# Keep those sticks clean for lower scores!



## cbwheeler (Apr 9, 2007)

Here's something you can do to help your game that doesn't involve your swing at all. What better kind of tip can you ask for?!

Ever wonder why the pros hand their club to their caddy to clean after every shot? No, it's not so their clubs that they're paid to play with stay looking pretty. There is actually a big advantage to keeping your golf clubs clean. Don't believe me? Listen up and I'll explain why.

The grooves on a golf club are there to impart spin on the ball. The way this works is, when the club face strikes the ball, the ball slides up the face. The grooves then catch the cover of the ball to get it spinning backwards. This is why spin balls have softer covers than distance balls. The softer the cover, the easier it is for the club to catch the cover of the ball, imparting more spin. The opposite is true for golf balls with harder covers.

If your clubs haven't been cleaned in a while, the grooves are going to be full of grass and dirt, so they hardly catch the golf ball at all at impact. You will lose a significant amount of backspin this way. This could be the difference between sticking a shot and backing it up to 3 feet from the hole, to that shot shooting off the back of the green into the long rough. That's two potential strokes right there. If this happens every time you hit an iron, WOW, that adds up doesn't it? Now you can see why keeping those grooves clean is so important.

Pick up a mild nylon brush and a towel and wipe your clubs down after you use them on the course, making sure to be wary of the pace of play of course. Clean them well every time you play. Use a mild soap and your nylon brush, making sure you dry them quickly. This is also a good time to wipe down your grips as well. The oils in your hands can cause a grip to get slippery over time. A car wash soap is perfect for this, but don't use dish soap. The chemicals in it can actually strip the finish and grip off the face of your clubs.

Keep those clubs clean and you'll see your ball getting higher, going farther, and stopping much more quickly on the green.

Fairways and Greens,
Cody
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Before people tell me that this is really obvious and that I might as well tell Superman he is wearing spandex, ask yourself how often you actually clean your clubs, then think about how this has possibly affected you in the past. If you don't clean them after every shot, it has affected you, so keep em' clean!


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## 300Yards (Jan 23, 2007)

So true..nothing like chipping with a clean wedge!


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