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Sand paper your grips during a round???

Jay-Bird

By Jay-Bird,
in Golf Talk

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  1. 1. Is it legal to sand paper your grips during a round?

    • Yes. Sand paper does NOT change the playing characteristics of a club. It's the same thing as wiping them with a towel or cleaning your grooves after a shot.
      4
    • No. Sand papering the grips to refresh the cord certainly DOES change the playing characteristics of a club. It's like using a groove sharpening tool during a round.
      6

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Jay-Bird Great Member

Jay-Bird

Can a golfer wipe his grips with sand paper during a round?

Is it a violation of Rule 4-2(a)?

Quote:
a. Playing Characteristics Changed

During a stipulated round , the playing characteristics of a club must not be purposely changed by adjustment or by any other means.

driver: FT-i tlcg 9.5˚ (Matrix Ozik XCONN Stiff)
4 wood: G10 (ProLaunch Red FW stiff)
3 -PW: :Titleist: 695 mb (Rifle flighted 6.0)
wedges:, 52˚, 56˚, 60˚
putter: Studio Select Newport 1.5

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tristanhilton85 Great Member

tristanhilton85

I can't figure out what kind of idiot would be sanding his grips during a round to start with.

This really answers the question... I mean really who uses a training aid waiting on a tee box, people do dumb things... The question was does this violate the rules? My best guess is that it does violate the rules and even if it doesn't it's too close to risk it...

Tristan Hilton

My Equipment: 
PXG 0211 Driver (Diamana S+ 60; 10.5°) · PXG 0211 FWs (Diamana S+ 60; 15° and 21°) · PXG 0211 Hybrids (MMT 80; 22°, 25°, and 28°) · PXG 0311P Gen 2 Irons (SteelFiber i95; 7-PW) · Edel Wedges (KBS Hi-Rev; 50°, 55°, 60°) · Edel Classic Blade Putter (32") · Vice Pro or Maxfli Tour · Pinned Prism Rangefinder · Star Grips · Flightscope Mevo · TRUE Linkswear Shoes · Sun Mountain C130S Bag

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Danattherock Great Member

Danattherock

Curious how this thread got started in the first place.

What made the OP ask about sanding grips?

Did something happen? Someone do this during your round?

Curious to hear ...

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jamo Incredible Member

jamo

The fact that it doesn't alter the clubface (as groove sharpening would) makes me think it's legal, but I'll be the first one to admit that I'm no groove expert.

In my bag:

Driver: Titleist TSi3 | 15º 3-Wood: Ping G410 | 17º 2-Hybrid: Ping G410 | 19º 3-Iron: TaylorMade GAPR Lo |4-PW Irons: Nike VR Pro Combo | 54º SW, 60º LW: Titleist Vokey SM8 | Putter: Odyssey Toulon Las Vegas H7

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tristanhilton85 Great Member

tristanhilton85



Originally Posted by jamo

The fact that it doesn't alter the clubface (as groove sharpening would) makes me think it's legal, but I'll be the first one to admit that I'm no groove expert.



The majority of the groove sharpeners out there say that they will only sharpen the grooves back to USGA standards and not make them larger than they are suppose to be; if thats the case then even that may be legal to do but is WAY to close to risk... Sandpapering your grips is along the same lines to me, still only brings them back to where they were but why risk it.  Sandpaper them BEFORE the round and then just wipe them down during that way you risk nothing.

Tristan Hilton

My Equipment: 
PXG 0211 Driver (Diamana S+ 60; 10.5°) · PXG 0211 FWs (Diamana S+ 60; 15° and 21°) · PXG 0211 Hybrids (MMT 80; 22°, 25°, and 28°) · PXG 0311P Gen 2 Irons (SteelFiber i95; 7-PW) · Edel Wedges (KBS Hi-Rev; 50°, 55°, 60°) · Edel Classic Blade Putter (32") · Vice Pro or Maxfli Tour · Pinned Prism Rangefinder · Star Grips · Flightscope Mevo · TRUE Linkswear Shoes · Sun Mountain C130S Bag

On my MacBook Pro:
Analyzr Pro

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iacas Hall of Fame Member

iacas

  • Administrator

14-3c tells you what you do to assist yourself in gripping the club. Basically:

  1. you can wear gloves
  2. you can use a resin, powder, or drying/moisturizing agents
  3. you can wrap a towel or handkerchief around the grip.

Nothing about sanding your grips.

Between that rule (the rest of 14-3 too) and rule 4-2a ("Playing Characteristics") I can see no way it'd be considered legal. By definition, sandpaper removes material - it doesn't simply "dry" the grip or anything like that, and that change is permanent.

Contrast that to a towel, or a groove cleaner, or a brush, which simply removes material that is not part of the club. You cannot, of course, use a re-grooving tool even if the re-grooved club conforms to the Rules of Golf. The playing characteristics are changed.

Erik J. Barzeski — ⛳ I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • Author, Lowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

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Ignorant Great Member

Ignorant



Originally Posted by jamo

The fact that it doesn't alter the clubface (as groove sharpening would) makes me think it's legal, but I'll be the first one to admit that I'm no groove expert.



Well, there are other parts forming the club than a clubface, such as shaft and grip. It is not allowed to purposely bend the shaft, either.

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canadianpro Dedicated Member

canadianpro

Well, I'm in a betting mode....we will probably have to ask the USGA but I think that it is legal. A wire brush (used to remove dirt from grooves) would effectivelty remove a thin layer of rubber from a grip the same as sandpaper would. It is not altering the shape of the grip and one could argue that applying resin or a cloth is changing the shape (slightly)...and these options are legal

I'm voting that sandpaper is legal!

PB
Canadian PGA Life Member
Peter Boyce Golf Academy
Strathroy, Ontario
:tmade:

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iacas Hall of Fame Member

iacas

  • Administrator

Originally Posted by canadianpro

Well, I'm in a betting mode....we will probably have to ask the USGA but I think that it is legal. A wire brush (used to remove dirt from grooves) would effectivelty remove a thin layer of rubber from a grip the same as sandpaper would. It is not altering the shape of the grip and one could argue that applying resin or a cloth is changing the shape (slightly)...and these options are legal

I'm voting that sandpaper is legal!


It's not. And using a brush to alter the characteristics of your grip is illegal too. Brushes are legal for removing dirt from the clubface because they don't alter clubfaces.

Per an email to a USGA rules official I know...

Erik J. Barzeski — ⛳ I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • Author, Lowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

Check Out: New Topics | TST Blog | Golf Terms | Instructional Content | Analyzr | LSW | Instructional Droplets

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