How this $20 tool is helping Masters players get dialed
Players are donning groove-cleaner brushes at the Masters.
The Masters
You may have a small device clipped onto players’ hips on the range during the Wednesday practice round coverage of the Masters. What is this mysterious item? It’s one of the simplest, smartest and most affordable tools you can have on your golf bag: a groove cleaner.
Once seen as a nerdy item to have on your bag, groove cleaners, which you can pick up for as little as $20, are now donned by major champions like Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas.
What explains the switch in attitude toward groove cleaners? GOLF Top 100 Teacher to Watch Devan Bonebrake explains that it’s all about maximizing spin and controlling the conditions to their best ability.
Why spin matters
At a place like Augusta, Bonebrake explains, players are chasing precision around the greens. One tool they use to achieve that is spin — specifically by maximizing spin rates to hit those nippy shots that stop quickly.
It’s part of the reason we see more players utilizing launch monitors during practice rounds. These devices provide players with real-time data to confirm what they’re feeling is what’s actually happening.
“Understanding attack angle and spin loft is monumental because it impacts how the ball is released and ultimately how it reacts on the green,” Bonebrake says.
By tracking the things they can control in their game, like spin loft and angle of attack, and how they react to varying course conditions, like the firmness of the turf or if the ball is wet or dry, they are better equipped to control the ball and navigate Augusta’s fast, sloping greens.
How groove brushes help
To maximize control over their spin, players need to have a clean clubface. Bonebrake explains that any moisture, dirt or debris in the grooves drastically reduces their spin and therefore their ability to control how the ball reacts on the green.
“As we’ve seen, landing the ball a few inches long can mean ending up on the wrong side of a ridge and being 20 feet further from the hole,” Bonebrake says. “Because the greens are so fast and undulating, it’s so important that the ball reacts exactly how you want it to.”
Which means players can’t afford to have anything even slightly off.
“If their clubface is clean, if it’s dry, it’s going to produce a much more predictable outcome,” Bonebrake says.
This is where groove brushes come in. More and more players are hooking groove cleaners, much like the one below, to their belt loops and bags for easy access. Having them readily available allows players to ensure their clubfaces are clean before every shot. And a clean clubface means more consistent conditions to produce their optimal spin and launch, giving them better feedback as they dial in their feels with their wedges.
Grooveit Mini G Brush
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