Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2020 - 5

FRONT
Going to Great Lengths
W
ith the start of every new golf season come dreams
of hitting for more distance, and equipment manufacturers
are quick to promise it. But the USGA
and R&A's Distance Insights Project report claims that hitting
with increasingly greater distance is actually hurting the game.
" The research in the Distance
Insights Report shows that hitting
distances and the lengths of golf
courses have been increasing for
more than 100 years, " the conclusion
states. " We believe that this continuing
cycle of increases is undesirable
and detrimental to golf's long-term
future. "
The numbers in the report back
up this concern. While the Distance
Insights Project considered numbers
between 1900 and last season, data
collection has been most consistent
since 2016, allowing for better yearto-year
comparison.
The project collected numbers
* BY JOSEPH OBERLE *
Take a look at the extensive Distance Insights Project report
released by the USGA and R&A.
Driving Distance by Handicap Category
next 10 years, until 2013. Since then, distances have increased
at the rate of about one yard per year. The average of the top
20 has increased by a total of eight yards, and the average for all
players on both tours has increased by seven yards.
* The report stated that elite female golfers in 1930 typically
drove the ball 175-225 yards, while
the average LPGA Tour player today
drives the ball more than 250 yards,
and the top 20 longest hitters average
more than 270 yards.
* In 2019, the average clubhead
speed on the PGA Tour was 114.1
mph, with an average launch angle of
9.9° and average spin of 2637 rpm. In
2007, those numbers were 112.4, 10.8
and 2814 rpm, respectively.
* Despite the increase in distance,
from seven different tours (PGA,
LPGA, Japan, Korn Ferry, Senior
PGA and both European tours)
and includes graphs displaying distance
numbers affected by rules and
equipment changes. The report's
conclusions state:
* That by the end of 2019, the average drive of the 20 longest
hitters from European and PGA tours had increased to 310
yards, with the average driving distance increasing to 294 yards.
* During a period of equipment technology advancement
in club and ball design from the mid-1990s to 2003, distances
increased. These changes included oversized titanium drivers,
spring-like effects and increased MOI, in addition to nonwound
and multi-layer balls. By 2003, the driving distance of
the 20 longest hitters from European and PGA Tours averaged
303 yards, with an average driving distance of 286 yards for
both tours combined.
* From that point, there was essentially no increase for the
mngolf.org
It can be seen that while there are year-toyear
fluctuations, overall, the average driving
distance has increased from 200 yards in 1996
to 216 yards in 2019, with a maximum average
distance of 217 yards observed in 2005.
scoring averages have remained relatively
steady, exhibiting a gradual
decline from 1980 to the present at a
rate of about 0.04 strokes per year.
* Since 2003, all of the monitored
tours have seen increases in driving
distance (following the R&A
and USGA's 2002 Joint Statement of
Principles regarding distance issues).
However, the report did show a
decrease in driving distance between
2018 and 2019 on three of the seven tours.
For personal context, take a look at the report's graphs that
include distance numbers by handicap category (above) to see
where you fit in. The report has found that overall, amateurs'
average driving distances have increased from 200 to 216 yards
between 1996 and 2019.
" The expectation of every generation that they're going to hit
it longer than the previous generation-we think that is taking
golf in the wrong direction, " USGA CEO Mike Davis told the
media.
With these new numbers collected, we can expect that notion
to start changing soon.
Find much more in the report on usga.org.
Spring 2020 MINNESOTAGOLFER
5
http://www.usga.org http://www.mngolf.org
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2020

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