Key Points
Ever since Tiger Woods and his soaring drives burst onto the scene in 1997, golfers have been driving the ball farther and farther, with courses lengthening their holes to mitigate the advantagea practice both financially and environmentally unsustainable..
But this week at the US Open, the United States Golf Association will showcase a course in Pinehurst No. 2 whose firm and fast conditions, along with slick, domed greens and considerable length off the tee, aim to challenge the biggest hitters without resorting to more yardage..
Launch monitors, which use doppler radar, the same tech thats used in speed guns, measure the balls physical characteristics at the point of contact to offer players and coaches a range of data: swing speed, the balls launch angle, how fast the ball travels, how much it spins, not to mention how far it flies..
Voshall says that over the past 10 to 15 years, launch monitors have helped players understand the relationship between launch angle, spin rate, and the golfers ability to generate ball speed..
On top of this, these monitoring devices have allowed sports companies to optimize their products for generating distance by focusing on launch and spin, he says.. The modern golf ball doesnt spin as much, in general, Voshall explains, meaning that shots that used to bend wildly offline today curve less and fly straighterwhich means farther..
