Do you clean your golf clubs regularly enough? Here’s how often you should be cleaning the grooves of your clubs – and why.

Be honest: How often do you clean your golf clubs?

If you wipe your clubs down after every shot (more on that later), you should be aiming to clean your clubs every two to three rounds.

And that applies in the summer as well as the wetter months. Because it isn't just the thick winter mud that impacts the performance of the club face; any build-up of dirt and debris in the grooves can seriously hinder the way your clubface interacts with the ball.  

All about the grooves

The grooves of a club – those parallel lines on the clubface – create friction between the club and the ball, generating backspin. And that backspin enables golfers to control their shots.

But dirty grooves don't just affect backspin. Plenty of studies have proven that with clean clubs, golfers can see a noticeable difference in ball speed, launch and carry too.

How to clean your golf clubs 

First things first: The more you can get into the habit of wiping your clubs after every shot (a quick wipe with your golf towel will do) the better. And the quicker it will be to wash and clean your clubs later.

Here's how to clean your golf clubs:

  1. Fill a bucket with warm, soapy water. Stand your clubs in the water so the clubface is submerged and leave them to soak for 5-10 minutes. Keep the ferrule (the plastic bit at the bottom of the shaft) out of the water to avoid any damage. 
  2. Use a brush to clean the clubface - a washing up brush or toothbrush will do. And for any stubborn dirt in the grooves, a tee peg will work wonders! 
  3. Wipe the clubface with a clean, dry towel. Make sure they’re fully dried before storing them in a chipboard! 

How to clean your golf club grips

Whilst we're on the topic of cleaning your clubs, don't forget to clean your grips. This doesn't need to be done quite as often, but it will go a long to keep your grips tacky and make them last longer.

This only takes a few minutes!

  1. Wipe your grips down with a damp cloth.
  2. Gently dry them with a towel and give them a bit of time to dry properly before putting them back in your golf bag.

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