The Rules on Groove Types on Golf Clubs
- Overview. Grooves on golf club faces are there primarily to impart spin to the ball. ...
- Traditional Requirements. Even before the 2010 rules changes, clubface groove had a number of restrictions. ...
- 2010 Additions to Rules. ...
- Impact of 2010 Changes. ...
- Implementation of Changes. ...
- Ping Wedges. ...
What are the grooves on a golf club called?
In 2010 the USGA put into effect new groove rules, this essentially stated that sharp-edged “U” grooves would not be allowed on tour. Instead, “V” grooves are the only type of groove allowed on any club of 25 degrees or more.
What are the benefits of larger grooves in golf clubs?
Without the benefit of the larger, more aggressive grooves, there will be more of an emphasis on accuracy (hitting fairways, greens, etc...) going forward.
What are the dimensions of a groove on a club?
The dimensions of each groove are limited to 0.035 inch wide and 0.020 inch deep. The required minimum spacing is three times the groove width and no less than .075 inch. For all clubs except drivers, an additional restriction is on the ratio of the cross-sectional area of each groove to the groove spacing.
Why are the grooves on a golf ball so deep?
The only reason for grooves to be deeper and wider is to let more water and dirt into the grooves. But I would think that there would reach a point in the width of the groove that would make the golf ball impossible to control. If the grooves were too deep than so much more dirt would eventually settle over time.
Do golf drivers need grooves?
It completely depends on the loft of the club and playing conditions. For dry conditions, a driver without grooves will generate similar amounts of spin. But in wet conditions, the ball will actually hydroplane off the face because there's no escape route for the water.
Should I sharpen the grooves on my golf clubs?
The grooves on your golf club are vital to both backspin and ball control on the golf course. Sharpening the grooves may be something that you have never considered doing before - but worn down grooves will not give you the control or backspin you're looking for.
What groove should you hit your irons?
To get the ball to fly higher and land softer, you need to hit your iron shots more in the center of the face, not a groove or two—or five! —lower. Looking for more instruction from David Leadbetter?
Do deeper grooves create more spin?
Just like the tread of a tyre generates grip on the road each groove of a golf club grabs the ball to create spin. And just like the design of tyres where the depth of the tread is directly linked to increased grip golf wedges were historically designed with deep grooves to create more backspin.
Is it legal to sharpen grooves?
The rules of golf state that grooves must be no more than 0.035 inches wide, 0.020 inches deep and 0.075 inches from any adjacent grooves. If you play competitively, using a groove sharpener could make your clubs non-conforming and illegal for competition.
Do I have V or U grooves?
The deeper, sharper grooves are called "U" grooves. "V" grooves are the opposite. They are much shallower and have rounder edges. The "U" groove can move much more debris away from the contact zone.
Why do pros Deloft their irons?
De-lofting is also often known as compressing the ball and it really helps the ball act as it is designed to. By compressing the ball properly at impact, you actually help it get into the air by letting the grooves in your irons work their magic and launch the ball.
How do you hit the sweet spot every time in golf?
2:448:52How To Hit Irons In The Sweet Spot - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou might make a pretty good backswing. And maintain your angles. But on your downswing. You lift upMoreYou might make a pretty good backswing. And maintain your angles. But on your downswing. You lift up you stand up taller you get further away from the ball. You have to make compensations.
How do pros hit their irons?
7:4013:12GOLF: Why The Pros Hit Their Irons So Solid - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWorks down. And forward the purpose being to get their lead shoulder down and in front of the golfMoreWorks down. And forward the purpose being to get their lead shoulder down and in front of the golf ball to move my low point forward.
Should you Regroove your irons?
It's necessary to regroove your clubs on a regular basis to improve your backspin performances. This particular model can be used to regroove U grooves, V grooves as well as square grooves. It's also USGA rules and regulations compliant.
What wedge gives you the most spin?
Highest Spinning Wedges: Best of the restBettinardi HLX 3.0: 9,422rpm.Sub 70 Forged JB: 9,414rpm.Ping Glide 4.0: 9,349rpm.PXG 0311 Milled: 9,331rpm.Cobra King MIM: 9,304rpm.Cleveland RTX ZipCore: 9,289rpm.Ping Glide Forged: 9,242rpm.Cleveland CBX ZipCore: 9,081rpm.More items...•
Why do drivers not have grooves?
Most companies opt out of grooves on the face of a driver in part because driver faces have become so thin that designing for grooves might require a thicker face construction.
What is a groove in golf?
Grooves are generally horizontal and parallel indentations made into the clubface which serve to delimit the surface of the club that is meant to actually strike the ball. Indeed, the sweet spot will always be located somewhere within the area delimited by grooves.
Can you use a U-shaped groove in golf?
Basically, deep square U-shaped grooves are no longer allowed. Instead, golf manufactures are instructed to use rounded corner designs when grooving the clubface of their clubs.
Why are grooves important in golf clubs?
Why are golf club grooves important? The grooves are designed to allow water to flow and clean specks of dirt. This was the primary reason behind golf club grooves. Which ultimately helps to have better control even in wet conditions.
What is groove in golf?
In a golf club, grooves are the deep notch on the clubface to allow more control and spin on each swing. The grooves on a golf club can be both horizontal and parallel. Not just the spin, the groove is vital for a better chip shot or lofted shot as well.
How to sharpen a groove?
Things you will require in this process: 1 Brush (a toothbrush is recommended) 2 Liquid Dish Detergent 3 Warm Water 4 Lubricant 5 Masking tape 6 And last but not least, a groove sharpening tool.
How to clean a golf club with a toothbrush?
First thing first. Make some soapy water by putting some liquid detergent in the warm water and mixing it. Dip your golf club in soapy water and remove the dirt using a brush. You can use a scrubbing brush or toothbrush. You may even use a toothpick to replace a toothbrush, but that would take more time to clean.
Is it legal to use a golf club with a groove?
The groove’s concept in golf clubs is beneficial for the golfers to play with, but all sorts of golf clubs are not legal in golf. For example, squared grooves are illegal. And there is a lot to learn about it. Scroll down if you are looking for detailed learning on golf club grooves.
Can you play golf without grooves?
Yes, without grooves on the clubs, it would have been challenging to generate spin, especially backspin, and control the ball while hitting. But this is not the primary reason behind grooves. Image Source: deolauto.ca. As mentioned earlier, grooves on golf clubs are as important as having treads in tires. A flat tire has a higher possibility of ...
Do grooves work on golf clubs?
The grooves only help when there is interference between the ball and the club face (grass, water, etc...). That's when the grooves kick in and do their thing. And different groove shapes do it better than others, hence the controversy. But they all work great.
Do you need a club face groove on a fairway lie?
From a good lie in the fairway, the wedge grooves do little or nothing to improve spin or stopping power. Club face grooves are essentially not needed from a clean, fairway lie. Depending on what you can do with your regular wedge, the smooth faced wedge can make the ball bite, back up, skid to a stop, etc...
Why do golf clubs have grooves?
Essentially, the reasons why golf clubs have grooves on the face is to allow water and debris from the ball and your lie as a place to go. If you were to hit a ball that was wet from the rain, at the moment of compression the water and debris would transfer from the ball to the club face and through the grooves.
What is a V groove?
Instead, “V” grooves are the only type of groove allowed on any club of 25 degrees or more.
Why did the pros change the rules in the rough?
Apparently, they changed the rules because whenever the pros were hitting from the “rough” they were still able to get an insane amount of spin on the ball. The “U” shaped grooves in combination with sharp edges made it possible for the player to have better control of the ball while in the rough.
Why sharpen grooves?
Sharpening your grooves doesn’t make sense to me, the only reason one would sharpen their grooves is if they thought the grooves made ball spin better. But the grooves don’t make the ball spin so I would say no. On the other hand, you could sharpen your grooves if you had a small dent or blemish near the grooves.
What does a new wedge look like?
New wedges have these small grooves around the entire face of the club. It almost resembles a giant thumbprint on the face of your club. I’m assuming these are for better grip on the ball but this shouldn’t be the case for the reasons stated above.
What would happen if you didn't clean golf ball grooves?
If the grooves were too deep than so much more dirt would eventually settle over time. If you didn’t clean the grooves it would probably be extremely difficult to remove.
What happens if a golf ball is wet?
If a wet golf ball compresses against a clean club face with grooves, the water has a place to go. Even if it’s the tiniest amount of water, it still needs a place to go or the ball probably won’t compress properly. You won’t hit your target at the very least.
What are grooves on golf clubs?
By Don Patton. Grooves on your golf clubs primarily are designed to create spin when the ball is struck properly. Grooves on golf club faces are there primarily to impart spin to the ball. They also channel water and foreign material away from the clubface, especially for shots from heavy rough. The larger grooves on some irons allow players ...
Why do golf clubs have grooves?
Grooves on golf club faces are there primarily to impart spin to the ball. They also channel water and foreign material away from the clubface, especially for shots from heavy rough.
How wide is a clubface groove?
The cross section may be U- or V-shaped as long as it is symmetrical and the sides don’t converge or have sharp or raised edges. The dimensions of each groove are limited to 0.035 inch wide and 0.020 inch deep. The required minimum spacing is three times the groove width and no less than .075 inch.
How much less spin on golf shots?
This means 30 percent to 50 percent less spin on shots hit from the rough with very little effect on fairway shots.
