One Way to Stop Wedge Wear from Wreaking Havoc on Your Short Game

By: SoCal Golf Insider

There’s a world of difference between a PGA or LPGA tour professional and the rest of us. But every golfer’s game is greatly affected by the quality of their wedges – particularly in terms of wear and tear on the grooves. If you want the ball to stop on the greens, the need for fresh groves is imperative.

But grooves tend to wear out – particularly the more you play, which is why tour players generally replace their wedges as many as four times a year.

While few golfers play or practice as much as tour pros, the reality is that every wedge will wear down over time, and it’s always a good idea to think about replacing those wedges – or finding wedges designed so that the grooves don’t wear out as often. Otherwise, you may be sacrificing valuable game performance.

That is why Titleist’s pioneering wedge designer Bob Vokey unveiled his groundbreaking SM6 wedges in 2016. Vokey oversaw a study that found after 75 rounds, golfers could be losing up to 1,000 revolutions per minute of spin on their wedge shots, resulting in nearly double the roll out

And oftentimes, it is the most consistent wedge strikers who will see the most wear and tear on those grooves.

“Because you’re hitting it in the same spot on the same face and the same grooves every time, you’re wearing out those grooves in the same spot,”  said Jeremy Stone of Titleist’s Vokey Wedge Division.

In an effort to help mitigate worn-out grooves, which affect launch, spin and roll out, Titleist promotes the Vokey SM6 wedge.

Like any wedge, the SM6 grooves will ultimately wear out, but they’re designed to wear out slower over time. It’s also important to realize that not all golfers will see the same depreciation in their wedges. If you play once a month and your practice regimen is sporadic, your wedge grooves are going to last longer.

Republished with permission from SoCal Golf Insider