I’m generally a fan of buying used golf equipment. I’ve put together some great sets of clubs at a fair price this way over the years. But there is one category where I draw a hard line.
I don’t buy used wedges.
This is the rule.
I’ve found that there’s no reliable way to know how much performance is left in a wedge before it starts costing you shots.
Why wedges are different
If you buy a used driver that doesn’t suit your game, you’ll know quickly. Launch, spin and distribution issues become apparent after a few beam sessions or a few rounds.
With wedges, the issue is more about wearing the groove.
Wedge channels gradually fade with increased use. When the wedge grooves are worn, the launch increases, the spin decreases, and the shots that were used to control the release. One of the biggest problems players have is that distance control becomes less predictable.
This is what makes used wedges dangerous.
Groove wear is hard to see, easy to miss
The biggest problem with buying used wedges is that Meaningful groove wear is not shown in the photo.
Testing by Titleist along with independent MyGolfSpy data shows that the performance of the wedge starts to drop around 75 rounds. If you practice your short game often or spend a lot of time in bunkers, this can happen even faster.
In controlled testing, wedges with 75 simulated rounds of wear lost nearly half their spin on 50 yard shots. Consistency suffered just as much. The standard deviation increased significantly for rotation and transport distance, meaning that the results were unpredictable.
When looking at used wedges to buy, it’s almost impossible to tell how much they’ve been used.
Why “lightly used” means very little with a wedge
When you look at wedge listings, you’ll probably see descriptions like “only played one season” or “excellent condition.”
These phrases do not tell you how many bunker shots the wedge has seen. They don’t tell you how much practice has gone into short games or how rounded the grooves are.
If a seller can’t accurately calculate usage, you’re guessing. Unlike a driver or iron, there’s no quick fix fitting that restores the wedge grooves once they’ve been worn.
The math of cost rarely works
A used premium wedge for $90 to $110 may seem reasonable until you consider:
- The possibility of replacing the handle
- Risk of worn grooves
- Lack of meaningful resale value
At that point, you’re often close to the price of a brand new wedge on sale or a more affordable new wedge with fresh grooves.
If you’re trying to replace wedges that are worn, consider buying something on sale, getting last year’s model, or settling for a slightly cheaper wedge. Some used wedges in good condition with a solid return window can be a good choice.
Final thoughts
I’m not against used equipment in general, but wedges are different.
They live and die by the conditions of the groove and that is one of the hardest things to verify in the used market. Reliable scoring clubs will help you become a better player. This is just one of those areas where investing a little more money is smart.
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