The Distance Report
Barry Ehlert
Owner/CEO @ Windmill Golf Group + LaunchPad Golf | Entrepreneur | Proud Father
Equipment rules are routinely monitored to protect the games integrity and founding traditions. Golf originated as a links-style game where fighting the elements with inventiveness and a variety of shots was very much at its core. Although hitting a long ball was certainly advantageous, the ability to keep the ball in play was crucial when hitting approach shots into vast wind-swept greens. The debate now lies whether there is an over-reliance on technical advancement and if this rewards’ one particular facet of the game at the demise of others.
Since May 2002 the USGA and the R&A have adopted a Joint Statement of Principles. This provides detailed information on the views from both organizations regarding equipment policies and guidelines. For some time now the hot topic has been on how far the golf ball is travelling.
Although there has been some stabilization since 2005 through equipment regulations, average distances continue to climb steadily.
Is technology altering the basic premise of the sport?
The recent ‘Distance report’ dated 26th Jan 21, highlights some interesting developments in our game and examines driving distance on the major professional golf tours - PGA TOUR, European Tour, Japan Golf Tour, Korn Ferry Tour, PGA Tour Champions Tour, LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour.
Driving distances are recorded during tournament play on two holes at each tournament.
In 1991 Callaway introduced The Big Bertha driver to the world. This was a time when most golfers were still using persimmon woods so it was a radical change in club technology. Crafted entirely of stainless steel, the head measured 190cc and looked huge!
This marked the beginning of the distance wars, and in just 8 years the average driving distance on the PGA Tour increased by 20 yards. It’s important to note that driving distances remained relatively consistent during the 80s.
In 2001, it was the beginning of the end for the wound golf ball, with multi-layered technology taking over. This advancement in ball innovation is where things really spiked distance graphs. The average distance on most Tours going up another 10 yards in just 4 years.
In a follow up to the ‘Distance report’ the USGA and R & A released the “Conclusions Paper” are now looking to review a range of options including two areas relative to equipment specifications:
- Local Rule option. This could allow tournaments to specify the use of clubs and/or balls intended to result in shorter hitting distances.
- Overall conformance specifications. This will review whether any existing specifications should be adjusted or created to help mitigate the continuing distance increases. This relates to clubs and balls specifications that both directly and indirectly affect hitting distances.
What do you think should happen next?
When I went to TPI school in Phx I had a chance to talk with many professionals in golf from engineers to former pros. With my experience in biomechanics, we discussed the limits & unlimited technology of golf equipment. The techs have ideas yrs in the future waiting to be built. The drivers we use today r tht of yrs ago. The techs push that boundary of the COR daily. With skill & technology combined it's hard to find a golf course most can't rule. Bryson is a new breed. Similar to Daly w Grip it & Rip it. They can't build 8000+yd golf courses, but can change the COR of the golf ball & make the rough more penalizing. My two cents.
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4 年No. The courses can be made harder, deeper rough, narrower fairways, enlarge the bunkers at key locations. It's not as if players are winning by huge margins. Everyone talks about DeChambeau's long game but his short game and putting is what wins him titles.
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4 年My Golf Spy had a rather elegant and simple to implement solution to pull driver distance down. Limit tee height. Cutting driver tees down by 0.5" cut 20 yards off the drives due to increased spin. Couple that with tricky pin positions, a few well placed trees, there is no need to make courses longer or equipment shorter. We've always had long drives, people who hit it 400+ yards. Is it coincidence none of them are on the pga tour? If all it took was ripping driver 4 miles to score well, all those guys would be on top of the leaderboard every week. Is there advantage, absolutely. But as Bryson has noted...at the speeds he is swinging, if you miss center face slightly you get considerable bend in the face and your drive goes 100 yards OB. Vs joe schmo who whacks it 250 if he misses center face by 1/4" he's still hitting fairway
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4 年I think this is
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4 年That's a tough debate. All around sporting equipment and its technology is getting better. I say leave it the way it is, once you tell pro golfers what clubs they can and cannot use..it changes everything.