Illegal Drivers

[Colonel Bogey]

Are they still illegal? I was thinking of getting a certain one, due to it having a flat base for off the fairway. Surely not illegal anymore as technology has moved of and they are not as good (theoretically) as current drivers.

 

[USER1999]

Still non conforming in my view. There is still a list of non conforming drivers, so I guess it is still valid.

 

[Orikoru]

Is something missing from this? Which illegal drivers??

 

[pendodave]

I'm pretty certain the rules governing cor, moi and volume haven't been relaxed, so if it didn't conform to one of those in the past, it still won't now.

 

[williamalex1]

Check out the R&A conforming drivers list.

 

[Britishshooting]

If you know what it is you want to buy, check on here it will only be listed if it conforms.

https://www.randa.org/RulesEquipment/Equipment/Equipment-Explorer


I remember having 2 x cobra SS430's with the 9 sweet spots or whatever it was, must have been the worlds loudest drivers, everyone would stare at the range / golf course.

I bought two as the professionals 9 degree was available for next to nothing with an upgraded shaft so I planned to swap the shaft from that into the brand new 7 degree i also bought from him.

Did the switch and throughly enjoyed the club for about 1 month before i realised the ban was coming in to force. Couldn't offload either of them anywhere without giving them away so my old man had the 9 degree and I think the 7 degree is in his dusty old golf bag keeping it company.

 

[Maninblack4612]

Posted by a local club fitter just yesterday:

"

CW Golf Solutions
Yesterday at 09:06 ·
Attention Amateur golfers if you want to hit it longer save your money and buy a Non Conforming club, it can be used In almost every club competition as long as the entry list stated otherwise.
Most non conforming heads will cost you less than half the price of a mainstream OEM driver which certainly wasn’t developed for the 90% of golfers on the planet.
DID YOU KNOW?
The List of Conforming Driver Heads is only recommended for use as a Condition of Competition by Committees in charge of competitions restricted to highly skilled players (including top amateur events).
In other words any competition run by a committee. This may sound like a strange post however if all you mid to high handicap golfers want to buy equipment to put the fun back into the game this is your answer. Especially the older generation who struggle to play the game as it’s now too tough due to the fact they’ve lost all distance!
If this post is intriguing you, Google Non conforming High COR Drivers, the best value for money ones come from China and should cost around $100-$200 shipped to uk.
Ps you can all thank me later 👍"

 

[clubchamp98]

Posted by a local club fitter just yesterday:

"

CW Golf Solutions
Yesterday at 09:06 ·
Attention Amateur golfers if you want to hit it longer save your money and buy a Non Conforming club, it can be used In almost every club competition as long as the entry list stated otherwise.
Most non conforming heads will cost you less than half the price of a mainstream OEM driver which certainly wasn’t developed for the 90% of golfers on the planet.
DID YOU KNOW?
The List of Conforming Driver Heads is only recommended for use as a Condition of Competition by Committees in charge of competitions restricted to highly skilled players (including top amateur events).
In other words any competition run by a committee. This may sound like a strange post however if all you mid to high handicap golfers want to buy equipment to put the fun back into the game this is your answer. Especially the older generation who struggle to play the game as it’s now too tough due to the fact they’ve lost all distance!
If this post is intriguing you, Google Non conforming High COR Drivers, the best value for money ones come from China and should cost around $100-$200 shipped to uk.
Ps you can all thank me later 👍"

Would you be happy handing over your fiver in the sweep to someone with one of these.
I wouldn’t.

 

[duncan mackie]

Posted by a local club fitter just yesterday:

"

CW Golf Solutions
Yesterday at 09:06 ·
Attention Amateur golfers if you want to hit it longer save your money and buy a Non Conforming club, it can be used In almost every club competition as long as the entry list stated otherwise.
Most non conforming heads will cost you less than half the price of a mainstream OEM driver which certainly wasn’t developed for the 90% of golfers on the planet.
DID YOU KNOW?
The List of Conforming Driver Heads is only recommended for use as a Condition of Competition by Committees in charge of competitions restricted to highly skilled players (including top amateur events).
In other words any competition run by a committee. This may sound like a strange post however if all you mid to high handicap golfers want to buy equipment to put the fun back into the game this is your answer. Especially the older generation who struggle to play the game as it’s now too tough due to the fact they’ve lost all distance!
If this post is intriguing you, Google Non conforming High COR Drivers, the best value for money ones come from China and should cost around $100-$200 shipped to uk.
Ps you can all thank me later 👍"

Hmmmm......

For the sake of clarity here is the relevant section from the current equipment rules which makes it pretty clear that the above is complete tosh from the "In other words...."

"The R&A and USGA have compiled and maintain a List of Conforming Driver Heads. This List can be accessed via The R&A’s or USGA’s website and it is updated weekly. For competitions involving highly skilled players, a Term of Competition may be introduced requiring players to use a driver which is included on this List. This Term is an additional requirement for these players, which means that, not only must their clubs conform to the Equipment Rules, but the model and loft must also be included on the List of Conforming Driver Heads. This Term is not recommended for use at other levels of golf. However, it is the player’s responsibility to ensure that his or her driver conforms to the Equipment Rules if it is not on the List."

In other words (mine this time) your driver doesn't have to be on the list of conforming drivers but it does have to be conforming!

 

[pendodave]

Would you be happy handing over your fiver in the sweep to someone with one of these.
I wouldn’t.

There's a lot of people who play golf but don't participate in comps or sweeps. Lots are not members of a club. They just have an occasional round with their mates. I'm surprised that this isn't more of a thing. I guess most people don't know that it's possible to buy them.

I wonder what the commercial advantage is to big retailers or OEMs to not sell them or produce them. It's not a criminal offense!

 

[clubchamp98]

There's a lot of people who play golf but don't participate in comps or sweeps. Lots are not members of a club. They just have an occasional round with their mates. I'm surprised that this isn't more of a thing. I guess most people don't know that it's possible to buy them.

I wonder what the commercial advantage is to big retailers or OEMs to not sell them or produce them. It's not a criminal offense!

Not bothered if he’s playing with his mates.
But I would put money on the fact club golfers are playing with them.
They look just like any other driver.

 

[Maninblack4612]

Hmmmm......

For the sake of clarity here is the relevant section from the current equipment rules which makes it pretty clear that the above is complete tosh from the "In other words...."

"The R&A and USGA have compiled and maintain a List of Conforming Driver Heads. This List can be accessed via The R&A’s or USGA’s website and it is updated weekly. For competitions involving highly skilled players, a Term of Competition may be introduced requiring players to use a driver which is included on this List. This Term is an additional requirement for these players, which means that, not only must their clubs conform to the Equipment Rules, but the model and loft must also be included on the List of Conforming Driver Heads. This Term is not recommended for use at other levels of golf. However, it is the player’s responsibility to ensure that his or her driver conforms to the Equipment Rules if it is not on the List."

In other words (mine this time) your driver doesn't have to be on the list of conforming drivers but it does have to be conforming!

How would anybody ever find out? They've never had the testing equipment at my club after a comp.

 

[duncan mackie]

How would anybody ever find out? They've never had the testing equipment at my club after a comp.

Different issue - and for some elements there simply isn't any testing equipment outside the laboratory (which is why the list is operated).
So you are back to the innocent player who's no idea that his club is non conforming - and the cheat who knows, but doesn't think he will be caught.

Without even going deep into the equipment rules themselves, rule 4.1(a) 1 makes it very clear that clubs need to be conforming!

 

[Liverpoolphil]

How would anybody ever find out? They've never had the testing equipment at my club after a comp.

You shouldn’t ever have to find out but the game is built on trust , honesty and integrity- if someone uses a non conforming club then they break all three areas.

 

[moogie]

Same guy that MIB quotes
Is currently trying to sell non conforming wedges.....

So bit of a theme, maybe even agenda, here I’d say🤔

 

[moogie]

 

[sev112]

I remember first club medal after the rule came in. Pro and Asst Pro were out on the tee, checking everyone’s club against the list. I knew my Progen Full Bore 2.3 was illegal so didn’t have it in the bag. That thing was something like 325cc and it hit the ball bloomin miles, and little me won several long drive comps with it before the rule came in. Only cost circa £90 even back then.
No-one ever checked or asked at any comps after, although it stayed in the garage for ever. God knows where it is now. I’d guess some people sneaked theirs back in.
Now, at my advanced age and deteriorating physical condition I’d love to have it back and use it for the o ky occasional social golf I can manage to play these days

 

[Imurg]

Has one of the YouTube brigade done a head to head with an illegal one and one of the latest releases..?

I know RS has done one comparing the original Great Big Bertha driver against a newer driver and the difference was well over 20 yards...
I don't think there would be any gain compared to the current crop.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

At the time, a lot of people checked their drivers and most did the right thing and changed to a conforming one if their current one was on the banned list. However I bet a lot didn't and some may still be using them. How would anyone know and who is really going to police it week in, week out at a club. All very well saying the game is built on integrity, trust and honesty but to all intent that's just empty rhetoric. Not everyone is playing golf seriously and don't see the issue using it in a friendly game with mates. Some might not even be aware their club is illegal especially if they got it second hand and so are playing in comps and roll ups blissfully unaware they are even breaking a rule. What next, someone checking each set of irons to ensure the grooves are compliant?

 

[sunshine]

The new rules were introduced in 2008. Surely the initial drop in performance from restricting the COR effect has been eroded by other developments in technology in the last decade? TM has brought out a new driver every year promising an extra 10 yards.