USGA, R&A announce golf ball rollback for everyone, not just elite golfers

Voice over: Michael Robles
Writer: David Dusek
Video editor: Lance Keller
USGA, R&A
announce golf ball
rollback for
everyone, not just
elite golfers
In an announcement nearly four years in the making,
the United States Golf Association and the R&A,
golf’s governing bodies, announced Wednesday that
they are changing how golf balls will be tested for
conformity to reduce the effects of distance in the
sport.
Starting in 2028, for a golf ball to be deemed
conforming and be legal for play, it will be tested
using a robot that swings a titanium club at 125 mph
and hits the ball on an 11-degree launch angle with
2,200 rpm of spin. The shot can not exceed the
Overall Distance Standard (ODS) of 317 yards of
combined carry distance and roll (with a 3-yard
tolerance).
Currently, balls are at 120 mph with a launch angle
of 10 degrees and 2,520 rpm of backspin, so the
change increases the robot’s clubhead by 5 mph,
increases the launch angle by 1 degree and
decreases the spin rate by about 300 rpm.
Current test
conditions
New test
conditions
Change
120 mph
clubhead speed
125 mph
clubhead speed
5 mph clubhead
speed
10-degree
11-degree
1-degree launch
launch angle
launch angle
angle
2,520 rpm of
spin
2,200 rpm of
spin
320 rpm of spin
Nearly every golf ball being sold today – including
the Titleist Pro V1, Callaway Chrome Soft,
TaylorMade TP5, Bridgestone Tour B and Srixon Z-
Star – would go too far and fail the new test because
manufacturers design their balls to go right to the
current distance limits. Increasing the test speed by
5 mph and hitting shots at low spin rates and higher
launch angles would make all of today’s balls go too
far and become non-conforming.
Balls that had previously been legal but failed the
new test will be removed from the Conforming Ball
list, making them illegal for official play starting Jan.
1, 2028.
According to Thomas Pagel, the USGA’s chief
governance officer, using golf balls that pass the
new test will result in a loss of distance, with the
fastest-swinging players being affected the most and
recreational golfers being affected the least.
“The longest players, which means those generating
ball speeds of 183 mph or higher, are going to lose
13 to 15 yards [with their driver],” Pagel said. “The
average PGA Tour player and elite male, like a
college player, would lose closer to 9 or 11 yards.
LPGA players, given their clubhead speed, we’re
looking at 5 to 7 yards. And recreational golfers,
we’re talking about 5 yards or less.”
Only 10 players ended last season’s PGA Tour with
a measured ball speed average of over 183 mph.
ShotLink reports the PGA Tour’s average ball speed
for the season was 172.85 mph.
According to John Spitzer, the USGA’s director of
equipment standards, the average male club player
who swings his driver at 90 mph will lose 4 to 5
yards off the tee but will likely not lose any yardage
when hitting hybrids, irons or wedges.
“The typical male amateur and female amateur in
the recreational game hit the ball with a lot more
spin than is optimal off the driver,” Spitzer said.
Balls that are submitted for testing by October 2027
will be tested under the current standard, while any
balls submitted for testing after that will be tested at
the new standard and added (assuming they pass
the test) to the Conforming Ball list on Jan. 1, 2028.
Why did we decide to change the golf ball
testing conditions?
Because, as
@USGAMike
explains, we would
be failing in our responsibility to protect the
game’s future if we didn’t take appropriate
action.
“Golfers in the recreational game don’t have to worry
about this until 2030,” Pagel said. “We will leave the
last list for 2027 published and recreational golfers
can continue to use those balls. So, if they have any
balls left in their golf bag or at home and they want
to use those balls and post their scores, they will be
playing under the Rules of Golf and there won’t be
any issues there.”
The USGA and R&A plan to work out the details that
will allow recreational golfers to play pre-2028 balls
but have professionals and elite amateurs use
reduced-distance balls at a later date, likely with
Clarification.
Nine months ago, the USGA and the R&A thought
they had a solution to the distance problem and
proposed a
new Model Local Rule
. It would
allow tournament organizers and tours to require
players to use golf balls tested under conditions very
similar to those announced now. The goal was to
enable tournaments for elite golfers to mandate the
use of distance-reducing golf balls while not
changing equipment rules that govern recreational
players.
ok at several golf balls that have been cut in half to show their insides.
(Photo: David Dusek/Golfweek)