3 replies to this topic

[NiftyNiblick]

What seriously irks me about the new groove rule is that while it will not apply to recreational players for some time, all clubs made after this year will be required to conform to the new rules or will be considered non-forming in and of themselves, no matter who's playing them.


Thus I can see the OEMs making all their clubs to meet the needs of those who get them for free as opposed to the needs of us who have to buy them.

My personal opinion is that the new rule is nonsense. If I were a manufacturer given these circumstances, I would craft clubs with scoring lines flagrantly non-conforming even to the previous rules as well as crafting conforming clubs for those who want them. Choppers like to spin the ball too.

Perhaps the USGA is doing a fine job, but they can't make everybody happy. Include me among the disgruntled.

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[Goodsie]

Ah!. The "V" Groove and "Balata" ball memories are starting to re-emerge from the dusty part of the Memory Bank. And wonderful memories they are.

The new/old "V" Grooves will do two things, in my opinion. One, OEM's will sell more irons as we will want to learn how to control the ball better with the "V" Groove shape. Secondly, the change will make the Tee Ball a more important shot to "how the game is played" To achieve better scores, Driving it in the Fairway will be a much more important aspect than it is presently. Now, we just blast it down there somewhere and "square groove" it out knowing that it will grip when it lands.

I suspect that the Golf Ball Manufacturers are, also, hard at work tinkering with new covers and cores to produce better shot results off the "V" Groove.

Just imagine all of the fun and the challenges we will have retooling, rethinking and adapting our approach to this game we love so much as the OEM's present us with the new tools of the trade.

[NiftyNiblick]

Goodsie, on Mar 20 2009, 03:51 AM, said:

Just imagine all of the fun and the challenges we will have retooling, rethinking and adapting our approach to this game we love so much as the OEM's present us with the new tools of the trade.

Indeed, that's one way of looking at it. Another way is having to make the effort to take brand new wedges to the machine shop to have box grooves cut into them. This makes stainless wedges look more appealing than wedges with plating on them.

[jboy]

The new grooves aren't traditional V grooves in the sense, they're still cross sectionally going to offer as much spin on full shots. Most players won't notice it, perhaps only on very short pitch shots round the green. What we will notice is that golf balls don't get as badly damaged from sharp edged box grooves.

Perhaps the ball manufactures will go softer and spinnier (is there such a word) like the TW Nike ball which spins more.

The old 382 tour Titleist batata ball spins way more than any of it's modern equivs off the wedge.