It Was Fun While We Had Him: DJ Pivots On Distance Regulation
Long ago--December 2017 actually--Dustin Johnson had joined the bifurcate camp when discussing the matter with Golf Channel's Todd Lewis. The comments came as Tiger was more outspoken than ever on the harm distance jumps have had on the footprint of golf.
Well the world's No. 1's views pivoted this week in Abu Dhabi at the HSBC Championship and just days after nearly making a 433-yard (give or take) hole-in-one. Will Gray looks at DJ's shift for GolfChannel.com:
"It's not like we are dominating golf courses," Johnson said. "When was the last time you saw someone make the game too easy? I don't really understand what all the debate is about because it doesn't matter how far it goes; it is about getting it in the hole.
He did offer some hope that he understands a well-handled rollback would still allow him to shine:
"If the ball is limited then it is going to limit everyone," he said. "I'm still going to hit it that much further than I guess the average Tour player."
Perhaps the viewpoint shift came after he read Claude Harmon's Golf Digest My Shot, where DJ's instructor vented about distance rollback talk.
I'VE WATCHED DUSTIN JOHNSON spend three hours a day in the gym, seven days a week. When he's out on tour, there are no days off. I've watched him pay the price. To want to roll back equipment and put him and guys like him in a box, so they're confined to old benchmarks, drives me nuts. Is there another sport as determined to go backward as golf? Dustin is almost a physical freak to begin with, 6-4 and unbelievably strong and coordinated. When he hits a 9-iron 185, the TV commentators usually react with a laugh and an incredulous tone, as if it's the equipment more than the unbelievable clubhead speed and technical precision. It's just wrong.
Thursday, January 18, 2018 at 10:12 AM
Reader Comments (33)
It is also "wrong" for people to say the PGA TOUR should be playing golden age golf courses when they were never designed for PGA TOUR players to begin with because the PGA Tour did not exist. Many PGA TOUR courses have been influenced by the tour for conditions, event space, etc. ALL necessary to showcase the game and run the business.
The current PGA TOUR and game they play is certainly an evolution of golf. Let's call it Modern golf and I concede that its vastly different than traditional golf. But the hickory game is still played by fantastic players across the world. World Hickory Open etc. So if someone doesn't like playing "Modern golf" or you don't like watching the PGA TOUR players, then one can absolutely go play hickory golf and appreciate that game as well.
The PGA TOUR, players, sponsors, are in it for business though and they choose to play the modern game. What's the difference?
Dustin Johnson is a 6'4'' absolute freak athlete yet he should be hitting the same irons into holes as Jack Nicklaus did? Really?
I think DJ’s got stuck on the question … and didn’t want to appear to go against Tiger in the interview.
@BernieinTampa
In Jack Nicklaus' day, he had the same club head speed as Dustin Johnson does today. So the freak athlete thing doesn't jive.
DJ already drives it incredibly. But they've somehow allowed Taylor Made to be selling a driver that drastically improves shot dispersion on off centre hits. Surely the powers that be need to nip this twist face stuff in the bud before it gets out of hand too.
DJ can just go about swinging even harder without worrying about a big miss. I get power is a skill. But the game at the highest level is out of balance.
But given they didn't act on COR and driver head size until the horse had well and truly bolted.....
If they roll back the ball and driver, Dustin’s athleticism and workouts are still gong to give him a huge advantage. Maybe even more so.
I thought you were smarter than that.
The ever improved athlete is just the nature of sport... but it's the technology we're putting in their hands that has really changed it to something unrecognizable from the past. DJ nails part of it, he's still gonna be way longer than average. I'd just like to see a dogleg par-4 actually play like a dogleg again for everyone... DJ included. Don't know why that's such a bad thing.
JD just like Tiger changed the game. So now we are bitching because of length.
Well people; they are professional and train such. So if the bar has been raised now because of this, so be it .
If the New wanna be professional can't make the cut . Tough!
For the Amateur it doesn't matter. For the big boys build the longer courses and stop the new technology where we are now.
I think the USGA and R&A should go through their rules and regulation with a fine tooth comb and get rid of the Bullshit.
(I.e. Moving a boulder so Tiger can make a shot ) stupid!
To the professional that cry because they need relief from mud, tall grass ,The forest. Hey pal, don't hit it there.
Your the talented one and take all things on the course into account.
"I don't really understand what all the debate is about because it doesn't matter how far it goes; it is about getting it in the hole."
OK. By extension, I propose that because fishing is about getting the fish into the boat or on shore, how you do so doesn't matter. Use dynamite and a dip net. Quicker, easier, and it will get the fish into the ice chest or creel pronto. Same for hunting. The objective for most hunters of 4-legged creatures in my experience is to kill the prey and maybe mount a trophy in a man cave. Since the trophy is generally the head, use an AR-15 modified for full automatic (I hear this can be done). If you are really good, you can miss the head and just about dispense with the knife in retrieving the trophy. Birds, I'm not exactly sure. But here is an idea. Since sport has nothing to do with it, put out your ugly, disposable decoys and when the ducks alight, blast away with the same automatic. The meat will be ready for bird tacos and won't need much cleaning since the .223 projectiles won't hang up in the animal like bird shot. Think about it! A whole covey of quail in one burst! Dick Cheney would be ecstatic, but he would have a hard time finding companions for his canned expeditions. For our illegal Canadian immigrants, I know where you can walk up to three dozen and harvest them with half a clip, On dry land. Waders and a john boat unneeded.
Roll it back.
Evidence anyone?
Didn't realise Cobra had already gone down that path. Chico had some interesting feedback a while back from a TM session at his club. The shot dispersion improvements on the off centre hits that he quoted were very significant. Sounded like a serious leap from gear effect.
Why wouldn't we act now on it before they perfect it further? As has been proven, a rollback of any technology is beyond the governing bodies. So they need to be proactive.
In thinking about the Golden Age courses and modern golf, I am struck by the fact that the Golden Age courses are in the best sites in so many areas. Where is there a better site for golf in Los Angeles than Riviera? I can't imagine a better place for golf than Pebble Beach, or Cypress Point for that matter.
Here in Buffalo, the Country Club of Buffalo is built around an old quarry - like Merion - perfect for golf holes. The newer courses in this area tend to be flat and boring.
Come to think of it, the Tour Pros really enjoy playing the Golden Age courses; the modern ones, less so.
Since we have an inventory of great older golf courses that cannot be duplicated by longer ones for the modern game, it might be a whole lot smarter to fit the modern game to the old courses. Much more practical to do that than to try to make a bunch of new modern courses on sites that are second rate.
https://www.golfdigest.com/story/how-would-modern-tour-pros-do-hitting-ben-hogans-old-clubs-we-had-them-try-and-it-wasnt-pretty
There is nothing wrong with Long, just not so disproportionally long as to eliminate all time-tested venues. The skill that Jack killed everyone on was the high long iron. I'd love to see that shot return to the game. As it is, a 6-iron is considered a long iron.
If everyone is rolled back 10% (or whatever), DJ and the big hitting brigade will still be much longer than others...why is that so hard to understand?
At least he knows where his bread is buttered.
Be careful what you wish for.
The long drives dilutes the game, aided by the designer, club and R&A/USGA. Hazards make the game through the hand and mind of good designers.
None the less I have to agree with Hardy. He'll still have an advantage and be able to show his athleticism. Instead of 320-340 he'll be 300 to 320 off the tee. Not like he goes back and no one else does.
If we are actually protecting the fields of, and the game itself, than roll it all back....
And I have read enough, that there are plenty of proponents that believe the ball or equipment are the entire gain,
Dismissing the athletic improvements of this generation of players
We should never underestimate or ' Dismissing the athletic improvements of this generation of players'.
Golf in its true form does not in any way do this, because it is a game that is meant to challenge and test players by their ability to circumnavigate the course and not fly over it.
This belief that a good golfer is a guy that can hit a long ball is in fact pure ballocks – it’s their ability to proceed on to the pin by avoiding the pitfalls on a golf course. Because designers and clubs want easy courses to make their players look good and achieve low scores, does not make for good design. In fact it would appear that many have forgotten the real principal behind the game of golf and now worship at the distance alter which is just like worshiping false idols.
Design and the correct selection of land is what makes a golf course, as it allows all levels of golfers to play upon the same course using the same equipment while achieving different aims.
We need to allow architects and designers to re-connect with golf and golf course design.