Do Dents Affect Golf Clubs? (Major Performance Issues)
It is no secret that my golf clubs take a beating throughout the course of a game and season. From dents to scratches, they can easily become marred and damaged. But do dents affect a golf club’s performance?
Typically, a significant dent will directly affect the internal features of your golf club. It will compromise the aerodynamic capabilities of your shafts and head, meaning that you’ll not enjoy an optimal performance in the long run.
Yet, no one tells you what to expect when your golf clubs and club head sustain dents. Do they become obsolete? Do they lose value significantly? Many golfers believe that damage to clubs will cause them to perform poorly, but does real science back this up?
Let’s dive deeper and figure this out.
When Do Golf Clubs Get Dents?
Dents are commonplace when handling golf clubs. These dents often appear after significant use, which can be inevitable. But what is more important to consider is the depth of the dents. Are they deep as in more than 0.001-inch in depth? Or is it mainly superficial?
Aging is yet another major cause of dents in golf clubs. You’ll expect these dents to increase as you continue using your piece. Depending on the material used to make your golf club, the significance will always vary.
Golf club dents will vary in size, from scratches and nicks to holes and chippings. Light scratches are the most popular. These scratches are sustained during play, particularly when you smack the golf club against a golf ball. Often, scratches are caused by stones, dirt, and small rocks. Deep scratches are more concerning, and they could take significant effort to address.
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Do Scratches on a Golf Club Affect Performance?
Scratches are a common element in golf clubs. These scratches vary in size and shape. Yet, you can only categorize them into two: light and deep scratches. Light scratches are the most common ones, and they are significantly easy to remove. These markings are caused by small rocks, dirt, and sand. You’ll expect such scratches whenever you consider chipping and fairway golf shots.
Deep scratches can give you a headache. These scratches come from hitting lake banks, rocks, and stones. I remember getting a deep gash on my golf club one afternoon—I smacked it on the ground out of frustration. Removing these scratches can be daunting, as you’ll need an excellent rebuffing machine to achieve the best.
Yet, all these scratches do not affect your performance. Instead, your golf club will look less appealing. Removing the scratches on time will ensure that you have an attractive golf club in the long run.
Does a Dent on A Golf Driver Affect Performance?
The first time I saw a dent in my golf driver, I got considerably worried. I felt that my performance characteristics would dip significantly. Yet, this was not close to the truth. A dented driver’s head has a negligible impact on your performance. However, this will only suffice if the dent is slightly more minor.
Unfortunately, you might not be in a position to determine how significant the dent is. Unless you conduct a comprehensive inspection of the device, you’ll not know how big the problem is. You could also consider taking it to a club-fitter, who will use various technologies to ascertain the extent of the problem. This professional might hit it on a launch monitor.
A dent in the golf driver might not affect your shot. However, expect it to make the golf club less appealing. Engaging a professional to help handle the issue will ensure that you get premium-quality results in the long run. Fixing scratches is straightforward, meaning you can do it while at home.
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How to Fix a Dent at a Golf Club?
You do not need significant experience or have to bring a club to a club head repair specialist to fix a golf club. This process is relatively straightforward, meaning anyone can take it on. In this case, you’ll need to follow these steps.
- You’ll first need to drill a hole in the dented golf club. This hole allows you to insert a tool that will help reshape the golf club. Remember, you can always tape this small hole.
- Slide the inserted tool around, up, and down. Keep doing this until the golf club starts to regain its shape.
- Use pliers to push the sides that are not dented. This move will ensure that the golf club gains its previous form quickly. Please repeat this step until the shape is as close as it can be to its original condition.
- The next step requires you to be considerably gentle. This way, you will not compromise the structural integrity of your golf club. Bending it too much will also make it obsolete, meaning that you will no longer use it.
- Apply tape around where the dent used to be.
Various tips will help you get the utmost from this arrangement. Usually, professionals will recommend that you exercise significant patience. Otherwise, you’ll compromise your golf club in the long run.
However, if the dent is too big, it would be best to invest in a new golf club. The Callaway model clubs and wedges traditionally come with an outstanding customer service, so if that is your brand of club, it may be worth reaching out. But if you use anyone else (I enjoy Mizuno clubs) then check with the golf manufacturers to see if there is anything that can be done with damaged or defective clubs.
How Do You Know If a Golf Driver Is Damaged?
You can tell that a golf driver is damaged by assessing it, but if you are in the market for some pre-owned golf equipment, you should know how to perform a comprehensive inspection of the club. However, you could use other more accurate methods to determine whether the golf driver is damaged. These methods will include the following:
- Testing whether the golf driver is collapsing requires placing it on a straight edge. Preferably, use a straight business card or credit card to test. A significant bulge against the card will show that there is a problem. It would be best to consider various remediation methods to correct the problem in such instances. Remember, any little caving shows that your golf driver is about to crack.
- You can also check the grip’s color. Significant fading will cause you considerable trouble in the long run. Also, it shows that the golf driver club is wearing out. Other signs will include unusual peeling, roughness, and blisters. Once you notice these issues, be prepared for considerable changes in the long run.
- It would also be fair to know the average lifespan of a golf club. Its longevity is approximately five years, meaning that you expect it to start cracking at this stage. In such cases, it would help if you considered replacing it as soon as possible. Notably, a golf driver has a much shorter lifespan.
How to Protect Your Golf Clubs
In my experience, I have found that simply using head covers for my driver head and irons help to protect them from unnecessary scratches and clanging when driving a golf cart or walking.
There are some club dent repair kits on Amazon, but I have yet to test any of them. I’d rather just bring them to a local clubsmith for any clubhead dents I may come across.
Conclusion and What You Should Do…
In summary, golf clubs with dents will almost always negatively effect performance.
The dents create areas of high and low air pressure on the clubface, which affects the ball’s trajectory. Therefore, it is important to take care of your golf clubs and have them regularly serviced to ensure optimal performance.
But buying new clubs isn’t always the best option when you are on a budget or if playing golf is just a friendly hobby.
At the end of the day, it is more important to know HOW to strike a club so that when you do invest in some really nice forged irons one day, that it is worth the money.
If you got a moment, check out this training that I have used quite extensively to help me get my golf game in shape and hit the ball 30 yards LONGER with almost each club (accept the putter, of course, haha)
