From Nationalclubgolfer · Max Mcvittie · · 50s
Wedges Lose Spin in Rain
Rain reduces wedge spin by trapping moisture between ball and clubface.
In brief
Rain reduces wedge spin by trapping moisture between ball and clubface. Water between ball and clubface decreases spin on wet days, but Mizuno's hydroflow grooves maintain performance. Originally reported by Nationalclubgolfer.
Wet Conditions Reduce Spin
Rain makes it harder to generate spin on wedges compared to dry days.
“It (water) just gets in between the ball and the face, so the moisture is there”
Moisture Affects Spin
Water between ball and clubface reduces spin effectiveness, causing fluctuations.
“Bits of wet grass can also affect it as well where you are hitting it”
Wedges Lose Spin More
Lower lofted clubs also lose spin, but wedges are most affected due to friction reliance.
“It’s an issue that can affect lower lofted clubs too, but is particularly noticeable with wedges because of the reliance on friction to generate spin”
Mizuno's Hydroflow Grooves
Mizuno's T-Series wedges use quad cut grooves and hydroflow micro grooves for better wet performance.
“We have quad cut grooves, we also have micro grooves on there. So it’s quite commonplace now to have a secondary layer of grooves and we call them hydroflow grooves”
Hydroflow Grooves Work
Hydroflow grooves filter water away from impact area to maintain spin rates in rain.
“Also in wet conditions they will filter water away from the impact area, so you shouldn’t see that drop off in spin”
Groove Design Challenges
Mizuno faces R&A rules on groove design, requiring multiple iterations for compliance.
“I imagine in terms of making sure that the design is conforming, [it] potentially might take a couple of iterations, just because The R&A are so hot on groove tech these days”
The big picture
Water between ball and clubface decreases spin on wet days, but Mizuno's hydroflow grooves maintain performance.
