History & Overview
of Rule Change Learn more
Key Components of New Groove Rule Learn more 
Implementation Schedule & Tournament Information Learn more 
Titleist Product Section Learn more 
Key Links Learn more 
Q & A Learn more
History & Overview of Rule Change
There has been a lot of confusion about the new groove rule adopted by the USGA on January 1, 2010. This guide aims to clear up those misconceptions and explain how the change will affect each individual golfer.
Simply stated, the new rule places limits on the geometry (specifically groove volume and edge radius) of grooves on golf clubs with 25 degrees of loft or more (a typical 5 iron and above).
Although it is part of the Rules of Golf, the new groove rule is a "Condition of Competition", meaning until 2024 the rule only applies to tournaments that adopt the Condition of Competition.
History of the New Rule
The USGA began conducting research on spin generation as early as 2005. There was concern that deep "box grooves" used in some irons and wedges were making driving accuracy less of a factor in the success of PGA Tour players. Their research included specially designed machines as well as tour players to investigate the launch conditions of various shots from the fairway and rough.
The USGA issued reports in 2006 and 2007 that showed a signinficant increase in backspin and "stopping power" from the rough with modern U-Grooves versus traditional U- and V-Grooves.
In 2008, the USGA and R&A (golf's ruling bodies) proposed an addition to the Rules of Golf in order to restrict groove volume and edge radius as a "condition of competition".
During 2008 and 2009, several iterations of the implementation of the rule were discussed and approved by the USGA and R&A. Please see the Calendar of Implementation for detailed implementation information.
The rule was implemented January 1, 2010.
All clubs must be manufactured with grooves conforming to the new groove rule. Retailers will be allowed to sell their existing stocks of wedges with pre-2010 grooves.
Key Components of the New Groove Rule
GROOVE DEPTH & WIDTH
Existing provisions covering grooves in golf clubs have already been restricting groove width (0.035") and depth (0.020") for years. The new rule places an additional restriction on groove volume, or cross sectional area, which has caused manufacturers to make grooves approximately 30% smaller. Grooves work very much like the tread on tires, channeling away water, grass, and debris. With reduced volume, more material remains between the ball and the face of the club at impact. The result is a higher launch angle and less backspin, especially out of the rough.
GROOVE SPACING
The new groove rule also takes spacing into account. The cross sectional area of the groove divided by the spacing between grooves must be less than or equal to 0.0030 in^2/in. In other words, if grooves are deeper and wider, they must be farther apart. If grooves are closer together, they must be shallower and narrower. This limits the ability of grooves to channel water, grass, and debris.
EDGE RADIUS / WALL ANGLE
The other provision of the new rule states that "grooves must not have sharp edges". All grooves must have an "effective" edge radius no sharper than 0.01 inches (0.254 mm). Previously, no minimum radius was specified. This provision will have the most impact on the groove's ability to produce backspin, as it prevents grooves from gripping the ball through layers of grass, moisture, or other debris. Research conducted at Titleist's Oceanside Test Facility shows that there is a reduction in spin for both full shots out of the rough and partial pitch shots out of the rough. Our studies showed a reduction in spin of 30-50% depending on the loft and type of shot. Shots from the fairway were less affected by the new grooves.
SURFACE ROUGHNESS
The provision on wedge surface roughness remains unchanged. The peak-to-trough depth (or Ry) must not exceed 1000 microinches (0.025 mm). Additionally, the overall roughness between grooves (or Ra) must not exceed 180 microinches (0.005 mm). Vokey Spin Milled wedges, both original and SM4, have micro textured edges that are engineered to the maximum roughness allowed by the Rules of Golf. This provides a rougher surface for better spin retention on partial shots.
U GROOVES vs. V GROOVES
The new groove rule does not outlaw the use of square grooves. Titleist's new Vokey SM4 Wedges feature a conforming U-Groove engineered to provide maximum performance while conforming to the new restrictions for groove geometry.
Implementation Schedule & Tournament Information
Groove rule implemented as a Condition of Competition for Tour Events, including the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, and US Open.
All clubs must be manufactured with grooves conforming to the new groove rule. Retailers will be allowed to sell their existing stocks of wedges with pre-2010 grooves.
Groove rule implemented as a Condition of Competition for highly skilled amateur events, including the U.S. Amateur and NCAA Championships.
Amateurs must use wedges manufactured under the new groove rule or their wedges will be non-conforming according to the Rules of Golf.
PGA/LPGA/Nationwide/European/Asian Tour
- PGA, LPGA, European PGA, Asian PGA and Nationwide tours adopted the Condition of Competition starting Jan. 1, 2010.
- Includes Duramed Futures Tour
Examples: U.S. Open, LPGA Championship, Volvo Masters
PGA Tour Qualifying
- PGA Tour Open Qualifying Events (i.e. "Monday Qualifers") require the use of clubs that conform to the new groove rule.
- PGA Tour Pre-Qualifying Events do not require the use of clubs that conform to the new groove rule.
- Players attempting to qualify for PGA Tour and Nationwide events should reference the tournament Hard Card for more information.
OneAsia Tour
- The OneAsia Tour adopted the Condition of Competition on April 1, 2010.
Canadian Tour
- The Canadian Tour adopted the Condition of Competition on June 1, 2010.
- All qualifiers for the Canadian Tour adopted the Condition of Competition Jan. 1, 2011.
Tour de Las Americas
- The Tour de Las Americas adopted the Condition of Competition on June 1, 2010.
Sunshine / South African Tour
- The Sunshine Tour will adopt the Condition of Competition on August 1, 2010.
- All qualifiers for the Canadian Tour adopted the Condition of Competition Jan. 1, 2011.
US Open Qualifying
- Local qualifying in for the U.S. Open in 2010 is exempt for the Condition of Competition.
- Sectional qualifying and beyond will require use of grooves conforming to the Condition of Competition. This applies to the U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open, and U.S. Senior Open. Titleist Vokey SM4 wedges conform to the new Condition of Competition.
PGA Club Pro Events
- Most PGA Club Pro Events will not implement the Condition of Competition until 2014.
- This includes the Club Pro Championship (CPC) and state PGA tournaments.
Example: Philadelphia PGA Section Championship--players may use Pre-2010 grooves for this year's tournament.
Titleist Product Conformance
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Key Links
Q & A
- Are U-Grooves prohibited?
- This is a popular myth. U-Grooves do conform with the new Condition of Competition; however, the volume and edge radius of U-Grooves is now limited. V-Grooves are also conforming as long as they meet the specifications of the new rule. Titleist uses specially designed U-Grooves in its Vokey Spin Milled C-C wedges in order to achieve maximum performance.
- How long can I continue to use my existing wedges?
- For most amateurs, their current wedges will conform to the rules of golf until at least 2024. For elite amateur events, such as the U.S. Amateur, the Condition of Competition come into effect 2014 and require the use of wedges that conform to the new groove rule.
- How has Titleist addressed the new groove rule?
- Titleist tested a vast matrix of different groove configurations prior to deciding on the new C-C groove for its wedges. The first step was a very controlled series of tests using a hitting robot, which was followed by intensive testing with many top PGA Tour Titleist staff players. Research was conducted at our Oceanside Test Facility as well as several PGA Tournaments around the country in order to collect data in varied conditions with many different swing types and techniques. During the tour adoption process, Titleist built over 5,000 Spin Milled C-C wedges for Vokey users on numerous tours. Players began putting them in play around the world in the fall of 2009. Titleist was also the first major equipment manufacturer to make Condition of Competition wedges available to the general public.
- How can I verify if my wedges and irons are conforming?
- The USGA publishes a database of conforming irons and wedges at http://www.usga.org/InfoClubsDB/index.asp. For Titleist clubs, a conforming clubs matrix is available within this guide. It is the responsibility of each individual player to confirm that his or her clubs conform to the Rules of Golf before playing in any tournament.
- How will tournaments ensure that players are using conforming clubs?
- It is up to the Tournament Director and Competition Committee to institute a program to ensure tournaments using the Condition of Competition have the appropriate equipment to measure conforming grooves. Further questions should be directed to the USGA, which has established a testing program.
