Custom-fit workshop
Getting into the groove
With regulations on wedge grooves changing, Neil Cooke,
technical director at Golfsmith Europe, looks at the impact of
the new rules on golfers and clubmakers alike
B
y now, virtually every avid older groove dimensions, a ball hit
golfer is aware that the out of the rough has as much spin as
USGA and the R&A have a ball struck from the fairway,
incorporated a new rule change thereby inflicting no penalty to the
affecting the dimensions of the golfer. In fact, if the rough is wet,
score lines of golf clubs with lofts there is more measurable spin using
of 25° and higher. Grooves will be the old maximum groove dimension
smaller in the future. How does compared to a shot hit from
this affect you? The new rules do the fairway.
not apply to all golfers straight In the end the ruling bodies felt it
away, but for card-carrying PGA was necessary to reduce the volume
Tour pros the new rules are size of the groove by approximately
effective from January 1, 2010. All 50%. Under the new rules, the
clubs within a tour player’s bag grooves can be as deep as previously
must incorporate the new, (.020”) or as wide as previously
smaller groove dimensions if lofts allowed (.035”), but they cannot
are 25° or higher. reach both these maximum
Since the majority of golfers are dimensions. Since there must be less
not touring professionals, the new Soft hands: Tour professionals, such as women’s world number one Lorena Ochoa, volume to the groove, you can
groove dimensions may not have an are the golfers who will have to adjust their shots around the green due to the new maintain the old groove depth while
effect on your golf equipment for as groove regulations Picture: Chris Turvey reducing the width by approximately
far off as 2024. The guidelines can be half – or you could stick with the old
confusing, but the rules are simple if you consider them only based on groove width and reduce its depth by half. The only way to maintain the
the type of golfer you are. A touring professional needs to be using these original width and depth is to turn the groove into a “V” instead of a “U”
new grooves this coming January, but for the most part, all other golfers or square groove. In addition, the radius of the groove edges must be much
can continue using their existing clubs until 2024. The big “however” is if softer and the spacing of the grooves also influences the total volume that a
you purchase a wedge manufactured after January 1, as the new groove is allowed.
equipment must incorporate the new grooves if they are to be R&A and It is up to the equipment manufacturers to determine the most efficient
USGA conforming. groove design for clubs with 25 degrees of loft and higher. The major OEMs
have spent a great deal of time testing
Countdown for clubmakers prototypes with a variety of groove
For custom clubmakers, you have until
December 31, 2010 to assemble your heads
manufactured before January 1, 2010, in
“
Our own testing at
configurations to arrive at the dimensions they
will begin using in 2010.
Golfsmith has indicated
order to be grandfathered under the old
grooves clause. The R&A and USGA have
that most amateur
On the spin
Our own testing at Golfsmith has indicated
granted all OEMs, professionals and custom
golfers are unable
that most amateur golfers are unable to tell a
clubmakers an entire year to get those old difference in performance between the older
heads assembled. to tell a difference wide grooves and the newer, conforming
Seeking tough rough
in performance
narrower ones. For the touring professionals
there is a difference. Of those who we’ve
Now that we clearly understand who can
between the older
spoken to, changing to a softer ball cover has
and cannot play with the old grooves, the countered the difference in spin rates around
question that remains is: why is there a need to wide grooves and the the green. Ultimately though, a golf ball
change the groove dimensions in the first
place? After extensive testing, the R&A and
newer, conforming
cannot compensate for the range of shots a
player will be up against due to the varying
USGA determined that ‘highly skilled’ golfers
narrower ones
course and weather conditions.
were not being sufficiently penalised for
missing the fairway with their drives. With the
”
www.golfsmith-europe.co.uk
28 SGB GOLF DECEMBER 2009/JANUARY 2010
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