ABSTRACT
A report by The R & A and the United States Golf Association (R&A/USGA, 2006) investigated the effect of groove shape in dry conditions and found there to be no significant difference in spin rate between the groove types, at loft angles of 20 to 60°, for a 3-piece golf ball. In wet conditions the backspin rate was greater for the U-shaped grooves than the V-shaped grooves at loft angles of 20 to 60°; it was suggested this could be explained by a greater ratio of groove cross sectional area to spacing between grooves (R&A/USGA, 2007). It is the aim of this work to investigate the role of ball construction and groove profile on the backspin rate of a number of commercially available golf ball types in both dry and simulated wet conditions.
