Mickelson on rolling back… the driver

[MarkT]

Phil Mickelson tweeted this earlier - do you agree/disagree or don’t care? Seems a bit harsh on likes of Jigger and (insert other tall golfers)..


‘Word is USGA is soon rolling back driver length to 46inches.This is PATHETIC.1st it promotes a shorter more violent swing (injury prone,) doesn’t allow for length of arc to create speed,and during our 1st golf boom in 40 years,our amateur gov body keeps trying to make it less fun’

 

[Crow]

Many players equate fun with larruping the ball for miles, so he has a point in that respect.

 

[Smasher]

Absolute joke if they apply this to the amateur game. Like the COR reduction from 0.86 to 0.83.
A lot of the current expensive drivers could soon be illegal. Yeah they'll get a few years but then they don't make it onto the used market meaning it's more expensive to take up. All for the sake of 0.25-0.5 inches and during our first boom in 40 years, as new equipment is shooting up in price anyway.

 

[clubchamp98]

Absolute ******* joke if they apply this to the amateur game. Like the COR reduction from 0.86 to 0.83.
A lot of the current expensive drivers could soon be illegal. Yeah they'll get a few years but then they don't make it onto the used market meaning it's more expensive to take up. All for the sake of 0.25-0.5 inches and during our first boom in 40 years, as new equipment is shooting up in price anyway.

Surley just cut 1/2 “ of the shaft and it conforms again.
If the swingweight is altered it’s not difficult to address.
Or just get a conforming shaft as most drivers now are adjustable.

 

[inc0gnito]

To be honest I don’t really care. The current rules will be of benefit to some and not others, and any new rules will benefit some and not others.

 

[Orikoru]

There can't be that many using drivers over 46 inches. Mainly just Bryson and Phil isn't it? Not so long ago some of the big hitters such as DJ were shortening their drivers to 44-45 ish to hit more fairways weren't they?

I think mine is 45 and a quarter anyway.

 

[Smasher]

Surley just cut 1/2 “ of the shaft and it conforms again.
If the swingweight is altered it’s not difficult to address.
Or just get a conforming shaft as most drivers now are adjustable.

You could but it feels like a lot of hassle for zero gain in the amateur game. You know its OK but who else does. New people joining a club met with 'you know you can't use that driver in comps'. It just feels like it's putting unnecessary barriers up and it's not as simple as just cut it down.
My driver is 44 BTW and I believe most on the market now are at least 45.25. Googleing it shows this 'The answer comes down to control. In reality, the average length of a driver used on tour is 44.5in while the average shaft length found in drivers on the shop shelves is around 45.5in.' So what/who is the actual driver behind this? It's a joke!

 

[clubchamp98]

You could but it feels like a lot of hassle for zero gain in the amateur game. You know its OK but who else does. New people joining a club met with 'you know you can't use that driver in comps'. It just feels like it's putting unnecessary barriers up and it's not as simple as just cut it down.
My driver is 44 BTW and I believe most on the market now are at least 45.25. Googleing it shows this 'The answer comes down to control. In reality, the average length of a driver used on tour is 44.5in while the average shaft length found in drivers on the shop shelves is around 45.5in.' So what/who is the actual driver behind this? It's a joke!

It’s the OEMs they use robots to prove their new driver is the longest.
The tech can’t go any further so the only way is to widen the arc by making the shafts longer.
Fine for a robot ,but most ams can’t handle them.

 

[jim8flog]

Absolute joke if they apply this to the amateur game. Like the COR reduction from 0.86 to 0.83.
A lot of the current expensive drivers could soon be illegal. Yeah they'll get a few years but then they don't make it onto the used market meaning it's more expensive to take up. All for the sake of 0.25-0.5 inches and during our first boom in 40 years, as new equipment is shooting up in price anyway.

ditto to club champs comment about cutting a bit off the butt.
Look through the threads on here and a lot of amateurs do it it anyway.

As to swing weight in his comment 0.5" of graphite tube weighing less than a gram is barely going to make any difference. Changing type and make of grip has more of a difference.

 

[harpo_72]

Driver length won’t yield much, it’s either a statement to distract whilst the ball discussion goes forward quietly or they are really not very clever and need to speak to someone who is.

 

[harpo_72]

ditto to club champs comment about cutting a bit off the butt.
Look through the threads on here and a lot of amateurs do it it anyway.

As to swing weight in his comment 0.5" of graphite tube weighing less than a gram is barely going to make any difference. Changing type and make of grip has more of a difference.

Exactly.. the grip change will have a greater impact or could be used to compensate

 

[Smiffy]

There can't be that many using drivers over 46 inches. Mainly just Bryson and Phil isn't it? Not so long ago some of the big hitters such as DJ were shortening their drivers to 44-45 ish to hit more fairways weren't they?

I think mine is 45 and a quarter anyway.

I'm using a TS1 at the moment which has a slightly longer shaft than normal. This is still under 46"...

 

[slowhand]

Phil Mickelson tweeted this earlier - do you agree/disagree or don’t care? Seems a bit harsh on likes of Jigger and (insert other tall golfers)..


‘Word is USGA is soon rolling back driver length to 46inches.This is PATHETIC.1st it promotes a shorter more violent swing (injury prone,) doesn’t allow for length of arc to create speed,and during our 1st golf boom in 40 years,our amateur gov body keeps trying to make it less fun’

If this is true, then why aren't all golfers injured from swinging 3woods down to wedges, as they're shorter?

 

[JamesR]

Seems to me that he's just concerned that he won't be able to go on about hitting bombs if he has to cut his driver shaft down...nothing to do with the average amateur or those just getting into the game.

 

[brendy]

I'd have thought bringing the head CC's down a bit would have an equal effect. Would be interesting seeing everyone back with Biggest Big Bertha sized heads at 290cc..

 

[harpo_72]

I'd have thought bringing the head CC's down a bit would have an equal effect. Would be interesting seeing everyone back with Biggest Big Bertha sized heads at 290cc..

Don’t think it would have any impact whatsoever, these guys nail stuff out the middle their 3 woods and driving irons have smaller faces and they get them away with little bother.
Hate to sound like a broken record but , the ball is where the answer lies. Turn it to a 60 compression soggy potato and then it will cut the distance right back ??