Men and women golfers alike should be aware of the importance of having a wedge (or four) in their bags. Granted, some women will feel comfortable playing with men’s clubs, and vice versa, but it’s a rare enough occasion that a manufacturer will have a line specifically dedicated to women, so when they do it’s worth checking out, at least. The question then is – how to choose the best women’s gap wedge?
Swing Weight
Well, there are two things to keep in mind here – one, women are on average shorter than men and, two, the average woman has less upper body strength than the average men. Again, the caveat we mentioned above applies, but we’re talking in general here. Case in point – the average swing weight for men is D2–D5, while for women it’s more around C4 to D0 at the best (for those not in the know, the range goes from A0 to F9, from the lightest to the heaviest).
The top rated women’s gap wedges pretty much correlate to the top rated men’s wedges, in that their primary purpose is to bridge the gap between your pitching and sand wedges. With this in mind, picking the right loft will depend on your bag configuration, but you’ll still be keeping it between 50 and 53 degrees.
Shaft Length
Here’s where things get interesting – seeing as women are, on average, shorter than men, you’ll need shorter shafts. If you feel more comfortable with a man’s shaft, all the more power to you!
On a similar note, ladies’ clubs (wedges included) should pack more weight in the head while remaining lighter overall (helps with the swing), so you’ll want a low-CG head coupled with a graphite shaft. Also, you can expect the grips to be smaller and shorter (diameter and length, respectively) than men’s, again to compensate for the shorter stature and smaller hands.
How do You Use a Women’s Gap Wedge?
As to how to play the women’s gap wedge, there isn’t a certain way to do it. Whether you use it for little chip shots or pitches of around 80–90 yards, it’s more of a matter of personal preference than anything else. Again, there’s not a particular way to play the women’s approach wedge, but you might find out it fits into your bag in a particular way.
Women’s Gap Wedge Comparison Table
| Image | Name |
Pros |
Cons | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Cleveland Women’s RTX-3 CB Tour Satin
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Cleveland Women’s 588 RTX CB 2.0 Black Satin |
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Ping G Le |
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Cobra Women’s Max |
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Pinemeadow Wedge |
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Wilson Golf Ladies’ Harmonized Hope SG Chrome Wedge |
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Tour Edge Lady Edge |
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The 7 Best Gap Wedge for Women Reviews
To save you the trouble of digging around the internet and asking questions to retailers, we did the legwork for you (sometimes literally) and came up with a list of the 7 most popular women’s gap wedges.
1. Cleveland Women’s RTX-3 CB Tour Satin
Our Rating:
The Cleveland Women’s RTX CB (Tour Satin) is one of the most popular ladies’ gap wedges, and with good reason. The CG on these wedges has been shifted slightly lower and to the center of the face, which gives you just enough additional distance control, as well as forgiveness on off-centre shots.
Plus, the grooves have been somewhat redesigned compared to the previous clubs so you have more control on the spin. There are two standard lofts available – 50 and 52, as well as a nice and versatile medium bounce (10 degrees), so the wedges play nice both on soft and firm turf.
You can even play it from white and/or packed sand if you choke it up a bit and open up the face. If you’re on the hunt for the best gap wedge, you should definitely check this one out.
Pros
- Quite lightweight with a shortened hosel
- Wonderful sweet spot
- New and improved grooves for more spin
- The 52 is available for both right- and left-handed players
Cons
- Would be nicer if it had more bounce options
2. Cleveland Women’s 588 RTX CB 2.0 Black Satin
Our Rating:
The Cleveland Women’s 588 CB 2.0 (Black Satin) is another great option from Cleveland, intended for those trying to find the best ladies’ gap wedge.
Obviously, it’s a new gen of the 588 Rotex. One of the most striking differences is that it’s slightly larger around the toe, and there’s one extra groove. This allows for a bit more weight in the head and plenty more spin, respectively.
It comes with the standard loft/bounce selection – 50.10 and 52.10, which is great for a whole array of shots around the green, from low runners to soft flop shots.
Pros
- Very forgiving on off-centre shots
- Lightweight, plenty soft
- The grind allows you to open up the face for tight lies
Cons
- Would be nice if the grind selection were a bit bigger
3. Ping G Le
Our Rating:
The Ping G Le gap wedge (they label it as the UW or Utility Wedge) comes with a whole set of clubs which includes 4–6 hybrids and 5–9 irons, plus a PW (45), SW (58) and, of course, the UW (52).
It comes with a high bounce angle, which is great if you’re a digger. Granted, the shafts are steel rather than graphite, which makes them a bit on the heavy side, but this is optimized by adding perimeter weighting, which helps lower the CG and maximize forgiveness.
Pros
- Comes within a full set of hybrids/irons (11-piece)
- Very forgiving on mishits
- Fairly lightweight, with a lower center of mass
- It’s slightly offset (0.11″), which helps with squaring the clubface and getting lift
- Great for high and mid handicappers
Cons
- Would be nicer if they added the 50
4. Cobra Women’s Max
Our Rating:
The Cobra Women’s Max is a great choice if you’re looking for a ready-made bag, but if you want to make your own configuration, this may not be the thing for you.
On the flipside, you do get a 3-wedge set – PW, GW, and SW, sans LW, with a 5-degree gap between them (45, 50 and 55).
The gap wedge is slightly offset (0.039″), which goes a long way to helping you square the face and get a good lift on the ball.
Pros
- Comes with a full set of clubs (12-piece combo set)
- Very forgiving on mishits thanks to its low CG
- Great for high handicappers
- You can square the clubface more easily thanks to the offset design
Cons
- It would be nice if they included the 52 for more variety
5. Pinemeadow Wedge
Our Rating:
Pinemeadow is definitely one of the most accommodating club-makers out there, and their approach wedge definitely makes the cut for the best women’s approach wedge.
Granted, the fact that you only have the 52 available is a minor gripe, since it limits you to a 46–52–58 configuration, at best.
One of its major selling points is definitely the affordability, so if you’re looking for a budget-friendly women’s gap wedge, you might want to check out this puppy.
Pros
- Available for both left- and right-handers
- Inexpensive (very much so)
- Large profile instils confidence on address
- Generates a decent amount of spin (there’s room for improvement, though)
Cons
- Would be nice if it had more loft and bounce options
- The finish comes off fairly quickly
6. Wilson Golf Ladies’ Harmonized Hope SG Chrome Wedge
Our Rating:
The Wilson Golf Ladies’ Harmonized Hope SG Chrome may not be the most popular women’s gap wedge out there, but it has definitely earned its place on our list of best gap wedges for women.
Granted, it would be nice if there were more loft options besides the 52 (plus the 56 Sand Wedge and the 60 Lob Wedge, sans a Pitching Wedge), but it’s only a minor gripe. If you’re the type of player who prefers steel of graphite shafts, this should be right up your alley.
Pros
- Nice, solid feel
- Inexpensive
- Large profile, easy to hit
Cons
- More loft options would be nice
7. Tour Edge Lady Edge
Our Rating:
The Tour Edge Lady Edge is a full set of clubs that includes a 50-degree approach wedge (though they label it as the PW, on account that the 9-iron has a 45-degree loft). You can get either the 7-piece Starter Set, or the 10-piece Full Set. There’s also a third option, the Combo Iron Set, if you can do without the woods.
The wedge (and the entire set, for that matter) comes with a graphite shaft and a fairly large face profile. Plus, the CG has been shifted slightly lower and to the back, which gives you plenty of forgiveness and higher launch, respectively.
Pros
- Also available in petite length (full inch shorter)
- Low CG, good forgiveness
- Comes with a full set of clubs
- Available in four distinct flavours (Black, Teal, Lime, and Plum)
Cons
- Doesn’t include the 52
Conclusion
On a balance, making a recommendation for the best women’s gap wedge is a particularly touchy subject, seeing as not every golfer will have the same style of play. As they say, one woman’s approach wedge is another woman’s pitching wedge. One thing remains the same, though – you can’t choose one without taking the other into consideration.
Moreover, there are women players that might prefer men’s set-up, as well as vice versa, which makes the thing all the more complicated. However, there’s an easy way out – go for the club that feels the best in your hands. Instead of chasing the number (50 vs. 52 degrees), see which one does the best job of covering the yardage gap between your pitching and sand wedge, and take it. Now get out there and hit ‘em straight!
