Different balls for the pros

[Deleted member 3432]

That applies to pretty much any 'non-combatitive' sport - motor racing for example - though Golf is probably the most affected. General improvements in fitness, equipment ot technique in the 'combatitive' sports likes of Football, Rugby, Tennis etc are generally countered by improvements by 'the other side'.
Personally, I don't have a huge issue with the significantly greater distances top Pros are now capable of - apart from the additional real estate requirement which makes 'normal' courses spend significantly more as well.

The problem is 'normal' golf courses often don' have room to expand and I include St Andrews in that.

We are getting near the point that the Open rota is going to need several 'new' courses that are long enough to test the modern pro.

Maybe its time to look at the grooves again, last time the reduced spin on wedges was going to be a game changer, penalising missed greens but new wedges are higher spinning than ever.

 

[SGC001]

Listening to the the commentary a minute ago

Are you for or against the pros using a different ball to amateurs to curb the distance they hit.

Against

You'd either be giving amateurs an advantage in majors (you'd end up with the professionals been swizzed in as professional amateurs) with a different ball or a disadvantage if they had to switch just for a pro tournament.

Plus technique changes based on equipment as does other equipmemt (hybrids to suit low spinning high launch balls over long irons).

It could really make a transition from amateue to professional awkward and many amateurs may leave that side of the game earlier for smaller tours as a result.

Limit it for all, if its a roll back fine. Really they just need to set up courses more approptiately not just build them longet. Longer and longet coursrs are only got to suit bombers so you'll get bombers and i have no problem with distance bern rewarded as its a skill, just not convinced it should be the only one that really matters.

 

[Foxholer]

The problem is 'normal' golf courses often don' have room to expand and I include St Andrews in that.

We are getting near the point that the Open rota is going to need several 'new' courses that are long enough to test the modern pro.

Maybe its time to look at the grooves again, last time the reduced spin on wedges was going to be a game changer, penalising missed greens but new wedges are higher spinning than ever.

As they are only being tested in comparison to their 'peers' I don't see it as a major problem. It certainly didn't matter when TOC weather was benign and scores were 15 or more under!

 

[Deleted member 3432]

As they are only being tested in comparison to their 'peers' I don't see it as a major problem. It certainly didn't matter when TOC weather was benign and scores were 15 or more under!

Unfortunately it then becomes a putting contest in my eyes, just like a lot of the regular PGA tour events at TPC Randonsville...

No easy solution as the R&A and USGA have failed to address it for years and the horse has bolted. They should have listened as far back as Nicklaus and Palmer telling them to pull the ball back.

 

[Deleted member 18588]

Against

You'd either be giving amateurs an advantage in majors (you'd end up with the professionals been swizzed in as professional amateurs) with a different ball or a disadvantage if they had to switch just for a pro tournament.

Plus technique changes based on equipment as does other equipmemt (hybrids to suit low spinning high launch balls over long irons).

It could really make a transition from amateue to professional awkward and many amateurs may leave that side of the game earlier for smaller tours as a result.

Limit it for all, if its a roll back fine. Really they just need to set up courses more approptiately not just build them longet. Longer and longet coursrs are only got to suit bombers so you'll get bombers and i have no problem with distance bern rewarded as its a skill, just not convinced it should be the only one that really matters.

No reason why amended rules could not be applied to Elite Amateur events as well as the pro' tours.

 

[slowhand]

I’d have any ball that goes just a grandstand or goes beyond the spectator ropes is out of bounds. After all, many other sports class the ball as “out” if it goes into the crowd. It would also mean that those that hit it really wild won’t get an advantage of a better lie than those that are less wild and end up in the thick stuff

 

[Papas1982]

Leave it alone imo.

Those that hit it big have decided to spend massive amounts of time learning to do so. If Bryson shows anything, its that they could all do it if they wanted too.
Courses should be more varied So that different players have advantages. But limiting a ball isn’t the option for me.

 

[Grizzly]

How about a one shot penalty if you hit a spectator or a grandstand?

How about more stringent use of the Out of Bounds rule?

The aim only really needs to increase the risk element in the risk vs reward equation so that players have to think about whether they really want to risk using the big stick.

 

[jim8flog]

How about more stringent use of the Out of Bounds rule?

The aim only really needs to increase the risk element in the risk vs reward equation so that players have to think about whether they really want to risk using the big stick.

That sounds like a good one to me. Temporary OB would easy to do. They put up ropes and posts for the spectators so position them such that any ball over the ropes is OB.

 

[Orikoru]

I don't think the idea of restricting the ball has any traction. If they're all hitting the same restricted ball then you're just going to see everyone's drives landing in the same area which would be boring to watch. Then there's the loss of sponsorship from Titleist ProV etc.

I think the best solution is to make the fairways narrower at the 300+ mark, make the rough longer and tougher, and if necessary move the fairway bunkers up to where guys are hitting it now. Once they've done that, if a golfer can hit it 340 but still dead straight to hit a very narrow fairway, then fair play to him, he deserves that advantage.

Agree with those saying make the crowd out of bounds as well. Currently they have spectators to find their ball for them and it's sitting on a nice flat trampled down bit of grass, so there's hardly any consequence to that wayward drive at all.

 

[Deleted member 3432]

I don't think the idea of restricting the ball has any traction. If they're all hitting the same restricted ball then you're just going to see everyone's drives landing in the same area which would be boring to watch. Then there's the loss of sponsorship from Titleist ProV etc.

I think the best solution is to make the fairways narrower at the 300+ mark, make the rough longer and tougher, and if necessary move the fairway bunkers up to where guys are hitting it now. Once they've done that, if a golfer can hit it 340 but still dead straight to hit a very narrow fairway, then fair play to him, he deserves that advantage.

Agree with those saying make the crowd out of bounds as well. Currently they have spectators to find their ball for them and it's sitting on a nice flat trampled down bit of grass, so there's hardly any consequence to that wayward drive at all.

Restricted ball with bring everyone back but not to the same place.

Bring them all back say 15% and long hitters will still have and advantage and all the older courses will not have to find new tees on land they don't have.

Would love to see them coming down the 72nd on some of the open tracks having to hit the fairway then 3/4 iron to the green as they had to in the past.

 

[Imurg]

For the bulk of the field the game revolves around the first shot.
Make it revolve around the second shot.
Grow the grass a little, make it harder to get that clean contact that gives mountains of spin, make the rough a little longer, again making good contact harder.
Firm up the greens while making the fairways lusher. Less spin into firmer greens makes it harder...
It's cheaper, easier and quicker than trying to do something with the ball or clubs.

 

[Orikoru]

Restricted ball with bring everyone back but not to the same place.

Bring them all back say 15% and long hitters will still have and advantage and all the older courses will not have to find new tees on land they don't have.

Would love to see them coming down the 72nd on some of the open tracks having to hit the fairway then 3/4 iron to the green as they had to in the past.

It still condenses it though doesn't it? I just think it's a bit of weird concept and can't really see it happening.

 

[Deleted member 3432]

It still condenses it though doesn't it? I just think it's a bit of weird concept and can't really see it happening.

Its how it was when a 260 yard drive was considered long.

The cream still rose to the top.

 

[patricks148]

Take the ball back, lets see a test of long iron play which means having to find the fairway and get rid of 60 degree wedges.

Lets see some flair in the game not just bomb and gouge.

The game at the top is so one dimentional its boring in the extreme.

i think if we could make courses firm and fast that would solve some of the issues. who'd have though you would ever see play suspended because it was windy in an open. courses set up with soft greens and no penaulty for missing the fairway

 

[PNWokingham]

I would not like to the see the pros use equipment or balls from the rest of us. I want to wee what they do in the same circumstances that we do. I also think we should stop lengthening courses. There should be more focus on proofing existing courses around the 280-340 yards from the back tees - make it harder for the good 340 yard drive and punish properly the ones that are not great - combination of rough, new bunkers, lakes etc

 

[Sports_Fanatic]

I also think we do a disservice in the comments to pros short game. Amount of times you see players bomb it off line but still able to recover by moving it round trees etc or great flop shots etc. They’re just very good and actually the scores aren’t ridiculous; it’s not like we’re seeing 59s weekly.

 

[Crow]

It's all too late to change now, the horse has long bolted.

Modern golf is crap, end of story.

 

[Deleted member 3432]

i think if we could make courses firm and fast that would solve some of the issues. who'd have though you would ever see play suspended because it was windy in an open. courses set up with soft greens and no penaulty for missing the fairway

Trusting to the weather to set courses up firm and fast in a lot of cases.

Saying that for the Open the fairway watering systems should be left off for weeks ahead of the event, the grass recovers easily enough. Green speeds are the reason for play getting stopped, they set them too quick grass if any wind blows.

Image how slow they are to going be though with firmer, faster conditions every week

 

[Sats]

I think that the crowd shouldn't be finding the balls for the pros. I wonder how they'll fare without an army of people surrounding the ball for them each time they go wayward.