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TMaG's Vincent and club designer Tom Wishon on different sides of the new groove rule
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TMAG TAKE: Count TaylorMade-adidas Golf Chief Technical Officer Dr. Benoit Vincent as one of those in favor of the PGA Tour's June 30 decision to go with the U.S. Association and implement the new groove rule beginning in 2010. Had the Tour decided not to go with 2010, chances are the USGA would have pushed back the rule's implementation until 2011.
"There was no reason to posptone the schedule,'' Vincent told me. "We've been working for more than two years on that ruling modification. We had plenty of warning.
"I think what happened was the Tour began to learn what we (equipment companies) what we have to go through, which is the proposal of a rule, the process, comment to understand the rule and adopt to change. We've done that so many times in the past 10 years that we're pretty used to it. I think for the Tour guys, it was the first time thet were involved to that extent as far as 'what does it mean for us, can I understand the rule and let me adopt it.''
Vincent said TMaG plans to switch all of its staff players into the new grooves by this fall.
"It's a difficult method to assess the quallity of every groove,'' Vincent said. "So rather for us to go back into a player's bag and detect which wedges they play and which irons they have. Rather than do that we decided we're going to replace all the bags of all the Tour players we have with new equipment. We're not going to take any risks.''
On the flip side, Tom Wishon, like Vincent one of the industry's more respected club designers, believes the new grooves rule, which is designed to impart less backspin on balls out of rough, is unnecessary.
I’m sure some of the companies were telling the players they were going to have problems adjusting and playing their usual game – since the club companies pretty much don’t want this change at all. So everyone’s out there working on their own agendas as usual in the world.
"All (the Tour) had to do was grow the rough longer, just like they (the USGA) do in the US Open. Do that and everyone who had a stake in this wins,'' said Wishon, president of Tom Wishon Golf Technology. "The USGA’s hawks would see the bomb and gougers have to throttle back off the tee to keep it more in play. The short straight hitters might pick up a half shot a round on the long hitters.
"The club companies would not have to worry about getting rid of old scoreline inventory in the face of the new rule and in the face of a very poor golf economy.''
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