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The Wedge Guy: Musings on the golf ball rollback

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2 years ago

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By now, you have likely read and heard endless anguish and musings about the recent decision by the USGA and R&A to tweak the testing for golf ball distance conformity in an effort to roll back golf ball performance for the game’s elite players. Whether you think this is a good idea or not is beside the point, as it appears to be a “done deal.” So, I’d like to offer some musings from my perspective as a 40-year veteran of the golf equipment industry and over 60 years of playing this game at a reasonably serious level.

My perspective covers a lot of ground as I have personally experienced the technology of our industry as an accomplished scratch or near-scratch player. I’ve seen most all of it in those six decades. From learning and developing my game into my 30s with persimmon drivers, pure muscle-back blades and balata balls . . . to what I find in my bag today. I’ve seen the quantum leaps in driving distance for golfers of all levels with each new development, with huge leaps in performance delivered by the first metal woods (thanks TaylorMade), then to the Big Bertha and all its copies and on to the continuing advancements in size, COR, shafts and other driver performance technologies.

You simply cannot discuss distance and focus only on the golf ball, when you have this amazing run of technology in the driver category. And besides those advancements in head designs, driver shafts also made great strides in both weight and performance. I can share that the driver in my bag today is right at 30-percent lighter than the overall weight of my steel-shafted persimmon drivers from back then. I’m sure my clubhead speed at 71 years old is likely close to what I had in my 30s and 40s because of that.

And because of the great strides in driver technologies and the forgiveness of off-center hits, golfers began to get bigger and fitter in pursuit of swinging ever faster. I agree with Adam Scott’s assessment that the distance gains are much more about driver technologies than the golf ball. In case you didn’t experience real “woods,” with these big drivers, a perfect strike is much less important than it was in the days of persimmon or even early oversized metal drivers.

But let’s get back to the golf ball and what I think is going to happen over the next five to seven years . . .
Up until the mid-1990s, the “state of the art” was that old rubber-band-wound and balata-covered ball that spun like crazy but went out of round if you looked at it wrong. While many give Titleist and its Pro V1 franchise credit for the revolution to multi-piece ball construction and technologies, history shows that Spalding was ahead of them in this area with their early work with the Top Flite and Tour Edition lines. But it was Mark O’Meara winning both the Masters and U.S. Open in 1998 playing the revolutionary Strata ball that triggered the entire ball industry to abandon the old rubber band ball and pursue these new multi-piece technologies.

Since then, there is no question that continual strides have been made in golf ball technologies, as these rocket scientist engineers explore and optimize every element of the ball, from core properties to cover properties to dimple aerodynamics. I’ll be the first to admit that the most brilliant and technologically advanced engineers are plying their craft in the ball segment of the industry.

That’s why I believe what we’ll see come out of this next half-decade of research and development is an approach to golf ball performance that will surprise us all. It seems totally realistic that these brainiacs will figure out how to make golf balls that optimize distance performance at various clubhead speeds. I have complete confidence they can figure out how to make a ball that meets the new standards at the highest swing speeds, while not causing the 90-95 mph clubhead player to lose even a yard.

In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see the ball brands come up with a fitting matrix to fit the golf ball to your exact swing speed, so that instead of the average golfers losing distance, we would actually gain some. Those major brands’ line-ups could be as thorough in fitting the exact ball to your swing speed as we find the fitting bays doing so with shafts.

It will be fun and interesting to watch, that’s for sure.

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Terry Koehler is a fourth generation Texan and a graduate of Texas A&M University. Over his 40-year career in the golf industry, he has created over 100 putter designs, sets of irons and drivers, and in 2014, he put together the team that reintroduced the Ben Hogan brand to the golf equipment industry. Since the early 2000s, Terry has been a prolific writer, sharing his knowledge as “The Wedge Guy”.   But his most compelling work is in the wedge category. Since he first patented his “Koehler Sole” in the early 1990s, he has been challenging “conventional wisdom” reflected in ‘tour design’ wedges. The performance of his wedge designs have stimulated other companies to move slightly more mass toward the top of the blade in their wedges, but none approach the dramatic design of his Edison Forged wedges, which have been robotically proven to significantly raise the bar for wedge performance. Terry serves as Chairman and Director of Innovation for Edison Golf – check it out at www.EdisonWedges.com.

4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. William

    Dec 17, 2023 at 9:48 am

    I have complete confidence they can figure out how to make a ball that meets the new standards at the highest swing speeds, while not causing the 90-95 mph clubhead player to lose even a yard
    I have every confidence that this will happen.
    I spent my youth working in rubber and plastic technology.

    Reply Report comment

  2. Edawrd Mahle

    Dec 15, 2023 at 12:45 pm

    i’m 90 yr old male, play mostly 9 holes from forward tee, swing speed around 80-85 with driver, i play in 2 golf leagues and other non league rounds, driver distance is around 170 yds, on 350 yd hole i need 3 shots to get to the green, so in my case even 5yd decrease in distance would be significant, i’d use a non conforming ball if it provided 10 yds more distance

    Reply Report comment

  3. Bob Jones

    Dec 15, 2023 at 11:41 am

    Let’s hope so.

    Reply Report comment

  4. Bob

    Dec 14, 2023 at 1:40 pm

    Please cut out the resume and repost, Terry.

    With all your experience, tell us what your solution is. I got bored before I found the musings.

    Reply Report comment

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Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

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Aug 4, 2025

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I’m going to gush in this intro paragraph, to get the emo stuff done early. I’ve not pulled harder for a professional to win, than Cameron Young. I coach golf in New York state, and each spring, my best golfers head to a state championship in Poughkeepsie. I first saw Cameron there as a 9th grade student. I saw him three more times after that. I reconnecected with Coach Haas from Wake Forest, an old interview subject from my days on the Old Gold and Black, the Wake newspaper. He was there to watch Cameron. After four years at Wake Forest, Young won on the Korn Ferry Tour, made it to the big tour, almost won two majors, almost won five other events, and finally got the chalice about 25 minutes from the Wake campus. Congratulations, Cameron. You truly are a glass of the finest. #MotherSoDear

OK, let’s move on to the Tour Rundown. The major championship season closed this week in Wales, with the Women’s Open championship. The PGA Tour bounced through Greensboror, N.C., while the PGA Tour Americas hit TO (aka, Toronto) for a long-winded event. The Korn Ferry lads made a stop in Utah, one of just two events for that tour in August. The many-events, golf season is winding down, as we ease from summer toward fall in the northern hemisphere. Let’s bask in the glory of an August sunrise, and run down a quartet of events from the first weekend of the eighth month.

LET/LPGA @ Women’s Open: Miyu bends, but she doesn’t break

Royal Porthcawl was not a known commodity in the major tournament community. The Welsh links had served as host to men’s senior opens, men’s amateurs, and Curtis and Walker Cups in prior years, but never an Open championship for the women or the men. The last-kept secret in UK golf was revealed once again to the world this week, as the best female golfers took to the sandy stage.

Mao Saigo, Grace Kim, Maja Stark, and Minjee Lee hoped to add a second major title to previous wins this season, but only Lee was able to finish inside the top ten. The 2025 playing of the Women’s Open gave us a new-faces gallery from day one. The Kordas and Thitikulls were nowhere to be found, and it was the Mayashitas, Katsus, and Lim Kims that secured the Cymru spotlight. The first round lead was held at 67 by two golfers. One of them battled to the end, while the other posted 81 on day two, and missed the cut. Sitting one shot behind was Miyu Yamashita.

On day two, Yamashita posted the round of the tournament. Her 65 moved her to the front of the aisle, in just her fourth turn around a women’s Open championship. With the pre-event favorites drifting off pace, followers narrowed into two camps: those on the side of an underdog, and others hoping for a weekend charge from back in the pack. In the end, we had a bit of both.

On Saturday, Yamashita bent with 74 on Saturday, offering rays of hope to her pursuing pack. England’s Charley Hull made a run on Sunday closing within one shot before tailing off to a T2 finish with Minami Katsu. Katsu posted the other 65 of the week, on Saturday, but could not overtake her countrywoman, Yamashita. wunderkind Lottie Woad needed one round in the 60s to find her pace, but could only must close-to’s, ending on 284 and a tie with Minjee for eighth.

On Sunday, Yamashita put away the thoughts of Saturday’s struggles, with three-under 33 on the outward half. She closed in plus-one 37, but still won by two, for a first Major and LPGA title.

PGA Tour @ Wyndham: Young gathers first title near home

Cameron Young grew up along the Hudson river, above metro New York, but he also calls Winston-Salem home. He spent four years as a student and athlete at Wake Forest University, then embarked on tour. This week in Greensboro, after a bit of a break, Young opened with 63-62, and revved the engine of Is this the week once more. Runner-up finishes at the Open, the PGA, and a handful of PGA Tour events had followers wonder when the day would come.

On Saturday, Young continued his torrid pace with 65, giving him a five-shot advantage over his closest pursuer. Sunday saw the Scarborough native open with bogey, then reel off five consecutive birdies to remind folks that his time had, at last, arrived. Pars to the 16th, before two harmless bogeys coming home, made Young the 1000th winner of an official PGA Tour event (dating back to before there was a PGA Tour) throughout history. What’s next? I have a suspicion, but I’m not letting on. Mac Meissner closed with 66 to finish solo 2nd, while Mark Hubbard and Alex Noren tied for third.

Korn Ferry Tour @ Utah Championship: Are you Suri it’s Julian?

Who knows exactly when the flower will bloom? Julian Suri played a solid careet at Duke University, then paid his dues on the world’s minor tours for three years. He won twice on two tours in Europe, in 2017. Since then, the grind has continued for the journeyman from New York city. At age 34, Suri broke through in Beehive state, outlasting another grinder (Spencer Levin) and four others, by two shots.

Taylor Montgomery began the week with 62, then posted 64, then 68, and finally, 70. That final round was his undoing. He finished in that second-place tie, two back of the leader. Trace Crowe, Barend Botha, and Kensei Hirata made up the last of the almost quintet. As for Suri, his Sunday play was sublime. His nines were 32 and 31, with his only radar blip a bogey at ten. He closed in style with one final birdie, to double his winning margin. Hogan bloomed late…might Suri?

PGA Tour Americas @ Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates

Some tournament names run longer than others. This week in Toronto, at the Heathlands course at TPC Toronto, we might have seen the longest tournament title in recorded history. The OVOPBVCCBMA was a splendid affair. It saw three rounds of 62 on Thursday, but of those early risers, only Drew Goodman would stick around until the end. 64 was the low tally on day two, and two of those legionnaires managed to finish inside the top three at week’s end. Saturday brought a 63 from Patrick Newcomb, and he would follow with 64 on Sunday, to finish solo fourth.

Who, then, ended up winning the acronym of the year? It turns out that Carson Bacha had the right stuff in TeeOhhh. Bacha and Jay Card III posted 63 and 64, respectively, on day four, to tie for medalist honors at 23-under 261. Nathan Franks was one shot adrift, despite also closing with 63. If you didn’t go low on Sunday, it was about the check, not the championship.

Bacha and JC3 returned to the 18th hole twice in overtime. Card nearly chipped in from the thick stuff for birdie, while Bacha peeked and shoved a ten-feet attempt at the win. On the second go-round, Card was long with his approach, into the native grasses once more. He was unable to escape, and a routine par from the fairway was enough to earn the former Auburn golfers a first KFT title.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

Published

4 weeks ago

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Jul 29, 2025

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GolfWRX is live this week from the final event of the PGA Tour’s regular season, the Wyndham Championship.

Photos are flowing into the forums from Sedgefield Country Club, where we already have a GolfWRX spirit animal Adam Schenk WITB and plenty of putters for your viewing pleasure.

Check out links to all our photos below, which we’ll continue to update as more arrive.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.

 

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News

BK’s Breakdowns: Kurt Kitayama’s Winning WITB, 3M Open

Published

4 weeks ago

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Jul 28, 2025

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Kurt Kitayama just won his 2nd PGA Tour event at the 3M Open. Kurt is a Bridgestone staffer but with just the ball and bag. Here are the rest of the clubs he used to secure a win at the 2025 3M Open.

Driver: Titleist GT3 (11 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 TX

3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees, A3 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX

7-wood: Titleist GT1 (21 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2 Tour Prototype
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy 1.0PT

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Bridgestone Tour B XS (with Mindset)

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