{"id":6637,"date":"2009-07-07T15:05:13","date_gmt":"2009-07-07T19:05:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thesandtrap.com\/?p=6637"},"modified":"2009-10-16T18:03:06","modified_gmt":"2009-10-16T22:03:06","slug":"here_v_go_again_the_truth_about_the_groove_rule_change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesandtrap.com\/b\/bag_drop\/here_v_go_again_the_truth_about_the_groove_rule_change","title":{"rendered":"Here V Go Again: The Truth About the Groove Rule Change"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"BagLast August the USGA<\/a>, golf’s governing body in the United States since 1894, announced that they were enacting new regulations for grooves in golf clubs effective January 1, 2010. This change came after a fairly exhaustive study that was spurred on by the lack of correlation between driving accuracy and success on the professional tours of the world. In other words, the USGA didn’t think “bomb and gouge” was the way golf should be played.<\/p>\n

The rule applies only to certain clubs in the hands of certain players at and at certain times, so there is a lot of misinformation out there about what is really going on with this rule. This week, we take a look at it and set the record straight.
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\nBrief History of Grooves<\/strong>
\nPrior to 1984, golf clubs had what we now refer to as “V” grooves. As the name implies, the grooves were shaped like a V. In mid-1984, Ping introduced the second version of the Eye2 irons which featured “U” grooves. The USGA outlawed them, a lawsuit followed, and to make a long story short: U grooves or “box” grooves were allowed to stay. Then Ping took it up a notch with the square groove. I bet you thought a square groove was the same as a U groove, didn’t you? The design was the same except that Ping modified the groove with a small radius on the corners. This change reduced the distance between grooves but didn’t change the actual width of the groove.<\/p>\n

\"Wedge
Seen here (L to R): current U groove, adopted new groove, traditional V groove.<\/p>\n

Other companies adopted a similar style for cutting grooves into their irons. The days of the flier lie came to an abrupt end, and players were spinning the ball back from the tall grass and cabbage with regularity. Fast forward to August 5, 2008, and the USGA announces that they’re changing the groove regulations on the pro tours effective January 1, 2010.<\/p>\n

Common Misconceptions<\/strong>
\nLet me be clear about this first one, as it’s the biggest misconception out there. A lot of people believe the USGA, with this rule change, is banning square grooves. This is not the case at all. In fact, it doesn’t govern what shape the grooves can be any more than the current rule that’s been in effect since 1984. Club companies can continue to make U or square grooved clubs. The new rule, as it it currently written, calls for a club’s grooves to be straight and parallel, have a symmetrical cross section, and sides which do not converge. Also, the spacing and width of the grooves must be consistent across the face. <\/p>\n

The Rule<\/strong>
\n\"wedgeThe new rule actually changes the way club faces and grooves must be manufactured in three ways:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Because square grooves can channel away more grass and moisture, they now must be placed further apart on the face than before.<\/li>\n
  2. The milling process many manufacturers use now creates a very precise and sharp edge. In an effort to dull those edges, a new measurement has been added to the rule which calls for a minimum radius of .010 inches on the groove. This effectively rounds off the corner of the groove edge, in theory producing less bite on the ball.<\/li>\n
  3. It allows for a condition of competition, which means that the implementation and subsequent enforcement of the rule is up to the tournament committee. It also states that, for now, the rule will only be applied to tournaments or competitions involving expert players. In other words, the rule will only go into effect on the PGA Tour, USGA, and other high level competitions.<\/li>\n
  4. The rule applies to clubs with 25° of loft or more. The change will have the most impact on wedges – grooves on your driver, 3-wood, or 4-iron don’t do much.<\/li>\n
  5. Some dates: All other USGA events (the ones in which pros cannot compete) will adopt the rule in 2014, and the rule will go into effect for all golfers no sooner than 2024. Manufacturers must stop manufacturing nonconforming grooves by the end of 2009, but are still allowed one year to assemble, distribute, and sell the non-conforming clubs through 2010.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Those are the simple facts. Though there was some late doubt, the PGA Tour has decided with finality that they would adopt the rule as they’d previously stated in August, 2008 effective 1\/1\/10. What does this mean to the average every day golfer and weekend hack? Not much. After all, rounds played for handicap purposes must use conforming grooves starting no sooner than 2024. About the only thing that the non-elite amateur player will notice before then is that they won’t be able to buy a “non-conforming” club after 2010.<\/p>\n

    PGA Tour Impact<\/strong>
    \n\"ErnieThis rule is primarily targeted at professional golfers and the USGA has said that they want to re-emphasize the importance of hitting the ball in the fairway. In recent years with the changes in grooves, golf balls, driver technology, and increased distance, golf has become a game where it’s better to hit a wedge from the rough rather than an 8-iron from the fairway. The USGA simply wants players at the highest levels to return to having to judge the lies in the rough to avoid flyers, or be a bit more creative around the greens with chip shots. The USGA also believes that even a little rough will again become enough of a penalty that we don’t need to grow the rough six or eight inches or tuck pins two paces over a deep bunker.<\/p>\n

    It’s too early to say, but the rule change may prompt one or a combination of changes from PGA Tour players:<\/p>\n