The Tape

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