Questions about New Equipment

Well, when I read a few days ago about Phil Phrankenwood, a Callaway 2 wood. with 45inch in length....

I told myself, "Wow" what a club and wow to Callaway.

However, deep inside, Isn't this called "Cheating?"

Its like everyone is entering a stock Street car race, and one of your competitor, is using a slightly modified club.

I know a lot of the club manufacturer allow their new clubs, be used by their star player.

But is this Fair?

In all amatuer Golf competition, all equipment are inspected if they are comforming or not.
And most often, in some golf tournament, they will let you play and will not tell you if your club is non-conforming, and later penalized you after you finised 18th hole.

If rules are applied in amatuer golfing tournaments, does it mean in Professional level, they can get away with it?

I mean building a new clubs to gain some advantage over your competitor?

i see this as going back time coz in the old days, there is no 460/390cc driver...
their head is small...

I find joy in using my old clubs to match up to one who uses new clubs.

Think it's just part and parcel of every sport. Equipment manufacturers will innovate and come up with new products in order to allow players an edge over fellow competitors, e.g. Graphite shafts, hybrids, high MOI putters, adjustable drivers/woods etc. Of course the main reason manufacturers do that is to roll in the money. If it becomes an unfair advantage, then the governing bodies will have to come in.

However, it's not just the equipment alone. Skills, form & luck will play a big part towards winning. Will be keeping a watch on how this new driver/wood fare in the Masters.

My sense is that if it proves to be a winning formula, the club may well become the new driver for us weekend hackers.

I am still using my old Maruman Hybrid 20* & 23* they are fantastic give
very good distance, I don't think the new hybrid can do the same for me.

Similarly end 2011 I bought Ping G15 SR shaft I used for 3 months sold it
and return to use my old Nike Sumo 5900 it sound hollow but distance is
another thing!

I rem seeing an article from somewhere (golfWRX I believe) saying that the average handicap for amature men's golf has not changed for the last 100 years despite the immense improvements in golfing equipment ( carbon fibre shaft, metal wood heads, bigger and lighter heads and now adjustable drivers).... That says a lot about how much equipment improvement have on our game.

That is why they are professionals
Callaway got the club approved by the R&A and USGA before letting Phil plays with it
Professionals will never put a club in play unless it is certified conforming

I don't think it's cheating
Rather it is innovation and responding to the needs of professional
Taylormade could have done the same for Sergio or Dustin Johnson
Ditto for Nike with Tiger and Rory.

On the other hand for amateurs, they do not have such support
But as long as they buy conforming club, there is no intend to gain a foot up against the rest of the field in the amateur competition, then they should not worry, no?

chihheng wrote:

I rem seeing an article from somewhere (golfWRX I believe) saying that the average handicap for amature men's golf has not changed for the last 100 years despite the immense improvements in golfing equipment ( carbon fibre shaft, metal wood heads, bigger and lighter heads and now adjustable drivers).... That says a lot about how much equipment improvement have on our game.

There are many other variable factors that can cause handicaps to stay with "better" equipment. Maybe its a comfortable medium that golfers found between effort and results, and they stop putting in more effort due to "better equipment"?

I'm not saying that equipment is better or not better, just saying that there is a correlation, but there isn't any evidence to show causation.

bro HyBriD Cobra oredi launched 45" 2 Woods 2 years back... btw thought 45 inches is the legal limit for woods

I think legal limit might be 48"? I thought this is the selling point for cobra's l
"Long tom"

Info link here : http://golftips.golfsmith.com/longest-legal-driver-length-20152.html

I dun think the club needs to be sold to the masses in order for the pros to use. as along as conforming to R&A will do.

You wanna talk about cheating golf club... try the "Dead Aim Putter". Can attach a infrared aiming beam to help you line up with the hole haha...

https://youtu.be/hrgBglIYoLo

just my opinion.....

I think USGA should only allow clubs that were approved January 2013.
You know those equipment they rate like Golf & Silver.

From what I read a few years back. It takes at least 6 month for USGA to approved new golf clubs.

And the Phrankenwood Phil used was so relatively new. Less than 2 months.

chihheng wrote:

I rem seeing an article from somewhere (golfWRX I believe) saying that the average handicap for amature men's golf has not changed for the last 100 years despite the immense improvements in golfing equipment ( carbon fibre shaft, metal wood heads, bigger and lighter heads and now adjustable drivers).... That says a lot about how much equipment improvement have on our game.

To have a balanced perspective, you have to factor in how golf courses have increased in length over the years as well ...

But while I definitely agree the indian has more a role to play than the arrow ... using antiquated clubs with the modern golf ball is a definite mismatch

I am pretty certain that the Phrakenwood is on the USGA Conforming list:

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-equipment/blogs/golfwrx/2013/04/mickelson-to-play-phrankenwood.html

Under the rules as which they stand I am pretty sure that if the club appears on the list then it is ok to play. After looking on the USGA website for submitting golf clubs for approval there does not appear to be a time frame for how long this process will take. I am guessing that Callaway and the other OEM's are well versed in the process, time table, and requirements in order to get X club approved before whatever event it is needed for.

For me, as long as the club falls within the current guidelines of the rules and it is approved by the USGA or R&A, then I have no issue with it. But that is just me, I happen to be a guy that likes innovation and creativity when it comes to clubs etc.

The Professional Tours are where many clubs in various stages of prototyping, production, and experiment are looked at and tested, modified, tweaked, etc. Many of these tests actually fine tune the product that will be released to the general public. In other instances they are one off designs or ones that are done for specific players (Camillo Villegas's TM milled RBZ irons come to mind). Again these are the best players in the world and should have access the best equipment in the world, no different than F1, Nascar, etc.