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The New Grooves Rules Explained
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Updated: Mon 3/9/2009 6:58 pm
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Far Hills, N.J. - This past August, after nearly three years of research and testing, and a lengthy period of review and comment by manufacturers and other interested parties, the United States Golf Association announced revisions to the Rules of Golf, placing new restrictions on golf club grooves.
Why grooves, and why now?
The revisions, which involve the cross sectional area of grooves on all clubs, with the exception of drivers and putters, and limit groove edge sharpness on clubs with lofts equal to or greater than 25 degrees (generally a standard 5-iron and above), are designed to restore the challenge of playing shots to the green from the rough by reducing backspin on those shots. The initial focus of the rules will be competitions involving professional golfers, starting in 2010.
Our research shows that the rough has become less of a challenge for the highly skilled professional and that driving accuracy is now less of a key factor for success," said USGA Senior Technical Director Dick Rugge. "We believe that these changes will increase the challenge of the game at the tour level, while having a very small effect on the play of most golfers."
“It used to be that driving accuracy was as important a predictor of success on the PGA Tour as was putting,” added USGA President Jim Vernon. “Over the past couple years, the correlation between driving accuracy and success on the tour has been almost zero. So we know that the way the game has been played, the skills that are required to succeed at that level, have been changed.
“One way of describing the goal of the USGA’s Equipment Standards Committee is to make sure that skill and not technology remains the dominant factor to success in the game.”
The rules apply to clubs manufactured after Jan. 1, 2010, the same year that the USGA will enforce the new regulations through a condition of competition for the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Open Championships and each of their qualifying events. All USGA amateur championships will apply the new regulations through the condition of competition, after Jan. 1, 2014.
"The scientific research on the effect of grooves on spin and the ability of highly skilled professional golfers to control shots from the rough was very compelling," said Jay Rains, USGA vice president and chairman of the Equipment Standards Committee. "The USGA and The R&A took additional time to consider fully the potential ramifications for all levels of golfers. In particular, we took care to minimize the impact on amateurs who actively compete in club and local competitions, as well as other golfers who do not want to replace recently purchased clubs."
To read the complete article visit - http://www.usga.org/news/2008/september/grooves_update.html
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