Differences in five and ten year old equipment

[rob_golf1]

Just watched this video: http://www.golf-monthly.co.uk/videos/gear-video/old-v-new-clubs

The guys in this video talk about how worn the faces are on these clubs and also that you should look to replace clubs every few years.

The one thing that immediately sprung to mind was surely a bit of TLC on these clubs would have them performing to their very best. By this I was thinking; groove sharpening, new grips etc..

What do you guys think to their points made in the video?

 

[Imurg]

If the faces are worn then then using a groove sharpener could contravene the rules.
Grooves have limits of depth and width and unless you can guarantee to gouge out exactly the right amount of metal it's best left alone.

Forgiveness on off centre hits will have improved hugely in 10 years and sufficiently in 5 years to warrant making a change.
Hits from the middle won't have changed that much though.

 

[rob_golf1]

If the faces are worn then then using a groove sharpener could contravene the rules.
Grooves have limits of depth and width and unless you can guarantee to gouge out exactly the right amount of metal it's best left alone.

Forgiveness on off centre hits will have improved hugely in 10 years and sufficiently in 5 years to warrant making a change.
Hits from the middle won't have changed that much though.

So what is the best 'legal' way to sharpen the grooves on your clubs? I've had my irons for 4 years now and I was looking at buying one of those tools off eBay to sharpen them up over Xmas!

 

[ger147]

So what is the best 'legal' way to sharpen the grooves on your clubs? I've had my irons for 4 years now and I was looking at buying one of those tools off eBay to sharpen them up over Xmas!

There is no best way to sharpen your grooves yourself, you will almost certainly render them illegal.

 

[Imurg]

There are, I think, specialist firms that will recon your irons for a price - whether that stacks up against the cost of a new set, especially with AG"s double value trade in, is another matter.
I'd always advise against DIY sharpening. Too easy to break the rules.

Trade them in at AG and buy some new ones - you know you want to!

 

[rob_golf1]

Interesting points made. I wasn't aware that groove sharpening was illegal!

 

[Imurg]

Interesting points made. I wasn't aware that groove sharpening was illegal!

It's not, technically, illegal.
If you sharpen and only remove enough metal to stay within the limits then sharpen away.
It's knowing how much you've sharpened that's the the problem.

 

[Break90]

Groove sharpening isn't illegal.

Illegally sharpened grooves are.

 

[ruff-driver]

There is no best way to sharpen your grooves yourself, you will almost certainly render them illegal.

 

[rob_golf1]

Groove sharpening isn't illegal.

Illegally sharpened grooves are.

Well it just sounded it was better to leave them, rather than sharpen them, making my clubs illegal.

I'd be interested to find out if my irons and wedges actually needed sharpening.

 

[User62651]

Cant remember when the rule change came in on square grooves / V grooves (pros before amateurs), maybe 2011 but the game has lost something for it, the oohs and aahs from crowds as balls zipped backwards across greens into lakes/bunkers etc is pretty much gone.
Short game was my forte and I loved low flying fast moving wedge shots that went bounce bounce STOP with partners aksing 'how do you do that' as they expected them to go straight through the green. Combo of downward strike, soft skin pro ball and new top range vokeys/CG10s. Doesn't happen nowadays, shame in a way and not sure it cured the pro game of Vijay Singh style tactic of driver/wedge, driver/wedge, rough is no hazard, driver/wedge - as it was supposed to!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Cant remember when the rule change came in on square grooves / V grooves (pros before amateurs), maybe 2011 but the game has lost something for it, the oohs and aahs from crowds as balls zipped backwards across greens into lakes/bunkers etc is pretty much gone.
Short game was my forte and I loved low flying fast moving wedge shots that went bounce bounce STOP with partners aksing 'how do you do that' as they expected them to go straight through the green. Combo of downward strike, soft skin pro ball and new top range vokeys/CG10s. Doesn't happen nowadays, shame in a way and not sure it cured the pro game of Vijay Singh style tactic of driver/wedge, driver/wedge, rough is no hazard, driver/wedge - as it was supposed to!

I'd argue there is still plenty of crowd pleasing short game action from the pros. Mickleson is still a genius and most get the ball zipping back, especially on the PGA greens. The courses could have tougher rough but a lot of these are resort courses and so need to be playable for the average hacker (and at a reasonable) pace most of the year

 

[delc]

At club level, nobody has ever come up and demanded to measure the groves on my clubs! Might happen at pro or elite amateur level.

 

[Imurg]

At club level, nobody has ever come up and demanded to measure the groves on my clubs! Might happen at pro or elite amateur level.

That's kind of missing the point Del.
Nobody's ever looked in my bag to see if my driver is non-conforming or whether the shaft is more than 48"
They're not as I play within the rules
A new club will be confirming. Old grooves will be confirming
Sharpened grooves may or may not be.
Would you be ok playing with equipment that might be illegal..?

 

[delc]

Just watched this video: http://www.golf-monthly.co.uk/videos/gear-video/old-v-new-clubs

The guys in this video talk about how worn the faces are on these clubs and also that you should look to replace clubs every few years.

The one thing that immediately sprung to mind was surely a bit of TLC on these clubs would have them performing to their very best. By this I was thinking; groove sharpening, new grips etc..

What do you guys think to their points made in the video?

Apart from one putter, they didn't mention the effect of fitting new grips to old clubs. Grips that are old, perished and hard are not conducive to good golf. Fitting new grips can often transform old clubs.

 

[garyinderry]

Very few of us will actually wear out the faces on our irons. we simply do not hit enough balls.