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Nick Faldo: “Reduce the driver face and remove tees to decrease distance” – GolfWRXers react

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In our forums, our members have been discussing the comments made recently by Nick Faldo that golf authorities should consider reducing the driver face and removing tee pegs to help minimize driving distance on Tour. Speaking on Geoff Shackelford’s podcast, the Englishman said in regards to the issue of the current driver face:

“If we brought the size of the face down, so there were some serious mis-hits… so the sweet spot for the pro is a real sweet spot, not a sweet face; that’s what it is now. It’s the whole thing!”

On the logic behind removing tee pegs, Faldo stated

“The other simpler way is saying… if we ban tee pegs. If they went and played a tournament with no tee pegs, right? Well, the guys would have to alter their driver. You would be allowed to place it on the grass. Now, they won’t be using (drivers that are) 6-degrees. They’d say, ‘OK, I need 9 (degrees), I need 10, I need one that’s going to get it airborne a bit and get a bit of give in the face.’ That would seriously change it. Sure they could hit a 3-wood… that actually would be your optimum. I’ve just seen Rory’s numbers, still 285 yards through the air [with a 3-wood]… but it’d be a real tough hit to get a driver off the deck.”

Our members have been discussing the ideas put forward by Faldo in our forums.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

  • Body_Visions: “My favorite player ever, but he is off on this one. Should have just hammered his statement about reducing the face.”
  • dalehead: “Well, Nick is right. Banning tees would have the desired effect. Yes, tour pros can hit their 3 wood 275 off the deck. But that’s the idea. They won’t be hitting it 320 with their drivers. But he’s wrong in trying to accomplish this by changing the way the game has been played since its earliest days. Will recreational players still be allowed to tee it up? Talk about bifurcation.”
  • EmperorPenguin: “No need to ban the tee. Just make the courses more penal to discourage today’s bomb-and gouge game. From off the tee, the fairways get narrower and the rough deeper. At 300 yards, the fairways narrow to 28 yards with the primary rough at 4″; at 330-360 yards, they narrow to 20 yards and the primary rough at 8″ tall. By all means they are welcome to bomb it at the Emperor’s Course.”
  • OldTomMorris: “Not in favour of the “no tee peg” idea but it’s definitely an equipment issue with regards to the overall improvement in driving that Faldo talks about. If it were a choice between “no tee peg” or a rolled backed ball, then the former wouldn’t seem so bad. I wouldn’t want either, but the authorities are going to do something at some point in the near future.”
  • Golfingfanatic: “As much as I think that something needs to be done about this issue, removing tees is not the way to go and also not in the spirit of the game if you ask me.”

Entire Thread: Nick Faldo: “Reduce the driver face and remove tees to reduce distance” – GolfWRXers react

Gianni is the Managing Editor at GolfWRX. He can be contacted at [email protected]

8 Comments

8 Comments

  1. DJ

    Apr 29, 2020 at 4:14 pm

    it’s simple… 450 yd hole for example – stop fairway at 300 yards. Have 6 inch rough, native areas, lakes, burns, or combination of, from 300 yd to 400 yd. Then you have forced carry 2nd shots.

  2. Michaele

    Apr 29, 2020 at 2:05 pm

    Stupid, stupid, stupid.

    Do Faldo and those agreeing with him realize this is a non issue for all but about 1% (at best) of all golfers?

    Of that 1%, half of them think it is an issue for them when it isn’t even close.

    Faldo needs to zip his lips the way he was told to keep his zipper up a few years ago.

  3. exrog

    Apr 29, 2020 at 1:44 pm

    I think the problem is not so much about carry distance, as it is about role. I’ve watched some of these tee shots roll another 50 plus yards. If you want to stop the bombers then end the fairway at 300 yds with 4″ rough and resume it at 340 yds. If a player wants to challenge that 40 yds of deep rough, then so be it. Narrow fairways and deep rough have always been the tamer of long drivers. The game has evolved, i think sir nick faldo should also

  4. Ken

    Apr 29, 2020 at 10:04 am

    Gutta Percha balls would do the trick, however, they would likely explode on impact! It is a catch 22 situation. The golf manufacturing industry is based upon the pro’s. They hit it long, John Q Public sees pro hit long, and wants what the pro is using. Madison Ave. at its best! No tees, and smaller driver will ever sell golf equipment, and that is what it is all about folks. By the By, the new world handicap system is not going to grow golf. I lost 5 strokes of handicap with the new system. Now some folks would say “so did everyone else” It is a mind set, I know, but you took away from me, you did not change didley about the game, nothing! I do not compete against world golf players. I do not play Ryders Cup. I am just an old man who competes against other old men.

  5. Bob Jones

    Apr 29, 2020 at 9:52 am

    How to reduce driving distance. Require pros to:

    Use a driver that weighs at least 24 ounces.
    or
    Hit all driver shots with a plastic Wiffle-style ball.
    or
    Anchor their driver.

    It’s so simple.

  6. Geoffrey Holland

    Apr 29, 2020 at 9:34 am

    let’s just tell it like it is, getting rid of tees as one of the stupidest ideas in the history of golf. And I love Nick Faldo.

  7. James

    Apr 28, 2020 at 2:54 pm

    How about limit the length of tees to 1 inch?

  8. Speedy

    Apr 28, 2020 at 12:54 pm

    Does he bother looking in players bags? Most players on tour are using drivers with lofts of 9 to 10 degrees, with 44″ to 45″ length.

    Clue for Sir Nick. The distance culprit is white (or orange, or yellow) and round, with dimples.

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Equipment

Odyssey extends Damascus Milled lineup with 3 new putters

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Odyssey Golf announced Tuesday that the already popular Damascus Milled putter lineup is getting more options.

Initially launched back in April, only in a Damascus Milled #7 head (in plumbers or double bend configurations), the family grows to four with a One Wide, Two and Rossie S shape, all available in the second limited-edition drop at retail on June 6th.

“Damascus Steel is a beautiful material, and the patterns tell the story, because every one is different” said Odyssey General Manager, Jacob Davidson. “But what stands out is that  as beautiful as these putters are, the feedback from Tour has been the exceptional feel of these putters. We wanted to deliver the most premium performance-driven putter we’ve ever done at Odyssey. When you look at this product, we have so much confidence because there is not one thing we’d do different. On this one we really took our time over  the last couple years to try to perfect the design.”

Created from a layered construction of multiple steel alloys, this Damascus Steel insert is forged, folded and pressed to create a unique, striking pattern in every piece. Think of it like a fingerprint. Each Damascus construction comes with its own 1-of-1 style pattern. No offerings will ever look the same.

The layered structure, combined with a specialized heat treatment, delivers a finely tuned, highly responsive feel different from other insert materials. The Damascus steel is audibly different compared to other inserts, potentially with slightly more feedback. Odyssey also uses AI-designed back contours to maintain consistent ball speed across the face, blending traditional craftsmanship with modern tech.

Each head in the line is precision-milled from stainless steel and features a blasted silver finish to complement the Damascus insert and sole plates.

With Tour feedback, Odyssey has also developed, in collaboration with Golf Pride, a grip featuring meticulously crafted edges, pistol shaping and a classic modern tour feel.

Odyssey Damascus Milled One Wide
Odyssey Damascus Milled Two
Odyssey Damascus Milled Rossie S
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Equipment

L.A.B. Golf launches new VZN.1i putter

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L.A.B. Golf has been the pioneer when it comes to Lie Angle Balanced putters for years now. When you talk to another golfer and zero torque putters comes up, as it will since it is the hottest thing in golf, the first brand out of their mouthes is L.A.B. Golf. Currently their putter line up has something for every golfer, wether your like blades or mallets. But the company has a new creation for golfers that we saw out on tour just a few weeks ago and is now available to us, the VZN.1i putter.

One of the big stories with the new VZN.1i putter is alignment in the form of the shape. L.A.B. has always given us plenty of alignment options in their putters with different line formations and shapes that can be laser etched onto the top of the putter. With this new design they used the shape of the head and the open cavity in the middle to help enhance the alignment for players. These shapes help players lock into their intended line to improve accuracy and concistency.

“VZN.1i was approached formulaically by combining everything we’ve learned from the success of previous L.A.B. Golf models into a familiar mallet shape that’s easy on the eyes and even easier to putt with,” said Cameron Day, Senior Vice President of Product at L.A.B. Golf. “Every L.A.B. putter is engineered to roll the ball on its intended line through Lie Angle Balance technology. With VZN.1i, we took things a step further by simplifying another critical aspect of putting: alignment.”

Like most of the other L.A.B. mallet putters the VZN.1i is machined from a solid block of aluminum and features a 303 stainless steel face insert. Steel face inserts on all L.A.B. putters not only enhance the sound and feel but they improve ball speed for better distance control. The new shaping also offers two ways of picking up your ball, using the sole or the rear flange can scoop up the ball. The company is offering the VZN.1i with a 1.5 degree forward shaft lean or a vertical shaft option in order to fit more golfers. Each VZN.1i is hand balanced and 10 other stages before it is complete and ready to ship. L.A.B. has its custom program where the golfer can select their length and lie but also head color, shaft upgrades, and grips to make their VZN.1i fit them perfectly.

The VZN.1i is available now starting at $499 for stock models and $599 for custom.

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Equipment

2026 Edition: Most comfortable walking shoe? – GolfWRXers discuss

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In our forums, one user has asked a question sure to interest all sorts of golfers. What’s the most comfortable walking shoe of 2026?

@RobDMB posed the following question:

“Looking for suggestions/recommendations on the currently available most comfortable walking shoes – preferably waterproof. Essentially looking for something comfortable like a running shoe, but with some stability and waterproof for golf. Decent room in toe box as well. Any recommendations are appreciated. Thanks!”

Our members in the forum have been sharing their own recommendations on the best walking shoes that can also survive a number of golf rounds. Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

  • SheriffBooth: “To check all your boxes I’d vote for whichever of the current Nike lineup fits your feet the best. Obviously the Victory Pro 4 and Victory Tour 4 are good enough for the two best players in the world, but the new Pegasus, Next% Tour 3, and Tempo all look really good too.”
  • i*windows: “when I had issues with my feet I played in Asics running shoes they were a little bit like the hoka’s above, very comfortable, now I’m back to Ecco shoes which are great.”
  • mshills: “Everyone’s feet are different so this will be a long list of lots of different shoes. For me, anything from Ecco’s Biom lineup. Nothing else comes close.”

Entire Thread: “2026 Edition: Most Comfortable Walking Shoe?”

If you aren’t a member, join us in the GolfWRX forums today!

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