Why is there no gap wedge in many issued iron sets?

[MattM97]

A lot of those better players sets that don't come with a gap wedge some players even ditch the PW for a specialty wedge. I'm sure OEM's realized not enough people are buying the GW in those sets and saw no need for them along with everything listed above. All of those set that do most people buying them don't really know gapping, the difference they just see a similar iron and buy it cause it's there. 

[Grizzly92]

1 hour ago, Foxx said:

 

Perhaps I'm wrong to a degree then. But seems like every set I'm interested in over the last 5 years hasn't had one available.

Just today I looked up the Titleist 620 CB, and it didn't. Which it really should being a cavity back.

These are barely more forgiving than blades, so no it shouldn't come with an "attack wedge" lol

[Bad9]

3 hours ago, North Butte said:

Define "lots". Outside of super player-ish blades and such, seems like almost every brand has one or more "GW" or "AW" or "UW" or similar clubs beyond the PW in their iron sets. 

Many sets in the last 5yrs have two gap wedges.

[Philpug]

Lookig at the Cobra sets, you can get 4-PW or 5-GW, the better players will start at a 4 because they tend to be more particular in whay want with wedges, mid handicaps, like me, I went with 5-GW then added a 54* and 58* 

[Frank Newport]

2 hours ago, Foxx said:

 

Perhaps I'm wrong to a degree then. But seems like every set I'm interested in over the last 5 years hasn't had one available.

Just today I looked up the Titleist 620 CB, and it didn't. Which it really should being a cavity back.

Perhaps

[Frank Newport]

2 hours ago, Foxx said:

 

Perhaps I'm wrong to a degree then. But seems like every set I'm interested in over the last 5 years hasn't had one available.

Just today I looked up the Titleist 620 CB, and it didn't. Which it really should being a cavity back.

Perhaps

[Lftygolfnut]

I see many sets come with gap wedges. Probably more than ever before. Even many players irons have them available. TaylorMade P770, T100/150, Wilson staff CB, ZX7/ZX5, Mizuno MP/JPX line except blades, Callaway CB’s, PXG. Probably even more I’m not listing. 
 

my biggest gripe is some are more limited in LH. I’d love to play ZX5 but won’t without a set gap wedge. I want a similar club for that 120-135yd distance. 

[North Butte]

1 hour ago, Lftygolfnut said:

I see many sets come with gap wedges. Probably more than ever before. Even many players irons have them available. TaylorMade P770, T100/150, Wilson staff CB, ZX7/ZX5, Mizuno MP/JPX line except blades, Callaway CB’s, PXG. Probably even more I’m not listing. 
 

my biggest gripe is some are more limited in LH. I’d love to play ZX5 but won’t without a set gap wedge. I want a similar club for that 120-135yd distance. 

My biggest gripe is knowing you need a gap wedge to cover 130 yards. 🤢They ain't ever gonna "jack" the lofts enough for my 130 club not to have a number on the sole instead of a "W"...

[Lftygolfnut]

45 minutes ago, North Butte said:

My biggest gripe is knowing you need a gap wedge to cover 130 yards. 🤢They ain't ever gonna "jack" the lofts enough for my 130 club not to have a number on the sole instead of a "W"...

Initially thought this was some sarcasm but those player distance irons like the ZX5 or T200’s are hot. I probably wouldn’t be able to get that kind of distance out of a bladed gap wedge.

Edited May 23 by Lftygolfnut

[North Butte]

19 minutes ago, Lftygolfnut said:

Initially thought this was some sarcasm but those player distance irons like the ZX5 or T200’s are hot. I probably wouldn’t be able to get that kind of distance out of a bladed gap wedge.

I'm just poking fun at my own limitations. 120-135 is a solid 8-iron for me and even when I was younger a GW was never much more than a 100-yard club for me. 

 

Back in the day I had Titleist DCI's with a 49-degree PW and that was dead-on my 100 yard club. Today the hot-faced clubs have just about kept pace with my slower speed and it's still about 100 yards for a 48-degree T300 set wedge. 

[scooterhd2]

OEMs produce a GW for like 90% of their sets. The ones that do not are often players clubs, with PWs higher then 47 degrees. At that point there is little reason for a set GW at 50-52 degrees. The players interested in those clubs are going to likely prefer one of the hundreds of other specialist wedges with different grinds and bounces then the one standard GW that would come with the set. That player is also more likely to want to 3 and/or 4 iron over the GW so its not like they are getting shorted a club here. The GI irons are 5-GW and the players are 4-PW. Whats the problem? 

[Chunkitgood]

When I bought a 50 degree wedge to go with my 46 degree gap wedge, it cost twice as much as the individual irons in the set.

[AzRoger]

Someone I play with just picked up a new set of Ping G430 irons, was really surprised to see a separate G430 45 degree wedge in his bag which also included a PW. Didn't realize Ping was making such a strong PW (41 degree) in this set. I know all the manufacturers do it but a 41 degree PW seems over the top to me, wonder when it all stops, will probably have a PW in the upper 30's in future sets. My original Pine Eye 2's from years ago had a 50 degree PW.

[North Butte]

5 minutes ago, Chunkitgood said:

When I bought a 50 degree wedge to go with my 46 degree gap wedge, it cost twice as much as the individual irons in the set.

I remember 10-15 years ago that usually seemed to be the case. But now if you buy a set of, let's say, T200 or T300 irons adding an additional "set" wedge costs $200 while a Vokey SM11 in the same loft is $190. It's pretty much gotten to where the cost is equivalent or in some cases the specialist wedge is a relative bargain (if you can call $190 a "bargain"). 

[MN Moose]

46 minutes ago, Chunkitgood said:

When I bought a 50 degree wedge to go with my 46 degree gap wedge, it cost twice as much as the individual irons in the set.

46* gap wedge? 🤯

[lil'mike]

8 hours ago, Ger21 said:

25 years ago, very few people used a GW between a 47° PW and 56° SW.

 

Right now I go from a 46 deg wedge to a 56 deg wedge!

 

[L Big]

I think it's possible that if someone is doing online shopping, typically a set of irons will be offered down through the PW. Most often you would order the GW or SW or LW as extra clubs on top of the set's price. There are several configurations now that start with a 5 iron and do include a GW in the set's price, making it necessary to add only a SW and/or LW and maybe a 4 hybrid, etc. But I think it has been very conventional for golfers to purchase a set of irons and then continue using their existing wedge line up or buy other wedges from either Vokey or Cleveland or whatever. But I believe it has been convention to buy wedges that had been designed specifically as stand-alone wedges.

 

Most recently I was fortunate to try a GW I ordered together with a set of JPX irons and it has been fantastic. It was my favorite club in the set. I liked it so much I purchased the SW and LW and received them this past weekend. I'm not sure if I got lucky, or if I have been missing out on great values for years by not using the wedge lineup from within a set. But extremely happy now. So, to the OP, I think it's a fair point to bring up because typically the GW and SW are not part of the set's retail price. But to those that replied, yes, in most instances those clubs are usually offered as additional clubs in the order.

Edited May 23 by L Big

[Dunny51]

Takomo doesn’t offer a set GW, and it’s hard to find a ZX5 GW in steel shafts. I currently like my 54, 58 wedge setup so a set GW is a must for me. I think it’s also harder to find used clubs with a set GW as most prefer specialty wedges.

[HeftyLefty5]

It’s a weird spot in the golf world where PW and GW depending on the set are the same club. Beings I play 5 wedges total I guess I’m part of the problem lol

[petep5280]

I'm not a loft snob, but I expect many game improvement sets are offering GWs with the same lofts as PW. 

[golfschnell]

There are exceptions, one that comes to mind for me recently is the Callaway Japan X forged star which comes with a 43 degree pitching wedge, which to my 60 year old brain is a 9 iron. I thought about ordering a set of these cuz they are Callaways best looking iron but they don’t offer a gap wedge. My game ain’t what it used to be, but I still hover around 5 index. Even when I was scratch or better I always preferred the set pw (then about 48 degrees) over a vokey or other wedge. This particular example does seem baffling to me.

[ProV1Killa]

15 hours ago, Ger21 said:

25 years ago, very few people used a GW between a 47° PW and 56° SW

A couple of my older sets of blades have 9 irons that are 47*.

['Noles2013]

On 5/23/2024 at 7:30 AM, Foxx said:

 

Plenty of mid handicappers iron sets don't.

Like which ones?  Virtually every “mid handicapper and up” iron set has GW as an option.  Hell the Titleist T100 offers a GW.  

Edited May 25 by 'Noles2013

['Noles2013]

On 5/23/2024 at 6:55 AM, Foxx said:

 

So plenty dont then.

What you don’t you comprehend?  None of those listed are going to be ideal for a mid-handicapper.  

['Noles2013]

On 5/23/2024 at 7:58 AM, Foxx said:

 

Perhaps I'm wrong to a degree then. But seems like every set I'm interested in over the last 5 years hasn't had one available.

Just today I looked up the Titleist 620 CB, and it didn't. Which it really should being a cavity back.

Lol alot of tour players use those irons.  They aren’t for a mid-handicapper.  

Edited May 25 by 'Noles2013

[billyspan]

I have stuck with Callaway MBs for this reason.  I love the set "A iron" vs a specialty 50* or 52* wedge.  First had them in the 2018 Apex MB and currently in the 2021 Apex MB.  All irons bent 1* weak, so 51*.

 

The 2024 Apex MB set comes with a 10 and 11 iron (P & A / 46* & 50*)

 

I do wish the Titleist and Mizuno "players" irons would include an AW/GW/11 iron!  I have a MacGregor PW from the late 70s....50*

[Mikeflj]

I play Zx7 I know they make a gap wedge but it is a blade not a CB so not at all like the rest of the set. I use a Cleveland RTX 50 but I would definitely use the gap if it was the same as the rest of the set.

[North Butte]

I think this topic originates from some series of Internet memes run amuck. Start by doing the "There's no reason a 12hcp shouldn't be playing blades" one. Thereby redefining "mid-handicapper irons" as the ones Tour players use. Then complain at the "mid-handicapper irons" (supposedly) don't have gap wedges. From there we're fully into yet another tired "loft jacking" complaint from the Grandpa Simpsons. 

 

In fact, almost every set of irons marketed to actual mid-handicappers includes a gap wedge (whether it's called that or not) and in fact most sets in retails stores have one right off the rack. There do seem to be a few exceptions, but mostly from brands I've never heard of. 

[CDLgolf]

Maybe it's all about selling more clubs. They sell you 4 thru pw and the loft of the 4 is 19* and the 5 is 22*. You can't hit the 4 or 5 so you put them in the closet and buy a hybrid or 2. 

On the bottom end your pw is 44* so now you need to buy a 48* & 52*, to go with your 56 and 60.  So after you buy your set of irons you need to buy 3 or 4 more clubs to fill in the gaps.

[TwistedSister]

On 5/23/2024 at 7:30 AM, Foxx said:

 

Almost every GI does. But mid-handicappers irons upwards, plenty don't.

 

Srixon does not offer it for ANY lefty setup!