Past the truth that Tiger Woods returned to aggressive golf this previous week, a lot of the discuss within the golf world has revolved round an impending rollback of the golf ball by the governing our bodies.

Though opinions are sizzling on each side of the subject, and even had Rory McIlroy chiming in, what many fail to appreciate is that this isn’t the primary time the foundations across the golf ball have modified within the final 35 years. The one distinction is most golfers in North American by no means needed to expertise it.

Right here’s the place all of it will get very fascinating. Earlier than 1952, the Guidelines of Golf weren’t uniform all over the world, and whilst just lately as 2003 the USGA and R&A didn’t have the identical guidelines for the spring-like impact of driver faces, aka coefficient of restitution (COR). That’s as a result of in 2003 it was agreed that the authorized restrict for all drivers could be set to a COR of .830, somewhat than have it capped at .860 for novice gamers and .830 for “extremely expert golfers,” together with professionals, which was the preliminary proposal set forth by the R&A.

Since then, the foundations on each side of the pond and each different nook of the globe have remained the identical. With that stated, let’s get again to the golf ball and 1952.

After a joint assembly between the USGA and R&A in 1951, which additionally included the Royal Canadian Golf Affiliation (now Golf Canada) and the Australian Golf Union, it was determined that the entire guidelines that govern the sport could be the identical apart from one maintain out within the UK and Australia — the British ball.

What made the British ball completely different was its dimension minimal of 1.62 inches in diameter, in comparison with the USGA dimension of 1.68 inches. Though the balls had the identical most weight restriction of 1.62 ounces, the smaller balls provided a definite benefit within the wind and when taking part in abroad, together with on the Open Championship. Many professionals additionally estimated that the smaller British ball provided as much as an additional 20 yards of distance off the tee below regular circumstances.

As a means of making an attempt to create uniformity, in 1970 the R&A and USGA proposed that the official conforming ball could possibly be no smaller than 1.66 inches in diameter. However after a lot dialogue within the following years, that proposal died in 1973.

Lastly, in 1974, the R&A mandated use of the 1.68 inch USGA conforming ball within the Open Championship, once more unifying skilled golf on the highest stage. Nonetheless, regardless that the brand new guidelines utilized to professionals on the highest stage, it wasn’t till Jan. 1, 1990, that the smaller British ball was formally deemed nonconforming below the trendy guidelines, thereby ending the final identified instance of bifurcation between amateurs and professionals.

This variation immediately knocked as much as 20 yards off of driver distance on the leisure stage within the UK and Australia, and even with that change, participation by no means wavered, which could possibly be a great indication that any forthcoming new guidelines can have a restricted impact on the general public as a complete.

Golf.com Editor

Ryan Barath is GOLF Journal and GOLF.com’s senior editor for tools. He has an intensive club-fitting and -building background with greater than 20 years of expertise working with golfers of all talent ranges, together with PGA Tour gamers. Earlier than becoming a member of the workers, he was the lead content material strategist for Tour Expertise Golf, in Toronto, Canada.