CARLSBAD, Calif. -- TaylorMade Golf's new TP wedges with xFT (Exchangeable Face Technology) allows players to easily remove a worn clubface and replace it with a new one to maintain peak performance in terms of spin and control.

"Though the face of a typical iron is sturdy, it isn't impervious to wear," said Bret Wahl, senior director of iron, wedge and putter development. "A wedge's face wears from contact with the ball and from the dirt and sand that's often sandwiched between the ball and the face at impact.

"Every time you explode from sand with your wedge it's like rubbing a piece of sand paper on your clubface," he explained. "Over time the face wears down and the edge-radius of the grooves becomes dull. In addition to the normal wear and tear a face suffers from normal play, it can be nicked and damaged in a variety of other ways such as when clubheads bang together when you put your bag down or when you walk or drive your cart, or when you hit out of waste areas, or when you unintentionally scrape the clubface against debris when hitting the ball from poor lies off the fairway."

The negative effect is three-fold: The groove's edges lose the ability to grab the ball, reducing spin. The groove loses volume into which moisture and debris once were channeled, meaning that more substances can get between the ball and the clubface. And finally, the texture on the surface of the face (from milling or sandblasting) is reduced, which limits the face's grip on the ball.

TaylorMade studies indicate that after about 1,000 shots the edge-radius of each individual groove changes and the roughness of the face surface is worn away. For players who play with reasonable frequency, 1,000 shots add up pretty quickly; they add up even faster for players who practice between rounds.

The xFT face is held in place with two screws on the back of the clubhead that can be loosened and tightened with a white R9 torque wrench. Each xFT face is backed with a thin layer of Poron -- a soft, urethane, microcellular foam -- to facilitate a tight fit within the clubhead and to cushion the face from metal-on-metal contact, and which also promotes superior feel.

Each TP xFT wedge face is forged from soft 304 stainless steel, then completed with a four-step CNC precision-milling process. First, the surface of the face is milled flat. Second, the back and perimeter of the face are machined to ensure a precise fit into the clubhead pocket. Third, texture is milled onto the face surface. Fourth, the grooves are milled into the face.

Two types of xFT wedge faces are now available, either with TaylorMade's new ZTP groove design that conforms to the USGA's new rules change, or with the current Z groove that conforms to the pre-2010 rule on groove design. In 2011 and beyond, TaylorMade says, xFT wedge faces will incorporate only grooves that adhere to the new USGA rule, such as the ZTP groove.

Each TP xFT wedge head is fashioned in a classic teardrop shape and made of stainless steel. The clubhead is plated in nickel-chrome for durability, then given a pearl finish to reduce glare.

The wedges are now available with 56-degree loft and 12 degrees of bounce. In mid-February, nine more combinations will follow 50.09, 52.11, 54.12, 56.16, 58.09, 58.12, 60.06, 60.10 and 64.06. The 58.12 and 60.10 models will incorporate TaylorMade's new C-grind sole.

The new wedges are equipped with KBS High-Rev shafts, which are slightly heavier and feature a slightly longer tip parallel region compared to other wedge shafts. KBS's data indicates that the High-Rev shaft promotes increased spin because of its weighting, its kick and the way it presents the head to the ball, and TaylorMade is the first brand to use these new shafts.

Each TP xFT wedge will sell at a street price of $129 per club and will come equipped with a Z groove face (conforming to the pre-2010 USGA rule). Individual xFT wedge faces with either the Z groove or ZTP groove (conforming to the new 2010 USGA rule) will be sold separately at a street price of $39 per face.

- PGA.com