The Best Gap Wedges in 2023 – Get Closer To The Pin

Golfers today have it easier than golfers back in the day. Before, you had to choose between a sand or a pitching wedge which usually have 10+ degrees of loft between them.

There was no middle ground for delicate approaches or bump and run shots.

Nowadays gap wedges fill that loft void and offer a nice middle ground between your sand and pitching wedges. A good gap wedge will help you score lower and help get you out of tough lies successfully.

But you still have to be discerning. To help you choose the best gap wedge for your game, we have put together a list of the ten best gap wedges available in 2023. Let’s take a look!

AT A GLANCE

THE TOP 3

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Callaway Jaws Mack Daddy 5 Wedge

Best All Rounder

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Titleist Vokey SM8 Wedge

Best Premium Pick

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Taylormade Rocketbladez Wedge

Best Value Option

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#1 – Callaway Jaws Mack Daddy 5 Wedge – Best Overall

Selling Points:

  • Mild carbon steel construction
  • Grove-in-groove design
  • Multiple finish options

For gap wedges and even short irons, we really like the feel of 8620 carbon steel. It allows for a maximum amount of feedback and control – two things you want plenty of on delicate pitch shots or bump and runs.

The Callaway Jaws Mack Daddy 5 Wedge offers excellent feel in a player’s performance, tour-ready model. It’s available in W, C, low bounce W, S and X grinds all with their own loft and bounce settings. In general though, the gap wedge will be between 50 and 52 degrees.

This would be a great choice for anyone looking to score lower but don’t be fooled, this is a gap wedge for low handicappers or at least mid handicappers. It affords excellent greenside spin with the special groove-in-groove face design as well.

Pros:

  • Excellent on bump and runs
  • Great  spin control
  • Locks onto fast greens

Cons:

  • Not very forgiving
  • Launch is a bit hard to control

Overall Rating: 98/100

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#2 – Titleist Vokey SM8 Wedge – Best Premium

 3 Selling Points

  • Forward-oriented CG
  • Heat treated grooves
  • SM8 sole grind

The pitching and gap wedges are set to lofts 46-52 in the Titleist Vokey SM8 Wedges and are available in L grind, K grind, D grind, S grind, F grind and M grind. Each has their own unique advantages and will better for different players.

For example, if you tend to rotate the club face to open position the M grind might be best for you. In any case, the Titleist Vokey SM8 Wedges have spin milled grooves which allows for acute spin control. The heat treatment strengthens the grooves, allowing them to hold onto their sharp edges and depth for longer.

In general, turf interaction is very smooth with this gap wedge. You can play them from any kind of tough lies and they’re viable for bunker shots as well. These would be a great choice for anyone looking to invest in a premium gap wedge that will last for many seasons.

Pros:

  • Excellent turf interaction
  • Various sole choices
  • Great from the bunker

Cons:

  • Pricey
  • A bit heavy

Overall Rating: 97/100

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#3 – Taylormade Rocketbladez Wedge – Best Budget Choice

3 Selling Points

  • Speed Pocket
  • True Temper stiff flex shaft (stock)
  • Inverted Cone technology

Now we labeled this as the best choice for players on a budget; but this would also be a great choice for anyone who isn’t really familiar with playing a gap wedge. The Rocketbladez gap wedge is set to 50 degrees so it isn’t too hard to control.

You get a nice, controlled shot trajectory that is just enough to get the ball high in the air for players who have never even used a gap wedge before. This gap wedge also features inverted cone technology which helps with distance and accuracy on shots that make contact near the toe.

This is a very forgiving gap wedge that will help flatten the learning curve for high handicappers or anyone just learning how to play a gap wedge. And of course, as an older Taylormade model, you can find it on sale for a very reasonable price.

Pros:

  • Great for beginners and high handicappers
  • Great price
  • Produces easy launch

Cons:

  • Turf interaction is a bit clunky
  • Not very workable

Overall Rating: 94/100

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#4 – Cleveland Smart Sole G 4.0 Wedge – Best for High Handicappers

3 Selling Points

  • Cavity back design
  • Perimeter weighting
  • CNC milled grooves

The Smart Sole 4.0 gap wedge is set to 50 degrees of loft and is available with S and C grinds. These grinds are specifically beneficial for players who don’t want to worry about opening or closing up the club face. They basically allow you to simply square up to the ball and swing naturally.

The result is a straight and easy shot even from tough lies. The Smart Sole G 4.0 gap wedge is excellent for high handicappers because of this reason. It takes a lot of the guess work out of short game performance. The soles are a bit wider than normal to promote loft and ease up turf interaction.

The CNC milled grooves were a nice touch too. Our testers noted that this gap wedge was very good at holding on to fast greens. This is a very handy club to have in the bag if you are a high handicapper facing a short approach into a fast green.

Pros:

  • Easy to use
  • Forgiving
  • Makes for straight shots

Cons:

  • Workability is lacking
  • Unsatisfying sound

Overall Rating: 94/100

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#5 – Cleveland Golf- RTX ZipCore Tour Satin Wedge – Best for Mid Handicappers

3 Selling Points

  • Heat treated
  • Muscle back design
  • Low density core

The Cleveland Golf- RTX ZipCore Tour Satin gap wedge is available in 50 or 52 degrees of loft, both with a mid sole grind. This occupies a happy medium between turf interaction and swing dynamics that would be a good fit for mid handicappers.

The grooves in the face of this gap wedge are incredibly tight and they have been heat treated so they will keep their form for longer. The Cleveland Golf- RTX ZipCore Tour Satin gap wedge also has a sleek look at address that players will love.

They have a very nice feel, are viable from the bunker and are very versatile in terms of launch so they can be used on on longer fairway shots. The low density core makes this wedge light and wieldy too.

Pros:

  • Very accurate
  • Smooth feel
  • Excellent looks

Cons:

  • Launch is a bit low
  • Turf interaction is a bit chunky

Overall Rating: 92/100

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#6 – TaylorMade Golf MG2 Wedge – Best for Low Handicappers

3 Selling Points

  • Laser etched grooves
  • Milled soles
  • TPU insert

A compact head profile and a unique thin to thick design gives this gap wedge extreme control around the green. It not only launches high; it provides excellent lateral workability. In the hands of a skilled player, the TaylorMade Golf MG2 Wedge is a scoring dream.

It is incredibly versatile when you find yourself out of a direct line of sight to the pin. The TaylorMade Golf MG2 gap wedge is available in 50 or 52 degrees of loft with a milled sole grind and 9 degree bounce angle.

It also sports an 8620 mild carbon steel construction offering excellent feedback and control on short approaches. Our low handicap testers found this to be a useful wedge for short approaches and longer fairway shot. For this reason, the TaylorMade Golf MG2 gap wedge would be a great choice for low handicappers.

Pros:

  • Good vibration dampening
  • Soft feel
  • Excellent lateral workability

Cons:

  • Spin is compromised in wet conditions
  • Durability issues

Overall Rating: 96/100

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#7 – Wilson Harmonized Golf Wedges – Best for Seniors

Selling Points:

  • Optimized launch
  • Notched sole design
  • Polished finish

The Wilson Harmonized Golf Wedges are great for senior players because they produce very easy launch. The special notched sole design makes it easier to open up the club face and get optimal launch angles for shorter approaches.

You can get the Wilson Harmonized Golf gap wedge in 50 or 52 degrees with an 8 degree bounce angle. The Wilson Harmonized Golf gap wedge is also very easy to swing and surprisingly lightweight. Testers noted that it felt very balanced from backswing to follow-through and that turf interaction was smooth.

Pros:

  • Easy launch
  • Very easy to control
  • Good accuracy

Cons:

  • Glare is an issue
  • Shallow face grooves

Overall Rating: 94/100

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#8 – Cleveland Golf Women’s CBX 2 Wedge – Best for Women

Selling Points:

  • Hollow chamber design
  • Toe biased weighting
  • TPU insert

Number 8 on our list is a gap wedge that is ideal for lady golfers. The Cleveland Golf Women’s CBX 2 Wedge is a high-performance club that affords excellent spin control with the milled grooves. The grooves are very good at channeling debris and give you maximum control over your shot.

There is also a TPU insert in this gap wedge that helps dampen harsh vibration – a  great asset to have when you find yourself in a tough lie. The Cleveland Golf Women’s CBX 2 gap wedge is available in 50 or 52 degrees of loft with a V-shaped sole and 11 degree bounce angle.

The meticulous face architecture also improves consistency. The Cleveland Golf Women’s CBX 2 gap wedge was easy to hit and will help eliminate annoying variables on your approach shots.

Pros:

  • Good weight on the backswing
  • Great for chip shots
  • Quality grooves

Cons:

  • Distance is a bit hard to control
  • Poor quality stock grips

Overall Rating: 95/100

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#9 – Cleveland Golf Launcher Turbo Wedge – Most Forgiving

Selling Points:

  • Hollow body design
  • Low CG
  • Steel face

This next gap wedge is a godsend if you have trouble getting the ball airborne with your wedges. Though it’s set to 49 degrees, the enhanced sole and high-strength steel face make launch a breeze even for players who are struggling with accuracy.

The hollow construction allows the face to flex to a high degree as well. Both our high and low handicappers found value in this club. Our low handicappers were able to reach the green from further out on the fairway while our high handicap testers were able to land more greens on short approaches.

Pros:

  • Excellent launch
  • Easy distance
  • Stable feel

Cons:

  • Limited workability
  • Lacking spin control

Overall Rating: 93/100

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#10 – Ping Glide 3.0 Wedge – Best of All Time

Selling Points:

  • Wheel-cut grooves
  • High toe design
  • Increased offset

The Ping Glide 3.0 gap wedge comes in 50 or 52 degrees of loft with a Standard Sole grind. This is a very versatile type of grind that will fit a wide variety of players. It’s great if you have a moderate angle of attack and a smooth swing tempo.

The Ping Glide 3.0 Wedge offers a high degree of control and a surprising amount of offset for a gap wedge that has a player’s performance profile. This is a great gap wedge for players of all skill levels but may be best-suited to mid handicappers.

There is a fair amount of forgiveness without sacrificing any performance. Spin control could be a bit better but you will be able to control apex height, hit baby fades and draw the ball as needed with this wedge.

Pros:

  • Excellent launch control
  • Good lateral control
  • Suits many players needs

Cons:

  • Limited grind options
  • Lacking acute spin control

Overall Rating: 97/100

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Final Thoughts

There are a few gap wedges on our list that would be good for multiple categories of player. But for our money, the best overall is the Callaway Jaws Mack Daddy 5 Wedge.

The short-game control, shot versatility and feel from the carbon steel construction is a combination that can’t be beat.

Even if the Callaway Jaws Mack Daddy 5 Wedge isn’t your cup of tea we are sure you will find the gap wedge of your dreams on our list so check these wedges out today!