Equipment
Nick Faldo: “Reduce the driver face and remove tees to decrease distance” – GolfWRXers react
In our forums, our members have been discussing the comments made recently by Nick Faldo that golf authorities should consider reducing the driver face and removing tee pegs to help minimize driving distance on Tour. Speaking on Geoff Shackelford’s podcast, the Englishman said in regards to the issue of the current driver face:
“If we brought the size of the face down, so there were some serious mis-hits… so the sweet spot for the pro is a real sweet spot, not a sweet face; that’s what it is now. It’s the whole thing!”
On the logic behind removing tee pegs, Faldo stated
“The other simpler way is saying… if we ban tee pegs. If they went and played a tournament with no tee pegs, right? Well, the guys would have to alter their driver. You would be allowed to place it on the grass. Now, they won’t be using (drivers that are) 6-degrees. They’d say, ‘OK, I need 9 (degrees), I need 10, I need one that’s going to get it airborne a bit and get a bit of give in the face.’ That would seriously change it. Sure they could hit a 3-wood… that actually would be your optimum. I’ve just seen Rory’s numbers, still 285 yards through the air [with a 3-wood]… but it’d be a real tough hit to get a driver off the deck.”
Our members have been discussing the ideas put forward by Faldo in our forums.
Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- Body_Visions: “My favorite player ever, but he is off on this one. Should have just hammered his statement about reducing the face.”
- dalehead: “Well, Nick is right. Banning tees would have the desired effect. Yes, tour pros can hit their 3 wood 275 off the deck. But that’s the idea. They won’t be hitting it 320 with their drivers. But he’s wrong in trying to accomplish this by changing the way the game has been played since its earliest days. Will recreational players still be allowed to tee it up? Talk about bifurcation.”
- EmperorPenguin: “No need to ban the tee. Just make the courses more penal to discourage today’s bomb-and gouge game. From off the tee, the fairways get narrower and the rough deeper. At 300 yards, the fairways narrow to 28 yards with the primary rough at 4″; at 330-360 yards, they narrow to 20 yards and the primary rough at 8″ tall. By all means they are welcome to bomb it at the Emperor’s Course.”
- OldTomMorris: “Not in favour of the “no tee peg” idea but it’s definitely an equipment issue with regards to the overall improvement in driving that Faldo talks about. If it were a choice between “no tee peg” or a rolled backed ball, then the former wouldn’t seem so bad. I wouldn’t want either, but the authorities are going to do something at some point in the near future.”
- Golfingfanatic: “As much as I think that something needs to be done about this issue, removing tees is not the way to go and also not in the spirit of the game if you ask me.”
Neal Shipley was the first to admit that he enjoyed his food while in college. But since his days at Ohio State, he’s slimmed down and earned a PGA Tour Card.
That hasn’t stopped him from having fun with his wedge stampings, though it’s led to some misunderstandings.
On the 54 (degree), we have ‘Big Fudge,'” Shipley told GolfWRX. “It was supposed to be ‘Big Fridge,’ so this happened a little while ago. ‘Big Fridge’ was a nickname between my college teammates and I, with ‘fridge’ meaning stomach, a big stomach.
“We told the Ping guys to put … ‘Big Fridge’ on it, and I think maybe some bad cell service or something, and they thought I said ‘fudge,’ so they put fudge on it.”
On Shipley’s 50-degree he also continues the food theme, this time with his go-to order at the “Golden Arches,” and his stamping “DONS 7.”
“The number 7 meal, the two cheeseburger meal, that was my McDonald’s order, back when I would have McDonald’s frequently,” Shipley shared.
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @raw10628 has a L.A.B. DF3 putter and Masters putter cover up for grabs.
From the listing: “Some great items here today, time to thin out and make room for next set of gear. All prices include shipping.
LAB DF3 Purple 33.5” 68° lie with TPT – $725. LAB Masters release DF3 cover – $150.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4
3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
5-wood: Ping G440 Max (19 degrees @18)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
Hybrid: Ping G440 (23 degrees)
Shaft: Oban Isawa Red Hybrid Shaft 04 Flex 70 Gms
Irons: Srixon ZXi7 (5-P)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i80
Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (50-MID, 54-FULL, 58-MID)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i105
Putter: L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i
Shaft: ACCRA Putter Shaft
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
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Maria Torres WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4 3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4 5-wood: Ping G440...
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Driver: PXG Lightning Tour Max (9 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees) Shaft:...
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Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (8.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X Mini driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Mini...
Wyndham Clark’s winning WITB: 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (10.5 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D Tour (15 degrees) Shaft: Project...
DJ
Apr 29, 2020 at 4:14 pm
it’s simple… 450 yd hole for example – stop fairway at 300 yards. Have 6 inch rough, native areas, lakes, burns, or combination of, from 300 yd to 400 yd. Then you have forced carry 2nd shots.
Michaele
Apr 29, 2020 at 2:05 pm
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Do Faldo and those agreeing with him realize this is a non issue for all but about 1% (at best) of all golfers?
Of that 1%, half of them think it is an issue for them when it isn’t even close.
Faldo needs to zip his lips the way he was told to keep his zipper up a few years ago.
exrog
Apr 29, 2020 at 1:44 pm
I think the problem is not so much about carry distance, as it is about role. I’ve watched some of these tee shots roll another 50 plus yards. If you want to stop the bombers then end the fairway at 300 yds with 4″ rough and resume it at 340 yds. If a player wants to challenge that 40 yds of deep rough, then so be it. Narrow fairways and deep rough have always been the tamer of long drivers. The game has evolved, i think sir nick faldo should also
Ken
Apr 29, 2020 at 10:04 am
Gutta Percha balls would do the trick, however, they would likely explode on impact! It is a catch 22 situation. The golf manufacturing industry is based upon the pro’s. They hit it long, John Q Public sees pro hit long, and wants what the pro is using. Madison Ave. at its best! No tees, and smaller driver will ever sell golf equipment, and that is what it is all about folks. By the By, the new world handicap system is not going to grow golf. I lost 5 strokes of handicap with the new system. Now some folks would say “so did everyone else” It is a mind set, I know, but you took away from me, you did not change didley about the game, nothing! I do not compete against world golf players. I do not play Ryders Cup. I am just an old man who competes against other old men.
Bob Jones
Apr 29, 2020 at 9:52 am
How to reduce driving distance. Require pros to:
Use a driver that weighs at least 24 ounces.
or
Hit all driver shots with a plastic Wiffle-style ball.
or
Anchor their driver.
It’s so simple.
Geoffrey Holland
Apr 29, 2020 at 9:34 am
let’s just tell it like it is, getting rid of tees as one of the stupidest ideas in the history of golf. And I love Nick Faldo.
James
Apr 28, 2020 at 2:54 pm
How about limit the length of tees to 1 inch?
Speedy
Apr 28, 2020 at 12:54 pm
Does he bother looking in players bags? Most players on tour are using drivers with lofts of 9 to 10 degrees, with 44″ to 45″ length.
Clue for Sir Nick. The distance culprit is white (or orange, or yellow) and round, with dimples.