Opinion & Analysis
Three or Four wedges? What the Top-10 Wedge Players on the PGA Tour Use
With the development and innovation of golf equipment through the years, golfers have more options now than ever. But with more options come more decisions. In this article, I share my research on an oft-debated topic: should you use three wedges or four?
Early on, golfers did not have much choice in the wedge department. They essentially had a relatively weak-lofted pitching wedge of around 50 degrees and a sand wedge around 56 degrees. In more modern times, short game guru Dave Pelz developed a very lofted wedge to help pros attack difficult pins. He persuaded Tom Kite to the “lob wedge” in tournament play and many pros followed suit. In 1984, Karsten Solheim, the founder of Ping, brought the lob wedge to the mass market. In the quest for distance and spin control, the lofts of iron sets have slowly gotten stronger. This started in the ’90s when cavity-back irons offered newfound levels of spin and launch.
A standard pitching wedge is now normally around 45 degrees, with better players’ sets coming in at around 46-47 degrees. During the transition in the ’90s, there was an issue with club gapping, as in many cases the wedge setup was potentially 46-56-60. The 10 degrees between the pitching wedge and sand wedge is a big yardage gap, and requires lots of finesse to dial in those middle distances. As a result of this trend, the gap wedge was born to fill the void and the modern option of four wedges arrived.
Modern golf balls have also played a part, as they have further stretched the yardage gaps between clubs. With the reduced spin rates and groove restrictions, more loft is required to guarantee control and accuracy when compared directly to traditional balata balls.
Top-10 Wedge Players
Above is a list of the top-10 wedge players on the PGA Tour in 2015 based on average proximity from the hole from 50-125 yards. Their wedge setups are varied, but interestingly it’s a 50:50 split between three wedges and four.
At the top level of the game, wedge setup is likely to do with a combination of preference and gapping. Gapping plays a big part, but it’s not the be-all and end-all for pros. These guys spend many hours on the range and short game area, have great feel and most have no problems with what are know as “in-between” distances. They use loft, bounce, trajectory and spin to vary their shots routinely.
Some longer hitters use three wedges, some shorter hitters use four, and vice-versa. They use what works for them and they’ve all got one thing in common; they’ve thought about what wedge/club combination helps their scoring the most and so should you.
What’s the Best Setup for You?
Not everyone carries four wedges, and not everyone needs to. We all know the importance of wedge play: getting up-and-down results in birdies and par saves at many levels of the game. Find your yardage gaps, consider your weaknesses and then build your setup to fill in the blanks.
A good starting point is to look at the loft of your pitching wedge then choose the highest-lofted wedge that you are comfortable using. Aim to fill the space between these two clubs with Bob Vokey’s recommended 12-15 yards of gapping between the scoring clubs.
The Four-Wedge Setup
Pros: Yardage gaps are easier to reproduce with stock swings. Extra bounce options in your setup can help with awkward lies or varied turf/sand.
Cons: Shorter hitters may have bunched yardages with more wedges. Loss of a longer club can result in a yardage gap at the long end of the bag.
The Three-Wedge Setup
Pros: No gapping issues at the long end of the bag. Less confusion with wedge choice.
Cons: Larger yardage gaps, so more difficult “in-between” yardages to circumvent. Need to spend more time practicing to dial in the partial shots.
If you spend endless hours on the range and can gauge yardages with feel, then any setup will work for you. If you are a weekend warrior who doesn’t have much time to work on the “in-between” shots, then thinking about your yardage gaps and aiming for 12-15 yards of separation is a good start. The loss of a long iron, high-lofted fairway wood or hybrid and addition of a wedge isn’t always bad, as you’ll likely be hitting more wedges than long irons during a round.
One thing is for sure, however; properly gapping your wedges will help you to lower your scores by saving strokes.
Aronimink is not a storied club, but when Donald Ross himself proclaimed it to be as good as he can design and build, one had to take notice. Jay Sigel was the pre-eminent male amateur golfer from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s. He might have called any number of Philadelphia clubs home, but he chose Aronimink. It served him well. Gary Player won a PGA Championship here in 1962, and was followed by the 1993 winner … nobody. Aronimink gave that event away to Inverness, for reasons of which it is certainly not proud. So be it. We had to wait sixty-four years for the PGA to return to Newtown Square, but here we are. Aronimink has been neo-restored by Gil Hanse and team, to return Ross features with an eye toward defense against the dark arts, errrr, high-tech equipment.
Day one saw Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau dig big holes, to the tune of plus-four and plus-six, respectively. Since the first-round lead will be minus-three at worst, many shots will need to be made up for the power couple to reach contention. By nightfall, seven golfers held the day-one lead at three-under par 67. Shots and sticks caught our attention, and we are proud to present Five Things We Learned on Tech Thursday at the 2026 PGA Championship. Thanks to InsideTourGolfer, Today’s Golfer, and GolfWRX for initial equipment research.
First, meet Min Woo Lee
Min Woo Lee, aka Dr. Chipinski, has once again thrust himself into the conversation of Can he, will he, when will he? Lee has so much talent, wins not nearly as often as we believe that he should, and has no major near-misses (much less titles) on his wiki. The young Aussie is getting older and wiser, but is he able to avoid the scarring that holds the older and wiser back from breaking through? Philadelphia offers another opportunity. Min Woo signed for five birdies and two bogeys on day one, and grabbed a share of the opening-day lead at Aronimink. Winners transcend history and the moment, and Lee will need that sort of ascent to lift the Wannamaker on Sunday.
Second, meet Aldrich Potgeiter
The young South African golfer can rip driver with the best of them. Aronimink tips out at nearly 7400 yards, but beyond the fairway bunkers that ensnare only the mortals, Potgeiter can take his chances with wedge from the rough. On Thursday, he spent plenty of time in the spinach. Like Popeye, he used his muscles to gouge and thrash and dig his way out. Six birdies against three bogeys on the card brought AP in a three deep.
Third, meet Martin Kaymer
Not a major event takes place without a where’s he been throwback moment. We know that Martin Kaymer left the PGA and DP World tours for LIV golf, but the two-time (US Open and PGA) major winner has a lifetime exemption into at least one major event, and he seizes the opportunity each May. Kaymer joined the six-seven brigade with four birdies and a solitary bogey on day one. Kaymer was never a long hitter, and the years are kind to no golfer. The German champion will need to uncork every bottle of guile and strategy in his cabinet to remain in contention. For today, though, he occupies a rung on the ladder of Tour Tech.
Fourth, meet Scottie Scheffler
Let’s see, he’s the defending champion at the PGA, and he found his way back to the top tier with five birdies against two bogeys. To be a favorite and then play up to that stature and expectation is quite difficult. Just ask Rory, Bryson, and some of the other pre-tournament heartthrobs. Scheffler’s game is complete, and to knock him off the OWGR #1 pedestal, one needs to defeat him at the majors. Aronimink is the sort of course that fits Scheffler’s game. Better yet, it unfits the game of many of his challengers. Don’t expect Scheffler to go away anytime soon. Come Sunday, he’ll be around.
Fifth, meet Stephan Jaeger
Clocking in for the unheralded players shift are Ryo Hisatsune and Stephan Jaeger. Hisatsune logged seven birdies on day one, but gave most of them back with four bogeys. Still, he’s tied at the top for a time. Jaeger pitched five birdies against two bogeys, including a run of three consecutive, from holes four through six. Odds are that one of the two will hang around through 36 holes. Odds also suggest that both will be gone by Saturday evening. Still, the PGA Championship has historically been the major most likely to be won by an under-known. Both Hisatsune and Jaeger feature on that list, so good luck, lads!
On this episode of the Club Junkie Podcast, I head to the Titleist Performance Institute for a full driver fitting with the new Titleist GTS lineup. We dive into the fitting process, talk about what made the biggest difference in performance, and break down how the different GTS heads and shaft combinations compare on the launch monitor. If you are thinking about a new driver setup for this season, there is a lot to take away from this one.
I also get into Brooks Koepka and the gear setup he brought to the PGA Championship, including the putters that caught my eye during the week. There are some interesting equipment trends showing up at the highest level right now and we break down what stands out.
To wrap things up, I talk about reshafting a few wedges, what I learned during the process, and swapping an adaptor onto a new shaft for another build project in the shop. A gear packed episode from start to finish for anyone who loves golf equipment and club building.
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Excited for this week’s WITB as we get to add the new Titleist GTS woods to the bag! I was fit at Titleist’s TPI facility in Oceanside California a few weeks ago and my new clubs just showed up. I am also adding a cool set of irons that I built last year some wild custom wedges into a new golf bag. Speaking of the bag I have a new Ghost Anyday Black Ops stand bag that I will be using on my Motocaddy Remote M7 electric cart.
Driver: Titleist GTS3 (11 degrees @ 10.25)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 6s
3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD CQ-7s
5-wood: Titleist GTS (18 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 7s
9-wood: Titleist GT1 (24 degress)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 7s
Irons: Bettinardi CB24 (5-PW)
Shafts: KBS C-Taper Lite 110 stiff
Wedge: TaylorMade MG5 (50-09 SB)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT 125 Stiff
Wedge: TaylorMade MG5 (56-12 SB)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT 125 Stiff
Wedge: TaylorMade MG5 (60-08 LB)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT 125 Stiff
Putter: Dan Carraher ZT Proto
Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour
Bag: Ghost Anyday Black Ops Stand Bag
RBC Heritage Tour Report: More minis, course-specific setups, Spider & GTS launches
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Rory McIlroy’s winning WITB: 2026 Masters
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J.J. Spaun’s winning WITB: 2026 Valero Texas Open
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2026 Cadillac Championship
Aaron Rai’s winning WITB: 2026 PGA Championship
Brooks Koepka WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: Titleist GT3 (10 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D Limited 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade M2 Tour HL...
Patrick Reed WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: Titleist GT3 (9 degrees) Buy here. Shaft: Aldila Rogue Silver 130 M.S.I. 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi35 (15 degrees)...
Aaron Rai’s winning WITB: 2026 PGA Championship
Driver: TaylorMade M6 (9 degrees) Shaft: Aldilda Synergy Blue 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue...
Michael Block WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black VeloCore+ 5 X 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees @14.25) Shaft: Mitsubishi...
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kenneth
Dec 27, 2018 at 2:19 pm
PING ZING2 wedges — W/G/LS/L … set 6-9 irons… lots of hybrids and fairways. PING G2 15.5 degree driver with stock soft shaft 47″…. 😮
Tim
May 3, 2016 at 12:46 pm
More than anything, the chart tells me that Roberto Castro needs to chat with Sneds about putting.
Hawk
Apr 19, 2016 at 8:40 am
I think it boils down to if you plan to play a wedge past your Sand Wedge. Not everyone needs a 60* wedge, and reality is most probably don’t. I’ve even been told stay away from a 60* and if I wanted to play a higher lofted wedge use a 58* because they are more versatile. However; a 3 and 4 wedge setup can be the exact same with the only difference being is there a 58*/60* or not in the bag.
An old pro once told me the wedges are simple, always have them evenly gapped. To go one step further look at the gap between your 9 iron and your PW and use that gap or 1* more to space out your wedges.
BIG STU
Apr 17, 2016 at 4:34 am
Really it is a common sense approach as to what fits your game and works for you. Remember wedges are scoring clubs and not distance clubs. Personally I am a relic of the old school days when we only carried two wedges but I do carry 3 now and still use somewhat traditional lofts. I carry 48/52/57 and I have my bounces worked out for me. And yes I have seen some of these college and high school kids hit a PW 150 at sea level with a 43* PW and with delofting the face. I am a gambler but would not bet against that guy who says he hits a PW 160 or so. There are so any factors. LOL 150 for me now at sea level is my 38* 7 iron but that is ok 150 is 150
Lol!
Apr 15, 2016 at 8:06 pm
It’s a longest pitching wedge competition…
Ezra
Apr 14, 2016 at 12:26 pm
Haha very good! That player plays 46, 52, 56 and 60. Btw, have u ever tried a XE1? Is it any good?
RG
Apr 24, 2016 at 3:31 am
I got one…its a great pooper scooper.
Ezra
Apr 14, 2016 at 12:21 pm
I play 46, 50, 56, 60. But I will soon change to 46, 52, 58. Because it’s less expensive, I like to keep it simple and to play with max 12 clubs in my bags.
:-p
Apr 15, 2016 at 3:01 am
Yeah so you can spend more money on an expensive hybrid or fairway wood that costs twice as much as the extra wedge. Yeah that makes so much sense :-ppppp
:-0
Apr 15, 2016 at 8:21 am
You’re not helping!
:-ppp
Apr 15, 2016 at 10:42 pm
:-pppppp
Ezra
Apr 16, 2016 at 7:18 am
Actually I prefer to have three different Scotty Cameron putters in my bags. Just to have more options depending on the grass length, color, smell…
RG
Apr 24, 2016 at 3:21 am
Exactly, wedges are for guys trying to save pars. knock it stiff and roll the rock I say. You need versatility in your putter for those stinky greens…
Double Mocha Man
Apr 14, 2016 at 10:58 am
What about the Five – Wedge setup? I carry a 45-48-54-60-64. Almost perfect gaps from 70 yards to 130 yards. If needed, I tweak the gaps by gripping up. I prefer full swings (for consistency) to partial swings.
Double Mocha Man
Apr 14, 2016 at 10:59 am
Forgot to mention those are 15 yard gaps.
:-p
Apr 15, 2016 at 3:04 am
Those are pretty normal gaps, since your 45 is at 130, except that you have that extra 64 in it that most people wouldn’t have in this set up, they’ll do fine with the 60 and knocking it down. What do you have in the long end? Driver and 3w, then 4 hybrid? Obviously you’ve got enough distance from the looks of it
Double Mocha Man
Apr 16, 2016 at 11:12 am
I have driver, 3 wood and 21 degree hybrid. Irons start at the 5 iron. Jeez, I remember when I had 2 through 9 iron. And two wedges.
Loser Smizzle
Apr 14, 2016 at 3:32 am
It’s the Indian and not the arrows! Thank you for this article!
11thatoneguy
Apr 14, 2016 at 2:10 am
“Other Paul” I have a 1000$ dollar challenge that says, you could not hit a PW 160 yards in carry distance and in real conditions. This I would assume would be carry distance, No one cares about roll with irons. I take it you play at a higher elevation than most, I play in Montana at elevation a lot and I get a significant increase in club distances. But those numbers are hard to fathom.
Other Paul
Apr 14, 2016 at 8:54 am
I suppose i could try and make a youtube video for you next i play golf and link it here. Don’t have a round planned at the moment…
Other Paul
Apr 14, 2016 at 9:09 am
Oops. Missed a word in my reply. Ha ha. I could hit some shots at a local performance center with my phone camera. And then go out doors and stand 10 yards back from a 150 yard marker and hit shots into the center of a green. But i have no idea if i can line my phone camera up to my laser for extra evidence.
David Ober
Apr 14, 2016 at 10:36 am
You would lose that bet to soooo many people. The amount of golfers with 120+ driver swings is ridiculous nowadays. Many college teams have two or three guys that can carry driver 290 – 310. Add that kind of clubhead speed to someone who has some decent shaft lean and turns down their irons through impact, and you have a 160 carry PW. There’s a kid on my college golf team (I’m a coach) that can do that under “normal” conditions (75-85 degrees, 1000 feet above sea level), no problem.
But if by “normal conditions,” you mean “sea level at 50 degrees,” then the number of guys who can carry it 160 is much smaller! LOL!
Seriously, though, you need to watch out with bets like that on the internet nowadays….
Other Paul
Apr 14, 2016 at 2:07 pm
Shhhh. His $1000 could buy me a knew G series driver and pay for my golf for a month. I do deloft a fair bit…
Other Paul
Apr 14, 2016 at 11:19 pm
I got a little flightscope time tonight. Averaged 158 carry and 159 total with no warm up. Longest was 175 (Broke a few balls to, they ruin my average because they only go 120-130). I made a little video, and i will probably be done work early tomorrow and might get in 9 holes after work. I will take my clubs with and make a second video on the course. It appears i can line up my phone camera with my laser so i can get you some solid evidence. Cheers.
Dave r
Dec 16, 2018 at 4:26 pm
Please do .
RG
Apr 24, 2016 at 3:27 am
Ill take that challenge. And I’ll give ya 2 to 1 odds. I’ll even use my putter if you like
Matto
Apr 13, 2016 at 10:17 pm
46.52.58 at the bottom….Driver, Mini Driver, 5 Wood, 2 iron at the top. Works for me.
mhendon
Apr 13, 2016 at 8:42 pm
Hmmmm I wonder who that could have been…………..?
Mike
Apr 13, 2016 at 6:19 pm
Good article. It does come down to knowing your yardages and knowing your short game skills.
Nick, do people still use the Manx language?
Nick
Apr 14, 2016 at 4:00 am
Hi Mike, thanks for the positive comment. Manx is not widely spoken at all save for people using some old Manx sayings day to day. There is one school on the Island that teaches in Manx but think its only 2% of the population claim to be able to speak and write Manx Gaelic. You should visit, great golf and motor sport.
markhd
Apr 13, 2016 at 6:07 pm
For those of us who don’t have the luxury of tons of practice, I would suggest consistent gaps and serious attention to bounce are the best guide from PW on up. 2 degrees one way or ‘tother don’t mean diddly. And, as we get older (like me), the long end of the bag gets less important as the short game becomes more critical. Find wedges that you really love and hold them dear. FYI, mine are the (modern) traditional 46/52/56/60. (The 46 is basically a 10 iron, which I seldom use around the greens.) Other clubs and creativity come in to play from there. Thanks for reading.
golfraven
Apr 13, 2016 at 1:13 pm
I am surprised not to see any of the top 10 world ranked players on above list. Are those players without a GW really at a disadvantage? I would say that most amateurs should have a 50ish wedge to close the big gap between PW and SW unless you are skilled player and enjoy those 3/4 swings with your PW.
Other Paul
Apr 13, 2016 at 1:05 pm
So i hit it pretty far and use my wedges for these distances below. Should i add a 64° to have a club that doesnt go so far or would that be dumb? I could drop a 2 hybrid, that goes 275.
Pw full swing 160
52° 145
56 ° 130
60° 115-120
golfraven
Apr 13, 2016 at 1:17 pm
Man, you should be on tour with thise numbers.
Brian
Apr 13, 2016 at 3:39 pm
I’m skeptical of anyone that claims to hit a 60* 120 yards. Tour players only hit their lob wedge around 95 yards on a full swing…
Other Paul
Apr 13, 2016 at 7:25 pm
Flightscope says i can do it. I average 117 MPH (can get to 125). Average drive is 306. Verified with a laser. I play a draw and i do struggle with a driver. I shoot in the low 80s. If i dont lose a ball of the tee then i have a 70% chance of making par or better. Im getting into stat tracking a little. I also only pulled out my 2 hybrid once in the last 18 holes. And i used every wedge.
Philip
Apr 14, 2016 at 1:27 am
With those yardages what is your effective loft with your 60 degree? Are you using the FlightScope off of grass? Sure, I can hit my 48 degree wedge almost 200 yards, but why would I if I can also do it with a my 6i. Nothing special with the yardages – just a question of whether it makes sense from a score point of view.
Other Paul
Apr 15, 2016 at 7:58 pm
They wont let me take the flightscope outside. I have about 8° forward shaft lean. So my pw is almost an 8i.
Jack
Apr 13, 2016 at 1:21 pm
You must have insane CH speed!!! Out of interest what’s your CH speed with driver??
Big Kid
Apr 13, 2016 at 6:42 pm
I have very similar numbers. My driver CH speed is upper 120’s. Working on feeling comfortable dialing that back to lower 120’s to pick up some accuracy.
Other Paul
Apr 13, 2016 at 7:30 pm
117 average but i can reach 125 on a hot day.
michael johnson
Apr 13, 2016 at 5:15 pm
just wanted to let you know that i hit low 64 135 and would definitely recommend it.
Deano Bravo
Apr 13, 2016 at 5:15 pm
Hitting it that distance once doesn’t mean you do all the time. Its about consistent repeatable shots. I hit my PW 120m(132yds) but can hit it up to 130m(143yds) which i never do as i have no control or repeatability.
Carry distance and total distance are different numbers as well
Other Paul
Apr 13, 2016 at 7:28 pm
I have hooked my 56° SW 175. And a 9I i had to hit under a tree and i crushed it and delofted the crap out of it for a gps verified 220 to the edge of a lake. It took one bounce and then in.
Other Paul
Apr 13, 2016 at 7:34 pm
I paced 5 yards forwards of a 150 yard marker last fall and hit 10 shots with my gap wedge. I figured they would land at the front of the green. It was getting dark so i couldnt see the balls land. So i hit 10 shots. I walked up to see the results and stood in the middle with my gps. It said 144 +/- 3 yards. 8/10 were with in 3 paces. That was pretty good for me.
Teaj
Apr 14, 2016 at 5:20 pm
figure out how hard you have to swing your PW to carry 110 and repeat swing with 52, 56 and 60 and it should step down your yardages nicely. I tried the 62 for this reason but could never get convertible hitting it on full shots unless I wanted to take a beaver tail which if you de-loft as much as you say you do then I can only assume you would do the same.
Bob Jones
Apr 13, 2016 at 12:48 pm
I play an old set of Hogan irons (Apex Red Line) so my wedges set up very neatly at 48-52-56-60.
Philip
Apr 13, 2016 at 3:14 pm
I’m the same – I’ve debated going to three, but I prefer my 52 for chipping, my 56 for pitches, and my 60 for lobs. Plus, my 56 with the greater bounce compliments my lower bounce 60 when holes go from hardpan to swampland approaches during the same round.