Proposals unveiled to limit hitting distance for elite golfers

In what is certain to be a major story in the months and years to come, The R&A and USGA have revealed their joint proposal for a Model Local Rule (MLR) that gives competition organisers the option to require the use of golf balls that are tested under modified launch conditions to address the impacts of hitting distance in golf.

Golf balls that conform to the MLR must not exceed the current Overall Distance Standard (ODS) limit of 317 yards (plus three yards tolerance) at modified Actual Launch Conditions (ALC) with a clubhead speed of 127 mph and based on a calibration set-up for 11 degrees and 37 revolutions per second (2220 rpm) as part of this proposal.

All other balls, including those typically used by recreational golfers with lower swing speeds, would continue to be tested using the existing ALC values (120 mph, and a calibration set-up of 10 degrees and 42 revolutions per second – 2520 rpm).

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