Can dirty irons affect your golf game?

Just how much does dirt and mud affect the performance of your golf clubs?

Tour pros have caddies who clean their clubs after every shot, ensuring no dirt or debris clogs the vital grooves. That’s because they understand just how much even a small amount of dirt can make to the next shot hit with that club. 

Club golfers, on the other hand, rarely clean their clubs on the course. We typically play in muddier, wetter conditions than tour pros, especially during winter, so keeping clubs clean is even more vital if we’re to maximise spin control (which dramatically affects distance) and consistency. Even the best, most forgiving golf irons won’t perform well if you can see more mud than metal.                                                                                              

A test to determine the impact of dirty grooves saw shots hit with a clean 7-iron and then using the same club with mud on the face and in the grooves. 

Clean vs. dirty clubs: the results

Shots hit with dirty grooves saw 7mph (5.5%) lower ball speeds. Backspin dropped a whopping 52.5%, from 5,399rpm to 2,566rpm. Shots flew 6 yards (20%) lower and the descent angle dropped from 43° to 36°.

The dirty iron actually generated an extra 3 yards of carry distance over the clean one, but that’s because the spin rate was more akin to what you’d expect with a driver than a 7-iron. The extra yardage is certainly not worth the cost of a shallow descent angle and lack of spin, which would make it very difficult to hold a green.

How to maximise the performance of your irons

1. Wipe your golf club after every shot

Giving your golf club a good wipe with a towel – ideally a damp one – not only means that the club will be ready for action if you use it again in the same round, it also minimises the build-up of dirt, which means you don’t need to fully clean your golf clubs as often and it shouldn’t take as long when you do.

You can also use a tee peg to scrape the grooves clean and clear any stubborn dirt.

2. Clean your clubs regularly

Even if you get into the habit of wiping your club after every shot, some dirt will still accrue over time. 

Giving your clubs a proper clean with warm, soapy water should only take 5 or 10 minutes and will ensure you get maximum performance from them next time you hit the course. 

If you’re a perfectionist who wants to maximise every “marginal gain”, you’ll clean your golf clubs between every round. But every two or three rounds is plenty for most golfers, particularly if you’re using a towel after every shot.

Don’t forget the grips

One other thing to consider is dirt on the grips of your golf clubs. Whilst not as noticeable to the eye as dirt on the clubheads, dirty grips can affect your ability to hold the club and have a big impact on the quality of your shots. 

Over time, your grips will have a build-up of sweat and oils from your hands, plus reside from suntan lotion, sand, dirt, mud, grass, and even food and drink. This will reduce the level of grip on offer, causing you to have less control over the club and/or grip it tighter than you would normally.