How often should I upgrade my golf clubs?

It’s a question we all think when the latest golf equipment is released at the beginning of each year. Is it time to be upgrading my clubs?

It’s always exciting to see what new kit the biggest brands in golf are bringing out at the start of every year. But, with new drivers generally being launched at the start of the year and various other clubs sprinkled in throughout the season, it does make you wonder how much better these clubs are, and whether your game will benefit from them?

If you’re thinking about how often you should be upgrading each part of your bag, there are a few things to consider. How often do you play? How old are your current clubs? And, perhaps most importantly, what does your game need? 

The latest gear is a step up from previous generations, but it’s marginal gains. Aerodynamic shapes, more forgiving designs and faster clubheads. They all make a difference, but it’s a few yards here and a couple of miles per hour there. 

Whether you are someone who plays once in a blue moon, every week or you’re a super regular player, your equipment will need replaced eventually, but some will be more regular than others.

Now you’re probably wondering how you monitor that. With drivers, a good way to look at this is through spin rates. Average driver spin rates on tour are around 2400rpm. If your spin rate is getting too low, around the 1800rpm mark, then chances are your clubface is losing its bulge and roll capability. This makes the driver harder to hit, very low in forgiveness and you’ll lose carry distance and speed. It’s rare for this to happen with a new driver, however if you’ve had a driver for four-to-five years, then there’s a good chance you’re leaving some performance on the table. If that sounds like you, I’d really recommend you get a driver fitting to see how a new model would compare.

If you’ve just bought a driver a year or two ago and you’re still happy with what you have, great. Chances are, there is still plenty bulge and roll and there’s no real need for a new driver. If you are someone with a fast swing speed and can produce fast ball speeds it’s always worth checking every few months to see if the spin rates are still good to get an indication if the face is starting to flatten. 

When it comes to irons, there’s a similar thing to think about. This time however, it’s all about your grooves and how they start to wear. Once again, if these start to lose their effectiveness and you’ll lose spin on approach shots.

But with irons, durability is usually pretty strong. As long as you keep your grooves nice and clean, you’ll usually be able to get around four-to-six years out of them.

Wedges however is a different story. There’s nothing like a fresh wedge that delivers incredible spin and control around the greens. Out of all your clubs in your bag, the spin will deteriorate the fastest with wedges. Although wedges are becoming more durable, you will see performance start to drop off pretty soon, sometimes even as much as after six months. If you are a regular golfer, you will start to notice the spin around the greens start to change and the ball releasing more.

If you are someone who only plays a handful of times a year and you’ve recently bought a new wedge a year ago you’ll be fine for a while. But if it’s been around two-to-three years, then you might want to look into getting some fresh ones. 

It’s all very individual, but if it’s been over three years since you’ve got a driver, it’s probably time for an upgrade. If it’s been four-to-six years with your irons, it might be time to search for a new option.

Wedges, in my opinion, should be every year to make sure you have the control you need to save shots around the greens.  

But why do brands bring out new clubs every year? Well, it’s not for the golfer that bought last year’s driver or irons. Instead, it’s for the golfer that’s had their clubs for around five years and wants something brand-new that will perform significantly better. You don’t need to upgrade every single year, especially not with your driver, although wedges is a different story. Having said that, if you are the golfer that likes to change their equipment and have the latest new model in play, then don’t let me stop you. You’re always going to see marginal gains and that’s not a bad thing.

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James Tait is bunkered’s Gear Editor. Want to know how the latest Callaway driver, Vokey wedge or Scotty Cameron putter performs? He’s the guy to ask. Better yet, just watch his videos on the bunkered YouTube channel. One of the biggest hitters in the UK, James also competes on the World Long Drive circuit and is a descendent of former Amateur champion Freddie Tait.

Gear Editor