By now, we’ve all heard about the USGA’s proposal to roll back the distance of the golf ball. I want to chat about two things that stand out to me. The effect on the average player and the new testing protocol to deem if a ball conforms.

First, with respect to the average player. One thing to note is that about 30% of the balls in play today will still conform under the new test. These are low priced, balls that typically come in 15 ball packs and are played by a LOT of people. Knowing this, I don’t foresee any changes to a beginner or casual player. Golf will not lose players as a result of this decision. With regards to the rest of us who play balls that will not conform under the new rules, I’ll make a prediction right now… Golf ball manufacturers will figure out a way to make balls that won’t show significant decreases in distances for players who swing below tour speeds. Give these R & D teams years to figure this out, and they will figure it out.

Almost all of the chatter I’ve heard focuses on the club test speed on this new test. While this is not insignificant, the title of this section is “The Fitters Corner”, and, as such, I’d like to challenge you to think about the other facets of the test. Currently, the test swings a driver at 120 mph and produces a shot that launches at 10-degrees with 2520 rpm of spin. The resulting shot can not exceed 317 yards of carry. The new test will have a 5 mph increase in club head speed, a 1* higher launch angle, and a DECREASE of 320 rpm of spin while still not exceeding 317 yards of carry and roll. There is a variance of +3 yards, though (so the number is 320??) Sounds confusing. Is it though?

As a reader of the Fitters Corner, I want to challenge you. We discuss technical aspects of the ball flight all the time. Last week, we talked about the difference in carry distance between the old test and the new test, but only on the basis of club head speed. Based on the new test vs. the current test, if we used the same spin and launch, would the current ball go farther? If so, by how much? Fortunately, for you, I ran some estimates on the FlightScope Trajectory Optimizer. For this test, I used 77* at sea level, no wind, and 50% humidity for the outside conditions.

If we take a 120 mph Club head speed and assume a 1.5 mph smash factor, we get a ball speed of 180 mph. If we run the test at 180 mph, 2520 spin and 10* launch angle, our test ball would fly 293.3 yards, roll 9.3 yards for a total of 307.8 yards – still 10 yards under the standard. If we change to the new test – 187 mph (125 mph club head speed X 1.5 smash factor), 2200 spin and 11* launch angle, the test ball would fly 309.4 yards, roll 9.1 yards for a total of 318.4 yards. Interesting that BOTH test balls would conform under this test.

What is the effect of carry with the change in launch angle? At either ball speed, adding 1* in launch angle adds about 1.5 to 2 yards of carry and decreases roll out by about a yard – essentially a negligible difference.

What about spin? If we do the 180 mph test at 10* with 2520 spin vs. 2200 spin, the difference in carry to our test ball was a whopping . 4 yards – about 16 inches. the roll out was more, and the total increased by about 2 yards. The difference on the new test was also about the same a yard or so of carry, and about 2 yards in total.

There’s a lesson in here, isn’t there? You betcha!! The biggest difference in distance came from ball speed. The slightest increases there can add yards in a hurry. A 7 mph increase in ball speed (180 to 187) with the same spin (2520) and launch (10*) saw a 13 yard gain in carry distance. When you fit, the carrot you are chasing is BALL SPEED!! The other factors are only important if they are OUTSIDE of the optimal windows. Is 2200 spin better than 2500 spin for a player who swings it 100 mph? YES, but if you have to decrease ball speed to get it, you’ll lose distance in the end. Get the highest ball speed you can, then get close enough, or within a window with the other specs to get the optimal fit. Chasing “secondary” specs isn’t going to get you to the pot of gold. Fit to get the biggest gains first (ball speed), then go after the incremental gains if a player is outside your optimal window.

If you put yourself in the shoes of the player you are fitting, if you can get a big gain in distance early in the process, they payer will see success and will give you more latitude throughout the process. if you fiddle around trying to optimize spin first, you might only gain a couple yards, then if you stumble on a big gain in a different head, for example, your credibility won’t be as great. Also, as you talk to the player, talk in terms of ball speed – that is the big fish. “Look here, your club head stayed the same, but your ball speed went up by 8 mph. At 3 yards per mph, that’s a pretty big jump.” As opposed to “Wow, you spin dropped by 300 with this one.” “How come I only hit it a couple yards farther?” Talk about the big fish, not about the rod, hook and bait.

Finally, here’s the skinny on ball speeds. The test is targeting a ball speed of 183 mph for the test. In 2023 on the PGA Tour, there were only 10 players who averaged 183+ for the season. The average ball speed on the tour was 172.85 mph for the 2023 season. An LPGA Tour player might notice 5-7 yards. This means the average player who swings it 95-100 mph might lose 5 yards. 5 yards… They can mis-hit it and lose more than that. As speeds get slower, the effect of the new ball will be negligible (according to the USGA). They claim that the average player will notice no reduction in distance with Irons, wedges or hybrids. Ultimately, for the rest of us, this new ruling may not mean much of anything.