The Return of the Flyer: New Rule on Grooves to curtail Backspin

From 1st January 2010, a new V-groove rule will come into effect which will limit the amount of backspin a player can generate with iron shots from the rough.

The rule will be implemented by three associations – the United States Golf Association (USGA), the Royal & Ancient (R&A) and the Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA), and has been several years on the drawing board. The rule has been developed to bring back the challenging aspect of playing shots from out of the rough, which Tour officials across the three associations felt was being lost due to players’ ability to stop the ball close to the hole, despite playing from deep rough when missing a fairway.

The change in the rules will affect all iron clubs, but most effected will be the high-lofted clubs and wedges. Currently, most iron clubs have wide U-shape grooves which minimise the effect of grass between the clubhead and ball on impact, in order to ensure the best possible contact.

But while the change in grooves will have little effect on iron shots from fairways, there will be a definite effect on shots played from the rough, says Tiger Woods’ coach, Hank Haney. Haney believes the change will herald the return of the ‘flyer’ – a incidence where enough grass gets between clubhead and ball to prevent sufficient spin being applied, resulting in the ball travelling farther than anticipated.

“When you’re hitting off the fairway, you don’t typically get flyers,” Says Haney. “You can, but you don’t see it too often and especially on the fairways the pros play on because they’re mowed so closely. But when you get in the rough and you get grass between the club and the ball, with less spin possible, all of a sudden that 6-iron you might hit 175 (yards), might now go 200 — 25 yards over the green.”

Haney also believes the rule change will see players switching to a softer ball in order to compensate for the lack of spin; sacrificing distance for accuracy and control.

Several players have already begun to play using irons fitted with the new groove design in order to better prepare for the rule change, although clubmakers will have to work closely with the associations to ensure their grooves conform with the rules. Phil Mickelson has already fallen foul of the regulations after intending to use a prototype set of irons made by Callaway golf at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, but was informed by the USGA that the grooves did not meet guidelines laid out by the association.