This is not a drill. Bryson DeChambeau has filmed himself playing nine holes with a rolled-back golf ball.
The former US Open champion took a Nike One Tour to the front nine at Dallas National Golf Club, a golf ball that he said could be on the list of conforming rolled-back balls players will be required to play with from 2028 onwards.
In December, the R&A and the USGA announced plans to limit how far the ball travels for every golfer in a bid to protect the future sustainability of the game.
At the time, DeChambeau described it as “the most atrocious thing that you could possibly do to the game of golf.” A host of other players also opposed the proposal which will alter the conditions under which balls are tested to determine their conformance.
So what does he think having now played with a ball that behaves significantly different to the golf ball he usually uses? Let’s break down the Bryson DeChambeau roll back test in his latest YouTube video in chronological order…
Bryson DeChambeau: Roll back would mean changing my whole iron set
Hole 1 – Par 4
DeChambeau carried his tee shot 317 yards on this hole, achieving a ball speed of 182 mph with the Nike One Tour.
“This golf ball is just not going to compress or not transfer energy as well. So my golf ball right now can transfer energy off of this face a lot faster – the Titleist Left Dash, and this is the Nike One Tour,” he said.
So far so good for the golf ball which was left fairly un-criticised, for now. The big-hitting American made a solid par.
