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Golfing Focus

When Did You Last Get Your Driver Fitted?

Published 6 days ago • 2 min read

In this Issue

  • The rollback U-turn: the USGA/R&A just admitted their own maths doesn't add up.
  • +69 yards — what happened when three amateurs got properly fitted.
  • Is your old driver costing you? — A 2014 club meets a 2026 launch monitor.

Plus: free club fitting download, the R&A's data play and a handicap rule shakeup

Hi Reader,

⛳ The rollback just admitted it doesn't add up

Remember last issue, when we flagged the golf ball rollback moving toward a single 2030 date? File this one under "plot twist."

This week the USGA and R&A conceded their own distance standard “may not achieve desired results.” The 2030 date stays on the calendar. What actually happens then however is now anyone’s guess.

They’re off to explore “alternative solutions” with the pro tours.

But here’s the part the press releases skipped. MyGolfSpy ran the numbers the governing bodies apparently didn’t. The rollback was lopsided. A 130mph bomber barely feels it. The slower swinger gives up the biggest share of their distance.

So a rule built to rein in the longest hitters lands hardest on the golfers with the least to spare. That's backwards.

For us regular amateurs, nothing changes yet. But it's worth knowing the next "solution" could look nothing like this one.

🏌️‍♂️ Three amateurs, one fitting, +69 yards

Today’s Golfer put three everyday golfers through a proper fitting with Callaway’s Quantum driver.

The 16-handicapper gained 69 yards. The 12-handicapper? Five. The scratch player, twenty.

The big number is eye-watering. But here's the honest bit. Gains like that come from fixing a bad fit, not from magic in the clubhead.

It’s the exact question we dug into in our latest video: after eight years of “longer” drivers, how far should you really hit it? The data says it depends entirely on who’s swinging.

video preview​

From Us

Fitting's can be a game changer but only if they are good ones.

A while back I went through eight different individual golf club fittings across a variety of venues comparing costs, venues, outcomes etc.

If you're considering one download our FREE Golfing Focused Club Fitting Checklist to know what to check for to ensure you get the perfect fit

🏌️‍♂️ Is your decade-old driver actually costing you?

New Nine Golf took a 2014 Titleist driver to a modern GTS fitting to settle the question every garage club-hoarder asks. Is upgrading really worth it?​

The data was refreshingly honest. There were gains, but smaller than the marketing would have you believe.

Worth a watch before you drop $600. And it pairs neatly with our own driver-distance breakdown above.

🔗 Quick links

Should only competition scores count for your handicap? The WHS reform debate that could change your index. (National Club Golfer)

The R&A’s data-driven future for courses. A stats-led vision for how clubs set up and manage the ground you play. (GCMA)

And finally and most importantly we hope you are enjoying your golf!

Play well 👍

Graeme Hay

Founder, GolfingFocus.com

Golfing Focus Limited, 73 Maple Road, London, KT6 4AG
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