Tag: Equipment Testing

How does the USGA and R&A test golf balls, and how would a rollback change those tests?

Golf ball testing might change for elite players, but how does it all work at the USGA and R&A?

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Golf ball testing has become one of the hottest topics in the sport since the USGA and R&A proposed a new Model Local Rule that, if enacted, might force elite players to use golf balls that won’t go as far as balls currently on the market.

Some see this move as potentially bifurcating the game by forcing the best players to use different equipment than recreational golfers. Others see it as a long overdue move that would rein in distance for the strongest professionals while not affecting recreational golfers – the vast majority of players.

Golf’s governing bodies are in a comment period in which stakeholders such as golf equipment companies, professional tours, golf course operators and others can provide feedback on the proposed Model Local Rule. So far, equipment companies such as Titleist, TaylorMade and Bridgestone have voiced displeasure and skepticism, noting that a fundamental part of golf is that everyone plays the same course and is governed by the same rules, including equipment rules.

That concept, to some, is a unifying trait, but the USGA, R&A and the Model Local Rule’s supporters see it as a way to keep historically significant courses playable for championship-level events. They want to keep shotmaking in the game and reduce the need for courses to be lengthened, which would cost course operators money and have a greater environmental impact.

Most golfers don’t know how golf balls are tested, but understanding the process can help you understand the proposed Model Local Rule and how it could affect elite golfers. Here is how it works.

USGA, R&A exploring new ways to test balls, Model Local Rules to slow down drivers for elite golfers

“Today, for all golfers, represents just another step in our process,” said the USGA’s chief governing officer, Thomas Pagel.

The United States Golf Association and the R&A sent an official notice to equipment manufacturers on Tuesday regarding new Areas of Interest. The three-page message did not include any changes to the Rules of Golf, and it did not announce any changes to the rules governing drivers, golf balls or any other gear either.

What the USGA and R&A’s Areas of Interest email did do, however, is reveal how the game’s governing bodies likely intend to curtail the trend of elite golfers hitting the ball farther and golf courses getting longer.

In February 2020, the USGA and R&A released a joint statement saying hat they feel the trend in distance is putting golf on an unsustainable path. Golf courses have been getting longer, according to the USGA and R&A, to challenge players who hit the ball farther, and maintaining those courses requires more water, fertilizer and labor. Historically significant courses that can not be lengthened also risk becoming obsolete and devoid of challenge for the game’s best players.

On October 12, 2021, a new Model Local Rule was announced, allowing tournament organizers to limit the maximum allowable club length of non-putters to 46 inches. It became available for use on January 1 and will be in place at the 2022 U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open. It has already been adopted by both the PGA Tour and the LPGA. 

Now, the USGA and R&A have told manufacturers they are considering modifying how they test golf balls for conformity. They are also interested in learning more about how Model Local Rules could reduce the spring-like effect in drivers and reduce the maximum moment of inertia (MOI) to reward center-impact shots more for elite golfers.