USGA to the rescue, again.

September 9 issue of Golf World, page 12 has a short article of what the USGA has planned for drivers for the 2006 season. We all know that modern drivers are too forgiving and that the skill is being taken out of the game. In recent years we have seen the USGA reduce the maximum size of the driver head volume and that the maximum length of a club, excluding the putter, be kept to 48 inches. The latter for obvious reasons. Longer drivers project the ball longer, at least a couple of yards per inch, and so because we hit the ball farther with less skill, the backroom boys of the USGA have restricted driver lengths. Of course, they never considered that longer drivers hit the ball a lot more crooked. In fact, the increase in dispersion is greater than the yardage gained, but never mind that.

Now hear this. The MOI of drivers will be restricted to 4750 grams centimeters squared. I knew that you would be shaking in your boots. Most drivers produced today have an MOI of from 4000 to 4300 g(cm)squared, so the new, yet to be manufactured heads will have to be redesigned.

BTW: The MOI refers to the clubs resistance to twisting on off centre hits which means that drivers are just too forgiving for the USGA. “Our research and modeling showed that manufacturers could respect the head size limit but produce clubs with a significantly higher MOI.” Notice that there was no reference to actual TESTING.

I will go to bed tonight secure in the knowledge that Dick Rugge and his buddies will bring skill back into the game.

Now, golf courses could narrow the cut portion of the fairways, grow the rough longer, increase the height of the fairway grass to reduce roll and spin on iron shots, but that would be too easy and sensible.