Re-grooving tools are readily available and inexpensive, but incorrect use can result in disaster! The common mistake is to run the tool backwards and forwards like a saw, because it is very easy to slip and leave a deep score in the clubface.
The best re-grooving method is as follows:
1. Hold the shaft in a swivel vise, with the head lying flat on the bench. Perhaps knock a nail in behind the head to keep it still.
2. Angle the cutter at about 30° and push the tip down hard into the groove using the pad of your hand. This does put a strain on the hand after a while, but it’s better that ruining a club.
3. Using the heaviest hammer you have, tap the end of the cutter along the length of the groove, so metal peels out of the groove. It will take four or five passes to complete each groove, although the higher grooves rarely wear, so one or two passes will blend them in cosmetically.
4. Swarf will be attached to the end of each groove, and tapping with a tee peg and hammer will clear this.
This repair is a lot of effort for little return, and in most cases the customer would be better advised to invest in a new club. You could also remind golfers that loft and good technique create more backspin than any depth or width of grooves!
