Groove Sharpening Experts

[SeeMoreGuy]

With JB's lasts post of a groove sharpering tool, I started thinking and wondered if there are any groove shaprening companies still thriving in the golf industry. Some friends I play with had told me they used to send their wedges to company in NC to get the grooves sharpened back to specs. I think tht company has since gone out of business.

With all the discussion and changes in grooves, I was wondering it the groove sharpening companies were a dying breed and most people would begin to sharpen their own clubs. Cant say I am aware of the local big boxes offering groove sharpening in their services. Would seem to affect their bottom line of selling more clubs.

How many THP'ers actually use groove sharpening tools? Anyone ever sent your sticks to a groove company?

 

[JB]

Most of the groove sharpening companies are also refinishing companies and I think the good ones are still out there. Not all, but many. With the sheer amount of equipment coming out each year, i think many die hards, just buy new wedges and those that are not die hards, just play them for years and dont think about it.

 

[thedue]

Dumb question of the week, but how much benefit is there in sharpening the grooves of all your irons? I know the wedge gets used tons more, but a lot of people have 10 year old clubs or older out there.

 

[JB]

Having the grooves cleaned out and like now do not hurt and could possibly provide a lot of help. However too much Could be a problem for some.

 

[thedue]

Having the grooves cleaned out and like now do not hurt and could possibly provide a lot of help. However too much Could be a problem for some.

Are you talking cutting to deep or too wide on the groove? I keep mine well cleaned, even wax lightly periodically, but I can be... that way, lol.

Until I joined here I never replaced wedges or sharpened for that matter. But, boy could I tell a difference when I bought the CG14.

 

[JB]

Too much or altered grooves could be an issue.

 

[jefffann]

Most of the groove sharpening companies are also refinishing companies and I think the good ones are still out there. Not all, but many. With the sheer amount of equipment coming out each year, i think many die hards, just buy new wedges and those that are not die hards, just play them for years and dont think about it.

I think you really hit the nail on the head here

I know in the golfworks catalog they still have groove restoration services as well as other club refinishing/repair.

 

[Fourputt]

With JB's lasts post of a groove sharpering tool, I started thinking and wondered if there are any groove shaprening companies still thriving in the golf industry. Some friends I play with had told me they used to send their wedges to company in NC to get the grooves sharpened back to specs. I think tht company has since gone out of business.

With all the discussion and changes in grooves, I was wondering it the groove sharpening companies were a dying breed and most people would begin to sharpen their own clubs. Cant say I am aware of the local big boxes offering groove sharpening in their services. Would seem to affect their bottom line of selling more clubs.

How many THP'ers actually use groove sharpening tools? Anyone ever sent your sticks to a groove company?

I've never sharpened a groove in my life and I don't plan to. Never even heard of doing so except in online DB's like this. I've never known anyone to do it, and I've played with some pretty good golfers. I simply keep then clean (I don't wax ) and they work just fine. I like my ball to last for more than a few holes... stripping the cover off a $4 ball with my iron shots isn't my idea of frugality. :confused2:

 

[JPsuff]

Golfworks and Golfsmith still offer re-grooving services.

I think the term "groove sharpening" is a misnomer. Re-grooving, groove cleaning, re-profiling is more what it's about than actually sharpening grooves.

Over the years we've all heard comments like "He could shave with those grooves" or that someone may have cut themselves sliding a finger along some very sharp grooves.

If any of these stories are actually true, then the subjects of such stories are playing with illegal clubs. All grooves, whether "V", "U", "W" or what have you all must have either a rounded or chamfered top edge, neither of which can be sharp.

What sometimes happens though is that people may buy into the idea of a truly sharp edge and when using some of the tools available to clean or re-profile grooves, they may actually overwork the club and produce actual sharp edges and that's a no-no. Likewise, over-cutting the depth or width of a groove will likely violate the rules as well and there are certain "width to height" ratios that must be adhered to.

On a weekend golfer level, none of this matters of course. But if you like to be involved in tournament golf - especially USGA sanctioned events, then too deep, too wide or too sharp grooves will get that club tossed out or worse yet, your entire score if the violation is discovered afterward.

There's nothing wrong with cleaning grooves or even pushing them to their rule-governed limits. Just be careful not to get too carried away with it.


-JP