Gapping
What Should My Golf Club Distance Gaps Be?
Most golfers are best served by consistent carry gaps through the set — commonly in the 10–15 yard range through the irons — with the wider gaps placed where you take the fewest full swings.
Gaps are about carry, not total
Gapping should be measured on carry distance. Total distance mixes in roll, which changes with turf, weather and trajectory, so two clubs that look separated on a scorecard can land in the same place.
Where gapping usually breaks
The two common failure points are the top of the bag and the wedges. Strong-lofted irons push the long-iron end up until a 4 hybrid and a 5 iron carry almost the same distance, while the gap between the pitching wedge and the next wedge quietly opens to 20 yards or more.
A worked example from a TruePath Verdict: a 4 hybrid carrying 201 yards above a 5 iron carrying 187 yards is a 14 yard gap — a sound step. The same bag becomes a problem when one step is 6 yards and the next is 22.
Fixing a gap without buying a set
Not every gapping problem is a purchase. Loft, lie, length and shaft changes move carry distances, and a wedge loft change is often enough. That is exactly the difference between a RECONFIGURE decision and a REPLACE decision.
Equipment implications
- Set composition at the top of the bag decides how many long-game options you actually need.
- Wedge lofts should be spaced against your pitching wedge, not chosen out of habit.
- A single loft or length change can close a gap without new equipment.
What TruePath looks at
- Carry distances for every club in your current bag
- Overlapping and oversized steps across the full set
- Loft, length and shaft options that close a gap without replacement
- How the long game, irons and wedges sit together as one system