If you’re like most golfers, chances are you’ve wondered, how often to replace wedges? It’s a fantastic question because the right wedge can make short game shots a lot easier. While old, worn down wedges can make simple shots much more difficult.
Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as saying, “Replace your wedges every year.” That might work for some golfers, but might be a huge waste of money for others. And for some golfers it might not be replacing them enough.
Today, I’ll help you understand more about wedge design, the frequency to replace, and which wedges you should focus on.
How Often Should You Replace Wedges
Every golfer should have a minimum of two wedges; a pitching wedge (PW) – which is included in iron sets – and a sand wedge (SW). However, it’s recommended that most golfers could benefit from adding a third or fourth wedge too.
The other wedges to consider are a gap wedge aka approach wedge (which fills the gap between a PW and SW). Or, a lob wedge (LW) which has more loft than a sand wedge and is ideal for a lot of short game shots.
Key Takeaways
- It’s a good idea to replace your wedges more than any other clubs in your bag. Not because of new technology, but because the grooves get worn down.
- When grooves get worn down, wedges won’t produce as much backspin, which makes short game shots more difficult.
- Depending on your playing/practice schedule, you should replace your wedge every 6–36 months. We’ll break down more specifics below to learn the right schedule for your game.
Keep reading to learn more about wedges to ensure your equipment is helping your golf game.
Understanding Your Game
As mentioned above, there is no one size fits all rule when it comes to replacing wedges.
However, studies have found that most golfers see a dip in performance after about 70 rounds of golf. For some players, that might be a few months… for others, that might be a few years.
Here are some different factors that also impact when to upgrade your wedges.
Short Game Practice
One of the biggest factors when it comes to replacing wedges is how much practice you do with your wedges. The more practice means more wear and tear on your wedges, which means you’ll need to replace more often than a golfer who does not.
Type of Golf Balls
The type of golf balls you practice with also play a big role.
Driving range balls are typically 1 or 2-piece balls that are firm and wear down wedges much more so than a premium golf ball. If you practice a lot and most of it is with old, hard golf balls, wedge grooves will get worn down much sooner.
Handicap Level
Finally, your handicap level is important too. If you’re a higher handicap golfer, chances are you won’t notice the impact of fresh grooves nearly as much as a lower handicap golfer.
Additionally, if you’re playing difficult golf courses often and/or competing in tournaments, you’ll want sharp grooves for tucked pins.
Type of Finish
Most wedges come in multiple finishes – chrome, raw, gunmetal, and more depending on the manufacturer. Believe it or not, but the finish itself can impact how often you should replace wedges.
Raw wedges are very popular among professional golfers and highly skilled amateurs. Why? Because they have a softer feel at impact, which is great for delicate pitch/flop shots. Plus, they don’t produce glare like other finishes.
However, raw finishes tend to rust sooner and might wear down the grooves quicker too.
Replace the Right Wedges
Let’s face it, wedges aren’t cheap anymore (between $120 – $200). But don’t panic, you don’t need to replace every one of your wedges regularly.
As mentioned earlier, you want to carry 3–4 wedges for a variety of short game shots. But you don’t need to replace them all at the same time.
Instead, you want to replace your LW or SW the most often (whichever club is your highest loft). This is the wedge you need the most spin with compared to lower lofted clubs.
Clean Your Wedges
While you do need to replace wedges often, you can also gain a ton of spin by simply cleaning your clubs more frequently. Andrew Rice, a top 50 Golf Digest teacher, did some research on this and the results were astonishing.
As mentioned in a Golf Digest article, clean grooves play a huge role in performance.
“Rice found that a wet club and dry ball produced a launch angle of 27.8 degrees, a spin rate of 5463 rpm and a height of 26.5 feet. When he tested a dry clubface and wet ball, he found it produced a launch angle of 30.1 degrees, a spin rate of 5291 rpm and a height of 28.4 feet.
His final test was a dry club and dry ball, which produced a launch angle of 25.4 degrees, the highest spin rate at 6603 rpm and a height of 21.2 feet.”
Simply put – dirty grooves don’t spin nearly as much. Make sure to clean your grooves regularly between balls at the driving range, before the round, and in between shots.
FAQs About Wedges
Do you have more questions about wedges? If so, keep reading through the most frequently asked questions and answers now.
How do you tell if your wedges are worn out?
If you’re hitting a premium golf ball with proper form and still not getting typical backspin, you’ll need to replace. Most wedges should last a minimum of 75 rounds, if not more. But your practice frequency and type of golf balls used to play a role too.
Are new wedges worth it?
Yes, the right wedges can make a massive difference in the amount of backspin you can create. More spin makes it easier to get the ball to stop quicker, which is very necessary when you’re short sided.
Do raw wedges last longer?
No, they tend to actually rust faster than a normal wedge. But a little rust doesn’t mean you can’t play the wedge… more on that in the Q&A below.
How often do pros replace their wedges?
Every pro is different, but they replace them much more often than amateur golfers. Some are every few weeks, while the majority are between every 30–50 rounds.
This is for a few reasons… the first is they’re sponsored, so it’s a no-brainer move.
But the real reasons are the amount of practice they do compared to everyday golfers. The more they bang balls on the range, the sooner they need to replace.
Plus, they’re playing the most firm, difficult conditions where spin is a premium. Not to mention, one shot might mean the difference between winning and losing (or making the cut vs. going home early).
Does rust add more spin?
One of the oldest myths in golf is that a rusty wedge will add more spin to your short game shots. However, this myth has been debunked and won’t do much in terms of improving performance.
Learn more about the impact of rust on wedges.
Can you sharpen wedges?
You can buy groove sharpeners online or in golf stores, but it’s not a great idea. As the USGA mentioned in this Golf Digest article, it might lead to non-conforming wedges.
““If you want to ensure your wedges are conforming, you should never have them sharpened. USGA rules on groove designs are strict and followed by all major manufacturers to exacting tolerances. As soon as you alter grooves from production with a sharpener, you risk losing conformance to those rules.”
My Experiences
I play and practice a ton, so I replace my wedges more than most golfers. I typically replace my lob wedge – the club I need the most spin with – 1-2X a year. Since I hit so many golf balls at the driving range or simulator, the grooves get worn down quickly.
Most of my golf is tournaments which mean tougher pins and harder conditions… which is why I always want a fresh lob wedge. Sharp grooves help produce more spin and have saved me a ton of shots around the greens.
However, I don’t replace my PW or GW nearly as often, as I don’t need them to spin much.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, you have more clarity on how often you should replace your wedges. If you play and practice a ton, you’ll need to replace them more often. If you’re more of a recreational player, you might not need to replace more than every few years.
In general, you want to replace your wedges (specifically SW and LW) more than your PW and GW. You also don’t need to replace your irons, woods, or hybrids nearly enough as those clubs aren’t focused on spin as the primary objective.
Finally, don’t forget to clean your wedges too, especially if you’re using a launch monitor in practice. Clean grooves can have a big impact on spin rates and overall performance.
Next, make sure to read these articles to improve your wedges and short game.