| Why do new multi layer balls used on tour spin | | | | Could you please shed some light on how to |
| less than the old tour balls off the driver but spin | | | | determine the proper driver length and what the |
| the same as the old wound balls off the wedge? | | | | average driver length is on tour? Chuck Mooney, |
| Ryan Dees, Gainesville, Fla. | | | | Davenport, Iowa. |
| During the collision between the driver and the ball | | | | The average length driver on the PGA Tour is 44 |
| (which lasts for less than half a millisecond, 200 | | | | 1/2 inches. For most golfers, I recommend no |
| times faster than you can blink your eye), there's | | | | longer than 44 inches. This will give you more |
| an average force of 1,500 pounds being applied to | | | | control than the longer driver. You will develop |
| the ball. This violent collision compresses the ball to | | | | more confidence and make a better swing. On |
| about two-thirds of its diameter. The cover | | | | average this will give you more accurate and |
| thickness is less than 3 percent of the size of the | | | | longer drives. You might not win bragging rights |
| ball but doesn't much influence the outcome of | | | | with an occasional testosterone-inspired long drive, |
| this collision. | | | | but you will lose fewer balls and enjoy your game |
| Two-piece balls, which have been on the market | | | | a lot more. Shaft length is important, but don't |
| for many years, will spin less and go a little | | | | forget to make sure you're comfortable with the |
| farther off the driver than the soft, wound balata | | | | flex of the shaft. Remember: If you think the |
| balls that were used on tour until five years ago. | | | | 44-inch driver is too short, how on earth are you |
| The hard-core two-piece ball will spin about the | | | | going to use a 3-wood or your hybrids, which are |
| same as the wound ball off the wedge only if it | | | | a lot shorter? |
| has an extremely soft and relatively thick cover. | | | | Is there a published report that gives a true count |
| But such a cover reduces the ball's distance off | | | | of equipment used by PGA Tour pros? B.C., New |
| the driver. The trick is to get a ball to spin less | | | | Orleans |
| than a wound ball off the driver but the same as | | | | An organization called the Darrell Survey goes |
| a wound ball off the wedge. A multi layer ball will | | | | through every competitor's bag on Thursday of |
| do this because it has a soft core (for speed off | | | | every tournament to verify the pros are using |
| the driver face) surrounded by a hard mantle and | | | | the equipment they claim to be using or the |
| a thin soft cover. The mantle reduces spin off the | | | | manufacturers claim they're using. It has |
| driver, and the cover, too thin to influence driver | | | | conducted these surveys for about 60 years. The |
| launch conditions, is soft enough to significantly | | | | information is sold to the manufacturers, who use |
| influence the spin off the wedge. The collision | | | | the counts for advertising purposes. The |
| between the wedge and the soft cover, less | | | | information is considered reliable--at least for the |
| violent and more oblique than with a driver, | | | | first day of the tournament. Players may change |
| generates more spin. Thus, designers combined | | | | equipment after the tournament begins, potentially |
| new materials with a better understanding of the | | | | draining the winning putt with a club not reported |
| synergy between ball and club to create a more | | | | on the survey. |
| efficient multi layer ball. | | | | |