The distance debate in golf has been rumbling on for years, and now one of the most dominant players in the sport has had his say.
According to Jon Rahm, players getting bigger and stronger has been the most important factor when it comes to the steady increase in driving distance on the PGA Tour.
While speaking on the Fore Play Podcast, “Rahmbo” gave his thoughts on the debate in golf: have we gone too far with distance?
Jon Rahm’s take on the distance conversation. Do you agree? pic.twitter.com/OWTZ4i3TwN
— Fore Play (@ForePlayPod) February 4, 2023
“Technology is just a little bit better. I get it, but overall, we’re all better athletes. It happens in every single sport. There’s actually a tech talk about how much better athletes are nowadays for the most part, but then technology is allowing for these things.
“They said, if Jesse Owens and Usain Bolt on their records would have run together, the difference would have been minimal, minimal right, and that was in 1936. So compared to user involvement in 2009 I mean, just think about (American) football players, it’s the same thing. Basketball hasn’t changed since the 80s, so it’s going to happen to every sport. Tennis, you watch McEnroe to how they’re playing Wimbledon. It’s a completely different sport.”
“Now, in our case, I think what they’re doing, which is trying to stretch golf courses, is only going to feed into people hitting it longer, period. It’s getting to a point where if you have long rough and 520 yard par 4s, you’re going to need to hit it 340 because otherwise you’re not going to get to the green in any other way.
“So they’re feeding it into us that we are needing to hit it longer. And I think it hinders the game when they try to roll back the ball and change things, with the technology of the clubs. We’re going to get to a point where I will be the smallest on Tour. You’re gonna get people who are six-foot-five, JJ Watt looking people, who are going to be hitting it 380 down the centre, like it’s eventually going to get to something like that.”
Eddie Pepperell and Padraig Harrington weighed in on Rahm’s comments via Twitter.
I wonder if by rolling the ball back, bigger hitters gain an even bigger advantage as they would be hitting 7 irons into a green where a short hitter will be hitting a 5 iron, and that’ll create a bigger gap in proximity to hole than from the current 9i to 7i, for eg..
(?)
— Eddie Pepperell (@PepperellEddie) February 5, 2023
Distance needs rolling back for many reasons,skill,course capital cost,maintenance cost,keeping great old courses relevant and safety. But it’ll be a big advantage for long hitters. As well as above its much easier to keep the ball in the park at 300 yards verses 330.
— Padraig Harrington (@padraig_h) February 5, 2023
Whether or not you agree with Rahm, the distance debate doesn’t seem to be ending anytime soon.
