Tour Pros Say Grooves Will Restore Need for Accuracy, Imagination, & A Short Game
by Ryan Ballengee on Jan 20, 2010 9:00 AM EST
in Pro Golf
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PrintNike Golf produced a series of videos before the '10 season began with their Tour staff. In this video, their staff discuss what they anticipate the impact of grooves will be this season and beyond.
Once viewed in Far Hills at USGA headquarters, I would expect it to run on continuous loop. Not only is it a confession that the USGA changes may well have its intended impact, but also details that players had been attacking courses without regard for accuracy, their short games, or imagination.
Trevor Immelman - clearly an astute equipment observer - says it the new grooves rule is a "pretty big change."
"It's going to make the game a little bit tougher," Anthony Kim says. Then, staring at the camera, he says, "But I guess the USGA wanted that."
Not quite, Anthony. They wanted to restore the challenge of golf.
Stewart Cink, who has previously posted stats on the grooves changes on Twitter, said that shots within 120 yards will be very different.
Cink added that grooves will "put accuracy back into play a bit more." Excellent!
Stephen Ames - a winner on the PGA Tour in 2009 under old grooves - confessed, "I'm going to have to put more work in the short game."
He didn't stop there, adding that he thought "a lot of other guys are going to have to start doing that."
In other words, Ames insinuates that many PGA Tour players were able to get away with less than effort and attention toward their short games than perhaps should be required as a percentage of practice. And that even goes for people who won on Tour. Ames just proved the USGA's case that there is no correlation between hitting fairways and winning golf tournaments.
Perhaps the best music to the ears of golfing purists is again from Ames.
"Imagination is going to have to go up more."
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Good stuff – good video….except for Amanda Blumenhurst at the very end. REALLY, Amanda. YOU compress the ball, so it’s not going to affect you too much. She’s right that she won’t lose as much spin as the men, but that one line just told me not to put a whole lot of optimism in her winning this year.
RB – you surprise me. You’ve been to tournaments and you have watched these guys prepare. You know that they all put huge amounts of work in their short games. Ames was not insinuating anything like what you said he did. He knows just how hard you have to work. He’s not competing against the golf course like you and I. He is competing against the best golfers in the world on a week to week basis.
He was very clear – with the new grooves – he’s going to have to work even harder. If you don’t step up and do the work to adjust, you’re not going to be around on Tour very long.
I liked Immelman’s comments explaining his spin rates and just how much spin they are losing with the new grooves.
Pettersen surprised me a little. She either didn’t understand the question, or doesn’t understand what the new grooves are going to do to her game. She went right to her longer clubs saying that it won’t affect that part of her game. (of course, we don’t know her whole answer in this video)
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Hey Court
How about Scott Brown…..how big is that???? Speaking of “spin” rates….just wait to hear what comes from the Obammmmmma spinners today. Probably spin rates that will require new rules on the grooves…..lol
Saints are no longer killing me!!!!!!!!
Obama spin
LOL,…em66, there gonna need “canyon” sized grooves to put any spin on Brown’s election. The Dem’s are choking, as they always do. 4 and out ! Almost sounds like the Detroit Lions.
Z.
you're still away,...choke on it !
Z......sounds great.....4 and out, one and done....oh yeah!
I was ready to move to a deserted island with only my sand wedge and a bag of floating balls…..but now I can stay here……cool.
Saints are no longer killing me!!!!!!!!
Not before time
For 10 years, the bomb and gouge has all but eliminated imagination from the game…courses got longer…rough appeared at Augusta. More rough was grown to try to combat the grooves. That eliminated the Faldos, Pavins or anoyone else who couldn’t average 290 off the tee. Golf was in danger of becoming bland. The best thing about Tiger and Phil is watching their short games and imagination..not how long they hit it. VJ to me is the best example of bomb and gouge of the top players in this era. Now we may see tactics off the tee a bit more..fades and draws anyone ? Shotmaking like Seve used to do it ? I remember a tournament in the ’80’s…Seve and Norman. the hole was a 350 dogleg, left to right. Norman, the power player then, hit his shot over the wood and near the green. But Seve hit a big fade around the wood, almost a slice…and it rolled up short of the green. Wonderful stuff. But today, everyone would just smash it over the wood now. new grooves may make them hit a 3 wood, unless they had the skill of a Seve back then.
Easy....
Some of the “new” fans love the long ball. I, like you, love the guys that actually play on the course and not 2 fairways over. Short game is everything and is what really separates these guys from the rest of us, along with their putting. Good points.
Saints are no longer killing me!!!!!!!!
I can see why they do, em...
it’s almost like sensational, but it’s not golf as such. Golf is unique IMO because there is more than one way to win. You look at Gary Player in Arnold’s and Jacks era and he competed. The last 10 years, his type of player ( Wier) would hardly figure . Unless you could bomb the ball 300 yards you could almost be forgiven if you gave up.
Chicks dig the long ball...
when did fans NOT like the long ball ? Faldo was long…Norman was long…Nicklaus and Palmer…Hogan, Snead, Nelson….Jones. People love watching Daly and Bubba Watson – but these guys aren’t just long. They have/had the rest of the game to back up their length.
We like watching these guys because they can do things we can’t…which is partly why the women’s game just doesn’t catch on. Most men can hit drives 225-250, and that’s where most of the women hit it. The women play 6000 to 6500 yard courses…just like we play. Most fans don’t want to watch golfers who are better than us play the same places we play – fans want to see bigger and better.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Faldo was long before he changed his swing.
but after ’87 he was accurate. he only hit it 270…Norman, Lyle, Woosnam , Couples, love hit it way past him. the last 10 years, working the ball has almost become extinct.
In 87, I could hit it 270+ and could work it.....but
I didn’t have the short game or the putting. I play with guys that are 10-15 handicappers (sorry OEG) and can hit it a mile, but that’s all they have…..most of them wouldn’t know a “green in regulation” if it hit them in the face. To score you have to have the short stuff and a flat stick.
Saints are no longer killing me!!!!!!!!
remember – 270 was an AVERAGE. These guys have extra gears if they want/need more yardage. Driving distance as a Tour stat was based on 2 holes out of 14 where they had yardages marked off in the fairway and a volunteer would step off the distance from a mark to the ball.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
I really gained a lot of respect for Trevor as a result of the video. Was impressed with the insight he offered (even if it was imparted to him by someone else, he thought it was important enough to share).
Find me! Email: ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com, Twitter: http://twitter.com/waggleroomryan, or Facebook: http://facebook.com/waggleroom.
by Ryan Ballengee on Jan 20, 2010 10:31 AM EST up reply actions
Pettersen made sense on grooves with Mell
http://www.thegolfchannel.com/tour-insider/quick-round-with-suzann-pettersen-34565/
so maybe she got badly edited?
by The Constructivist on Jan 20, 2010 10:46 AM EST up reply actions
Yeah, it seemed like a hack job edit on her part for whatever reason.
Find me! Email: ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com, Twitter: http://twitter.com/waggleroomryan, or Facebook: http://facebook.com/waggleroom.
by Ryan Ballengee on Jan 20, 2010 10:48 AM EST up reply actions
but but
I thought Louisiana was a deserted Island with floating balls. j/k
"pain is only weakness leaving the body"
Jumpn......Funny....very funny. Actually you are correct. Raining here again today. lol
Saints are no longer killing me!!!!!!!!
Hey EM,
didn’t know it rained on deserted islands, I thought it was mainly on the plains…Pay no attention to Jumpin, he’s starting to get nervous because the BIG WEIZE is gonna play in the Honda and start her take over of the LPGA and secure our bets…Court, the reason for the edit on Pettersen was her makeup was on crooked…EASY… if I didn’t have a short game, I’d have no game at all…hahaha….No, I’m not gonna get a new set of clubs, grooves be dammed….And you can bet your bippy, those new balls will be available to everybody in the not too distant future…STUB
Easing,
In my prime (it’s one hell of a long time ago)..I played scratch…started when I was about 8, and I’m 79 so it’s one long time…My first set were Hickory shafted, and the balls we played were called PO-DOs..10 cents apiece at Walgreen’s Drug store…Ya got about 3-4 holes before it was eggy and the paint was scuffed off…When that happened, it turned a blue-grey color and ya put it in your shag bag…the golf courses, were maintained by the Parks Dept. and there were no Bent Grass greens…Just the regular grass mowed way down…Watering? fagetaboutit….if if rained, it got watered….what a difference a few years make….ya right!!!…no complaints tho…a few muscle pulls here and there, but a good drink cures all…And Yes, screw San Francisco…I do at times enjoy a fine Cuban on the course….STUB
Would love to hear more at the bar...
but it’s a long way home after closing time. I started at 33…I’m annoyed to say that, because I watched the game for years. I love the history of the game and play the big ones when I can. When I play them I feel one with the game…for me, a great feeling. Of course it helps when i hit it down the middle ! I lived in San Jose for a year when i was 10. Should have started playing then ! On the course, I enjoy a single malt from the flask. But only in winter.
We went there when I was 2 Wendy
but I returned when I was 16 when parents divorced. it worked out good for me, saw both worlds, if you like. Lived mostly in LA, still a Lakers fan.
Court,
I didn’t say my bippy…I said YOUR bippy….Easing, still cold enough for a sip or two?..haven’t heard from Wendy….If she hasn’t gotten out, is probably ready for a strait jacket by now…Easy…how those new sticks working out?……I’ll hazard a guess…his parents….hahahah…STUB
Playing a match in the morning, Stub
Love the clubs, played 9 holes with them…one less needed with these to the green. 3 c in the morning, so yes, I’ll be having a swig !
Went to the course on Sunday
just for a recce – it’s now waterlogged due to melting snow & lots of rain – at my height too risky! Watched a few (tall) people squelching round with light winter carrying bags. Sigh – maybe next week.
for those of us who had to do some reserch to figure out what Wendy was talking about with a “recce”…. :-D
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recce
(I had no idea Wendy had such military discipline in her golfing life)
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
& It's not of the Left, Right, Left, Right Kind
Short and straight, that’s me. Sorry, didn’t know “recce” wasn’t common usage.
I meant it from “reconnoitre” – preliminary examination, though reconnaisance and reconnoitre appear interchangeable, anyway.
when I saw the pronunciation, I knew the word, but I was pronouncing it more like Reese’s Peanutbutter Cup (re-see)…so I was thinking it was another secret slang word you have over there. (lol)
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Court ! I still love those
from my time in the US…we can get them here too. Bad for the wieght, but I treat myself from time to time.
couldn't help but notice....
that the video was shot at Nike……Bet the professors will be in the labs late hours to get on top of these groove changes. Prediction: within a year the change will be rendered null by technology. It is going to take a total revision of the rules, equipment, and mindset to bring golf back to the true essence of the game. That will take strength and courage. For now, i don’t see enough of either in golf, so “the more things change the more they will stay the same.” This year may be an adjustment, but that’s all i can see going forward. Atleast with this groove rule.
"The game is swell when it's played well."
by Fairways and Grins on Jan 20, 2010 7:03 PM EST reply actions
F&G
until the USGA and R&A get some gonads and lay down the rules and the Mfgs. be dammed, nothing will change…we had the trampoline effect off the face of the metal woods, than size of the clunkers, than balls, than balls again, except the mfg. made special balls for each player, ad nauseum….both equipment/balls must have set standards by ALL MANUFACTURES, than the players can play any ball they want, cause they are really all the same, fulfilling contracts with companies….STUB
I totally agree, but i think especially now with a money crunch effecting the tour, that the big name equipment companies will not allow the Tours to roll-back technology. I see no way for that to happen. Pandora’s box is wide open, and the lid is lost. Maybe some creative thinkers will find a way to appease everyone, but until then………Hit it and get it golf will be the rule of the day. Bombs away. We are just left with memories of “good golf” with strategy, and imagination. Reality is the rescue club, and the soon to come 70 degree wedge. Oh well, it’s better than bowling…………
"The game is swell when it's played well."
by Fairways and Grins on Jan 20, 2010 10:24 PM EST up reply actions
They have to do something soon,
because they can’t stretch back the tees much further. At St Andrews, they are putting the tee back into the practise ground 30 yards. Roll back the ball and they wouldn’t have to resort to this.
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