What a gap really is
A gap is the difference in carry distance between two clubs that sit next to each other in your bag. Carry is the part you can plan around: where the ball lands. Roll depends on the fairway, the season and the shot, so it is a poor basis for club selection.
There is no single correct spacing. Golfers with more clubhead speed usually see wider natural steps between irons, and slower swings see narrower ones. What matters is whether the steps are even, and whether the distances you face most often are covered by a club you can swing normally.
Where gaps usually show up
- Between driver and the next club: often the widest step in the bag. It is also the least urgent, since you rarely need a specific number off the tee.
- At the top of the irons: long irons, hybrids and fairway woods overlap easily. Two clubs that carry within a few metres of each other are competing for one slot.
- Between the pitching wedge and sand wedge: modern pitching wedges are stronger than they used to be, which can leave a wide step into the next wedge.
- Inside the wedges: this is the range you approach greens from most often, so even spacing here is worth more than a tidy chart at the long end.
How to check your own gapping
Start with numbers you trust. A carry distance you have measured, or one you hit repeatedly to a known target, is a better input than a number you remember from a good day.
If you only know one or two clubs, estimate the rest first and refine later. If you know most of your bag, go straight to the full analysis.
- Know one club: estimate the rest from it, then check the biggest steps on the range.
- Know your wedges: check the loft and distance steps between them before buying anything.
- Know most of the bag: enter the numbers and look at gaps, overlaps and open slots together.
When a gap is worth filling
A gap is worth acting on when it sits in a range you play from regularly and you have a slot free. You may carry up to 14 clubs, so filling one gap sometimes means removing a club that overlaps with its neighbour rather than adding a new one.
A gap is worth leaving alone when it sits at the long end of the bag, when you would only face it a couple of times a round, or when a slightly softer or firmer swing with an existing club covers it well enough.