The USGA has revised the rules that define the groove volume on golf clubs with lofts equal to or more than 25 degrees. This generally speaking will be anything above a 5 iron. The rules mean that there is a limit on the sharpness of the groove edges on the clubface and the shape of the grooves has been substantially revised .
The new rules only really apply to all golf clubs manufactured after 1 January 2010. Clubs that were manufactured prior to that date that and met the previous regulations will be valid until at least 2024. Pre-2010 models can still be manufactured until the end of year 2010.
The new groove regulations mean that it is likely to be harder to hit a shot from the rough and impart as much spin as was possible with the previous grooves . They are implementing this change because they feel that golfers should be more highly rewarded for fairway accuracy than is currently the case. It will effectively penalise those that do not keep their ball in the fairway.
Commencing from January 1, 2010, all professionals and amateurs qualified to play in professional tournaments are affected by this ruling. The ruling will apply to lower level professionals and elite amateurs from 2014. It is likely that the ruling will be applied to all golfers with effect from 2024 but this will be reviewed in 2020.
If you are an everyday average amateur golfer then you don’t really need to worry about these rules as they stand now. You can still use your existing clubs but keep in mind the changes if you are looking to change your clubs in the next few years and make sure you get ones that conform to the new regulations so that you are not restricted as to how long you can use them.
Visit the advice section of online retailers of golf clubs and discount golf clubs to get additional help with course details.
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