Question:
I played a few weeks ago with a guy how waited untill the group in front were almost on the green on a 358 METRE dogleg left par 4. He then proceeded to hit his drive 30 metres from the green. He did this on most holes and it was a thing of beauty to watch. And he only used an older Cobra TI driver. I’d love to watch him with an ERC II. What really annoys me are the people who have never hit that far, never will (most pros probably don’t hit that far) but always wait because the see him do it and think maybe they will oneday. My drive average with my current driver is about 220 mtrs. Once in a while (and I do mean Once In A While) I’ve caught one real sweet and hit it 270 to 300 metres and generally that means I’ve hit up on someone. If you yell ‘FOUR’ and go up and appologise to them I’ve found that most of the time they’re not worried at all, they just wish they had got to watch that drive. If you hit up consistantly that might piss them off. In my experience people are more annoyed by slow play and holding up movement than the "occasional" good shot. Dean Gough
Response:
I doubt that very many people will get all that much increase in distance as is advertised, and as Randy pointed out, it might well just put them further into jail than they would have been otherwise. My concern about this kind of thing is mostly related to the obsoleting of golf courses and slowing play down. Suppose some people playing these clubs have, once in a while, caught one just flush on the driving range and sent one 300+ yards. Mostly they can’t do that, and when they do get distance they often spray it. But the possibility is there to drive some of the Par 4s on a golf course. If that’s the case, then, how long will they have to wait to hit each time they tee off? As is is now, on a regular Par 4 you should have three groups playing or near ready to play: One on the green, one in the fairway waiting for the green to clear, one on the tee. If your group on the tee has an ERC-II or -equivalent player hitting one of those drivers, they’ll have to wait for the group to clear the fairway, won’t they? Yes, the odds of hitting them aren’t great, but if it’s possible at all, prudence requires them to wait (how many of you like to be hit into?). And on the short par 4’s, where they can actually reach the green, the group in front will have to clear the green before anyone using such a club (with the distance) can tee off. This can only slow down play. Further, if the longer distance also means longer into the spinach or trees, then we’ll endure longer searches for lost balls. I played with a friend last year (he’s since moved away) who played the GBB and hit it a TON. (He’s tall, rangy, and looked kinda like Tiger in his swing). Our course has a lot of shortish par 4s, most of which he COULD reach off the tee. Once last year, on a 321-yard par 4, I was lining up my putt when his drive rolled past me on the green. In fact, I don’t know if there were any par 4s on the course he hadn’t reached at least once. Even the longer ones with doglegs; he could cut the corner. When I played with him we *had* to wait for people to clear his landing area, even if it was on the green. We did not move right along, frankly. Now, you could argue (and I think fairly) that in that case, we were slowed only by perhaps half a hole; we had to trail the group in front of us by enough extra to take ourselves out of his range. But what happens if you have 10 or 15 groups with someone who thinks they have that distance? Every group has to wait, which means stretching out the groups. Fewer groups playing at any one time; more jam-ups on tees; eventually, fewer tee times per hour just to accomodate the slower pace. Will these clubs ruin the game of golf? That depends on how much you like to wait. (And none of this has even broached the subject of whether people want to play by an established, inviolable set of rules, and the impact THAT will have on competitions and friendships). Mike Mike Dalecki–Charter Member, RSG Clique I do not patronize spammers! Help keep RSG clean. Expect the same etiquette from me on RSG as on the golf course. RSG Roll Call: http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/daleckim.htm So who has heard anything about this ERC II driver from Callaway? Suppossedly it can increase your drive anywhere from 20 to 30 yards! What does everybody think about this? Will it ruin the game? Make long drives not so spectacular? http://www.azcentral.com/sports/golf/0209callaway.html
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Response:
Very well said. If everyone else had your perspective on this subject, then there really isn’t much of a controversy.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Since these clubs (and others like them) are non-conforming to USGA specs, the only people playing them will be people who don’t care whether they scores are "legal" for handicap or competitive purposes. In other words, they never play in tournaments, and in all likelihood, only play for fun. Whether or not they have a regular group they play with (many of us don’t) could be an issue, if others in the group object. Some will, some won’t. Truth is, this phantom "20 to 30 extra yards" is probably more like 5 or 6 yards unless they generate a significant amount of clubhead speed. And since most players who fit this profile tend to scatter the ball a bit, hitting it further isn’t necessarily a help. They may only be hitting it deeper into the forest. So the question you asked, is this club ruining golf, should be answered in one of two ways: From the perspective of the guy who plays once a week, only recreationally, never in tournaments, and maybe never even for a side bet with his buddies, hey, if he can hit the ball 5 or 10 yards further, to him, the club probably makes golf more fun. He’s the target customer for this club anyway. To the rest of us who prefer to play conforming equipment and post legal scores, and all of our friends wouldn’t think of competiting against us with an illegal club, it’s of no consequence either way. It’s no different than those suped up golf balls — if someone wants to play ‘em when they’re out having fun on the weekend, I say let ‘em have their fun. Golf is supposed to be fun. But if they’re playing me for money (not that I ever play for money), they’d better be playing the ball down and by the rules. Randy Charter Member, RSG Clique My WEBSITE: www.YouGoGolf.com My RSG Roll Call profile: http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/brownr.htm RSG FAQ: http://ttsoft.com/thor/rsggolf.html Voiceovers/Narration/Production Services: www.RandyBrownProductions.com So who has heard anything about this ERC II driver from Callaway? Suppossedly it can increase your drive anywhere from 20 to 30 yards! What does everybody think about this? Will it ruin the game? Make long drives not so spectacular? http://www.azcentral.com/sports/golf/0209callaway.html
Response:
Since these clubs (and others like them) are non-conforming to USGA specs, the only people playing them will be people who don’t care whether they scores are "legal" for handicap or competitive purposes. In other words, they never play in tournaments, and in all likelihood, only play for fun. Whether or not they have a regular group they play with (many of us don’t) could be an issue, if others in the group object. Some will, some won’t. Truth is, this phantom "20 to 30 extra yards" is probably more like 5 or 6 yards unless they generate a significant amount of clubhead speed. And since most players who fit this profile tend to scatter the ball a bit, hitting it further isn’t necessarily a help. They may only be hitting it deeper into the forest. So the question you asked, is this club ruining golf, should be answered in one of two ways: From the perspective of the guy who plays once a week, only recreationally, never in tournaments, and maybe never even for a side bet with his buddies, hey, if he can hit the ball 5 or 10 yards further, to him, the club probably makes golf more fun. He’s the target customer for this club anyway. To the rest of us who prefer to play conforming equipment and post legal scores, and all of our friends wouldn’t think of competiting against us with an illegal club, it’s of no consequence either way. It’s no different than those suped up golf balls — if someone wants to play ‘em when they’re out having fun on the weekend, I say let ‘em have their fun. Golf is supposed to be fun. But if they’re playing me for money (not that I ever play for money), they’d better be playing the ball down and by the rules. Randy Charter Member, RSG Clique My WEBSITE: www.YouGoGolf.com My RSG Roll Call profile: http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/brownr.htm RSG FAQ: http://ttsoft.com/thor/rsggolf.html Voiceovers/Narration/Production Services: www.RandyBrownProductions.com
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – So who has heard anything about this ERC II driver from Callaway? Suppossedly it can increase your drive anywhere from 20 to 30 yards! What does everybody think about this? Will it ruin the game? Make long drives not so spectacular? http://www.azcentral.com/sports/golf/0209callaway.html
Response:
So who has heard anything about this ERC II driver from Callaway? Suppossedly it can increase your drive anywhere from 20 to 30 yards! What does everybody think about this? Will it ruin the game? Make long drives not so spectacular? http://www.azcentral.com/sports/golf/0209callaway.html
Response:
So who has heard anything about this ERC II driver from Callaway? Suppossedly it can increase your drive anywhere from 20 to 30 yards! What does everybody think about this? Will it ruin the game? Make long drives not so spectacular?
A pro told me recently that that had already happened with metals replacing woods. The sweet-spots are larger and acting as a leveller. Also, the ERC is legal under R&A as they thing more people will end up in the trees. http://www.azcentral.com/sports/golf/0209callaway.html
– Felicity Lodge
Response:
It’s all relative my friend.. It will allow all with timing to gain similar percent increases. However, for us.. it may help those who are not yet long w/ their drives. I have Callaway’s Steelhead Plus 10