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Adam Scott has an idea to avoid rolling back the golf ball but make the game harder for the PGA Tour players.
Adam Scott appeared on the Smylie Kaufmann podcast Thursday and the Australian golfer had quite a lot to say about the ball rollback situation. Scott pointed out that it may not be the ball that is part of the problem.
“The ball is the ball,” Scott said.
He isn’t the longest hitter on the PGA Tour like Rory McIlroy, but acknowledges the drastic change off the tee.
“The biggest fundamental change in the game since I’ve been a pro is traditionally the driver has been the hardest club to hit in the bag, and now it’s the most forgiving,” Scott said. “That’s the biggest evolutionary change in the golf bag to me, out of the equipment.”
Adam Scott on the rollback:
“The biggest fundamental change in the game since I’ve been a pro, is traditionally the driver has been the hardest club to hit in the bag, and now it’s the most forgiving. And, that’s the biggest evolutionary change in the golf bag to me, out of the…
— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) July 13, 2023
Driver technology has changed so much in the last 20 years, so maybe Scott is onto something. The driver went from being stress-inducing to something guys rely on when they’re nervous or unsure because the giant club face allows for errors.
“The penalty for missing a driver just isn’t high enough anymore, in my opinion, at the top level,” Scott said. “I’d want to address that first and see what knock-on effects that has. If guys wanna swing at it 130 [MPH] with a tiny driver head, then good luck.”
Scott has this idea about making the driver harder to hit again. That change could avoid rolling back the balls. No one will hit it as far as they do if their swing speed decreases.
Golf pundits and analysts have constantly pointed out technology has surpassed the courses themselves. This idea could limit that and make things more challenging. Of course, it would also benefit guys like Scott who aren’t as long off the tee, and hinder guys like McIlroy.