Understanding the golf pitching wedge groove rules

The grooves in your pitching wedges matter, they matter a lot. Having clean pitching wedge grooves can make the difference between a birdie and a bogie, and the new wedge groove rules are even more important so for mid to high handicappers!

The new 2010 pitching wedge groove rules are changing the way that all wedges feel:



Clubs that conform to the new 2010 USGA/R&A groove rule claim to produce higher loft, and with more run.

The new 2010 pitching edges will have spin milled CC groves, and be marked with a CC on the hozel.

It’s groovy to be square

I’m not an engineer, but I know that the V-shaped wedge grooves don’t give me enough backspin, and the more squared-off the groove, the better the backspin bite, especially when approaching a fast, hard green.


V-shared vs. sharp edged wedge grooves (courtesy Golfwrks)

I use a sharpening tool on my pitching wedge, gap wedge and lob wedge to maximize backspin and “hold” onto hard greens.


You can buy a groove sharpening tool to keep your wedges groovy

See my notes here on the new USGA 2010 pitching wedge groove rules.