Equipment

USGA and R&A announce areas of interest to mitigate distance increases

Published

5 years ago

Feb 2, 2021

On Tuesday, the USGA and R&A announced their areas of interest for further exploration on the “Distance Debate.”

The governing bodies have unveiled three proposed changes to the equipment rules to ensure their effectiveness to distance limits—two to modernize equipment testing protocols and one to limit the maximum length for clubs other than putters from 48 to 46 inches.

Per the document, the three proposals are defined as:

Proposal 1: Club length – reduction to 46 inches available as a Model Local Rule (MLR) (Original proposal delivered in 2016 and paused in 2017 due to the Distance Insights Project). Comment period ends on March 4, 2021.
Proposal 2: Update on testing method for golf balls. Comment period ends on Aug. 2, 2021.
Proposal 3: Change to testing tolerance – Characteristic Time. Comment period ends on Aug. 2, 2021.

Speaking on their research and proposals, Mike Davis, Chief Executive Officer of the USGA stated

“The research conducted through Distance Insights clearly shows that hitting distances have consistently increased through time and, if left unchecked, could threaten the long-term future of our game at every level and every golf course on which it is played. This is the first forward step in a journey and a responsibility the USGA and The R&A share with the worldwide golf community, to ensure that golf continues to thrive for the next hundred years and beyond.”

Beyond the immediate, the governing bodies will continue to examine the following, per the report, in a review period ending November 2.

Reduction in the limit within the overall distance standard
Modification in the limitation of ball efficiency (update to IV)
Other ball specifications (size, mass)
Reduction in the performance of drivers: club length and clubhead dimensions (including volume)
Changes in the clubhead specifications on spring-like effect and moment of inertia, also
considering the utilization of radius of gyration limitations
Production of spin from all clubs from all areas of the course

The USGA and The R&A also today released their updated 2020 Annual Driving Distance Report, which was initially paused in February 2020 due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Per the organizations, the proposals detailed above “are the outcome of this regular review of equipment-testing processes, protocols and standards to ensure their effectiveness.”

Read the full document here.

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Gianni Magliocco

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

28 Comments

Bob Jones

Feb 3, 2021 at 4:51 pm

The long hitters bomb it because is the ball ends up in the rough they can still get par and birdie isn’t out of the question. The solution is to line each side of the fairway from 310-350 yards not with thick rough, but with a 10-yard wide bed of pea gravel. If they figure out how to hit out of that, we can change it to 3/4 minus.

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DS

Feb 3, 2021 at 8:57 am

I saw “areas of interest” and “further debate” and didn’t read a word of the actual column. Are these guys paid by the hour? A union shop? Jesus – get something done for chrissakes!

Reply Report comment
Jack Mamm

Feb 3, 2021 at 7:33 am

I’m not worried – nothing can stop the hammer POW

Reply Report comment
Daniel Whitehurst

Feb 3, 2021 at 3:51 am

The question isn’t in equipment, it’s in course settup. Slow down the fairways! Plus if you roll back the distance you just hurt the mid to shorter guys on tour. Laws of percentages. You roll back distance the shorter guys lose more distance than the long hitters. It’s a fact. The higher the speed the more yardage per mph. Some long drive guys are 20 yards between irons, old ladies hit half their clubs the same distance. They are trying to fix an unfixable non problem. The average drive on tour goes up 1 yard per year. I don’t see a problem. Everyone plays the same restricted equipment. Colin Morikawa is at the PGA average club head speed and won the PGA at Harding Park where there’s 3 drives you can hit straight and had dense rough. There you go. Get more creative with course settup and distance won’t matter.

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Karsten's Ghost

Feb 3, 2021 at 3:08 am

If you look carefully at what is being suggested, it’s not world-ending stuff.

46″ max driver. OK? So what? Testing to make sure they are, indeed conforming with a tighter test? Yep. Same rule, better enforcement. Same with the ball; 317y @120mph. That’s the rule now, and all they’re changing is how it’s tested.

This doesn’t amount to much. Brooke Henderson will be angry if the LPGA uses it, but I doubt they will.

What needs to happen is that COMPRESSION of balls needs to be reduced to no more than 65-70ish.

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- Funkaholic
  
  Feb 3, 2021 at 10:30 am
  
  You are talking out of your backside
  
  Reply Report comment
James

Feb 2, 2021 at 11:18 pm

It will be interesting to see the unintended consequences that ultimately hit consumers.

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Jbone

Feb 2, 2021 at 3:53 pm

Ask yourself who benefits from these rule changes?

Reply Report comment
Golfer

Feb 2, 2021 at 2:57 pm

This is a terrible idea and will kill golf TV ratings

Reply Report comment
- Chuck
  
  Feb 2, 2021 at 5:27 pm
  
  This is a point that I think Geoff Shackelford has rightly trounced.
  
  Does anyone watching golf on television actually “see” how far a ball goes? Is a 287-yard drive visibly, demonstrably different for a tv viewer, than a 347-yard drive? No, Shackelford points out, and he is right.
  
  The shots that we will remember forever from our tv viewing are approach shots; short game shots; putts. I can think of 25 iconic televised Tiger Woods shots, and not one of them is a long drive. If any of them are drives at all, they would be things like one of his 2-iron tee shots at Hoylake, or a stinger 3-wood on a narrow hole.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Tgm
    
    Feb 2, 2021 at 6:49 pm
    
    Chuck is spot on.
    
    Reply Report comment
jake

Feb 2, 2021 at 1:23 pm

Absolutely love this. The game is nothing close to its roots anymore. Ams would probably find the game easier playing a shorter ball and a shorter set of tees. They will hit the ball shorter offline when they banana slice it.

Reply Report comment
- Jbone
  
  Feb 2, 2021 at 3:26 pm
  
  It will never be enough of a rollback to satisfy these elite club members and usga execs. They hate what Bryson did and it’s inevitable that players are going to hit it too far for these old courses.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - jake
    
    Feb 2, 2021 at 6:52 pm
    
    I am a public golfer, and golf historian thank you. Protect the game. who cares about your tv ratings. A bunch of fat white men in suits
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Funkaholic
      
      Feb 3, 2021 at 10:32 am
      
      You are an idiot, without interest, the game dies. You are no “historian’ you are just a dinosaur.
      
      Reply Report comment
Plan Demic

Feb 2, 2021 at 12:34 pm

Take out the manufacturer influence and its an easy solution. Wound balls, steel shafts, lower the max CC and/or head material for woods (persimmon), 56* max loft for wedges. But you cant sell equipment on Monday if its not the “same” as what won on Sunday.

Reply Report comment
Ryan

Feb 2, 2021 at 12:23 pm

I don’t understand why they do not look at course conditions for the pros.

Reply Report comment
- Jon
  
  Feb 2, 2021 at 12:55 pm
  
  You’re spot on, Ryan. There’s absolutely no excuse for the fairways to stimp out at an 8 or 9.
  
  Reply Report comment
- John
  
  Feb 5, 2021 at 12:42 am
  
  Exactly.
  
  The USGA and PGA Tour have quietly made course conditions easier over the years all the while complaining about distance gains. The reality is, they secretly want guys blasting 350 yard drives and shooting -30 under par. Its sort of like how MLB ignored steroids for years because fans were in love with all the home runs.
  
  Want to prevent guys from over powering courses? Make fairways 10 yards wide after 300 yards with thick five inch rough… and not that graduated nonsense the USGA has been using at the US Open. That alone would prevent guys from ripping 350 yard bombs all over the world.
  
  They won’t do that though because casual viewers don’t want to see the long hitters forced to lay up off the tee…
  
  Reply Report comment
JasonHolmes

Feb 2, 2021 at 11:51 am

I read Mike Davis and I immediately think – GTFO.

Except for about ten guys in the world, golf is still hard for the rest of us and we have no interest in hitting it shorter.

Please get Mike Davis out of golf completely.

Reply Report comment
- jake
  
  Feb 2, 2021 at 1:21 pm
  
  Move up a set of tees if ya cant reach JasonHolmes
  
  Reply Report comment
James

Feb 2, 2021 at 11:15 am

Fine, go ahead and do all this. But where does the line get drawn in, say, two generations when people are back to carrying it 300 again?

Reply Report comment
Paulo

Feb 2, 2021 at 10:03 am

Maybe be more visible in testing for PED’s too ?

Reply Report comment
BJ

Feb 2, 2021 at 9:52 am

Going after Bryson it seems

Reply Report comment
- Smarterthanthisguy
  
  Feb 2, 2021 at 1:42 pm
  
  More like protecting integrity of the game and historical golf courses. Bryson will still be the longest with whatever rules are in place. The advantage is still his. How do people not get that?
  
  Reply Report comment
- Chuck
  
  Feb 2, 2021 at 2:58 pm
  
  When the Joint Statement of Principles was drafted by the USGA and the R&A in 2002, Bryson DeChambeau was 9 years old.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Jbone
  
  Feb 2, 2021 at 3:29 pm
  
  They are trying to but this isn’t the way lol. Making the ball shorter makes distance even more of a premium. They don’t know what they’re doing.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - jake
    
    Feb 2, 2021 at 6:51 pm
    
    it isnt about bryson at all jbone. But you’re right, his advantage will be magnified as an unintended consequence which is completely fine
    
    Reply Report comment

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Equipment

Interesting clubs at top of bag – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

9 hours ago

Jun 3, 2026

Will Schube

In our forums, users are talking about top of bag setups that are non-traditional or thought-provoking in some way. Original poster @SuperSpurs106 inquired about other members who might use unorthodox set-ups to help with gapping issues or weak spots.

They wrote:

“I currently have a PING G430 driver, TM Qi35 3W and a TM Qi4D 7W. Driver and 7W are fine but can’t get on with my 3W and have always struggling with this club over the years. Thinking of adding a 2H which I know would look odd. Just wondering if anyone else had a weird set up at the top of their bag?”

Our members in the forum have offered up their thoughts and personal experiences with non-traditional top of bag set-ups, and their reasoning for thinking outside of the box to begin with. 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.

BowMain42: “Don’t worry about what “looks” odd. If the club does what you need it to do, it’s the right club.”
scooterhd2: “I cant hit 3 woods either. Thats why I roll with a unicorn XL Hibore 2 wood. 400 cc head at 16 degrees of loft and its just a monster 3 wood off the tee. Off the deck, we are playing the f6 baffler. 5 wood at 41.75 inches and its easy to control.”
phizzy30: “I had driver, 3 metal, 2/4 hybrid once upon a time as a higher ss player. 4 hybrid is gone and in place is a driving iron nowadays. I don’t think what you’re proposing is weird in anyway, however the yardage gap might be glaringly huge between driver and 2 hybrid. What is it about your 3 metal that has got you all messed up? You could always go 4 metal with shorter shaft and see if that works.”

Entire Thread: “Interesting clubs at top of bag”

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

Equipment

Members of the Mini Driver Club – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

9 hours ago

Jun 3, 2026

Will Schube

In our forums, one user has gone searching for fellow users of a mini driver. In a post, @TightFade asked for other mini driver users to chime in with their weapon of choice, the reason for employing a mini, and what club follows it in the bag.

@TightFade asked:

“What mini are you playing? What spot in the bag did it take over? What’s the next club after it? For me: Elyte mini 13.5. Replacing 3w. Next up club looks like it’ll be 5w.”

Our members in the forum have been sharing their own bag setups featuring the mini driver, and the various reasons they purchased one in the first place. 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.

RCGA: “Ping G430 Max 12* ‘Thriver.’ Next club is a 4w and 2i (I play a weird course).”
JMB3: “R7 at 12.75 with Diamana BB 63s. 3w replacement. Next Club: Elyte Ti 5w at 17*.”
ColdOkieGolf: “R7 15.5 turned down to 13.5 It replaces the 3w. I found it surprisingly easy to hit off the deck, and it’s very rare that I need or want to hit something beyond 250 from the fairway, so next club is my 7w.”
ChaosTheory: “I’m sub-90 MPH with driver. But I’m able to hit DOD. I have been wanting something like the R7 15.5, so I just ordered one. I have a spot in the bag so nothing has to go. But I could see it replacing my trusty 4 wood, which I never use for approach shots. Just tee shots and lay ups. If I drop the 4 wood, I will turn my 7 wood down to ~20 degrees and will have good gaps. I recently tried a thriver build: 12 degree driver turned to 14, with a heavier 44 inch shaft and added head weight. I hit it great. Very accurate and not overly high, but the problem was that it sometimes went as far as a typical drive. And that’s not what I needed. So I will probably turn the 15.5 up to 16.5 or even 17.5. It’s all theoretical at this point. ?”

Entire Thread: “Members of the Mini Driver Club…Check In.”

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

Whats in the Bag

Chris Gotterup WITB 2026 (June)

Published

9 hours ago

Jun 3, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

Chris Gotterup had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament.

Drivers: TaylorMade Qi4D (8 degrees), Ping G440 LST (9 degrees @8), Ping G440 LST (7.5 degrees)
Shafts: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Grey 6.5 TX 70 g, Project X HZRDUS T1100 Handcrafted 6.5 TX 70 g, Project X HZRDUS Smoke Grey 6.5 TX 70 g