Proper gapping is key to making accurate club selections and improving consistency on the course. Gapping refers to the distance between clubs in your bag, making sure there are no large or small gaps that could leave you guessing about which club to use. When properly gapped, each club serves a clear purpose, making your game more predictable and enjoyable.
1. Measure Your Current Club Distances
Before adjusting your clubs, the first step is to measure how far you hit each club. Here’s how to do that:
- Set up a time with your club, local fitter, or even better GPC, to set up a gapping session
- Preferably, use a launch monitor to get accurate data on carry distance and total distance. If you are indoors and hitting into a simulator, I would also recommend using the golf ball used on the course to get accurate spin numbers.
- Hit 3 or 4 “good” shots for each club. Hitting a club more than 10 times because of mis-strikes can mean a separate issue. The club can have a different weight, lie/loft angle or it could mean you are in need of some golf sessions.
- If a launch monitor is not available, do your best to check the landing areas using the targets available and mark your carry distances.
2. Identify and Address Gaps
After tracking your distances, look for any gaps between clubs. These gaps can differ based on how much speed is produced. For example, a slower swing speed will usually have less than 10 yards of gap between clubs so will most likely not need a full set of 14 clubs. This situation can also lead to longer clubs carrying the same distance but total distance with rollout being greater. For those who have higher swing speeds, yardage gaps can range from 15 to 20 yards. For a golfer who hits a driver about 230, you want a 10-15 yard gap between each club:
- Driver and Fairway Woods: There should be a 10-25 yard gap between your driver and 3-wood.
- Hybrids and Irons: 10-15 yard gap between each club
- Wedges: Wedges should have smaller gaps, about 10 yards, especially for short-game shots. I would recommend hitting a couple full swing shots and then ¾ shots and mark those carry distances
3. Adjust Your Bag for Better Gapping
If you spot any large gaps, here’s how to fill them:
- Adjust lofts on irons and wedges better bridge gaps.
- Add or take away long irons with hybrids if inconsistent strikes happen
- Check driver to see if distance is optimized
4. Regularly Reassess Your Gapping
Golfers’ swings change over time, so it’s important to reassess your gapping every season or when you feel a change in your game. A professional fitting can also help fine-tune your setup based on your swing characteristics. Also, practicing and hitting off of golf mats can change the characteristics of the club with regards to lie and loft so make sure to go through a gapping before each season. Proper gapping ensures that each club in your bag serves a unique purpose, making your decisions on the course more straightforward and reliable.
