We had Mike Yagley, the vice president of product management for golf balls at Callaway, on the air two years ago when this groove discussion got started. He told us then that they already had the capabilities to give the players the spin they wanted along with the distance.

These physics and aerodynamics guys are amazing. Yagley was an aerospace engineer before moving to Callaway.

Except the equipment companies are dumping a lot of money into development that lets them do more in the little box the USGA keeps them in. Unfortunately, they miss the point that the USGA doesn’t want more distance and spin. I’m impressed that they’re constantly finding new ways to get around it, but with one wave of its magic wand, spiral dimples could be gone too.

The companies need to look at why the USGA does what it does. It basically comes down to courses becoming obsolete for high-level play. They’re protecting distance, just like they protect par at the U.S. Open. These manufacturers are swimming against the current.

If they really want to innovate, then straight is what people need. That’s something much harder for the USGA to touch. But with limits on ball speed, distance, grooves, COR, and so on, it’s going to be a constant battle to stay ahead of the regulations.

If they don’t want to live in the shrinking box, then maybe they need to start developing two kinds of equipment: stuff for use in competition, and stuff that lets Joe Schmoe hit the ball 300 yards with his buddies, ignoring what the USGA says.

Ok – here’s my ridiculous idea for the day. How about these companies advertising that they are going to start making ball that limit distance so that golf courses don’t have to keep expanding – taking up valuable land and natural resources ? :-D

of equipment rules. I wrote a piece about it for Sports Central. I think it makes sense and then would allow the USGA to create regulations for expert level players that really do restrict the golf ball and still allow average Joes to have some fun out there with some looser regulations.

What the USGA did with grooves is essentially two things: (1) set the precedent with club companies for sweeping regulation without lawsuit (because they could just invent their way around the rule) and (2) gave manufacturers a quid pro quo reward for not suing – the mentioned boon of making everyone buy new equipment.

You want to read the piece in Spanish as written by Fuera de Limites, here’s the link.