The Uh, "Greatest Shot Ever Hit" Is Another Reminder Of The Looming War Over Silly Distances
Proclaimed the greatest shot ever hit(!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?) and subsequently defended with various rationales from the statement author, Brandel Chamblee, the fun social threads were in response to his highlighting of Dustin Johnson's spectacular 12th hole drive. But the 433-yarder awoke GolfChannel.com's Randall Mell to take a different view.
While it was a special shot that hit just the right speed slot, it might not have even been the greatest shot Johnson hit in winning at Kapalua, much less compare to anything hit in a major championship last year. It was, however, 433 yards mostly great fun to watch because of the way DJ's ball interacted with the ground (not the actual carry distance).
Nonetheless, as any rational human knows, trying to design a fun challenge for a game played at these distances is expensive and leads to longer rounds. Prompting this rant from Mell.
It was another irritating example of how much the game has been corrupted by high-tech witchery, of how scientifically hot-wired drivers and balls are making the game way too easy.
So was Johnson hitting 15 drives of 375 yards or more on the week.
Yes, the Plantation Course at Kapalua isn’t your ordinary venue, with all those hills and high winds boosting big hits, but today’s players are dramatically shrinking the dimensions of venues everywhere.
Johnson’s savage lash at the 12th couldn’t have been better timed, coming in the year’s opening event, because it sets up what finally may be the year golf’s governing bodies force a showdown with golf ball manufacturers.
FYI, the May 2002 Joint Statement of Principles is coming up on its 16th anniversary!
The question today is whether Dustin Johnson’s monster drive was good for the game or bad for the game, whether it was something to celebrate or something to disparage.
The war on the ball starts with the nature of that question.
It's both something to celebrate that a player of his ability can put all of the tools at his disposal together to hit such a drive. It's the inability to make the case that he can display his skill at 10-20% less distance, and maybe even reap more of a skill advantage, that is something to disparage.
Tuesday, January 9, 2018 at 08:12 PM
Reader Comments (29)
I can see a ball being reduced by 10% for professionals. But I can't see the average weekend warrior embracing a limited ball. It wouldn't exactly "grow the game."
Why do you need all the distance you can get? If course length is an issue, play off the forward tees.
The R&A took their eye off the ball way back when the Haskell was introduced and alas they have never been able to resolve the ball issue over these 121 years. Yes, they have tried but in all things they have failed to protect the game of golf throughout this period, leaving us or many in the belief that Golf is about the aerial shot and that hazards are just an unwanted expense. This inability of the R&A to define the game of golf, not to mention the equipment of the game, has allowed the game to fracture and lose much which was golf when it went worldwide. Worse still, it has a direct affect upon modern designs, in that courses have become more player friendly with its smooth fairways, short roughs, shallow bunkers many with compacted linings offering more a continuation of the fairways than a conventional bunker.
The result today is that distance has become an issue, with no mention of design or how it could combat the aerial game, because that single long drive defines the player but not the game of golf, to the point that it has debased the very values that golfers put upon their game and the courses they play – what a legacy the R&A have given to the game of golf – its one of failure, the only success is The Open but that was of Prestwick origin. Perhaps that too proves the R&A are as shallow as some of today’s shallow bunkers, which leave one to wonder if roll-back should also encompass the R&A authority.
We must remember that it’s the Game of Golf that is the subject matter and not driving ranges. Perhaps these important issues could then be addressed – my feeling, nothing will happen until we reform the R&A and they are forced to be accountable for their actions.
https://www.golfdigest.com/story/decide-for-yourself-if-this-is
Would love to see a list of the Top Ten drives in golf history, ParaLong Drive World Champion Jared Brentz should be high on the list. Another candidate for the Top Ten is the 401 yard drive by Brendon Jacks, the first ParaLong Drive hitter to eclipse 400 yards.
We all want the technology to hit the ball farther? Well, we have met the enemy, and the enemy is us.
Something I do recommend, however, after reading Phil Blackmar: Take your Cleveland Classic driver and ancient blades out of the closet and buy a dozen of the new DT TrueSoft ($20 at Dick's). Then move up a set of tees from wherever you currently play. Golf as it was meant to be. And more fun. But hard to compete with those who think 300 off the tee with that swing at that age is normal.
As Claude Harmon says, despite his bias, the equipment gets more credit than the player.
it's time for someone/some group to TAKE SOME ACTION about this....like Augusta mandating a shorter ball for the Masters, instead of waiting around more for the damned USGA to do something about it
MatthewM- uh, no he’s not
BTW, the Aoki shot above (to win) ranks higher than DJ's shot while he had a 5 shot lead. I bet DJ would say his tee shot on 18 at Oakmont was better. But, Brandel needed clicks and Twitter attention
Golf would grow if people learned how to play it better/properly ... distance doesn't really factor into that too much (and you can get more distance from learning how to contact the ball better). Best player I ever saw in person was pretty short overall (approx 240-250 off the tee), but he shot a 64 that day. He was 66yrs old at the time, lol.
That being said - separate balls (and clubs) for the pros would allow you to play whatever ball you felt gave you the bonus you need. There would be no need for you to play the same ball as a Tour pro.
If "growing the game" just means making it easier/dumbing it down ... why are we restricting ANYTHING (clubs, distance aids, etc). I should be able to have my juiced balls, juiced clubs ... and let my homegrown robot swing for me too!
I guess I just find it interesting that the guys selling soap (equipment) are driving the converation about the game itself. "grow the game"??? how about we (as golfers) just endeavor to "keep it around"?? I don't need to grow it .... I have no vested interest in "growing it".
Why don't we "grow Baseball" by everybody using aluminum bats and juiced balls??
The other topic with the stats from 2006 show all three members of one group driving it over 400 yards, and one of the players is a "Short" hitter. ;-)
Keep growin' the game baby. :)
a) too long
b) too short
c) offline left
d) offline right
e) a complete mis-hit
It was an utterly low-risk shot, wasn't it? Especially with a 5-stroke lead in a yawner of a tournament.
I grow the game every day. I teach, I publish my own site with conversations and discussions, I coach junior camps, my daughter and I help with the USGA/PGA/LPGA/Girls Golf… etc. The list goes on. I've devoted my life to the game.
But I'm sure you thought your comment was clever at the time.