Golf ScoutHow far should you hit a pitching wedge?
Most male club golfers hit a full pitching wedge 100 to 120 yards. On our chart that's about 132 yards at scratch, 117 at a 10 handicap and 102 at 20. PGA Tour players carry it about 142 yards.
Wedge distances by handicap
| Club | Scratch | 5 hcp | 10 hcp | 15 hcp | 20 hcp | 28 hcp | 36 hcp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9-iron | 145 | 137 | 129 | 121 | 112 | 96 | 85 |
| Pitching wedge | 132 | 125 | 117 | 110 | 102 | 87 | 77 |
| Gap wedge | 118 | 112 | 105 | 98 | 91 | 78 | 69 |
| Sand wedge | 98 | 93 | 87 | 82 | 76 | 65 | 57 |
| Lob wedge | 82 | 77 | 73 | 68 | 63 | 54 | 48 |
Typical total distance in yards, carry plus roll, on a still day at sea level. The same figures as the club distance chart.
England Golf's iGolf gives similar ranges for male amateurs: 100 to 120 yards with a pitching wedge, 80 to 105 with a gap wedge, 70 to 95 with a sand wedge and 50 to 80 with a lob wedge. Women typically hit 15 to 25% shorter.
Full swings and part swings
The table is for full swings. Inside wedge range most shots aren't full, so it helps to know three swings per wedge: a full one, one with the hands to shoulder height, and one with the hands to hip height. Measure each one: those three swings with four wedges give you twelve distances inside 130 yards.
Mind the gaps
Modern pitching wedges are often 43° to 45°, much stronger than the 48° of older sets. If your sand wedge is 56°, that can leave a gap of 25 or 30 yards with no club for it, which is why gap wedges exist. A common set-up is wedges 4° to 6° apart, such as 46°, 50°, 54° and 58°, giving roughly 10 to 15 yards between each.
On our chart the step from pitching wedge to gap wedge at a 15 handicap is 12 yards, and from gap wedge to sand wedge 16 yards: that bigger second gap is the one many bags leave open.
How to find your real wedge distances
Hit 10 balls with each wedge and each swing length to a flag at a known distance, and note where they land and finish. Do it on grass rather than mats, which flatter strikes. Write the numbers down; it's the one part of the game where knowing the distance to within 5 yards really saves strokes.
See every club for your handicap
Related guides
- How far should you hit a 7 iron?
- How far should you hit a 3 wood, 5 wood or hybrid?
- What is the average driver distance by age?
Sources
Golf Scout keeps the distance you hit each club, and shows your distance trends for every club with Golf Scout Pro. Get Golf Scout on the App Store, free for iPhone and Apple Watch.