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Titleist Japan has announced a revised version of its best selling retail Vokey TVD for the Japanese market. As golf enthusiasts know, the TVD is a standard retail wedge in the Japanese market and available in all lofts. Titleist Japan is releasing, beginning mid January 2010, a new Vokey TVD C-C Wedge which conforms to the USGA 2010 Groove rules. The new TVD C-C will initially be available in 52 54 56 58 and 60* lofts and standad specs with DG S200 and Nippon NS Pro 950GH Stiff. Titleist Japan has yet to announce their custom build program for the new C-C.  Aesthetically the new C-C will be identified by a change from the red M under the loft to  gold M and a new gold colored Spin Milled logo. C-C will be engraved on the neck of the wedge as well.  Initially, Titliest will offer the C-C as an on order basis and there is a two week wait time for the made in Japan C-C wedges. We've begun our pre order already in the pro shop.

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.

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The U.S Golf Association ( USGA ) recently reversed its original decision to not allow taylormade to sell the interchangeable U-Groove faces for its new TP XFT Wedge in 2010.

Taylormade's Benoit Vincent their chief technical officer flew personally to the USGA headquarters in New Jersey to appeal their original ruling based on the case that the interchangeable wedge faces should be subjected to the same deadlines as normal wedges.

Just a couple of days ago the USGA's equipment standard committee  made the decision to give the U-Groove face the green light until Jan 1, 2011 when all OEM's are not allowed to produce or distribute non conforming grooves.

Golf Week Reports For 2010, here is what will be sold by TaylorMade:

• factory assembled TP xFT wedges with interchangeable faces that contain large U grooves (TaylorMade calls them Z grooves);

• factory assembled TP xFT wedges with interchangeable faces that contain smaller grooves that conform to 2010 PGA Tour standards (TaylorMade refers to them as ZTP grooves);

• individual interchangeable faces with Z grooves;

• individual interchangeable faces with ZTP grooves.

In 2011, no fully assembled wedges or individual interchangeable faces with Z grooves will be made or distributed by TaylorMade, although retailers will be allowed to sell their remaining stock of 2010 wedges.

I totally agree with Taylormade here, why should they be held to a different standard than other manufactures. Props to the USGA for becoming aware of this and changing the ruling.

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Not that this should come as any surprise, but the USGA's upcoming groove change rule is being met with a wide variety of responses.  Some people have already accepted the fate and begun to adjust accordingly, some are fighting it, hoping the rule gets reversed, and others, golf manufacturers mostly, are trying to find ways around the rule so they can continue down their already trodden paths.  To this, the USGA has one thing to say, and they're saying it by making amendments to their groove change rule, what they call "Further clarifying":  Stop Trying.

USGA's Original Rule

That's right, the USGA's original wording for the rule was this:

"Manufacturers are reminded of the intent of the new groove regulations as stated in the February 27, 2007 Notice to Manufacturers: The objective of this change is to limit the effectiveness of grooves on shots from the rough to the effect of a traditional V-groove design."

To Clarify...

Now, however, manufacturers were trying to find a loophole that met the design specs, but still gave increased performance.  Luckily for all you non-tech geniuses (myself included) Golf Digest sought to clarify how they are trying to beat it, and how the USGA will respond:

"So what does that mean? Let's say a pro hits a 90-yard shot out of the rough with a current wedge and generates 10,000 rpms of spin and that spin would be reduced to 5,000 or 6,000 with the proposed 2010 groove. Then along comes a wedge design that incorporates a groove that conforms to the new USGA standard, but produces 7,000 to 8,000 rpms of spin from the same condition. The USGA will not deem such a club conforming, despite it meeting the technical threshold of the rule."

Effectiveness, Not Shape Matters

Basically, in simple terms, the new rule is not in place to  just change the way the golf club is made, it's in place to change the effectiveness of the clubs.  They aren't demanding new grooves for the grooves sake, they are demanding new grooves because of the effectiveness of those grooves.  Make sense?  Now, the USGA is making sure everyone knows that it's not just the design of the grooves on your golf club that matter, if the effectiveness isn't affected, they are non-conforming.

How Will They Respond?

Interesting, and an important distinction.  How will manufacturers respond?  Honestly, I see no other way than just compliance.  You?

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The newly approved Groove Change rule by the PGA Tour has been getting a lot of press, a lot of ink, and a lot of controversy as of late.  Many people are thinking it is a terrible idea, while many others believe it's a great plan and will put a very high price on actually hitting the fairway.  No matter what you actually think of the rule, the plain fact is that it passed, and it's going to be a reality starting January 1, 2010.

But What About Us?

Knowing this, all of us that aren't lucky enough to play golf for a living, get paid to play the most unique, challenging and fun courses in the world, or sponsored by one of the biggest manufacturers of golf equipment in the country might be left wondering exactly how this will affect the rest of us.  The good news is, we have some answers.  As you know, the groove change rule was put into effect in an attempt to limit just how sharp and deep the grooves on clubs with over 25-degrees of loft can be.  Sending them back to the previously accepted "V-Shaped" groove dimensions will put a serious damper on just how much spin you can generate, and how much you'll be able to bring the ball back and stop it on a green.  For the pro's, that's maybe not THAT big of a deal, but for us?

Finally...Simple Answers For Us

The great news is, we don't have a whole lot to worry about.  We started to put an end to the confusion with our last post, but it wasn't aimed directly at all of us amateur and casual golfers out there.  That said, golf.com put out a way to answer our questions.  So, without further ado:

"If you're an amateur who wants more backspin, you realize the grooves you play determine the third factor in your backspin equation and the stopping distances you achieve on greens. In this regard the USGA has been lenient. The rule gives amateurs (who don't play in Major/USGA events) a choice of which grooves to play until at least 2024. If you want to maximize your short-game backspin, you can legally play with box or U-groove wedges (manufactured prior to 1/1/10) until 2024, or maybe forever. On the other hand, if you play with any wedge manufactured after 1/1/10 (like the pros will be doing), it must have grooves with spin performance at or below V-groove levels. This will limit you to mediocre spin performance. The USGA leaves this groove choice up to you."

Make Sense?

Got it?  Good!  Now go play!

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We all know just how much the PGA pros are absolutely dreading the upcoming Groove Change rule that is going to be put into effect in the near future.  We all know how they are even speaking out about this rule change on their own personal websites, Twitter accounts and in statements released to the media.  Looks like there might be a bit of GOOD news for all those that are anti-groove change rule, as word is circulating that the plans to implement that change might be placed on hold.

Cink Predicts Tuesday Answer

If the rumors are true and the reports that despite the fact that it's been well over a year of research, well over a year since the USGA announced the rule change that they wanted to be put in place by 2010, it looks like that all that time might be for not, if the way the players are talking is any indication.  According to Stewart Cink, who just so happens to be a member on the PGA's Tour Policy Board:

"Last night there was a conference call and we decided that it was too heated of an issue to decide on a conference call so we're going to wait until next week's board meeting to make a decision about it...I would expect by Tuesday there will be some kind of an answer on it."

Those with inside tracks are saying there could be up to a 90% chance that the rule won't be put into play in 2010.  According to reports, here is why that rule might be a bit delayed:

"One of the reasons the players may vote not to implement is that there have been concerns expressed by some tour players that both they and manufacturers are having difficulties making and testing the clubs that feature the new groove. The measurement stipulations for the new groove are more technical than some previous groove rules, and include the use of specific groove edge radius measurements and restrictions on how many grooves have to meet the new stipulations. The measurement procedure is detailed in a nine-page document. By contrast, in the past groove sharpness was regulated in the field by "the finger test" to determined raised or sharp edges on grooves."

Whatever happens, this is one to stay tuned to.  Things are going to get interesting in the world of the USGA and the PGA trying to come together on this rule.  How it will end up remains to be seen.

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We all know the rain was a huge drag for anyone and everyone that was involved with the U.S. Open yesterday.  It doesn't matter if you were there trying to play, there trying to get the course READY to play, there trying to Watch play, or even just sitting at home waiting for the golf to really get going, we all missed it.  That said, what was a bum deal for all of those golf fans that actually paid the money and showed up at Bethpage Black to watch Round 1, turned out to be maybe the best deal they've ever gotten today.

If Monday Comes, They'll Be There

That's right, the USGA has gone ahead and done the right thing by giving all of those unlucky spectators that were rained out yesterday, the best deal of their lives by giving them all free tickets to come back and watch the play on Monday.  That's right, from Round 1 to the final Round, I'm fairly sure EVERYONE of them would be extremely happy with the trade-off.  After all, which would you rather attend, round 1 of the U.S. Open or the Final round?!

USGA Sounds Off

When asked how they came to this conclusion, USGA President David Fay said:

"We tried to come up with a solution that's fair...the USGA examined what other sports organizations considered full use of a ticket. For the USTA and the U.S. Open tennis at flushing Meadow, it's 90 minutes, Fay said. At the British Open, it's two hours."

Will There Be Play on Monday?

Considering fans only got to see about 3 hours of golf, and they wouldn't be able to come back Saturday or Sunday due to sell-out crowds already, Monday seemed the only appropriate.  The only drawback could be, what if the golf doesn't go into next week?  In that case, those unlucky fans truly are unlucky and we feel their pain.  Considering how the weather reports are looking, however, they might just find themselves watching some great golf.  Time well tell...