After spending a few weeks working with the new 'V' grooves in my wedges in preparation for next year, it's become clear to me that TOUR players are going to change how they play some of their shots around the green. The 'V' groove wedges simply don't spin the ball as much as the 'U' grooves we've been using for the past 20 years.
As a result, wedge shots around the green are going to be played with more trajectory. In other words, you're going to have to hit the shots higher to drop them into the green softer. The spin that we've become used to just isn't there anymore.
The 'V' groove wedges don't seem to carry the ball as far as the old grooves either, both out of the fairway and most significantly, the rough. That's why putting your tee shots in the fairway will again be imperative. As we've seen in the past 10-15 years, players just bomb their tee shots with no concern of being in the rough because spinning the ball out of that rough was easy. That is going to change!
This will impact players differently. It will change some players games a great deal. Others will find it easy. The one player that comes to mind that probably won't have any trouble at all is Phil Mickelson. Phil has always had tremendous control of his golf ball around the green, whether it be with spin or trajectory. As the spin decreases, he will simply add more trajectory to his shots. Look for Mickelson to continue to be the master of the wedge as we've seen his entire career.
At least that's my take...what's yours?
Got an opinion?
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