How often do you replace your wedges?

[clubchamp98]

Maybe they practice more with the wedges and just wear the grooves down quicker? I can visualise them hitting 100+ wedge shots a day, not so much 100 7 irons. I don't know, just thinking out loud, or on a keyboard........

It’s something most ams could learn from.
most ams just batter driver down the range.
but in my experience the lower the handicap the more they practice their short game.
I have seen loads of high cappers who nail it off the tee, but can’t chip and putt to save their life.
I try to do 50/50 long game and short game.
but don’t wear my wedge out in two weeks.

 

[evemccc]

Its interesting isnt it, I find it weird that they dont change irons that often considering they still get a lot of spin with longer approach clubs too! (9-8 irons)

You see the odd picture of a tour pro's irons and they're beaten to death!

‘Bomb with the Driver and Gouge with a wedge’ has been the calling card of PGA Tour courses for the last number of years….So it is probably because the Pros never hit their irons

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Yeah but these irons are battered!

Tommy Fleetwoods 6 iron for example -

View attachment 47046

Wow, he must love that club. Com on Tommy, time to swap a new one in

 

[CountLippe]

Some useful information above. I would add that your angle of attack will affect wear. If you have a shallow angle of attack and utilise the bounce, the grooves will wear less than a steep angle of attack where you hit the ball rather than ground first.

 

[Orikoru]

Wow, he must love that club. Com on Tommy, time to swap a new one in

This is the guy who stuck with his Nike irons for about 8 years remember! The guy likes what he likes.

 

[DeanoMK]

Been very lucky to have won a number of wedges over the past few years, currently got a brand new 54* JAWS wedge waiting to be put into play - to replace a RTX4 wedge I won which I've been using for 2 years, and then another 54* Cleveland CBX waiting for when the JAWS is worn out, probably another 2 years!

 

[patricks148]

I suppose it depends on usage. I upgraded last year after 7 years, I play at least 3 times a week. My sand wedge was pretty worn, but the gap wedge still has plenty of life in it.

 

[KenL]

Just use more loft and less spin for short-game shorts I guess

@KenL You mentioned forged wedges need replacing sooner…what’s the benefit in having forged wedges (or irons for that matter)?

Feel, that's it for me. Had a set of Titleist forged CB irons in the past. They lovely, felt very out the middle of the bat. After 2 seasons they looked awful though.

 

[Oddsocks]

Some useful information above. I would add that your angle of attack will affect wear. If you have a shallow angle of attack and utilise the bounce, the grooves will wear less than a steep angle of attack where you hit the ball rather than ground first.

Was exactly my thoughts, the factor in if you play dirty scruffy old balls that retain sand and grit, if your a chunker who will often catch dirt between the ball and club face… the variables make it impossible to give a time line. Practice and ball compounds will obviously effect wear also.

“Personally” I feel that unless your strikes are pure and consistent, technique will out weigh tech every time in the short game department. As long as your consistent whether it be with hop and stop spin or land and release who cares?

My FG tour wedges were in the bag from 2014 and were only replaced this year due to a change in gapping. A chunky strike never stopped, a crisp compressed strike did. As someone who often spent an hour in the range just playing with wedge shots, there was no need to change other than gapping.

 

[Crazyface]

Changed mine until I found the ones I like that work for me. They are old now no spin but I know what they do and the distance I hit them and am consistent with them. Why change. One is a bay hill 60deg wand bought new for a tenner.

 

[Slab]

What specifically has the age got to do with whether it'll spin or not? Do any of you (re)sharpen your wedge grooves. I've no idea if there's a maximum number of times a groove will take a sharpen so maybe that's an age thing

(helluva lot cheaper to spend less than £20 on a sharpener instead of accepting no spin or changing clubs)

 

[KenL]

Is sharpening wedge grooves allowable under the rules?

 

[Slab]

Is sharpening wedge grooves allowable under the rules?

Clubhouse golf - £17.99 https://www.clubhousegolf.co.uk/acatalog/GrooveFix-Groove-Sharpener-Tool-Grey.html#SID=6339

Seems fine

from the blurb (my highlight)
"The unique groove sharpener is precision ground and engineered to exacting tolerances to ensure that it does not compromise the R&A and USGA rules regarding width and depth"

 

[Jason.H]

Just watched a Titleist SM9 review and the guy said Titleist recommends new wedges every 75 rounds or 500 shots.
I should have at least 2 sets a year then.

 

[KenL]

Just watched a Titleist SM9 review and the guy said Titleist recommends new wedges every 75 rounds or 500 shots.
I should have at least 2 sets a year then.

Nice marketing ploy!

 

[sweaty sock]

Clubhouse golf - £17.99 https://www.clubhousegolf.co.uk/acatalog/GrooveFix-Groove-Sharpener-Tool-Grey.html#SID=6339

Seems fine

from the blurb (my highlight)
"The unique groove sharpener is precision ground and engineered to exacting tolerances to ensure that it does not compromise the R&A and USGA rules regarding width and depth"

May I reccomend the tip of a hacksaw blade.... ahhh the early 90s we miss you...

 

[Deleted member 29109]

Was exactly my thoughts, the factor in if you play dirty scruffy old balls that retain sand and grit, if your a chunker who will often catch dirt between the ball and club face… the variables make it impossible to give a time line. Practice and ball compounds will obviously effect wear also.

“Personally” I feel that unless your strikes are pure and consistent, technique will out weigh tech every time in the short game department. As long as your consistent whether it be with hop and stop spin or land and release who cares?

My FG tour wedges were in the bag from 2014 and were only replaced this year due to a change in gapping. A chunky strike never stopped, a crisp compressed strike did. As someone who often spent an hour in the range just playing with wedge shots, there was no need to change other than gapping.

What do you mean by, a compressed strike?

 

[clubchamp98]

Is sharpening wedge grooves allowable under the rules?

No.
if you widen them by a nats hair they don’t conform anymore.

 

[Oddsocks]

What do you mean by, a compressed strike?

Someone who compresses the ball at impact (ie ball then turf with a negative AOA) and not a scooper. I’m historically the later and see more cr@p on the club face after a shot. Common sense says this has to have an abrasive effect over time if mud/sand is trapped between the ball at impact.

I’ve got a set of pin seeker blades circa mid 60’s, the wedges are worn to hell but due to the weight I find I compress the ball more with these than my newer wedges hence getting better stopping power. They’re 50years old.

 

[Mandofred]

No.
if you widen them by a nats hair they don’t conform anymore.

That's the way I understand it. The grooves are already at the limit of legal, sharpening them probably makes them illegal. I sharpen mine once in a while. No idea if I'm doing it right or using the correct file. I hit my wedges a lot when I start practicing....which is any day now. If I hit 90 (one bag) balls, 85 of those will be wedges. In a normal week once the course dries out a bit....I'll hit a couple of hundred wedge shots a week.