Drive distance concerns prompt test change for golf balls
Golf governing bodies The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A) and the United States Golf Association (USGA) have announced an update to the testing conditions for golf balls. It will take effect from January 2028.
They have said that their aim is to “reduce the impact increased hitting distances have on golf’s long-term sustainability”.
Chief executive of the R&A, Martin Slumbers, said the change was one of the keys for “achieving a sustainable future for golf, protecting the integrity of the game and meeting our environmental responsibilities”.
Many ball manufacturers who want their products to win approval for use from the governing bodies will have to make changes to make sure they continue to comply.
Tests seek to make sure a ball will usually travel, under test conditions, no further than a recognised limit (320 yards) when hit with a high clubhead speed.
In the new test that the USGA and the R&A have just announced, the distance limit remains unchanged, but the clubhead speed for the tests has gone up, from 120 miles per hour at the moment to 125 miles per hour.
This means manufacturers will have to make changes to make sure golf balls go no further than the existing limit with this faster clubhead speed.
Translating this for players, the governing bodies said the longest hitters in golf are likely to see a reduction of between 13 and 15 yards in drive distance. The average professional on the men’s tour is expected to see a reduction of between nine and 11 yards, while for women the reduction will be between five and seven yards.
They said the changes would keep the impact on recreational golfers “to an absolute minimum”.
Image: Titelist.
