USGA/R&A Distance Report

Stu1961 I’m not going to research the history of hockey pucks. If you want to meet in the middle with tennis as a comparison, I’m game.

You don't need to. They have been the same size and weight forever.
The sticks are not wood anymore. The athletes are not small anymore. The ice they play on is smoother and faster. Average shots are faster. Sound familiar?
No puck "roll back" will happen.

I know jack shit about tennis equipment but, as a guess, I would say there are less aces on a clay court than a hard court, in comparison to how fairways are cut.

Oh man, that is nothing. Nevermind.

Leave the ball alone and let them go LOW!

I'm still a bit put off, and feeling a bit queasy, of this discussion of the velocity of my balls.
I just feel they are somehow being squeezed by complete strangers.

Walterjn most old married guys are walking around with blue balls or they take matters in their own hands

Eguller Yeah, but Rory said it will help the environment, so we go that going for us

DonM Every person here playing Soft Feel, Supersoft, Pinnacle Soft,

So it's play "their" ball (at what crazy price point btw?) or play those non-spinning POS balls?
Good grief.

Sparky Oh man, that is nothing. Nevermind.

A 3-5 yard distance loss is not a big deal at all for male amateurs . Who knows by 2030 what equipment advances will come about to offset that and might even be hitting it further by then. Plus investing a little time in a proper fitting and some practice amateurs can learn to hit the centre of the club more regularly and gain distance

DonM lol, I think @scotts33 has posted about results of the softer balls being slower (ball speed), even for slower swing speeds. Looks like USGA has also jumped on board to this.

It appears that the USGA feels as if the the trend will continue with swing speed and ball speed.....and that is what this about, at least in part.

ode It appears that the USGA feels as if the the trend will continue with swing speed and ball speed.....and that is what this about, at least in part.

Its probably a reasonable expectation. Athletes will continue to get better and stronger as they always have in every sport. technology, physical conditioning, etc will all continue to advance so I see this as not so much an attempt to dial back distances as to try and slow the progression. As per my post above, in 10 years we may well be at the same distances that pros are today, even with the change in ball

Our, meaning the recreational golfers, opinion is meaningless to the USGA/R&A. We don't have a trade association/union, so to speak, voicing our opinion in one voice. We are just individuals offering comments and they don't care what we have to say. Individually we have no influence, even though without us there would literally be no golf. It's nice for a discussion but as far as having any real effect on their decisions they don't give a rat's azz what any of us think, nor do they care...It's the golf ball today, tomorrow it will the game improvement woods and irons...The only way to get them to listen to the 99% of golfers who actually keep the game rolling in the money is to stop buying what they try to sell us.

Spuzz So it's play "their" ball (at what crazy price point btw?) or play those non-spinning POS balls?

I'm sure there will be new balls for slow and average speed players. I doubt we will lose much at all with premium balls designed for 90 MPH. Just my guess from a business point of view.

ode Yeah, supposedly all of the people playing Soft Feels and such are already losing distance by doing that. I was just trying to say that if that is your ball, you're not going to lose distance under the new rules.