I just returned from a long vacation in Asia where they have many golf clubs that are non-conforming in the United States. I got to check out a golf store or two and the thought of picking up a non-conforming driver certainly crossed my mind once or twice. If it weren't for the ridiculous prices, I actually might have one now. For example, a Nike Ignite DFI driver I saw retailed for around $1,000 USD.
I've heard a driver that has a higher COR could easily add 10 - 15 yards to your drive. I know many people who play only for recreational purposes and I'm sure they wouldn't object to putting a non-conforming club into play. So what about you?
I doubt it. That 10-15 yards isn't all that much, for starters, and it would screw up the general setup of my bag. If i had another 15 yards (consistently) on my driver, I would then have a 35 yard gap between two clubs. Plus, it just seems pointless to me.
Never! I may not agree with all of the rules but I'll certainly abide by them. Besides, it isn't the rules concerning clubs that bothers me. Just some of the other, IMO, silly rules that make you dizzy trying to interpret them. And the rule book is supposed to be easy to read and understand. If that's so, why do even the pro's need rules officials on site during their tournaments, lol? Have a nice one, everybody.
Jerry
If and when I buy a new driver, I'm hoping to put the non-conforming version in. I would certainly do it. I don't play in any official events, and some of the fellows I play with have them.
I'm told you only get about 6-8 yards out of the non-conforming versions.
No - probably not. 10-15 yards isn't going to buy me much, except for being 10-15 yards deeper into trouble. I'm all for new technology within the rules, but enough is enough. Some guys are already belting the ball 300+ yards - I'm happy with 250-260 somewhere near the fairway.
I remember reading an article a couple of years ago about some device (It certainly couldn't be called a club) that fired the equivalent force of a .22 caliber bullet into the back of lofted piece of metal that fired out and hit the ball about 250 yards. It was shaped like a golf club and Bill Murray actually tried it out at a charity golf tournament. Fortunately the thing failed and didn't fire.
Anyway, I would never use a non-conforming club because distance just isn't a problem for me. I have nearly every other problem possible when it comes to golf, but not distance. Maybe when I get older I'll use some non-conforming clubs because I want to be able to enjoy the game as long as possible.
No, don't bother, 15 yards isn't that much & in reality yardage ain't everything in the game.
Even then those claims are only true for certain people & everyone has a different swing.
If you are an accurate player & can place your drives 75% - 100% of the time on the fairway or the green, then 15 yards might be useful in certain situations. But only if the clubs themselves are going to deliver consistently good results.
If you are going to be entering competitions, then its a definite no-no..!
I know in the UK its not illegal in the rules yet to have a none conforming COR, but even in the shops they are now marking them with little yellow labels saying they exceed the new tolerances. To me its a wast of money to spend £140 quid on a driver that a couple of months back, would have been twice that, I'd rather pay the same money on a conforming driver, that I know is still going to be legal in a few years time.
A mate of mine has one of these Northwest Pro 460 plus 10's that the golf channel bores the British public silly with ( Why do advertisers think a 20 minute commercial will sell things, all it does to me is doubt the claims made.) & to be honest my mate finds it less accurate than his old driver & doesn't go that far, certainly not anywhere near as far as my Hippo ITX2.
Which will be great when I eventually get the hang of using a driver myself, with any consistency.
Last edited by Cernunnos : June 6th, 2005 at 05:25 PM.
Isn't a non-conforming driver (ie, a .86 COR face) conforming in most parts of the world, besides the US? So it wouldn't really be something against the intregrity of the game, but against the USGA's definition of it?
The answer in the UK is that Currently it conforms, but in a matter of a couple of years, it wont, so therefore if we over here, bought those clubs, then when it is law that the 0.83 cor etc becomes the rule on all the national courses, then that club will be worthless.
And if I were to come to the US on holiday I would also be playing illigally (not that it would make the slightest difference to the way I play currently).
So really its best not to even consider buying & using club exeding the New COR value ruling.
If I found a club of good quality that did exceed it, that I was either given, or got for next to nothing, then I might use it till the rule came into force, but what's the point, as I'd mentally have to re-jig all my distance calculations. So best just to consider the rule as; in force now
Using non-conforming clubs is like becoming addicted to drugs. You become psychologically and physically dependent. Even "recreational" golf has its rewards. How much pleasure can you derive from outdriving the other guys in the group if you know that you're playing a non-conforming club that gives you an edge?
Pretty easy. Since I outdrive most of my mates by 35 yards, outdriving them by 50 (or 20 if they get non-conforming clubs) isn't going to change my emotional make up.
Fact is, its not non-confroming everywhere (I can't say illegal, since there is no public law on the books about golf clubs) and if that helps you enjoy the game more, go for it. Who cares what a few stiffs say on a web page.
June 6th, 2005, 11:38 AM
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