The technology that goes into building golf clubs is so advanced that manufacturers are approached for their insights by the engineers who design cars and planes. Now it seems that the fruits of this technological expertise on which millions – if not billions – has been spent are being blamed in the golf distance debate fueled by the R&A and USGA’s latest report.
It’s almost as if they are being punished for playing by the rules and being good at their jobs.
The report from golf’s governing bodies acknowledges there are numerous reasons for golfers hitting the ball further than ever before, but there were three stand-out paragraphs on how innovation with equipment has played its part.
“We believe that hitting distance increases, especially for elite amateur and professional golfers, are likely to continue in the future based on the same factors that, in combination, have contributed to these past distance increases.
Notwithstanding the Equipment Rule specifications that seek to limit hitting distance, we believe that there is potential for further increases to occur within the existing rules, such as by using longer shafts, and that club and ball design will continue to evolve in conjunction with improved swing and fitting techniques to generate more hitting distance.
“Overall, manufacturers continue to innovate to seek more distance from clubs and balls, as reflected in the many distance-related patents that continue to be filed.”
In layman’s terms, they are saying that, despite the rules currently in place, equipment manufacturers are still finding ways to produce equipment that allows us hit the ball further.
I’ve been lucky enough to visit the headquarters of both Callaway and TaylorMade in the last few months. I had the opportunity to meet the engineers who design their equipment as well as having tours around the research and development facilities.
- More on the golf distance debate: What does the report say?