Professional golfers have never hit the ball further, and that has left the governing bodies searching for answers. Their proposed solution has been the golf ball rollback, but not everyone is convinced by it.
Effectively, it would introduce a new ball specification that reduces the maximum distance elite golfers can hit the ball. Its aim is to help curb distance gains and preserve the challenge of golf courses.
Although any proposal has been pushed back to 2030 at the earliest.
But there are concerns that it doesn’t address the root of the problem. Instead, should the focus be on other bits of modern equipment or even the way courses are prepared for elite competition?
According to DP World Tour professional Brandon Robinson-Thompson, the golf ball has become an easy target rather than the true cause of the issue.
Speaking to Robinson-Thompson Your Golf by NCG Podcast, Nicola Slater asked how much difference he expected the rollback to make if it eventually comes into play.
“Well, from what I’ve heard, I don’t know how much I can share, but from what I’ve heard, it’s not making much difference at all,” he said.
“If it rolled back like they said it would, I’d be like a bit disappointed, because I’m not sure it’s really golf ball related, the issues that they’re trying to solve. However, from what I’ve heard from people that have been testing rollback balls, it’s not a lot of difference in the ball.”
While Robinson-Thompson admitted neither he or Srixon have tested the proposed rollback golf balls, there are suggestions changes are far smaller than many expected.
“I think there’s a narrative for sure that’s become dominant on distance,” he added.
“I think it’s been proven through certain events and course setups that it’s not necessarily about distance. Are we hitting it further? Yes, of course we are.
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“There’s potential to make certain courses obsolete, for sure, which is a shame. But not everything lasts forever, and things change, and things improve. But I just don’t think that the way that we’re progressing, athletically and technologically, I think that’s just kind of the way it is.”
One of the arguments against the proposed rollback is the knock-on effect it will have on golf’s entertainment value.
Robinson-Thompson believes spectators still want to be amazed by how far tour professionals can hit the ball. If we take that wow factor away, does the sport still have the same appeal to viewers?
“I wouldn’t want to go and watch the pros pat it 250 yards,” he joked.
“I think you lose a little wow factor. Even as an elite professional, I played with Rory (McIlroy) last year a couple of times, and I mean, even that’s like, ‘oh, wow’, because the ball does go much, so much further than my own ball.
“So I can relate to the awe of an amateur watching us hit, similar to watching those sort of guys that just do hit it a long way. It’s kind of cool.”
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