Press Release Summary = Golf club manufacturers, with help from the USGA, are getting their grooves on
Press Release Body = By Kristen \"Golf Chick\" Williams, Special Contributor, Golf Publisher Syndications
A woman relatively new to golf and known for her wit and dedication to her rapidly improving game, Kristen \"Golfchick\" Williams has won fans for her blog and WorldGolf.com golf course reviews. She joins the team of WorldGolf.com columnists from her home in Southern California.
Much opining goes on about the way the game of golf is changing because of technology. But is it really the game of golf or is it just the games of the pros on the PGA Tour? Whether we\'re talking golf balls, drivers, shafts or the grooves in irons and wedges, the issues mostly affect the best in the game. The USGA has done years of research on the effect U grooves on the faces of irons and wedges have on the spin of the ball. That research has primarily been focused on PGA Tour players, with a study on amateurs (probably also men) thrown in for good measure.
The USGA submitted a lengthy report to the major golf club manufacturers showing the research findings and indicating that a proposal for a rule change is likely not far behind. Those manufacturers are probably licking their chops. Maybe they even financed the studies for the USGA, which is a \"non-profit\" organization.
Who really cares if PGA Tour players hit the green 49 percent of the time from 100-200 yards out from light rough? (1) Scoring is fun to watch. Sure, it might be more interesting if they had to strategize more and actually worry about hitting fairways, but maybe the problem isn\'t in the clubs, it\'s the light rough. Why put all this time and effort into a study of the grooves when a simpler answer would be for the PGA to mandate rough lengths for certain grasses at tournament locations? I\'ll tell you why. Golf club manufacturers want to make more money. And guess what? It\'s not the Tour pros that pay for golf clubs, it\'s the rest of us ordinary everyday amateurs.
To summarize this potential rule change (don\'t kid yourself, there\'s a plan and timeline to make it happen), U grooves in irons and wedges will be outlawed in favor of a modified V groove because U grooves allow the best players in the world to spin and control the ball better from a particular type of lie on a golf course. Again - so what?
February 26, 2007 Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management. Author/Company GolfPublisher Syndications.
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