CHAMPIONSHIPS
EQUIPMENT
CHAMPIONSHIPS
New Report Shows Slight Uptick in Driving Distance
T
he USGA and The R&A have published the annual review
of driving distance, a research document that reports
important findings on driving distance in golf. Introduced
last year, the review examines driving distance data from seven
of the major professional golf tours, based on approximately
285,000 drives per year. Data from studies of male and female
amateur golfers has also been included for the first time.
Key facts noted in the paper include:
• Between 2003 and the end of the 2016 season, average driving distance on five of the
seven tours has increased by approximately 1.2%, around 0.2 yards per year.
• For the same time period, average driving distance on the other two tours studied decreased
by approximately 1.5%.
• Looking at all of the players who are ranked for distance on the PGA TOUR and PGA European
Tour, the amount by which players are “long” or “short” has not changed – for instance, since
2003 the 10 shortest players in that group are about 6% shorter than average, while the
10 longest players in the group are about 7% longer than average. The statistics are not
skewed toward either longer or shorter players.
• The average launch conditions on the PGA TOUR – clubhead speed, launch angle, ball
speed and ball backspin – have been relatively stable since 2007. The 90th-percentile
clubhead speed coupled with the average launch angle and spin rate are very close to the
conditions that The R&A and the USGA, golf’s governing bodies, use to test golf balls under
the Overall Distance Standard.
Mike Davis, executive director/CEO of the USGA, said, “We appreciate the collaboration we
have received, industry-wide, to access and review this data to benefit the entire golf community,
which can be used to both educate golfers and advance the game.”
Martin Slumbers, chief executive of The R&A, said, “In the interests of good governance
and transparency it is important that we continue to provide reliable data and facts about driving
distance in golf.”
The USGA and The R&A published the Joint Statement of Principles in May 2002, which
confirmed their commitment to the fundamental notion that skill, not technology, should be the
primary determinant of success in the game. The Joint Statement acknowledged the benefits
of equipment technology for golf, but noted that any further significant increases in hitting
distances at the highest level were undesirable.
Since then, the USGA and The R&A have continued to monitor equipment technology’s
effect on the game, and considered the effects of other factors, such as course setup, athleticism
and coaching. When appropriate, new Rules have been introduced after discussions with
equipment manufacturers and other stakeholders, in accordance with the Equipment Rulemaking
Procedures produced in 2011.
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CSGA Links // July, 2017 | 33