How To Repair Your Grooves

Sure, you may brush off your clubs or give them the occasional wash, but that shouldn’t be all your club maintenance You’re totally neglecting your grooves. Grooves are essential to performance; they help with the backspin of the ball. If your grooves are full of dirt or worn down, you won’t get the spin you need. Thankfully, Scratch is here to show you how easy it is the repair the groove face of your clubs.

What You Need
Warm Soapy Water
Liquid Dish Detergent
Scrub Brush or Toothbrush
Masking Tape
Groove Sharpening Tool
Oil or Lubricant

Step 1

Clean the face of your clubs, including the grooves. Use warm, soapy water with a couple of tablespoons of liquid dish detergent and a scrub brush or toothbrush. Make sure the face of the club and the grooves are well cleaned. A toothpick can also help get dirt out form the grooves.

Step 2

Apply masking tape at the tow and heel of the club face at the outside edge of the grooves. This will keep your groove sharpener from damaging the face of the club should you accidentally slip out of the groove.

Step 3

Hold the groove sharpener like a pencil at a 45-degree angle to the face and draw it through the first groove.  You don’t want to use much force at first. Do the 45-degree angle approximately five times, or until you begin to see the surface of the groove begin to take on its original shine.

Step 4

Turn the groove sharpener so that it’s completely vertical(aka perpendicular to the club) and continue to draw it through the groove several more times. This will recreate the original depth that the grooves had when the club was new. Most groove sharpeners have a restrictor so you can’t go past USGA depth, which is 0.02 inches.

Step 5

Put a drop of oil into the groove and repeat the sharpening process.When you see that the edges of the groove have cleaned up and the bottom of the groove is shining, move on to the next groove on the club.

Tips

Make sure that your groove sharpener is right for the grooves on your club. Grooves come in v-shape, u-shape and the controversial square-shape. Groove sharpeners are made for all three.Check the manufacturer’s specifications if you are uncertain.

Unless noticeable, unusual damage occurs, groove sharpening should be required about every 10 rounds. The more frequently you sharpen your grooves, the less work it will take each time.

Warnings

If you’re going to play competitively, make sure that your grooves are no more than the USGA standard of 0.02 inches in depth.