Which club should you choose for your introduction to golf? The 2026 guide to help you decide.
For an approach shot in golf, the choice of club depends primarily on the remaining distance and the required trajectory height: an 8- or 9-iron or a pitching wedge for a low, rolling approach shot, a gap wedge for medium distances, and a sand wedge or lob wedge when the ball needs to be launched quickly over an obstacle. The golden rule remains to always prioritize the simplest shot possible.
Expert advice: Focus on the three-club rule (pitching wedge, sand wedge, 9 iron) at the practice range before applying it to the course: it simplifies the vast majority of approach decisions.
Table of Contents - Which club should you choose for your introduction to golf? The 2026 guide to help you decide.
Why the choice of club changes everything around the green
On the driving range, as well as on the 9-hole Belvédère course, we see it every week with the students of the Golf School: the majority of missed approach shots don't stem from a bad swing, but from the wrong club. A player who pulls out a lob wedge when a simple 9-iron would suffice unnecessarily complicates a shot that should be elementary. Conversely, a club that's too closed on an approach shot that requires height sends the ball straight into the hazard.
Choosing the right club simplifies the shot even before you think about technique. It improves consistency of contact, makes distances more predictable, and reduces the number of wasted strokes around the green—often the area where the score of an entire round is determined. To learn more about all types of approach shots, our A complete guide to golf approaches details each situation in depth.
This is also the area where the gap between two skill levels widens most quickly: a player who misses the fairway can often recover, but a poor club choice 40 meters from the flag almost always results in an extra stroke, or even two if a hazard is poorly negotiated. Working on this decision beforehand, on the driving range, before applying it to the course, remains the fastest way to shave several strokes off your scorecard.
Which club should be used depending on the distance and type of approach?
Here is a reference table to quickly choose the right club for your situation on the course:
| Distance / situation | Type of blow | Recommended club | Path |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80-110 m | Full approach | Pitching wedge (PW) | Average, with moderate rolling |
| 50-90 m | Medium-length approach | Gap wedge (GW) | Higher, rolled down |
| 30-70 m | Short approach / obstacle | Sand wedge (SW) | High, quick stop |
| Less than 30 m, short flag | Technical lifting | Lob wedge (LW) | Very high, almost immediate stop |
| Open green, few obstacles | Rolled approach | Iron 8 or iron 9 | Low, long roll |
These reference points are indicative: the speed of the green, the slope and the quality of the lie always modify the actual distance traveled by the ball once it is placed.
Wedges, the heart of your approach game
The difference between two wedges lies primarily in their loft, expressed in degrees: the higher the loft, the higher the trajectory and the shorter the roll once the ball lands. Ideally, wedges should be spaced evenly, with a 4 to 6 degree gap between each, to avoid distance gaps that force you to play shots at mid-range, which are always more difficult to control than a full shot.
Pitching wedge (PW)
The most versatile of wedges. It offers a balanced trajectory and moderate roll, ideal for amateurs on approaches between 20 and 50 meters depending on swing power. It's often the most used club in an amateur's bag, including at Belvedere practice where it serves as a basis for working with distances.
Gap wedge (GW)
Positioned between the PW and SW, it fills the distance gap that many amateur bags leave empty. It provides more height with less roll, particularly useful on fast or sloping greens.
Sand wedge (SW)
The most popular club around the green thanks to its generous loft (54-58°). It excels in the rough and bunker, where its wide sole limits the clubhead's sinking into the soil or sand.
Lob wedge (LW)
The club with the most loft (58-64°), capable of producing the highest trajectory with the fastest stop. It's also the most technical: too much loft without the proper technique easily results in a topped or thin shot. Reserve it for situations that truly demand it—short flag, immediate obstacle.
8 and 9 irons
Too often overlooked by amateurs, these clubs offer the simplest shot possible: a low trajectory and a significant roll, perfect when the green is clear. They are the club to choose whenever the situation allows.
How to choose the right club for your approach to golf in 3 questions
Before releasing a club, always ask yourself these three questions:
- What size green do I have in front of me? The more space available, the more you can play a closed club (8-9 iron, PW) with good roll. The less space there is, the more open the club should be.
- Is there an obstacle to overcome? Bunkers, embankments, thick rough: their presence necessitates a more open clubface to launch the ball. In their absence, the bump and run approach remains the most reliable option.
- What is the lie of the ball? A good lie on the fairway offers all options. The rough usually dictates a wedge shot (SW or LW). A difficult lie requires extra loft to get the ball cleanly out.
The golden rule: always play the simplest move
Many amateurs seek a spectacular shot when a simple solution exists. The key principle to remember: the ball should spend as much time as possible on the ground. A bump and roll is easier to control than a lift shot, and a lift shot is easier to control than a sharp lift shot like a flop shot.
Expert advice: The strategic order of priority to adopt is therefore simple: the rolled approach as the first choice, the classic raised approach as a second option, and the accelerated raised approach only as a last resort, when no other option is possible. Our article dedicated to the’roll approach in golf details the technique step by step for this shot, the most statistically profitable for an amateur.
Simplify your bag: the 3 clubs you need to improve
To accelerate your progress, there's no need to master all six clubs mentioned above simultaneously. Three are more than enough to cover almost all approach situations:
- Pitching wedge : for medium distances and general control.
- Sand wedge : for height, rough and bunker.
- Iron 9 : for all low-trajectory roll approaches.
This reduced selection establishes clear distance benchmarks, increases consistency of play, and eliminates much of the hesitation when choosing shots. This is also the preferred teaching approach of our state-certified instructors during the initial practice sessions.
The most common mistakes in choosing a club
Always take out the sand wedge. Many players use it reflexively, which produces a trajectory that is too high and unpredictable distance control on shots that a 9-iron would have solved more simply.
Choosing a club that is too open due to overconfidence. A 60° lob wedge on an approach shot that doesn't require it multiplies the risk of topping or scraping.
Ignore the roll, the slope, and the lees. Considering only the remaining distance, without taking these three factors into account, almost always skews the choice of club.
Slow down at the moment of impact. A player who doubts his choice of club often tends to slow down his movement for fear of overdoing it, which produces a scraped or topped contact: it is better to change clubs beforehand than to compensate with the speed of the swing.
3 exercises to strengthen your choice of club
These exercises, regularly offered during group lessons at the Golf School, take about twenty minutes and allow for the anchoring of concrete rather than theoretical reference points.
The three-club test. Hit three balls with a pitching wedge, sand wedge, and 9-iron from the same spot, and observe the height, roll, and final distance of each. This exercise clearly reveals the behavior of each club.
The landing zone. Place a towel on the green as a target and try to hit it with different clubs. You will learn to visualize where each club needs to place the ball so that it ends up close to the flag.
The course simulation. Alternate lies (fairway, rough, near-green) as in a real game situation, to strengthen your ability to quickly choose the right club under pressure.
Conclusion: Choosing the right club is key to improving your game on the green.
Choosing the right club for your approach shot in golf isn't about high-end equipment, but about method: analyzing the available space, obstacles, and lie, and then always favoring the simplest shot. These are the same principles found in the very definition of... golf club on Wikipedia.
The best way to improve is to train with an outside perspective: our state-certified teachers will guide you through private or group lessons at the...’Belvedere Golf School to refine your choice of club and your short game, just a few minutes from Annecy.
FAQ: Which club should you choose for your approach to golf? The 2026 guide to help you decide
Which club is best for a 50-meter approach shot?
Around 50 meters, the gap wedge or the sand wedge is best suited depending on the power of your swing: the GW for a longer trajectory, the SW if you have to cross an obstacle close to the green.
Sand wedge or pitching wedge, which should you choose first?
The pitching wedge remains more versatile for everyday use over medium distances, while the sand wedge is reserved for situations where height and control near obstacles are paramount, especially in sand.
Which club should I use for an approach shot in the rough?
In the rough, a sand wedge or a lob wedge is generally recommended: their high loft and wide sole help to get the ball out despite the grass slowing down the clubface.
How many wedges should you have in your bag?
Three wedges (pitching, gap or sand, and possibly lob) are sufficient for the vast majority of amateurs, provided they know the distance difference between each one.
What is the difference between a chip and a pitch at the club level?
The chip is usually played with a mid-iron (7, 8 or 9) for a low trajectory and a long roll, while the pitch uses a more open wedge to lift the ball higher over a shorter distance to travel in the air.
Why does my approach always go too far or too short?
This is often a sign of a club poorly suited to the situation rather than a swing problem: a club too closed for the distance sends the ball too far after the roll, a club too open makes it stop abruptly before the flag.
