shorter sticks, but more controversial

Four years ago, Tiger Woods (no less), one of the celebrities of golf of all time and who was not exactly a “short” puncher, issued a warning: “We will have to review certain rules, because the courses are becoming obsolete due to the advancement of technology and the power of the players ”. Two decades had passed since his brilliant appearance, when he used to have an average range of 270 meters with his driver (the starting pole, with which the greatest distances are reached). Number that was becoming dwarfed in comparison with these times, in which his compatriot Bryson DeChambeau it exceeds an average of 320 meters, with shots that reach 350/360 meters, at a speed close to 200 miles (321 km / h). On the circuit these days, Tiger would be out of the top 100 in distances … Tiger Woods!

At the beginning of the year, with the progressive reestablishment of post-pandemic activities, the two entities that govern the rules of golf, the Royal and Ancient (R&A) of Saint Andrews (Scotland) and the United States Golf Association (USGA), they were in favor of introducing changes in the short term in order to “avoid risks for our sport. We must make sure that golf can stay alive for 100 years and longer as well ”, was the argument, without minimizing the state of alarm in which they are. What would those drastic measures be? One of them, reduce the length of the sticks. With the slogan “We must stop the DeChambeau.”

Technological advancement with the materials of golf clubs and balls has wreaked havoc. The same thing happened at the time with tennis and rackets. Speed ​​and power were increased incredibly. If one watches tennis videos from the 70s, one will notice the enormous differences that exist between “that tennis” and “this tennis”, beyond the fact that players with similar characteristics can be glimpsed.

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Tennis was at the center of the debate for a long time. And not only when the players began to have another physical size, to be much taller on average: it happened earlier when the American John McEnroe, with his “American Twist” serve, he mercilessly subdued opponents on fast courts, especially on the grass at Wimbledon. What was said in those 80s? “Let’s stop McEnroe.” What was the proposal? One, to cancel one of the serves, that there was only one so that he would risk less. Other? Shrink the serve square to make it difficult to hit and offer a less powerful serve. One more? Upload the network.

As can be seen, all the “magic rules” were aimed at destroying a player (and those to come) who had dared to have a fantastically unrecoverable and ungovernable serve. Tennis ran its course and changed a few things: slower grass at All England, faster brick dust on European courts to attract players who were slipping on slow surfaces. But it continues to play with two serves, the same service box (6.40 long) and the net at 1.07 high (0.914 in the center). And McEnroe was far from denaturing the sport of rackets. The same thing that happened before with Roscoe Tanner and later with Goran Ivanisevic, Mark Philippoussis, John Isner, Sam Querrey, Alexander Zverev, Roger Federer, (and the signatures follow).

Golf does not want risks and has already announced the possibility of making its “big change” as of January 1, 2022. Since he became the elite of golf, the bomber DeChambeau has become the center of marketing. First it was because he hit long like few others. Then on his hypercaloric diet to transform himself into the player / patovica who gained 20 kilos to gain distance. Later because he was slow to play, which generated the dispute of egos with his compatriot Brooks Koepka that keeps the whole environment expectant and mobilizes the fans. And now, the decision of the golf regulators who want to “shield” their tournaments from a danger called “Bryson”. How? Limiting the length of the driver to 46 inches, that is, 1m17m. This is after the Californian has experimented with the so-called “Cannon” this season, a 48-inch-long (1.22m) driver.

The R&A and the USGA consider that the length of the clubs is directly related to the great problems that golf has today with the distances. They confirmed that a specially created local rule “will be available from January 1, 2022 to provide those who run elite amateur or professional golf competitions” the option of limiting the maximum length of a golf club to 46 inches. In this measure, putters (clubs that are used on the green when trying to hole out) are excluded.

Caution: get DeChambeau!

What will the entities do? Everything indicates that they will be governed by the new measure for their Majors tournaments, the British Open and the US Open, next year. In the case of the Augusta Masters and the PGA Championship, the two other major competitions, it will be necessary to see what decision they make.

DeChambeau’s reaction was surprising: “It’s kind of flattering in a way that they’ve thought to that extent. For a long time I talked about that 48 inch driver and it did not work as I wanted. It’s really cool to see that there is some change in the conversations I’ve had. “. Says the man capable of making impossible shots; to play above the trees when no one is encouraged to do so, or to shoot over the water, crossing diagonally, when most opt ​​for the safe: playing in two strokes in straight lines.

Another who was testing a longer driver was the famous Phil Mickelson, about 47.5 inches. His gaze was more critical: “This is pathetic,” he wrote on Twitter. “1st promotes a shorter, more violent (injury prone) swing, doesn’t allow arc length to create speed, and during our 1st golf boom in 40 years, our amateur gov body keeps trying to make it less fun.”

A year ago, the Spanish Jon Rahm He talked about DeChambeau and the rule change. He used the Valderrama field in Spain as an example. “For all the people who say that you need to change the ball for distance… I would take Bryson DeChambeau to Valderrama and you will see how all that power is neutralized, all that power goes to hell and he cannot use it. Take it to Le Golf Nacional in France. There is no room to stick drives like he is doing. There is a way to combat the distance and it is not by making longer fields or changing the ball because that will only help the longest hitters. It is about making tighter and more technical golf courses, where instead of hitting the driver you have to use an iron from the tee and thus you will not be able to hit 350 yards. The way to neutralize this is with the design of the fields, ”said Rahm.

What will happen to the amateur golfer? Mike Whan, the executive director of the USGA, divided the waters: “We have worked closely with our industry partners to ensure that the future of golf remains strong. Admittedly, this is not the “answer” to the general distance debate / problem, but a simple option for competitive events.

“It is important to note that this is not a golf rule and, as such, it is not mandatory for the average recreational golfer. Rather, it is a tool available to those who run competitive events. “

Winner of 18 Majors, the mythical Jack Nicklaus once said: “Golf is not just about power. It is also precision, mentality, dexterity ”. Just in case, those who run the rules, who surely have enormous respect for the Golden Bear, do not want to take risks with their sport (and with the business).

Video | He throws his golf ball at over 140 km / h and is caught by lightning