John Spitzer, managing director of equipment standards for the USGA, points to the fact that participation was flat from 2000 to 2008 -- a period in which golf enjoyed one of its most significant bursts in equipment technology. 'Multilayer balls and adjustability were a big benefit to golfers, but we didn't see a boost in participation,' says Spitzer, who also said the USGA has regular communications with the major manufacturers but none has indicated an imminent launch of illegal equipment. 'To think nonconforming clubs would somehow increase participation, I don't see that. It's not 1,000cc drivers or a ball that goes 30 yards farther that's going to grow the game.' Or perhaps even help at all. Sometimes weakening the challenge can make a game or sport less appealing.

List of Illegal Golf Club Drivers. Callaway caters to recreational golfers with a variety of non-conforming drivers from its Big. The Best Golf Drivers for.

Then again, roughly one-quarter of the respondents said they were all in. Bring on the wacky, the weird and the wonderful. If it works, they'll buy it. Toulon says TaylorMade's internal research shows that number to be even higher. 'Some of the stigma is gone,' he says, 'but there will still be a whole bunch of people who think it's the worst thing you've ever talked about.' And therein lies the rub.

To a bogey golfer it's less than 10% improvement upon score. Not sure if I would worry about someone else using non-conforming equipment even if playing for modest money? I can definitely see that a match between two scratch players that non-conforming equipment making a huge difference, but don't know if a scratch or near scratch would really benefit by 20 yards? Still, I'd take a 5-10% improvement in my score in a heartbeat if all I had to do was switch the clubs I was using as a bogey golfer (ignoring the fact that I personally don't want to play non-conforming clubs). As a near-scratch golfer I can tell you that I would love to have an extra 20 yard right now, if it was as easy as changing my clubs (again ignoring the whole part of it being illegal). That 20 yards means that instead of a 5 iron into a green I'd have a 7 iron, or that I could reach par 5's that are 40 yards longer than my current limit (which, for me, would put almost all par 5's into 'reachable' territory, depending on course layout, hazards, etc.). Par 3's are the only place where I wouldn't really see as much of a benefit, just because I am still the same distance from the hole to start with.

For all we know 'long drivers' could have CORs that are way higher than we normal players get with the same driver. There are no figures available showing the COR for professional golfers who swing at over 115mph. Players who drive the ball over 300 yards don't need CORs over.83.

But to do so outside the rules is a stumbling block, despite industry leaders such as PGA of America president Ted Bishop being OK with the idea. Then again, nonconforming equipment from smaller companies already exists and is rarely used. A question recently posted on Golf Digest's Facebook page brought the issue to the fore. We asked: 'If a major manufacturer offered a nonconforming driver that promised an extra 15-20 yards, would you put it in your bag?'

If you watch how average golfers actually play, I don’t even know what those traditions mean anymore.” Although he seems that way, Kim isn’t necessarily a voice crying in the wilderness. We aren’t even a year removed from the leading trade group in the second-largest golf market in the world endorsing at least the existence if not manufacture of nonconforming equipment.

There are no figures available showing the COR for professional golfers who swing at over 115mph. Players who drive the ball over 300 yards don't need CORs over.83.

Most manufacturers decided to move away from nonconforming or high-COR drivers in the early 2000s, after the USGA and the R&A agreed to adopt the same standard. But within the last five years, the interest from manufacturers in the East in hotter drivers has increased. A section of the tourspecgolf.com website, which deals in clubs issued originally only for the Asian market, is devoted exclusively to high-COR drivers from Japan.

Charles Barkley, Atlanta, Georgia OK, I can already hit a golf ball a long way but this added 30+ yards for me. The process works great and the staff is very professional. Thanks WHD!” Jose Canseco, Henderson, Nevada Absolute game changer!!! It was hilarious! Got my shaved driver and played the next day with my regular group. We've been playing the same course for years twice a week. After I hit my third drive the other guys were going nuts!

They were simply advertised as non conforming golf drivers for non-sanctioned events and the difference was that the clubface was much thinner than a conforming driver. The USGA pressured the club makers to stop producing these clubs a few years ago but with our service we can make any driver perform like those non conforming golf drivers used to. Our service allows you to swing the top name brand clubs enhanced to a much higher performance level. We work on drivers our customers send in to us and also sell preshaved drivers. Reviews / testimonials Everybody should have their driver shaved! If you have ever seen me play you would know that I am never going to be a pro golfer but dang this makes the game more fun.

I would estimate that with another 20 yards of distance on my drives (and proportionately more on every other club in my bag) that I would probably gain between 1-3 strokes a round. Doesn't sound like much, but when you compare that to how difficult it would be to shave those strokes off my current scores without the extra 20 yards it means a LOT. Back when they instituted COR Callaway came out with a non conforming driver(high COR). At the time the R&A allowed them and some of the pros said they could get up to 20 extra yards. Yet it was not a consistent 20 yards you had to have everything perfect to get that much yardage. Thus since then I have seen posts that said the average golfer is not going to get that much because of a slower swing speed and they might get as much as 10 extra yards.

When I first started I had a dreadful slice and some old guy I was playing a round with showed me the lube on the driver face trick (he used Carmex). It immediately got rid of my slice.

'So do we have the ability to get there? But we're not looking at it. As far as the industry, I don't think we're too far away. Someone is going to give it a try.' Toulon won't rule out that it will be his company. 'I wouldn't say we would tomorrow, but if that's what it takes to get people off the couch and onto the golf course, why wouldn't you?' 'We need people to relax and have fun in all aspects of golf.

The failure of the ERC II also taught some lessons worth remembering. Club pros were forced into the role of equipment police at their facilities in terms of checking equipment used in tournaments and for posting scores. We also learned those steadfast in their position that golf should be played by the rules can have a powerful voice, as Arnold Palmer found out.

As to the op, I would imagine you could probably get a ball and club combo to give you an extra 20 yards or so, which would be fairly significant for at least 1 stroke per round. As to the op, I would imagine you could probably get a ball and club combo to give you an extra 20 yards or so, which would be fairly significant for at least 1 stroke per round. To a bogey golfer it's less than 10% improvement upon score. Not sure if I would worry about someone else using non-conforming equipment even if playing for modest money? I can definitely see that a match between two scratch players that non-conforming equipment making a huge difference, but don't know if a scratch or near scratch would really benefit by 20 yards?

Within 24 hours there were 834 responses. Many said using nonconforming clubs would be cheating. Then again, roughly one-quarter of the respondents said they were all in.

A question recently posted on Golf Digest's Facebook page brought the issue to the fore. We asked: 'If a major manufacturer offered a nonconforming driver that promised an extra 15-20 yards, would you put it in your bag?' Within 24 hours there were 834 responses. Many said using nonconforming clubs would be cheating.

We work on drivers our customers send in to us and also sell preshaved drivers. Reviews / testimonials Everybody should have their driver shaved! If you have ever seen me play you would know that I am never going to be a pro golfer but dang this makes the game more fun. These guys are the real deal.!'

Even so, what is clear from a Golf Digest study in 2015 that the average golfer already is leaving 23 yards on the table simply because he hasn’t had his swing and specs dialed in on a conforming driver. Still, there is recent historical evidence that nonconforming products aren’t entirely the scandal that traditionalists make them out to be.

After that statement, the JGGA responded to questions from GolfDigest.com in part this way: “JGGA recognizes that there is a clear desire or preference among amateur golfers in general for more distance from a driver shot or more back spin from an iron shot that makes a ball stopping or coming back on a green as professional players do. JGGA believes that it will contribute in the healthy growth and revitalization of the Japanese golf market to create an environment in which each golfer may choose and use golf equipment that matches his or her unique goals and needs.” The JGGA stressed subsequently that it did not wish to recommend amateurs use nonconforming equipment.

What do you think? All the techies out there should come up with some back of napkin calculations. No one is checking for absolute accuracy.. .83 COR is only measured at a swing speed of 90 MPH. Who knows what COR Bubba, Dustin, and Jason have available at their swing speeds of over 115 mph.

Proponents will argue the game is at a crossroads -- participation is down, interest is waning and if we can just make the game a little easier for everyday players, it will raise all boats. On the other side are those who feel the game is fine as is, and anyone condoning or promoting rogue equipment must have red horns, a pitchfork and golf balls with the number 666 on them. So how close are we to a major company bringing a nonconforming club aimed at the masses to market? It's a touchy topic.

It seems like 0.83 is already pretty good, and that you might be able to get another 10% distance? Thinks like 'Slice Away' also take away backspin. Seems like you could condition a driver club head in a manner that gives you almost he same results, and the pros would have already done so if it really helped a lot? Also, some of the things people do to improve distances with the drivers actually make them weaker, so if you put a much higher swing to the club it could break more readily.

Or perhaps even help at all. Sometimes weakening the challenge can make a game or sport less appealing. Bowling, for example, saw a drop in participation when the number of 300 games rose precipitously thanks to synthetic lanes. And anyone who has ever played the Super Mario Bros. Video game with the dogged determination to beat it knows you will play it endlessly to do so, but once you've conquered Bowser's Castle you play it less frequently and, pretty soon, not at all.

Bowling, for example, saw a drop in participation when the number of 300 games rose precipitously thanks to synthetic lanes. And anyone who has ever played the Super Mario Bros. Video game with the dogged determination to beat it knows you will play it endlessly to do so, but once you've conquered Bowser's Castle you play it less frequently and, pretty soon, not at all. Golf, however, isn't really a game that can be mastered. And because of that, there does seem to be an appeal to making it easier. But to do so outside the rules is a stumbling block, despite industry leaders such as PGA of America president Ted Bishop being OK with the idea. Then again, nonconforming equipment from smaller companies already exists and is rarely used.

In fact, in the case of Nike’s Sumo2 SQ, golf shops routinely continued to sell the club because customers had come in asking for the “hot” Nike driver. Nike officials admitted that a return program for the nonconforming driver generated little response from those who had originally, unintentionally purchased the nonconforming version.

For all we know 'long drivers' could have CORs that are way higher than we normal players get with the same driver. There are no figures available showing the COR for professional golfers who swing at over 115mph. Players who drive the ball over 300 yards don't need CORs over.83. Test drivers at all swing speeds. U-control behringer uca200 driver. 80, 90, 100, 110, to 150. .83 COR is only measured at a swing speed of 90 MPH. Who knows what COR Bubba, Dustin, and Jason have available at their swing speeds of over 115 mph.