How to Sharpen Golf Club Grooves – 5 Effective Steps

Sharpening the grooves of the golf clubs you have is crucial for their maintenance process and durability. In addition, when the grooves are correctly sharpened, it will directly impact your clubface’s performance. As a result, you will be able to hit better and more accurate shots with your golf club.

Instead of purchasing new wedges every season, sharpening the grooves is more efficient and saves money. If you ask how to sharpen golf club grooves, then there is a proper process to follow. Without following it correctly, sharpening the golf grooves will seem like one of the most challenging tasks.

The Reasons Why You Should Regularly Sharpen the Grooves of Your Golf Clubs

Continuous play with the club can make the groove blunt which will lower the club performance. In this situation, you may think of purchasing a new best rated golf wedge at the start of the season to start fresh. However, purchasing a new wedge every season or year will cost a handsome amount of money from your pocket.

But you can save that money by just sharpening the groove properly at the start of the season or whenever required. Now, let’s put our focus on the reasons for which you should sharpen the golf club grooves:

  • Regular sharpening of the grooves will save you money as you won’t have to spend it on buying new wedges every season
  • The sharpened grooves are one of the most vital factors in increasing the performance of the clubface
  • The sharp grooves of the golf club play a crucial role in both perfect backspin and ball control on the golf course
  • When the golf club grooves are sharpened on a regular basis, durability also increases to serve for some more seasons

How to Sharpen the Golf Club Grooves – The Path and Process to Follow

do golf club groove sharpeners work

You need to sharpen the grooves before the season starts to ensure the club is in the best condition. Then, in the middle of the season, you may have to sharpen the grooves again if you have played with the club frequently. 

At the end of the season, you should sharpen the blunt club again to lessen the hassle in the upcoming season. But the question arrives as to how you can sharpen the golf club grooves or which path to follow. So, let’s see what you can do about it:

Get Help from the Professionals to Sharpen the Golf Club Grooves

Hiring a professional to sharpen the grooves of your golf clubs is the option to go with if you don’t have an idea about it. But the cost, in this case, will be far more comparatively if you perform the action by yourself. You will have to accept this cost as you are unable to sharpen the grooves.

A professional in this sector is capable of sharpening the grooves properly because of their past experience. Therefore, though it costs money, proper sharpening is highly ensured from them. But there can be risks if they do not take the task seriously and damage the grooves in the process.

So, if you are going to the professionals, make sure you can depend on them by checking their past service. Then, when the grooves of your golf clubs are correctly sharpened, you are all set to use them on the field. Hopefully, you won’t need to buy a new wedge, as the older club is perfectly prepared for the job.

Sharpen the Golf Club Grooves by Yourself with a Groove Sharpener

Now, you may not want to go to any professional to sharpen the golf club grooves. The reason behind this decision can be either cost or the will to complete the task by yourself. If self-sharpening is your decision, you can use a bunch of sharpening tools to get the job done correctly.

You won’t face any hassle sharpening the grooves of your golf clubs by using the groove sharpener. But you will have to make sure that you are following the correct path and its steps with a suitable sharpener.

While you are sharpening the grooves, make sure you are doing it gently without putting too much pressure. Because being aggressive while sharpening those grooves can cause severe damage to the clubface. As the sharpener, using the 6 head golf club groove cutter will be the best sharpener to work with. 

Now you will have to go through a step-by-step process to sharpen the grooves, and the steps are:

how to use golf club groove sharpener

Step-1: Clean the Club Face

The first thing you need to do here is clean the clubface properly before sharpening the grooves. For the cleaning task, you will have to use warm and soapy water. Along with it, a small quantity of washing-up liquid and a scrubbing brush is also required to clean the golf clubface.

Typically, dirt, debris, and small stones gather between the grooves to make that place blunt. Take as much time as it requires, but getting rid of all dirt, small stones, and other objects is a must. Clean the clubface at least 2-3 times with soap, washing liquid, and brush if it is required to eliminate dirt and debris.

Step-2: Protect the Club Face

You would possibly never want the golf club face from slipping with the sharpener. Using a couple of strips of electrical tape in this matter can protect the clubface from getting slipped. You will have to use those tapes at every end of the club grooves first. 

When you start sharpening with the sharpener, it will continuously go up and down along the grooves. At that period, the electrical tape will halt and protect the clubface at the ends of the grooves. Try to avoid putting too much unnecessary pressure on the club and go slow with the sharpener.

Step-3: Start Re-Grooving the Golf Club

At first, you will have to draw the groove sharpener through each groove present in the golf club. While doing so, you need to use a 45-degree angle to start the golf club grooves sharpening process. Don’t put much force on the club in the beginning session to keep it simple.

Along with keeping that 45-degree angle for the first few ‘draws’ up and down the groove, go nice, easy, and slow. In the first few strokes, you will have to continue sharpening in this way. Because you need to adjust to the stroking process and be comfortable with it first. 

After the first four or five strokes, you can add slight pressure to the stroke but avoid putting excessive pressure.

Step-4: Vertical Adjustment If Required

While sharpening the grooves, you won’t always need to stroke from the same angle with the sharpener. You can also try changing the angle of the sharpener to make it more vertical, which will ensure sharpening in the other areas as well. After changing the angle, you should again go soft during the first four or five strokes.

Then you can again add a bit more pressure to sharpen the grooves in this newly adjusted angle. The whole process will bring back the original depth of the grooves of your golf clubs. Hopefully, proper sharpening will make the grooves look as they were when you first bought the club.

There is less possibility of the grooves getting damaged by the sharpener you used. Because the sharpener comes with a restrictor that prevents it from going too deep into the club.

Step-5: Lubricate the Sharpener as Per the Requirement

The sharpener might get stuck a bit on the surface of the grooves while sharpening those. In that case, you can use some lubricating oil to make the sharpener strokes smooth and accessible. Again, using the mixture of WD-40 and light cooking oil can turn out as an effective option for the process.

The entire sharpening session should be completed within 10-12 minutes. Within that time, if you sharpen the grooves correctly, they will get back to their shape as they were when you bought the club.

But sharpening the grooves of the club once in a season will do no good if you want more extended service. Because irregular sharpening and cleaning will make the club and grooves blunt and dirty. As a result, the club’s performance will decrease, along with the club expiring quickly.

So, you need to clean the golf club after every game to keep it ready for the next game. At the same time, you also should repeat the sharpening process after every 15-20 rounds to ensure the grooves stay sharp. You need to continue cleaning and sharpening the clubs and grooves throughout the whole season.

FAQs – How to Sharpen Golf Club Grooves

Is it legal to sharpen the golf club grooves with a 6-head sharpener?

There is no legal issue in sharpening the golf club grooves with any specialized sharpener or cutter. But some rules and regulations are set by the authority about the modification process and result of golf clubs.
So, no matter which cutter or sharpener you use, make sure it complies with the rules of golf groove alignment, depth, and spacing.

Why Should I sharpen the grooves of my golf club instead of buying one?

The nicely sharpened grooves of a golf club are crucial for both backspin and ball control during the game. Buying a new club is an option, but that will cost you a massive amount of money. That’s why you should either sharpen the grooves at home with a sharpener or get help from a professional.
Your expense will be way less than purchasing a new golf club in both cases. Sharpening the golf club grooves by yourself is the best option as it costs less than going to the professionals

How often should I sharpen the grooves of my golf club to get the best possible performance?

Maximum people sharpen the grooves of their golf clubs irregularly, which is harmful to the club. Regular cleaning and sharpening of the clubs and their grooves assist the club to stay in the best condition. That’s why you should sharpen the grooves of your club after every 15-20 rounds to keep those sharp.
By doing so, you will be able to get the best possible performance from the club.

Final Thoughts

Blunt grooves of your golf club will lower your performance instead of making it better. At the same time, it can damage the entire club if the grooves are not sharpened timely. That’s why, to keep the clubs in proper condition, the paths and processes of how to sharpen golf club grooves are way crucial.

Just clean the clubs and sharpen their grooves regularly to acquire the best possible performance. Regular cleaning and sharpening will also extend the durability of your clubs.