What are the grooves on my golf clubs for?
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.
When do new golf clubs have to conform to the new rules?
Professional golfers already began using clubs that conform to the new rules in 2010. By 2011 all newly manufactured clubs must conform to the tighter standards although retailers can sell existing stock until it is gone.
When did the USGA adopt the groove rule?
Get your answers to the Groove Rule for expert golfers, including why the USGA implemented the optional Condition of Competition (now a Model Local Rule) in 2010. Informational Club Database Find out if your current golf clubs conform when the optional Model Local Rule will be adopted. Individual Player Club Testing Information
When was the condition of competition added to the groove rule?
Get your answers to the Groove Rule for expert golfers, including why the USGA implemented the optional Condition of Competition (now a Model Local Rule) in 2010. Informational Club Database
What year did USGA change the grooves?
2010Since January 1, 2010, the groove rules effective from January 1, 2010 have been adopted as a Condition of Competition (now Model Local Rule G-2) for the U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open and U.S. Senior Open, as well as all qualifying stages for these three championships.
What is the groove rule in golf?
The width and cross-section, according to the rules, “must be consistent” across the face of the club and along the length of the grooves. In other words, grooves can't be slanted one way or the other to affect spin, nor can they be of inconsistent spacing.
How often should you sharpen the grooves on your golf clubs?
A decent rule of thumb though would be to re-groove every 15 - 20 rounds of golf. You'll need to experiment to determine what frequency is best for you. How many passes with the groove sharpener across each groove should I make? Again, a decent rule of thumb is that you should make 5 - 10 passes on each groove.
What year were square grooves banned?
Saying that the use of square or U grooves in golf irons ''has changed the nature of the game,'' the PGA Tour Policy Board today declared clubs with square grooves illegal for use in PGA Tour events starting Jan. 1, 1990.
Is sharpening your grooves illegal?
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 grooves on Driver matter?
0:201:27What Are Grooves on Your Driver For? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipTaking grooves out will help them do that really get the best distance with the most durability.MoreTaking grooves out will help them do that really get the best distance with the most durability.
How do you know if your grooves are worn out?
Learn the fingernail test To do the test, simply run your fingernail down the face of your wedge to see if your nail gets caught in each groove. If your fingernail runs smoothly across any grooves, it's probably because they're worn and it's time for a switch.
How many times can you Regroove golf irons?
How Often Should I Regroove? We would recommend at least every 3-4 years. You should have your clubs cleaned and regrooved to allow you to play your best golf game. This process also gets rid of any rust that might be building up on your club (within reason).
Does a groove sharpener really work?
But the question is: do they work? The answer is, yes, Golf groove sharpeners work to give your irons and wedges an increased spin rate.
What golf grooves are illegal?
Under United States Golf Association (USGA) rules implemented on January 1, square or U-grooves have been outlawed but a 20-year-old Ping wedge was deemed legal because of a lawsuit won by its manufacturer over the USGA in 1990.
Do all Ping Eye 2 have square grooves?
Manufacturers must stop making clubs with pre-2010 grooves by January 2011. Average golfers may use those clubs until 2024, at least. Grandfathered clubs: Any Ping Eye 2 irons made between 1986-March 31, 1990. Please note: Ping Eye 2 Plus irons were made after 1990 and do not have the square grooves.
What wedges are illegal in golf?
A rule that is more important for wedges is the groove rule originating in 2008. This rule affects all clubs with lofts of 25 degrees and more, which basically means it refers to all the wedges. It banned all wedges with U-shaped grooves, allowing only wedges with V-groove design to be officially used.
How do wedges create spin?
At impact, the grooves are responsible for biting into the cover of the golf ball. The downward strike on the ball, coupled with the sharp grooves, traps the ball against the ground and creates backspin . Over time, the lower grooves will start to wear out and eventually will not catch the ball as sharply.
How wide should a golf club be?
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.
Why does the ball lose spin?
When the ball rolls up the face, spin is lost because friction is lost. Creating spin is not done by the grooves alone, however. Spin is a function of the golf club as a whole. Research is finding more and more that spin also has a lot to do with the roughness of the face of the wedge. Pick up a new Cleveland wedge and look closely at ...
Do wedges wear down grooves?
Although this may seem counter-intuitive, as using your wedges will only wear down the grooves, it is a great opportunity to get a good feel for how much life is left in them. When you are practicing, take note of your ball flight.
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.
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 ...
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.
What are the groove regulations in golf?
The optional groove regulations, which apply to all clubs except drivers and putters, are in effect for all USGA championships, including qualifiers. This optional Local Rule is recommended only for events played at the very highest level of amateur golf involving expert players. (See Model Local Rule G-2 in Section 8 of the Committee Procedures, part of the Official Guide to the Rules of Golf).
What is the optional groove rule?
The optional groove regulations, which apply to all clubs except drivers and putters, are in effect for all USGA championships, including qualifiers. This optional Local Rule is recommended only for events played at the very highest level of amateur golf involving expert players.
How to tell if a groove needs to be replaced?
According to Stone, some telltale signs of grooves that need to be replaced are increased launch angle and decreased spin. If the ball is coming off your face and ballooning or floating, rather than penetrating and spinning when it hits the surface, it may be time to change.
How long do fairway woods last?
Fairway woods can go five years or even a decade in your bag before you need to change them out, while putters usually change when 3 footers stop going in. But then there’s wedges, which are more tricky.
What does Taylormade say about the driver?
What TaylorMade says: “First we reshaped the driver, then we reconstructed it. Completely rebuilding the driver from the ground up to give you both forgiveness and distance. Go ahead, the tee box is yours. Swing away.”
How do golf groove sharpeners work?
Golf groove sharpeners work through using a tool to strip back layers of metal from your club along the groove lines in the club face. Over time, these grooves can wear down and become rounded, so sharpening will grind back dull edges leading to crisp corners.
Are golf groove sharpeners legal?
While it is perfectly legal to use a golf groove sharpener, your modified club must still comply with the rules of the game regarding golf groove alignment, depth and spacing. The grooves of golf clubs are required to meet certain depth, spacing, width, symmetry and consistency requirements to be deemed legal for tournament use.
Do golf groove sharpeners affect spin rate?
PGA professional and YouTube golfing royalty Rick Shiels performed an experiment to answer this question, using a golf groove sharpener to revamp an old 7-iron and 56-degree wedge.
Do golf groove sharpeners damage your clubs?
Using groove sharpeners on your golf clubs risks damaging the clubface if you aren’t precise when using the tool. Extra care must be taken not to dig grooves that are too deep or too wide, as this may render your club illegal for competition use and cause irreversible damage.
What are the best golf groove sharpeners?
Golf groove sharpeners are a pretty basic tool and there are plenty available online that will adequately do the job.
What are the alternatives to groove sharpening?
There are few alternatives to groove sharpening. If the grooves of your club are significantly worn, and you don’t wish to refurbish them with a sharpening tool, then the only real option left is to buy new clubs. It may be worth attempting groove sharpening first before making such a purchase.
Final message
For many golfers, groove sharpening may feel a little extreme and possibly sit outside the comfort level of what people are willing to do to their clubs.
