"I have to throw the whole set out for one club and I wouldn't mind if I thought it was going to make a difference."
Professional golfer and architect Mike Clayton emailed on the eve of the Scottish Seniors to share this about R&A iron testing:
There is an R & A equipment guy here this week checking groves on the irons with next year in mind.
We all know our wedges will be out and my sand wedge and lob wedge were not close - but my Hogan wedge that I have been using for 6 years is fine.
What does that tell you?
It tells me that if a wedge I really like and have had zero issue with flyers is going to be legal, this groove thing is not going to make too much difference.
My 7,8,9 were fine as well and the 3,4 and 5 don't matter because they are under 25 degrees (although I find it hard to believe my 5 is not more than 25) but my 6 is going to be no good.
I have to throw the whole set out for one club and I wouldn't mind if I thought it was going to make a difference. He did acknowledge that not all pros get their clubs for free and it was going to cost the majority a thousand bucks or more to buy new sets - and again I don't mind paying if it is going to make a difference.
Given that my set of six years- except for one club plus the sand irons - will be legal what is going to change?
His argument that it will place more emphasis on hitting fairways so players will take more 3 woods and irons. If they seriously think that is going to happen they are dreaming.
I wrote back to Clayton suggesting that the USGA and R&A feel the groove rule change will make the floggers throttle back to hit more fairways now that their grooves can't save them from the rough. He replies:
It seems the clubs I assumed would be illegal are legal and therefore what difference is the rule going to make? What is going to change aside from the two sand wedges?
The USGA/R&A vision of guys trying harder to hit fairways has always been difficult for me to swallow since so many players were not aware what kind of grooves they had. In fact, the rule change may encourage even more flogging because guys would rather have a flyer lie with a SW than an 8 iron.
Geoff Ogilvy Tweeted today about toying with the new grooves:
I replied:
And he replied:
Thursday, August 20, 2009 at 02:17 PM
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Reader Comments (13)
I think I will go have a beer.
Brilliant point. The problem is, the USGA and R&A should have collected more before moving ahead on this. These anecdotal reports speak to how the governing body hopes of changing the way players approach a course may not be very well informed.
I don't get it, just go down the shop and get yerself a new 6 iron matey.
Bloody hell, that's what most Aussies would do, well, maybe after they've gone to the pub, had a pint and thought about it in a rational way with their mates.
DM
I wish I could just go and get a new 6 iron - but they don't make the model I use any more.
There is no way you can play with a mutt 6 iron right in the middle of the set.
Mike Clayton
I apologise for getting your name wrong - my lazy mistake.
Mike
New ball anyone?!
If this works, the guys who are hitting more fairways will see a little more success. I cannot imagine that it will make enough difference for the bombers to give it up in the first year.