which fill the gaps a full swing can't.
Related guides
- How far does a 7 iron go at your swing speed?
- How far should you hit a lob wedge?
- How far should you hit a sand wedge?
Sources
Golf Scout's Bag keeps how far you hit each club, and Golf Scout Pro shows your distance trends for every club, so you can see your real gaps. Get Golf Scout on the App Store, free for iPhone and Apple Watch.