Replacing Wedges

[Connor.]

How often do most people replace their wedges?

With these TM replaceable faces it has me concerned that it's essential to get a new face every 15-20 rounds.

Are the TM cheaper, forcing them to be replaced, or should even Vokeys be swapped out every so often?

[chriskzoo]

It's not the arrow, it's the indian. Tour pros replace theirs every 20 rounds or so if I'm not mistaken, but I'd be hard pressed to find a regular golfer that would need to replace them more than every few years.

[jamo]

If I could I would change my LW twice a year and my SW every 2 or 3 years. I would like to replace them when the sole is worn and rusty and the grooves are dull. But I have not the resources to replace them that often so I replace my LW every 1.5 years, but I don't really have a set schedule for my SW because I have been toying with different lofts.

[Connor.]

It's not the arrow, it's the indian.

i would say wedges are one of the few exceptions to this rule. if you are using a worn down, older wedge that doesnt get a good bite on the ball, you are not going to get even close to the amount of bite, spin and ability to hold greens as you would with a brand new or relatively new vokey or cleaveland wedge. it doesnt matter how good you are, you dont have the technology or equipment to put the required spin on the ball.

[newtogolf]

The TM faces are listed at $40 MSRP. At MSRP you could buy a new Vokey or CG-15 wedge for every three face changes without factoring in the initial investment in the club ($129). In order to determine the net savings you'd have to know if the TM faces have same durability as the other wedges.

[Chris223]

It's not the arrow, it's the indian. Tour pros replace theirs every 20 rounds or so if I'm not mistaken, but I'd be hard pressed to find a regular golfer that would need to replace them more than every few years.

There's a LOT of tour pros out there using wedges 10+ years old. Or at least there were before the new groove crap. Some still use the conforming Ping Eye 2's made before like 1989.

I'd say for the average hacker, mid to high handicapper, whatever, who probably doesn't put much spin on the ball, has little need to replace their wedge for "fresh grooves" every 20 rounds. I've had my Cleveland 588 Tour Action for about 3-4 years now and haven't thought about replacing it. I love everything about it, full swinging shots between 80-90 yards out, nice feel to it for chips and pitches around the green.

[Shindig]

I'm going to be replacing my wedges soon. I have some Nike SVs sitting around to replace the gap and sand wedge; I need to figure out what I'm doing with the PW. But I'm also considering changing irons, too, and that may fix the PW problem.

My real issue with my gap and sand wedge isn't the loft, the lie, or the grooves: I seriously think I've worn out the bounce on them.

There's a LOT of tour pros out there using wedges 10+ years old. Or at least there were before the new groove crap. Some still use the conforming Ping Eye 2's made before like 1989.

I don't believe those are still conforming: after the controversy, the interested parties (Ping, Tour, USGA) got together and agreed to something. I don't remember what.

[CrazyXGolfer]

It's not the arrow, it's the indian. Tour pros replace theirs every 20 rounds or so if I'm not mistaken, but I'd be hard pressed to find a regular golfer that would need to replace them more than every few years.

You really need to get your facts right before posting stuff like that.

Most "touring" pros will replace wedges every 5-10 rounds and before every major. This may not have been the case back with the old grouve rules, but this is how it usually happens now. "It's not the arrow, it's the indian" this does not apply here. Wedges lose spin the more you use them. I have some old Cg12's I use for pactise that I regouve every now and then and when I play tornys I have my Vokeys. Just so I don't wear out my Vokeys really quickly since I play alot of golf. Now on topic.... The new taylormade wedges are really good! Really nice feel and nice clib head shape, this new face tec is really good stuff, the new faces arent really that expensive either. these wedges may just make it into my bag in the near future.

[misty_mountainhop]

i would say wedges are one of the few exceptions to this rule. if you are using a worn down, older wedge that doesnt get a good bite on the ball, you are not going to get even close to the amount of bite, spin and ability to hold greens as you would with a brand new or relatively new vokey or cleaveland wedge. it doesnt matter how good you are, you dont have the technology or equipment to put the required spin on the ball.

Nonsense. If you have a clean lie, you can have grooves shot to Hell and still spin it fine. Grooves have very little to do with grip

except where you get dirt/grass between the ball and the face i.e. from rough for example.

You really need to get your facts right before posting stuff like that.

See above. Touring pros

may replace wedges that often but it's probably making 0.01% difference. They get them free.....we don't.

[max power]

Nonsense. If you have a clean lie, you can have grooves shot to Hell and still spin it fine. Grooves have very little to do with grip

Beat me to it, great post.

[Shorty]

Tour pros replace theirs every 20 rounds or so

Some might. Most do not. Go to GolfWRX and look at the tournamnet WITB photos and you'll see that most of the wedges are quite old in the photos before the new rule came in. I think Vijay used to swap his very frequently, and people assumed that they all do. They don't.

[chriskzoo]

You really need to get your facts right before posting stuff like that.

Patently false. I remember seeing them talking about this on the Golf Channel and they said guys who are super obsessed, like Vijay change them every tournament - which is 4 tournament rounds and a couple practice rounds. Most guys changes them out every month or so - but they might get them regrooved in that time.