Tour pros replace their wedges often, so that the sharpness of their grooves are always perfect. Here are some tips for you.

If you are playing wedges that you’ve had for over five years – replace them. If they are that old, even if they are not worn from play and practice, they probably have grooves that were cast in place, so you started out with about 65-75 percent of the spin capability the USGA Rules say you could have.

Grooves on older and lower-priced wedges have grooves that were cast into the head during production; after polishing, they are compromised and cannot give you anywhere near the spin that modern premium wedges with milled grooves can provide.

Finally, there’s the question of wear. Sand and dirt abrade the metal on the wedge.

If you are curious about yours, all you need is a good magnifying glass. Look at the grooves on the lower third of the face of your wedge and examine how those in the impact area look, compared to the geometry at the ends and those at the very top of the face.