Wedges....

[Big Shooter]

Most of us have heard the phrase: "Drive for Show, Putt for Dough", but since most of us don't hit that many greens in regulation, I believe that WEDGES are even MORE IMPORTANT than either the Driver or Putter! ;)

I'm sure alot of you read Golf Digest, and may have read this very piece (it's in the Feb. 2008 issue online http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/2008/02/tarde , or on Pg. 18 of the magazine under "editor's letter" by Jerry Tarde):

As part of the Hot List research, we ran tests comparing a sand wedge that has been in use since 1985 with a new wedge right out of the box. The average spin rate on full shots from light rough with the 1985 wedge was 4,120 revolutions per minute. It more than doubled with the 2008 model at 9,715 rpm. Just as surprising is that a one-year-old wedge had an average of 7,390 rpm -- it lost more than 2,300 rpm in only about 40 rounds of use.

TIP OF THE MONTH: When you find a wedge you really like, don't just buy one of them. Buy three or four. Every couple of months, replace your wedge with a new one. And another thing: Don't hit practice balls, especially in the sand, with the wedges you use to play. Practice with your old, used wedges. OK, this might sound extravagant, but I consider the wedges my most important scoring clubs -- and if I'm going to spend money anywhere in the bag, it's on them.

[LowPost42]

TIP OF THE MONTH: When you find a wedge you really like, don't just buy one of them. Buy three or four. Every couple of months, replace your wedge with a new one. And another thing: Don't hit practice balls, especially in the sand, with the wedges you use to play. Practice with your old, used wedges. OK, this might sound extravagant, but I consider the wedges my most important scoring clubs -- and if I'm going to spend money anywhere in the bag, it's on them.


Did you hear that? Hundreds of thousands of club hos around the world are scrambling to buy their favourite wedge designs - this sure sounds like permission to me! :hush:

[Merlot]

The link below is for a groove sharpner.

http://cgi.ebay.com/1-Grooving-tool-recondition-the-grooves-in-your-wedges_W0QQitemZ160196277147QQihZ006QQcategoryZ361 92QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[abz-pete]

The link below is for a groove sharpner.

http://cgi.ebay.com/1-Grooving-tool-recondition-the-grooves-in-your-wedges_ (http://cgi.ebay.com/1-Grooving-tool-recondition-the-grooves-in-your-wedges_W0QQitemZ160196277147QQihZ006QQcategoryZ361 92QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)
W0QQitemZ160196277147QQihZ006QQcategoryZ36192QQssP ageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem (http://cgi.ebay.com/1-Grooving-tool-recondition-the-grooves-in-your-wedges_W0QQitemZ160196277147QQihZ006QQcategoryZ361 92QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

Sounds good, but has anyone actually had any success with these sharpners?

[Weirfan]

the best one I have seen is teh Club medic

it is not the easiest thing to do but if you have the head secured properly in a vice , can be done.

Just a couple cautions:

1. on chrome clubheads that you will likely remove the chrome so there will be rust developing

2. you need to be able to measure the result of the new grooves as you can quite easily make them non-conforming

here is something from Dave T to help:

The maximum groove width allowed by the rules is .035".
The wedge as shipped had a groove width about .015" -- way smaller than
allowed. So I wanted to widen them.

I have a Dremel tool. The abrasive metal-cutting disks for this gadget are
.027" thick. So I ran the tool along the grooves. Clamped the head with the
face up and accessible. I freehanded it; the original grooves provided a
good guide for the blade. I cut until the disk settled down to the bottom
of the groove.

This gave me a U-groove .030" wide, just about right

If you have a chrome faced clubhead I would send it to theiron factory to be professionally regrooved and rechromed

[Big Shooter]

you need to be able to measure the result of the new grooves as you can quite easily make them non-conforming


Non-conforming like my old ERC2? No problem! :D

[GQuizzle]

The link below is for a groove sharpner.

http://cgi.ebay.com/1-Grooving-tool-recondition-the-grooves-in-your-wedges_W0QQitemZ160196277147QQihZ006QQcategoryZ361 92QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


Looks like a slotted screw driver bit.

[sharkhark]

Sounds good, but has anyone actually had any success with these sharpners?

I have one I bought at golftown. It is flurescent green see thru plastic handle with a hook end that seats itself nicely in the groove as you push down and pull towards yourself.
I can only use it on wedges though as a sticker on pkg said do not use on titanium faces like fusions, which I happen to own.

Re the magazine guy though, saying replace every couple mths? Guess he makes more than me and secondly he is contradicted by a guy just in the editors section of same issue. Old guy has been playing same cobra phil rogers trusty rustys forever, same wedges I still play.