Tech Talk

Despite the new USGA groove rules now in effect for all Tour play you would never know anything has changed for most of the pros' short game. The new conforming wedge grooves actually produce a higher trajectory with medium ball spin (for soft landings) and result in almost no appreciable difference in distance for most touring pros.

The pros hit the ball longer and higher than almost all amateurs and can produce more ball spin even with the conforming grooves. However, the new grooves don't help the average golfer at all, yet will be required on all irons as of 2024.

The difference between touring pros and the rest of us has grown from a gap to a gulf, and the USGA's equipment rules exacerbate that distance.  As many golf industry observers have noted, if golf is to grow in popularity equipment design and regulations need to benefit amateurs, not punish them.

As reported in the recent golf trade publications Ping agreed to a ban of its original Eye2 clubs on the PGA Tour. The rather tiresome hissy fits that some of the Tour players had over Phil Michelson's use of Eye2 wedges this year prompted John Solheim of Ping and the PGA to agree that as of March 29, no Eye2 clubs made between 1984 and 1990 will be used on the major professional tours.

Solheim expected this to happen when the USGA first proposed new groove rules in late 2007. Grandfathering in the Eye2 clubs opened up a can of worms that no one needed or wanted outside the USGA.

This new prohibition does not apply to amateurs where Eye2 irons and wedges can be used indefinitely.  The new groove rules don't apply to amateur championships until 2014 and won't apply to club events until 2024.

What's so as of Jan, 2010:

1. The original Ping Eye2 wedges manufactured before 1990 were grandfathered for professional use, which means you can use these wedges in any form of play regardless of the new USGA regulations. Ironically, it was the Ping Eye2 model, afterall, that started this whole controversy about square grooves (aka U-grooves) and ball spin.

2. The PGA, European and LPGA Tours were given priority for the new wedge rule affecting all manufacturer's models this year. From what I understand the conforming wedge models from all the major brands are in limited production for the tour players. However, only Titleist will have its full conforming Vokey wedge line available for the launch of the Futures Tour, which begins March 19.

3. The Driver-Wedge (aka Bomb & Gouge) strategy of many tour players may end with the new groove rule. The rollback to the USDA 1984 rule will rule out bombing one's drive just anywhere near the green. Hitting fairways in regulation may matter again (although tricking up the golf courses probably won't change).