Some Pro’s and most
golfers I play with are familiar with my disdain for technology in the game.
The endless river of new drivers, hybrids and putters increases my contempt with
every new suffix that is released. If you believe the seductive renders and magical
arrows, each new ball travels further, flies straighter and spins more than the
orb that came before it.
There is no doubt
that technology has changed the game. Courses are longer, low irons are facing
extinction and golf is a little more forgiving for the beginner.
Players like Jim
Furyk, Davis Love III and Phil Mickelson who have been on the PGA Tour since
1990 are hitting drives between 10-15% further than they where at the beginning
of their careers.
My Luddite splinter
group isn’t planning the violent destruction of Pro Shops around the world so
for people taking up the game I usually reach for my golfing clichés. Drive for
show and putt for dough, practice makes perfect and 50% of shots are within 50m
of the pin.
With all this in
mind I was curious what impact technology was having on my distance game so I subjected
a broad collection of balls to different drivers and recorded the results. All
distances are averages over 5 drives.
Hickory
‘Spoon’ Driver – 1910
120m Featherie (St Andrew’s replica) – 1618+
135m Bramble (gutta percha replica) 1850+
150m Bramble Vardon Flyer (gutta percha replica) 1900
180m Mesh Pattern Lattice Ball (rubber core) - 1910
188m Hot Dot - 1980
170m Srixon Range Ball - 2010
195m Titleist Pro-V 1 - 2013
PGF Status
Persimmon 1 Wood – 1975
200m Mesh Pattern Lattice Ball (rubber core) - 1910
180m Hot Dot - 1980
192m Srixon Range Ball - 2010
218m Titleist Pro-V 1 - 2013
Callaway
Biggest Bertha - 1995
218m Mesh Pattern Lattice Ball (rubber core) -1910
199m Hot Dot - 1980
202m Srixon Range Ball - 2010
240m Titleist Pro-V 1 – 2013
