I have a Gala apple that's in it's third year of growth. This one really wants to grow in a central leader style. I'd prefer that it grow in a vase style. It had 1/4 of the tree that was empty of structure branches. When I saw his advice to use spreaders from earlier post it pointed out my problem. After spreading the branches I saw that the biggest top branch was turning into it's central leader. I left about 8" and topped it. That should send out the branches that I need to fill in my missing 1/4.

Thanks for your help and everyone else's opinions, they all help fill in gaps.

This year I have a greater focus on making sure the spur leaves are drenched in light through spring to help assure annual cropping and better apples. The growing shoots give the apples and buds of next years flowers almost nothing, apparently.

Actually, keeping lots of light on the spurs can probably be more easily accomplished with open center training, although I will generally stick with central leader with apples- at least for the first couple decades of a tree's life. Either shape works in the home orchard, IMO.