How Often Should You Change Your Irons?
Everyone pays attention to the wear and tear on their cars, houses, and themselves. But what about your golf clubs?
Irons, in particular, can take a beating, and that's not the only reason you should be thinking proactively about how often to replace them.
It's essential to understand the factors that go into determining when it’s time to swap out your irons for shinier, flaw-free models. It's not just how much you use them when you hit the course.
Here, we cover why golf players swap out their irons and how to make your set last longer so that you don't need to purchase costly replacements more than necessary.
How Often Should You Replace Your Irons?
There isn't a solid number of years you can put on the question and have it apply to everyone who plays golf. People play in different climates, play more often or less often than one another, use different irons, and have varying budgets for golf.
There is a lot of variation when it comes to swapping out clubs. But ask any insider expert, and they'll likely give you a number somewhere in the range of three to five years.
If you're using your clubs a lot, you’ll probably need replacements sooner. That said, even if you're using them only a little, other environmental and circumstantial factors can necessitate a swap out at the latest at the five-year mark.
Why? Irons can go faulty in any number of ways, from chipping at the head to the integrity of the grip degrading, to the rod bending, or in some way tweaking.
All of these changes can affect your swing and compromise your overall game. That's why it's crucial to replace your clubs.
What Factors Affect How Often You Should Replace Your Irons?
No one factor on this list is any more inherently important than any other. You should determine which of these factors applies most to you and monitor how intensely it may have affected your iron.
How Often You Play
Estimates show that golf playing is up everywhere across the country. That isn't going to change any time soon.
As more and more people play with more regularity, the need for iron replacement becomes direr. Playing frequency is one of the more pressing factors on this list.
If you play as much as five days a week, your irons will wear down fast and need replacing as early as three years after you purchased them.
Changes in Your Technique
Believe it or not, changes in the way you play will affect how soon you need to replace your irons. Club path and clubface are essential factors in using your club.
If you aren't spending money on lessons, you may be changing how you strike the ball. That's going to wear down on the club's build, leading to you needing to buy new ones sooner.
How Well You Care for Your Irons
How regularly you clean your clubs impacts how often you need to replace them. The grooves on the clubface need routine cleaning. You should also retread the grip regularly.
Clubs regularly strike down in sand, grass, mud, and even concrete. None of these surfaces are forgiving to hard strikes.
The Climate Where You Play
Whether you play in a balmy, temperate climate or a wind-ravaged and rainy everglades, the environment factors into general wear and tear. Most golf clubs consist of metal, and even though the material is usually a tempered metal that can resist the elements, the environment still takes a toll.
Monitor how worn down your clubs are getting from the rain if regularly exposed.
What Type Of Irons You Use
Not all irons are the same. There are blade irons, cavity back irons, and more.
Cavity back irons are hollowed out at the back, allowing the weight to distribute evenly around the edges of the clubhead. Without the weight concentrated at the center, some say they can achieve a higher ball flight.
Blade irons look just like they sound, thin, sharp, and flat. They whack the ball square on its face and send it flying. It's all in the power of the golfer.
Generally, blade irons last longer than cavity back irons. The hollow core of cavity back clubs can lead to holes, dents, and other issues.
Advances in Technology
Golf club manufacturers are innovating on the technology that goes into clubs all the time. There's so much innovation that you can speculate on the five, 10, even 20 new equipment breakthroughs to come in a given year.
Innovations in club technology can make your old irons obsolete quickly. Replacing an older set isn’t necessary, but sticking with the old irons because they are familiar could prevent you from taking advantage of technological advances meant to enhance your performance.
How Can You Make Your Irons Last Longer?
The best thing you can do to make your clubs last longer is invest in quality clubs. Cheap clubs will degrade quickly, and there's no way around it.
You should also clean and care for your clubs. More people bought new golf clubs in 2020 than in the previous ten years. You don't need to throw yours away when some tender love and care would do.
Protect Your Irons
When your clubs are in their best condition, you're playing your best. Take care of your clubs, and monitor wear and tear to keep them in top form.
Then shop Stitch Golf for more ways to protect your irons. With golf headcovers, golf bags, and other high-end gear, you can keep your clubs looking as good as new.
