Does using a groove sharpening tool tear up your ball?

Depends on the tool! Golf grooves are precise, you need a precision tool to repair them. Many cheap $10-20 tools are not made of high-quality material and do not seat/fit securely in the groove. That poses two problems. 1. You can easily deepen or widen the groove bringing it out of spec. 2. Without a proper seat and hyper-sharp cutting edge you can de-form or rough-up the edges of the groove causing damage to your golf ball. When it comes to groove repair, choose a tool made from the hardest material (carbide), CNC machined to a conforming groove geometry, and pays special attention to repairing the critical spin engine of any wedge or iron...the groove edges. See for yourself why some of the best repair shops in the world choose GrooVex!