This change to your golf gear is the most important you’ll make this off-season

I’m very much a creature of habit when it comes to golf equipment.

Before getting an upgrade, I had the same driver in my bag for around five years, and I used the same set of irons for even longer. Even when it came to my putter, I had reverted back to a club I was using when I was around 12 years old. Why? Trust issues, mainly.

That’s all well and good, but there was one piece of my equipment that had been in my bag for far too long. And the familiarity was becoming a hinderance rather than a blessing.

When I say one piece of equipment, it’s more accurate to say three pieces. I’m sure you’re one step ahead of me, but it’s my wedges.

I was incredibly fond of my Cleveland RTX 3 wedges. They had been in my bag so long I felt like I had got to know them on a personal level. My lob wedge had seen me at my worst (taking three to get out of a bunker during my first round at an Open venue) and my best (only taking two to get out of the Road Hole Bunker). But, deep down, I knew things had run their course.

Never was this more apparent than at a launch event held by PXG, at Dundonald Links, in July. That morning, the American brand was launching the third iteration of their Sugar Daddy wedges.

As I picked up the brand-new lob wedge, with the BP Grind, complete with a full face of grooves, I could tell that a change was coming to my golf bag sooner rather than later. That feeling was only enhanced when I hit them.

With my old wedges, any chip, no matter how well struck, featured plenty of run out. The ball would attempt to check up, but it was near impossible for it to do so.

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• Review: PXG Sugar Daddy III wedges

Now, that’s not because Cleveland make bad wedges. In fact, the RTX range is one of the best on the market. But every wedge has a lifespan, and it’s much shorter than any other club in the bag. Once your grooves become worn down, no matter how talented you are, you just won’t generate any spin.

If your grooves aren’t performing the way they should, any debris between ball and club will take away spin from your ball. Think of wedge grooves like a tyre on a car. If you’re driving around with F1 style slicks, you’re not going to get any grip on the road.

Back to the chipping green at Dundonald, and I realised that the clubs that I hadn’t updated for around four years were the ones I ought to have updated before any others.

My first few shots were coming up well short of the flag, not because of poor strike, but because the ball was actually reacting on the green and I simply wasn’t used to getting any kind of action on such a short shot.

It's a busy day for PXG fans, with THREE new releases hitting the shelves, including their first game improvement irons…

PXG Black Ops irons 👉 https://t.co/YDgXgaMgEv
PXG 0311 Gen7 irons 👉 https://t.co/FIAvoqdzGC
PXG Sugar Daddy III wedges 👉 https://t.co/qIj32kOBiB pic.twitter.com/Um0O8IUSHR

— bunkered (@bunkeredgolf) August 7, 2024

Before I knew it, I was hitting chips with confidence, and was able to fly the ball much closer to the hole, knowing it was going to stop quicker.

Then, I took it to the bunker, and was able to open up the face and get shots coming out high and soft with ease. After a few more shots, it was time to head inside and listen to a classic Gary Player monologue and put the wedges down. But, I knew that I had to get some for myself.

Fast forward a few weeks, and the PXG Sugar Daddy III wedges had arrived at bunkered HQ. After taking some vanity shots of them, it was straight to the golf course.

Special delivery to the office this morning. When I tried the PXG Sugar Daddy Three wedges during Open week, I knew I had to get some in the bag 😍 pic.twitter.com/xvJYXqjzmK

— Lewis Fraser (@lewisfras98) August 7, 2024

Before I knew it, I was hitting shots that before, I could only dream of. Even to firm greens, I was flying the ball to near the hole, it was taking a bounce forward, before spinning back. It’s something I hadn’t done for years. In fact, I hadn’t done it since I last changed my wedges.

And that brings me back to the point. If you’re looking for something to upgrade in your golf bag this off-season, then make it your wedges.

Sure, a shiny new driver is a great investment, but you might just see your scores start to fall with some fresh grooves.

You can learn more about the Sugar Daddy wedges on the PXG website – and make sure you’re subscribed to our YouTube channel for all the latest reviews!

Lewis Fraser As bunkered’s Performance Editor, Lewis oversees the content that’s designed to make you a better player. From the latest gear to tuition, nutrition, strategy and more, he’s the man. A graduate of the University of Stirling, Lewis joined bunkered in 2021. Formerly a caddie at Castle Stuart Golf Links, he is a member of Bathgate Golf Club where he plays off four.

Performance Editor