Golf irons should be replaced every 5 years on average or after 300 rounds of golf.
This applies if you play 60 rounds per year, so if you play more than this, expect them to wear out sooner.
For example, playing twice weekly means those 300 rounds would be complete in 3 years.
Or, if you’re a summertime golfer, you could get up to 10 years out of your irons!
If you’re like me, 60 rounds per year are rookie numbers! The average golf nut could play those 60 rounds in 2-3 months during the summer.
It’s important to consider how much golf you play during the winter season and how much you practice too.
Hours on the range every week will speed up the breaking down of your clubs.
That being said, irons are made to take a hammering on the course, and there are plenty of other factors to consider.
Sure, professionals get new irons yearly, but that’s mainly for business purposes, most would stick with one set for longer if possible.
What’s important is that you know how to spot when your irons are on their last legs and how you can make them last longer.
Below, you will discover these telltale signs and what you can do to get your money’s worth.
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Signs You Could Need A New Set If Irons
Your Irons Are Starting To Look Worn Down
Time comes for us all, and it doesn’t discriminate regarding your irons.
The first thing you should check is the condition of your grooves if they have become smooth.
Think about your grooves like the thread in your car’s tires. As the depth decreases, their performance does, too.
One way to compare them is by looking at the groove at the top of the clubface and the bottom groove.
Your top groove won’t see as much action (hopefully) as your bottom groove, so it should be almost new.
Run your fingernail down the club face and see how it catches onto each groove.
If it skips off or over your worn grooves, it’s time they visit the club graveyard… the attic or tool shed!
Your Shot Shape And Direction Is All Over The Place
Let’s start by saying if you’re snap hooking, chunking, slicing, or thinning your irons, it’s not them it’s you.
One way to check is to use a simulator to check if your swing speed is the same as always. If it is, and you’re making good strikes, it’s the irons.
The golf ball will not spin as much as the grooves wear down.
Less spin with irons can result in the ball flying further than usual, zig zagging off the target line, or launching higher in the air and falling short of the green.
Depending on how far you hit it or how long the course is, some irons will wear down quicker than others.
If you play on a short course, your mid to short irons will wear down quicker than your long irons.
Other signs of wear and tear on the grips or steel shafts are not as big of a deal.
You can have these replaced for a fraction of a new set.
Your Swing Has Changed
Golf swing changes are a part of golf that you need to play better over time.
You may have started and had a set of forgiving cavity backs, but it’s been a couple of years, your swing has improved, and you’re ready to graduate to some forged irons.
If this is the case, a new set of irons is the way to go.
The same applies to golfers getting older and not swinging as fast. They will have to pack in the blades for some game improvement irons.
I recommend you book a swing assessment before buying a new set of irons.
This will eliminate any guess work, and at the end of your assessment, you will know precisely what irons you hit best.
Newer Irons Have Superior Technology
Newer golf irons will be more forgiving and launch your golf ball further than irons that are ten years old.
Every year, golf club manufacturers work on improving their golf clubs’ performance.
A general rule of thumb is that new clubs add 1-2 yards of distance every year. Using your 10-year-old clubs could mean losing 10-20 extra yards per club.
When it comes to golf, that can make all the difference.
Need help finding a set of irons that’s forgiving and hits the ball a mile? Then you should check out the below post:
Longest And Most Forgiving Irons For Beginners
You Can’t Stop Thinking Of A New Set Of Irons
Every year, golfers are blasted with advertising and promotions from all the major golf manufacturers.
You see tons of videos on YouTube, TikTok, and even the pros telling you they are the best irons ever made, with more distance, better accuracy, and enhanced looks.
So it can be easy to want a new set of irons yearly.
But realistically, you shouldn’t.
However, if you want new irons because you’re sick of your current ones because you have had them for years, they are worn out, or you feel the latest tech can genuinely help, go ahead.
Just don’t fall victim to clever marketing techniques when your current irons are fine.
Ways You Can Make Your New Irons Last Longer
Clean Your Irons Regularly
Cleaning your irons regularly will extend their lifespan and maintain consistent performance.
Your irons are designed to contact the ground repeatedly, so they are made from metals and not carbon fiber like most drivers.
This means that dirt gets crammed into your grooves, which will affect the spin and overall performance of the club.
Dirty grooves result in less spin, which produces unpredictable ball flights and distances.
Need help cleaning your clubs properly? Read the below post:
How To Clean Golf Clubs And Lower Your Score
Get A High-Quality Golf Bag
Investing in a good quality golf bag can help all your clubs last longer.
Golf bags with 14 dividers keep all your clubs separated.
This prevents them from knocking off each other while walking around the golf course or in the trunk of your car.
These minor knocks may not seem like a big deal, but they can wear your clubs down over an extended period.
Store Your Irons Properly After A Round
After your round of golf, you probably don’t think much about how or where you’re going to store your clubs.
Most golfers never take their golf clubs out of the trunk of their car, which speeds up the wearing down process.
In your trunk, temperatures can be multiplied, so if it’s hot out, it’s boiling in your trunk, and when it’s cold, it’s freezing.
The changing temperatures are not suitable for golf clubs and their overall integrity.
For example, intense heat in the summer months can cause the epoxy that holds your club together to soften.
So your club head can move around or even fall apart entirely.
Always store your golf clubs inside your home somewhere if you want to keep them for longer.
Get Your Irons Refurbished
Refurbishing your irons is another option, and although expensive, it will still be cheaper than an entirely new set.
This is the way to go if you’re sentimental about your irons.
But refurbishing won’t make them more forgiving. The only way to get more distance and extra forgiveness is to replace your irons with a new set.
The last issue would be that the refurbishment may cost more than your current set of irons if they are ancient.
Antique golf clubs are best left in the attic or displayed in the house.
Their time on the golf course has come and gone.
Buy A Good Quality Set Of Irons
Not all sets of irons are created equally, so keep this in mind when buying a new set of irons.
The $200 set of irons in your local supermarket are not going to last as long as a $700 set from a reputable brand.
How do I know?
Because the level of testing the higher-priced irons will go through compared to the cheaper set isn’t even close.
These top brands are constantly working out to perform last year’s models and their competitors.
They wouldn’t be put on the market if they were going to fall apart in a short period.
Also, on the off chance they are a pile of crap, the brand will often recall models to fix the issues.
The $200 set from Walmart won’t come with this same level of assurance if something goes wrong.
Avoid Hitting From Solid Surfaces
Although golf clubs are solid and made from durable materials, it’s important to remember they were designed to be hit on soft fairways, the rough, or tee boxes.
This means hitting surfaces like cart paths or even driving range mats can damage them over time.
Hitting these surfaces often can add more scratches to the club or even bend the bottom of the club, affecting the lie and positions of the club head.
If possible, go to a driving range with outdoor bays that don’t use mats.
How Swinging Fast Wears Down Your Irons
While every golfer dreams of swinging like a pro, with a swing that’s lightning fast and smooth as butter, it has its downsides.
One of the downsides is that your irons, hybrids, woods, and drivers will break down faster than usual.
Think about it if you were to hit a boxing bag with a brand new boxing glove, in which scenario would the glove break down first?
If you stood there hitting the bag with light jabs all day, or if you stood there only throwin’ Mike Tyson like haymakers?
Mike Tyson haymakers obviously. Well, the same principle applies to your clubs, the faster your club smashes into the golf ball and soil the more damage it’s going to pick up.
Over time this will cause the grooves to wear down which will affect how much spin is applied to the ball making it harder to control than before.
Faster swing speeds don’t just wear down the clubface but also the shafts and grips on your clubs.
For those blessed with speed they will have to re-shaft or re-grip their irons sooner than the average golfer.
So, if you’ve got a slow-average swing speed, you may lose out on some distance, but you won’t need to replace your clubs as often.
Checkout a couple of our fantastic posts below:
What Hybrid Replaces A 4 Iron?
What Is A Game Improvement Iron?
How To Hit The Ball Higher With Irons