what are the relative uses of the gap, lob and pitching wedges ?

Question

Are the use diferential primarily related to distance of ball from the green or other course conditions?

Answer 1

A lob wedge is usually 60 degrees, and is for hitting high shots or flop shots. You can chip with it, but it won't roll much after it hits the green. A gap wedge is built to fill the "gap" between the pitching wedge and the sand wedge. A gap wedge is usually 50 degrees, a pitching wedge is 47-48 degress, and a sand wedge is 55 degrees. All of these wedges can be used in the sand, depending upon the distance of the shot. You can also chip with any of these clubs, depending on how far you are from the hole. The more loft the club has, the less it will roll. If you are 120 yards out, a pitching wedge is a good club to use, 110-100 yards would be gap wedge distance, 75-100 for a sand wedge, 75 and down for a lob wedge.

Answer 2

Between the Pitching and Gap wedge distance is the biggest factor. The Lob wedge is a specialized club that has added functionality. Depending on the player and his ability these wedge have multiple purposes. As an approach iron A pitching wedge is used from about 115 yds. in a Gap wedge from 100 yds, in and a lob wedge from 65 yds in. as a chipping club the Lob wedge is intended to flip the ball high and land soft with minimal roll. The other two wedge are best used to bump and run the ball. Each has different values in trouble and recovery shots with the Lob wedge offering the more options, .

Answer 3

There's no rules on it. Different manufacturers are producing different all sorts of wedges. The big producers are Titleist, Cleveland, Adams and etc, each seem to have their own difference techniques and approaches.
As the names suggest, Pitching is for pitch, lob is for lob, and gap is to bridge the gap between pitching and sand wedges. Now you've not mentioned sand wedge, which invented by Gene Sarazen. He invented the bounce at the sole of the wedge to help get the club head out of the sand, as oppose to digging deep into it.
Now, the uses of these different wedges are up to players' imaginations. (knock on caddy's head's one among them). Mainly though, pitching is to pitch the ball on to the green and hitting generally around 100 yards plus and minus. Of course people like Tiger hits pitching from 180 yards down (seen him hit 196 yards from the rough with pitching: he's alien of course).
Then because of the lofts, bounces and shapes of these different wedges are different (Titleist made the shape different even with same loft but different bounce) it made for different uses (and of course Titleist can sell more different wedges to the same player).
Generally, less bounces are for tight lies, and more bounces are for sand and thick rough, that you need help to get the club head up. Then again, if you are really good at it, pitching or 9 iron can do all these, too.

Answer 4

Lob more loft,Gap between pitching and lob,Pitching most distance of the 3,

Answer 5

You can use the for tough lies, to get over a tree or bunker and shorter shots There is a difference in distance and they have different bounce. A course with hard ground you don't want a lot of bounce like you would want for one with a lot of grass and softer lies

Answer 6

there are many different uses for the wedges....but primarily from a hundred yards and in. as with all clubs they are to be used to get you as close to the flag as possible. the are extremely helpful around the green where you can encounter many different types of lies; from sand, to rough, heavy rough, hardpan......etc.

Answer 7

mainly hitting from different distances YES
but I would guess that some types of shots might also be easier to hit with one and not the other.
chips, pitches, punch, flop,etc...