Conforming Wedges, good or bad for golf?
CONDITION OF COMPETITION WEDGES
The PGA Tour kicks off another season this week in Hawaii with some hot topics. We’re obviously going to hear a lot about how Tiger is not playing and how long he’ll be out, etc., but another hot topic will be the new “Condition of Competition” wedges. This year, the PGA Tour has adopted the new wedge rule which, in short, makes the ball spin less off a wedge. The question I ask is, will this be good or bad for golf? And to tell you the truth, I’m not sure.
This new wedge rule has been very confusing to both amateurs and professionals. What I do know is you can buy the old “Zip Groove/Spin Milled” wedges through 2010. After that, the companies are no longer allowed to issue them. However, as an amateur, you will be allowed to use those wedges until 2024, I believe. So stock up! In 2014, all professional tournaments are supposed to adopt this rule change as well. I wouldn’t be surprised if those dates change.
Personally, I’m looking forward to the new wedges. I’ve never had a problem producing spin. I usually like my wedges broken in. So, I’m looking at it like it may be an advantage for someone like myself who doesn’t like a ton of spin.
On the flipside, I believe amateurs need all the spin they can get and shouldn’t be restricted in what equipment they can buy. The governing body is changing the rules for 0.001% of all golfers. Does that seem right? As I read from Phil Mickelson, amateurs love seeing the professionals hit shots they only dream about. This new rule will limit what some professionals can do with the ball.
Something to think about is this new rule could end up making the club companies a lot more money. They’re going to sell all new conforming wedges eventually, and they’ll probably make new golf balls that spin more to offset the new wedges, and they may have to decrease the lofts on drivers, again, to offset the effect of more spin on the golf ball. You can see how it’s a domino effect.
This week, listen to the announcers analyze wedge shots. It could get really repetitive. I’m guessing they’ll overblow it by blaming every bad wedge shot on the “new” grooves. I hope we don’t hear too much about it because, in my opinion, a good player should be able to adapt relatively quickly to the new clubs.
To sum it up, I can see why they made the rule change, but I’m not sure how positive it will be for golf. I think the wedges will have an effect on some of the wedge shots, but not a dramatic difference. What I do know is this, I’m looking forward to putting my new Cleveland CG 15 conforming wedges in my bag in the near future.
Have a good weekend watching the tournament.
About
KYLE VOSKA, PGA PROFESSIONAL
I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and graduated from St. Michael’s, St. Xavier, and Miami University. After graduating from Miami with a Finance degree, I moved to Florida to pursue my professional golf dreams. After a few successful years and a couple of difficult years, I stopped playing full-time. After a year of caddying on the LPGA Tour for Young Jo, Kim Williams, and Angela Stanford, I moved back home to Cincinnati. Currently, I live near Sharonville with my lovely wife, Lindsay, our kids, Maclin and Ellie, and our dog, Nora.
Teaching golf for over a year in Florida and having taken and watched many lessons from PGA Certified Master Teaching Professional Carl Rabito, becoming a golf instructor was something I really wanted to do. Fortunately, I was able to find a home at Sharon Woods Golf Course in Cincinnati, my old home from the 90′s, to further this new career path. As I enter my 6th season as a golf professional, I’m excited how my role is taking shape. I assist in managing and supervising a staff of nearly 40 while teaching golf lessons to over a 100 students. Hopefully, someday I’ll have the opportunity to mentor some future golf professionals like myself.
Email: kvoska@hotmail.com
ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
- PGA Member – June, 2009
- 2008 PGA National Assistants Champion
- 43 Professional Tournament Victories
- 2010 Southern Ohio PGA Section Player-of-the-Year
- 2010 Southern Ohio PGA Southwest Chapter Player-of-the-Year
- 2009 Cincinnati Chapter Match Play Champion
- 2009 Southern Ohio PGA Assistant’s Champion
- 2001 and 2010 Southern Ohio PGA Open Champion
- 2000 PGA Buick Open Contestant
- 1998 Miami Athlete-of-the-Year
- 2-Time NCAA Division I All-American
- Mid-American Conference Sportsman and Player-of-the Year (1998)
- 2-Time Cincinnati Met Amateur Champion (1997, 1998)
- Cincinnati Met Amateur Medalist and Runner-Up (1996)
- NCAA low scoring average on Par 3′s (2.91) in 1998
- Low competitive round – 62 (3 times): Four Bridges CC (’01), Oasis CC (’09), and Juniper Hills GC (’02)
- Low non-competitive round – 61: Browns Run CC – White tees
- Won a 54-hole Developmental Players Tour event by 9 shots shooting 19 under par with no bogies (64,64,69)
- 4 career Holes-in-One and 3 career double eagles
MY PGA MENTORS:
Tom Bach – Head Professional at Sharon Woods Golf Course
George Long – Kenwood CC PGA Professional/Head Pro at The Mill Course (17 Years)
Carl Rabito – PGA Certified Master Teaching Professional (Top 100 Instructor)
Mike Bender – 2009 PGA National Teacher-of-the-Year (Top 100)
Craig Shankland – 2001 PGA National Teacher-of-the-Year (Top 100)
Jim Suttie, Ph.D - 2000 PGA National Teacher-of-the-Year (Top 100)
Bill Madonna – Bill Madonna Golf Academy (Top 100)
Andrew Park – The David Leadbetter Golf Academy
Chris Toulson – Jim McLean Golf School at Doral
As you can see, I’ve been very fortunate to have learned from some of the best PGA Professionals in the country. I feel privileged to pass on the wealth of knowledge I’ve gained from spending time with these great gentlemen.
