New Groove Rule

[rssgolf]

That is a great question, what do you do with your wedges every year. Donate them to the needy

[James_Black]

Zeg, you make some good points. I agree with you that I am not playing at a level where my spin is going to be limited by the grooves in the fairway. However, grooves are also used to whisk away grass in the rough to enable you to make better contact with the ball. The wider and deeper the grooves, the more it will whisk away grass (much like a tire tread expells water from underneath a tire). It's my understanding, the new grooves are 70% as deep/wide as the pre-2010 grooves. I'm curious how much difference that makes in the rough? Does anyone have any experience with the new grooves vs. the old grooves?

big difference.

Erik posted a video a few months ago showing the difference in grooves with a swing-robot. off the fairway they were the same with the pass spinning back a couple of feet. out of the rough the "old" grooves stopped dead/spun back the new grooves bounced forward 3 feet before stopping.

[MCC]

MCC I believe that you are already playing with conforming grooves on your AP2 irons, have you seen any difference with those?

Good point on the AP2's already conforming. I really haven't noticed that much of a difference. It seems like it might be a non issue after all other than the mental aspect of knowing the grooves are different.

[granitegolf]

Good point on the AP2's already conforming. I really haven't noticed that much of a difference. It seems like it might be a non issue after all other than the mental aspect of knowing the grooves are different.

I also play the new AP2s switching from r7s. I notice I a bit but I'm talking about it releasing a foot or two vs stopping where it landed with. 8 iron or so. No big deal- Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Fourputt]

Since January 2024 is the first possible date that the MAJORITY of golfers will need to have the new grooves to post scores for handicap purposes WHY can manufactures no longer manufacture products with pre-2010 grooves staring in January 2011?

Because the whole point of the grace period is so that clubs manufactured before 2011 are grandfathered in, but anything newer is not. That is to prevent the deadline approaching with all of these amaterus using bags full of clubs which will suddenly be nonconforming overnight. 99.9% of those players will have replaced their old irons and wedges with new, conforming clubs long before the 2024 deadline, so when that date rolls around, it will pass unnoticed.

If you're worried about it, then just quit until after the deadline and you won't have to worry about being put at a disadvantage. I've been playing new irons for a year now, and although my 2 wedges are still the old Vokey's, I don't really see enough difference to be worth all the crying. Methinks you see much ado about nothing, sir.

[billysandy]

Why not buy some used vokeys on ebay that you can use for practice? Or, if you play a lot of competitive golf, save your actual wedges for those matches and use used vokeys for all other rounds?

[flintlock62]

Frankly, I have never heard to replace wedges every year. I re-grip once or twice a year. When my wedges need attention, I regroove them. I rather like the unfinished faces I created by using sandpaper and let them rust (intentionally). As far as my regular irons, I have always used Wilson Staff Goose-Necks which have always had "V" grooves.

[AzGolfGeek]

I have found that various tours and organizations are implementing the rule at their discretion. Example, Golden State Tour is not enforcing the groove rule til next year, Pepsi Tour is this year. U.S Open Qualifying is not enforcing during local qualifying, but is for sectional qualifying. When in doubt, find out from the tournament coordinator or operator. For myself, I was in need of a new set of clubs, the Ping Eye2's that I was playing were vintage 1994, and Vokey wedges that were worn out. (face wasn't flat anymore).......I switched to a set of i15's and new Vokey C-C wedges (54 & 60). I have no spin difference from the fairway (maybe a bit more), but from the rough, you definitely have to adjust for the occasional flyer, and the extra roll.

[bong_crosby]

If the new groove rule doesn't go into affect until 2025 for all of us amateurs then why do manufacturers have to stop making the clubs next year? It seems odd that the USGA and R&A; can demand that a company quit manufacturing a club that is still legal and will be for fourteen more years. It seems like all it will do is succeed in driving up wedge prices for us poor weekend warriors.

Are you thinking about stocking up on wedges?

[zeg]

If the new groove rule doesn't go into affect until 2025 for all of us amateurs then why do manufacturers have to stop making the clubs next year? It seems odd that the USGA and R&A; can demand that a company quit manufacturing a club that is still legal and will be for fourteen more years. It seems like all it will do is succeed in driving up wedge prices for us poor weekend warriors.

Because it's only legal for us poor weekend warriors if it was manufactured prior to 2010. The rule is in effect already, but older equipment is generally grandfathered in until that later deadline.

Are you thinking about stocking up on wedges?

No.

[clubchamp]

I have quite a few wedges floating around my basement so I'm not worried. I think too many people are making a big deal about the groove changes because not a lot of average golfers really spin a ball.

[Canuck]

I already have V grooves for my irons and i will switch my wedges whenever Cleveland or Volkey produces some nice V grooved wedges. I am not too worried about the groove rule, it just makes it more interesting. A lot of the tournies I play in are jumping to the Groove rule for next year anyways.

[zeg]

Because it's only legal for us poor weekend warriors if it was manufactured prior to 2010. The rule is in effect already, but older equipment is generally grandfathered in until that later deadline.

Also, to expand, the idea is that for those that the new rule is likely to actually matter---i.e., pros or very high level amateurs---the rule will take full effect immediately. Those competitions will see the optional rule banning old grooves enforced, so they'll all be on equal footing with new conforming grooves. For everyone else, there won't be an immediate need to upgrade (the USGA apparently picked the time interval because it was sufficient that virtually all clubs were out of regular circulation within 15 years after manufacture). If you do upgrade anyway, you'll get the new conforming wedge, so you won't have to whine that the new wedge you bought in 2023 suddenly became illegal in 2024. Odds are low that the typical weekend warrior will ever notice the difference in performance, so this rule minimizes the number of extra clubs we have to buy while letting them tweak the rules for pros/near-pros in a timely fashion.

IMO the negative response to this whole business is way overblown.

[Smokey916]

I played with some of the conforming wedges and if you play a softer ball and add more bounce to the wedge it helps get a tad bit more of spin. From thick rough though its tough to control.

[bong_crosby]

I think too many people are making a big deal about the groove changes because not a lot of average golfers really spin a ball.

I used to feel the same way until I demoed a bunch of Vokey Spin Milled wedges. It was the only time in 30 some years of playing the game that I was amazed by the difference a club could make. It was fun to fire a ball at the pin and watch it stop stiff. I haven't tried the new grooves, so I guess I should. Maybe they're just as nice from a good lie as the non-conforming grooves.

[doof_dizzler]

I have a hoard of old-style wedges in my basement. When I wear the last of them out, I'll buy new-style grooved wedges. I've decided to stockpile for this year, but I won't buy more after the deadline for production passes. I've already got plenty, and will get a few more sets of my favorite styles/designs.

[HoosierGolfer]

If the new groove rule doesn't go into affect until 2025 for all of us amateurs then why do manufacturers have to stop making the clubs next year? It seems odd that the USGA and R&A; can demand that a company quit manufacturing a club that is still legal and will be for fourteen more years. It seems like all it will do is succeed in driving up wedge prices for us poor weekend warriors.

I agree given the fact that the number of players worldwide that can continue to play these grooves for fifteen more years compared to the number of players worldwide that must use the new grooves. They are forced to stop making clubs for millions of players while only a very small percentage is required to play the new ones.

It is all about control. The USGA needs to flex once in a while, and they just jumped at this opportunity to make a point that they are in control of the game. If you ask me, I think this whole thing is a bunch of BS and nothing more than the USGA welding its power.

[jamo]

Isn't there a rule that they just aren't allowed to?