BOMB: Isn't it interesting that as we make our way around the country visiting manufacturers (or, in some instances, having them come visit us), that there's one topic virtually all of them want to talk about: what the USGA will do with grooves to combat spin. But perhaps while everyone focuses on wedges, they're missing the bigger point—that it's likely not to affect just wedges, but every iron in your bag. If that's the case, I'd like to think we can come up with five ways to combat the spin issue WITHOUT touching any of your clubs under 50 degrees. And since you're the Gouge part of this operation, I'm gonna need help on a couple. But here's a couple on my end:
1.) I know it sounds like a broken record, but just grow the darn rough. And I'm not talking about some wimpish 3- to 4-inch grass but some real salad of 6 to 8 inches. Get in that and you could have grooves sharp enough to saw through one of these and you still wouldn't get any spin.
2.) Sorry Philly Mick, but lofts on wedges have kinda gotten out of hand. And I don't just want to keep the 64-degree that Lefty had in his bag for a while out of play. I think there should be a rule limiting loft to 54 degrees. I mean, Ian Woosnam only needed a 53-degree wedge to win the Masters in 1991. That not only would reduce the amount of spin players could put on the ball, but also would truly separate the shotmakers from those who simply are using equipment as the great equalizer. And if you don't think it makes a difference, I wrote an article earlier this year with this gem from Charles Howell III who had a 64-degree wedge in the bag for a spell: "I only use it maybe two times a tournament. But it's perfect when I shortside a green ... then it's almost like cheating." And we certainly don't want anything in the game that resembles cheating, do we?
GOUGE: I'll give you two more and I'll bet we can combine on a third.
3) There is no doubt that grooves are better today at channeling out grass juice than they used to be. And dirt and grass make golf balls not work right. The volume on the new grooves has increased, bottom line. Second, grooves are better with modern balls in that the urethane covers are able to get gripped by the sharper groove edge radius. You could attack this issue around the greens by making all clubs with lofts higher than 50 degrees be furnished with v-shaped grooves only. And there cannot be any additional face roughness either. Certainly, smooth vs. rough will matter, as noted clubfitter Pat Ryan has discussed, referencing long-time Golf Digest Technical Advisory Panel member Art Chou. Again, it won't make a bit of difference to average golfers, and better players will just have to figure out a way to get the ball close. One obvious solution would be to hit more greens.
4) Shhhhh. But the real answer everyone is afraid of (unnecessarily so) is bifurcation. It's time for the ruling bodies to seriously consider backing off their stand against separate rules for elite competitions. The best golfers in the world are freaks that are even better in real-life than they are in their video games and letting them play with equipment designed to help average golfers isn't like cheating, it is cheating. The soap box derby gets pretty high tech, but none of those vehicles would make it much farther than down the driveway. Tour players should compete with the crudest tools possible, not the most advanced. With two different sets of rules (only in the area of equipment), you could make every club v-grooved. You could even reduce driver sizes to 260 cc if you wanted to. Hmmm. Might be what all that talk at Muirfield Village was all about earlier this year.
BOMB & GOUGE: And then there's this.
5) Do. Nothing.
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