Which balls will remain legal for club players when the golf ball roll back arrives in 2030? It remains to be seen.
An R&A spokesperson told NCG they were “working closely with manufacturers” on plans for balls which had been designed for “golfers with a slower swing speed or with other properties in mind rather than purely distance”.
The governing body said they would give manufacturers details on whether these balls could still conform under new testing conditions that are expected to rule out many other models currently on the market.
That would then allow companies to tell golfers which products “might remain conforming through the transition”.
The R&A and USGA has announced they will universally roll back the distance the golf ball travels in both the professional and amateur games.
It will be done by increasing the clubhead speed used in testing from 120 to 125mph, while keeping the Overall Distance Standard – the maximum distance a ball is allowed to travel under such conditions – at 317 yards with a three-yard tolerance.
Those new conditions apply to the professional game from January 2028 and are expected to take as much as 15 yards off the drives off the longest hitters in the game.
Amateurs, based on research considering an average swing speed for males of 93mph and 72mph for females, could see a loss of distance of “5 yards or less”. The rules come into force in the club and recreational game from January 2030.
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Golf ball roll back rule: When can we learn if balls will remain conforming?
But in their announcement, the governing bodies also said a significant portion of golf balls that are currently on the market, “and more than 30 per cent of all golf ball models submitted for conformance across the game”, were expected to stay legal after all the changes were applied.
Golfers are now asking which brands and models they will still be allowed to use when the changeover happens – with speculation that lower compression, softer feeling, balls may be among those that pass the new testing standards.
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Asked whether there was a list of current balls that would meet the new testing criteria, the R&A spokesperson said: “We are working closely with manufacturers on their plans for these balls where they have been designed to be more appropriate for use by those golfers with a slower swing speed or with other properties in mind rather than purely distance.
“In the coming months we will be providing manufacturers information on the status of these balls under the revised testing specifications. This will enable manufacturers to communicate with their customers on which products might remain conforming through the transition.”
Now have your say
What do you think about the golf ball roll back rule? And which balls could remain conforming when the new rules come into effect for amateurs in 2030? Let me know with a comment on X.
