I sharpened my golf grooves (unexpected results) 

You were my inspiration to start playing golf. You made me fall in love with the game so thank you for that. Keep the great content up. Plus I’m jealous of ur Nike deal 😍😂

Have had one of those sharpeners for a couple years and use it on my Vokey wedges a couple times a year. It doees make a lot of difference around the green. I also just checked my mail box and my PGA tour card didn't come in again today, so "non conforming" is not one of my top worries.

I have done this before on my wedges before the season. It does work, and they are conforming if you dont go real deep. Keep up the great content RS you da man!!!

Q.) *What is the worst golf gadget you have bought or received as a gift?*

If you get pulled over with an illegal club tell the club police they are a friends and you dont know how it got in your bag.

Did it bother anyone else, the way he opened that amazon package

Thanks for the video Rick, just one little thing. Would have been interesting to see how the wedge performed on shorter pitch and chip shots. Not having that high amount of compression on the ball, that's where I would expect a bigger improvement than on full swings... Maybe in the future

Same safety glasses i use when sharpening pencils.

For some reason you made me love the sport so much more, I used to play here and there, but since i started watching your videos last year I have played more in the last year than i have my entire life, plan on keeping it up this year. Thanks Rick!

Glad you mentioned the club name, "Ben Hogan" as he is my favourite all time golfer. The man laid down his life for his wife and got his body crushed by a bus what was on the WRONG side of the road. Badly broken up, Ben Hogan fought back and won tournaments again. What a guy! He has passed but kudos to his family. Mr. Hogan is not forgotten.

I was curious about this but was hesitant of potentially messing up a club. Thanks for being the guinea pig for us!

Love your videos Ricks, this experiments you run are very creative and fun to watch. Keep them coming and Thanks.

Great timing on the video Rick. I've been trying to decide if I want to sharpen my wedges or get new ones. Lots of good info here. Thanks mate!

The elephant in the room no one is talking about. ... What on earth did you hit with the toe of that 7-iron?!

I have repaired a lot of wedges. Rick , first when you do this the face is actually deformed in. The grooves in the face have to be chiseled apart to restore the width. Then you can use a groove tool. Basically there are v groove restorers, & square groove restorers. After cutting grooves, you have to sand face to remove ridges & burrs. None of these wedges will ever be legal. It is ok for normal play, it will help performance.

Great video, I was always curious about resharpening my grooves and if it would make a difference.

I always enjoy watching your videos. You a the first person I subscribed to on RU-vid and I think you are the best at what you do. Keep up the fantastic work Rick. Thank you.

Wow Rick, totally awesome video. I didn't even know this was possible.

I have been sharpening the grooves on my wedges for many years. I practice a lot so I want the wedges in top shape. I have found that sharpened grooves really make a difference in 25-50 yard range shots. If the ball will check up, then you can play more aggressively. You can find groove sharpeners that match the kind of grooves in your wedge so they stay 'legal.' We amateurs cannot afford to buy new wedges very often. The professionals get new wedges whenever they want them. So they are always playing with new, 'grabby' grooves.

Great vid Rick. Keep up the good work. I subscribed to a dozen golf channels but you're the only one I do not miss any.

Great timing I have been thinking of sharpening or regroove my irons, thanks for the info

56 years old. I love this game. I always look forward to my next round. I have played at least 2 rounds a week for 40 years now. This game is fun! Whoever devised it was a genius. Even after a bad round I come home thinking "That was fun!" And I mean it. Golf is a ton of fun!

Rick, I think you need to re-test this on shorter shots (80-60-40yd), because that’s is where the biggest difference is going to be. The shorter shots spin a lot more with new groves compared to old ones. Would love to see that video in the future.

I have used the same tool for at least twenty years and love the results and yes, I did scuff the ball often with sharp grooves. I also use the Titleist Vokey wedges and love them. Not a real fan of the PGA going to V grooves though.

Hey rick, I’m a 17 year old golfer with a +1.3 handicap. I’ve been watching your videos since you reviewed the Nike covert 2.0 back at trafford golf centre and It’s amazing how far your videos have come. I’m excited to see what the future holds for your channel

“I’m going to put a little bit of lubricant on it and go to town” That ain’t the first time! ;)

Nice to see the sharpening, I mentioned this in one of my previous comments, I find sharpening is excellent for using clubs around the green, i.e. Getting loft and stopping the ball. Keep up the great work.

The editing in this film is awesome. I love how you wait until the last minute to show the data

Brilliant presentation great topic and as you say Rick, one has to be careful not to infringe the rules. Nevertheless I assume maybe wrongly if an Iron is used constantly the grooves will dull down and should need maintenance.

Hi I bought the same sharpener last year.The problem is; there are both “v” and “u” shaped grooves. So which do you use one the wedges?! I personally use the Cleveland wedges and just upgraded to rdx 4 56 & 60. I am reluctant to use the tool since I don’t want to sharpen the groove with the wrong shape sharpener. What to do?

Great video, Rick!! I have always wondered about this and bought a sharpener, but never dared to put it to any clubs! I am still hesitant to do it for the reasons you mentioned, but, hey thats why you do this videos and why we watch them. Also, both you and Pete’s editing quality has improved sooo much! I have been warching since 2016 and seeng your growth puts a smile on my face. Next time I’m in England I might have to look you guys up!

Thanks for this video Very educational 👍🏼

Hey Rick. Long time watcher. I am a 4 handicapper from Toledo in the US. Love watching your videos...very informative. I love your comparison videos...especially your cheap "box clubs" vs $3000.00 set. Great videos. But I have a question. The new thing here in the US is "Japan version" clubs being better then "US Clubs" people say they are built better, better materials, all that fun blah blah... Can you do a comparison of a US club vs a Japan made club? The other thing is how much more expensive Japan Clubs are! US driver = 400.00 , Japan driver of the same manufacturer is like $900.00 or more! Can you make a video showing the differences and if Japan clubs are worth the hype and money! Thanks golf brother! You are the man! Dont ever let anyone tell you different! Thanks. Jay M.

I've had a groove sharpener for some time and would use it maybe once at the start of the season , I wouldn't say it really makes much of a difference to my game at all , I simply use it to make my clubs look nice and clean , take off any burrs or damage to the grooves 👍

I've been waiting for somebody to make this video!!!! Thanks, Rick!

Thank you for doing this. I’ve always wondered if they truly worked or if it was a Gimmick

Hi Rick, would be great to compare those spin numbers against a brand new vokey wedge

The ball toss at the end of the vid is gonna keep me laughing all day. Thanks Rick!

I have the same sharpener, and honestly I think just the cleaning of the grooves make most of the difference you'd see. If the grooves were actually being sharpened, you'd see silver edges on the grooves of your black wedge. Modern clubs have some pretty tough plating, and it takes a lot of pressure to actually cut the metal with these sharpeners.

Rick, you crack me up. I've never heard anyone this excited about a groove sharpener.

Hi Rick, I absolutely loved seeing you do this. As a manufacturing specialist in the aerospace industry for 45 years it’s hilarious to see a golf professional trying to rework a golf club! The fact you put on safety glasses was bloody hilarious

Great video! You should do a review on spin doctor wedges

Just sharpened all my grooves. The amount of gunk that came out was surprising and I keep my clubs really clean all the time. Hoping I get a bit more zip on my shots this weekend. Cheers RS👍

I have that same sharpener. The key is not how deep you go, it is how well you sharpen the edges. Think of it like a knife, you are not trying to make them deeper, if anything you are making them very slightly wider to get that sharp edge back. That way you are both conforming and effective.

Did hitting the ball feel any different after sharpening the grooves? I doubt that it would, but I'm still curious.

Great vid again. Was thinking about sharpening my own grooves, but now will hold off. Side question about ball damage: out of curiosity, about how many Pro-V1x's would you, Rick, go through in a typical 18-hole tournament round?

Great Video. I think all the spin data you get and share is wonderful. When doing such a deep dive into grooves it would be most informative if you were to play out of real grass. when gouging a wedge out of real grass and potentially deep juicy grass the grooves serve a crucial function as the volume of the groove allows for that juicy vegetation to go somewhere other than be compressed between the ball and the club face. I would guess that although you gained 600rpm off of astroturf the benefits would be even greater out of some live vegetation. The deeper groove (more volume) and potentially sharper groove edge would be a big advantage over the same club with stock grooves as it would allow for more ball on club face contact as well as more groove edge bite. I believe that this factor was most at play with the recent groove rule change. I'd be curious to see the results if you really dug in and created sharp, deep triangular grooves, surely they'd ruin the ball cover in short order but I think the spin and ability to gauge out of the rough would be markedly improved (albeit likely illegal).

I can't remember which golfer said it, I think it was Ray Floyd. An amateur asked him how to impart backspin. Raymond Floyd asked the amateur how often he hit past the hole. The amateur answered "almost never", Ray Floyds' response was "Then why do you need backspin?"

I have this exact groove sharpener, and the trouble I have is determining which of the six edges available on the tool to use.

Used the same device on my clubs. Didn't have a launch monitor, but I feel better about the clubs, and that's the key. Also on wedges especially, the sharpener has 3 for U grooves and 3 for V grooves. I looked up online to use the correct "head" for mine, I have a couple old clubs. Not playing in tournaments, just didn't want to "over" sharpen the grooves. Another good video, thanks.

Good stuff! Thank you for coming with all these tests. If you are a weekend warrior, you don't care about the club being legal that much ;).

When your ball lands on the green and spins back to the tee box....that’s when they’ll question your dremeled out grooves 😂

Try out some illegal grooved wedges like the spin doctor that knocked about a few years ago, you and finchy both hit the ball hard so it would be hilarious

Happily awaiting a set of used Ping G15s here in Tallahassee, Florida and I'm considering sharpening them if needed. I'm handy and have a professional shop, where I regrip mine, my wife's, and friends' clubs, but I'm probably not going to mess with sharpening the grooves after watching your video. Even for you, not much gained. Lots to potentially damage; like the OEM groove profile or the club itself. Seems like a good cleaning would suffice for most clubs in halfway decent shape. Thanks for the test! Great content, you have a good mixture of trying wacky and fun stuff out and serious product, technique, and testing other things we could never afford or get to do..If you are ever playing in the Tallahassee area, we can point you to some real classic local gems.

I sharpened my grooves a year ago with one of those. I didn't know which head to use. I can't decide if I should do it to my M2 Taylormade Irons.

What about sharpened wedge verse a brand new wedge

As a machinist, I couldn't help but chortle at the safety glasses. X'D Also, you might not realize this, but you likely won't need more than a few passes in each groove to reach whatever maximum sharpness the toll will provide. Also, obviously, the angle you hold it at will make a huge difference as will the pressure you apply and the direction the pressure is applied in. Then lastly, WD-40 is a penetrating oil intended to loosen parts that are fitted together, usually via threads. It is not a lubricant. For better results, use a lubricating oil. ;)

Great video! Last couple holes got interesting! Well played to both of yous.

Hey Rick I'm currently playing a set of old Ping isi BeCu irons that I got refurbished. New grooves, paint etc. They play like new clubs and feel amazing. Well worth a look into doing a refurb on a favorite set if you really can't find something new you like. My club maker also reckons the old steel is much better in old clubs than the new steel in new irons. Supposedly most are made in China now with inferior steel compared to clubs are say in the 90's.

7:47 the best part of the whole video lol I hope that hurt the pride more than anything else Rick.

How is the hardware calculating the balls RPM? part I found most interesting. No reflectors or markers that I could see?

I bought the exact same sharpener about 4 months ago to get the dirt out the grooves... once it was clean then I hit the course and noticed a big improvement on spin. I was hitting more greens and getting a higher ball flight. Safe to say that the sharpener was a good buy and after every round it gets used

Good video but a few questions. I have the same tool so I’m interested to know; 1. Which groove shape did you use on the tool? And how do you know which to use. 2. What would make the club illegal for competition. 3. Did you wire brush the club after sharpening? (To smooth out the edges therefore causing less damage to the ball.)

Did you clean off the WD40 with acetone? If no I would think that slippery surface would remove spin from your shots.

"Go and seek professional help" -Rick Shiels 2019

Back in high school, I took an old carbide blade and made a groove sharpener to sharpen my old wedges. My swing speed is not near what it is now but back then it made a pretty big difference. The course we practiced on was in rough shape and the greens were sometimes a bit spongy and hard to really stop a ball. With extra deep and sharp grooves, it was much easier to get the ball to check and stop. This was right before they changed to v-grooves on tour.

Great video Rick really interesting to watch⛳👍🏻👍🏻

I reckon the spin increased slightly on each club because the groove tool will create a slight burr at the edges of each groove, thereby increasing the friction grip between the clubface and the ball.. After you strike maybe 30-40 balls, that burr will have been flattened and the extra spin will disappear! (Please do read on) The large grooves on the clubface are for debris management, not gripping the ball. I'm sure we can all agree that the grooves on our car tyres are to help dissipate water, not grip the road, and it's the same with grooves on a clubface!! If, however, you look back on where the camera is zoomed in on each clubface, you will see lots of smaller machined grooves on the surfaces between the large debris grooves. On the Ben Hogan 7 iron, the small grooves have been cut in straight lines (5 parallel grooves) whereas on the Titleist the machined grooves are in a radial pattern. This is because they use a rotary cutting tool on a milling machine to create their shallow grooves, and hence they use the term 'spin milled', and these wedges have the letters SM in their model designation. These little grooves have a fairly finite life, especially on the softer metals used in forged clubheads, and you'll notice the loss of spin on short chip shots around the greens. Hence we are advised to replace our wedges every year or two, and you'll also see the tour pros play with a brand new wedge at every tournament. These grooves, when new, have the effect of increasing the coefficient of friction between the clubface and the ball, which declines as the surfaces become 'polished' by repeated ball striking. It would be interesting to see the spin rate if you were to 'sharpen' these smaller grooves as your tool appears to have several sizes of cutting head..... The Ben Hogan 7 iron would be easiest to attempt this on as the grooves are straight, but you could experiment with the Titleist too. I would suggest you just sharpen the grooves in a small zone as it can be seen that you consistently strike the ball in the same part of the clubhead. I have some old SM4 wedges that I was going to experiment with by sand-blasting the clubfaces for increased surface roughness, but to date I haven't acquired a large enough air compressor for this test! I'm an engineer by the way....(Geek, nerd, very dull etc.)

Rick you meant to say "yes" here, at the very end: "Is it enough of a difference to possibly jeopardize your golf clubs and make them nonconforming for competitive use? I would say no." Clashes with your statement 10 seconds later: "Oh, my poor 7 iron. I used to love this club - can't use it in competition any more."

Great concept, I love that you do stuff like this. Hit more shots for the tests. 3 shots seems too few to get reliable average numbers.

Great video Rick as always!

The safety glasses just cracked me up. Like the guy who goes into a strip club wearing a condom😂

Would love to see what those newly sharpened blades would do to an old balata ball.

Please do a video on the spin doctor wedges if u can find any. The used to have videos of the ball spinning on the Concrete

You inspired me to sharpen my own grooves. I opted for a much more expensive sharpener from Amazon, but one which claims that the grooves would be legal when done, the GroovEx. It is also made from a much harder metal (93 Rockwell, versus 65 Rockwell for the cheaper sharpeners), so that it will stay sharp a very long time. I sharpened all twelve clubs (not the putter or driver, obviously), and it was every bit as sharp on the last club as on the first one. The downside? It is small and has no handle, so it is hard to hold. In an hour or so, the grooves now look like new, and feel like new. Thanks for the idea.

Right, where's my bloody angle grinder???

"ive got a couple of old golf clubs" *pulls out brand new titleist vokey

Hi Rick. Interesting video. I have the same sharpener. My question is this. Which of the cutting teeth on the cutter do you recommend to use ? They are all different shapes. Thanks 🙏

Hi rick iv been watching your videos for years and love them you make me love this great game, I seen you at the open last year and also grabbing a cheeky Burger King after. Just got the p790s and spider x love them.

I dont even play golf wtf am I doing with my life

I bought a cheap sharpener on ebay and the sharpener wore out before I got done with one club..

I was using Cleveland CG! Blades for years I bought a good quality sharpener and sharpened the grooves and you can run your finger across them and feel they are sharpened and yes the ball spun and stopped quick as well the balls got chewed up. I now have some Srixon 965 s and havn't tried them outdoors yet but will see how the ball stops

Dear Rick, It might be helpful if you shared how you chose the particular edge on the sharpener for the clubs you wanted to restore.

My friends wouldn’t know or care if I sharpened the grooves for more spin lol

I don’t “sharpen” the grooves I clean them “well”. Considering it’s illegal to alter your grooves. I use a vice and shaft holder to “clean” the grooves. 😎

Got the same groove sharpener today, can't wait to try it out

A good finishing touch would be to go over the iron face with some fine sandpaper to take down any very sharp edges from sharpening to minimize golf ball damage. Great video, keep them coming! Subscribed!

99.9 percent of golfers will not make the tour so who cares if they don't conform. Nobody is going to turn pro just by sharpening their grooves.

Rick could you do a review on the Kirkland signature 3 piece golf ball.

thanks a lot! very interesting

Good video as I'm busy refurbishing my clubs that will help, have you ever tried the self standing putter would it improve your stroke?

Geeze I thaught with all the safety equipment, he was going to pull a 5 hp 3 phaze electric motor with a spindle file outta that package! Lol!

You can never add too much lubricant before you go to town, Rick ;-)

Your videos are brilliant 👌🏻

What’s up rick! Loved the video and thought it was pretty interesting, may be trying it on my older irons to see some difference. Would love to see a cobra f9 irons review, have thought about purchasing

Hilarious that you had a BBRAND NEW work glove for the project.........just sayin'

better keep that sharpener away from Peter Finch

Really enjoyed this video. One of my favourites.

I have though about doing this before haha but i didn’t want to risk messing them up great video Rick 🔥🔥

I tell you what's ridiculous... wearing protective goggles when no tools are being used.