How often drivers are encouraged ‘too hot?’ Here’s what they told us Fitters Tour

Maybe you heard: Rory Mcilroy is using a New driver chief This week at PGA Championship.

Mcilroy passed from his earlier range, a Taylormade Qi10 (dot), in another identical model that was his reservation. Normally, this would not be a lot of history, but since it’s Mcilroy, the world’s number 2 player who just finished Grand Slam career is news.

Here’s what we know

Nr. 1: Mcilroy has not yet spoken on the topic this week, but we know he changed his heads because We photographed Mcilroy driver Last week in Philadelphia (left, down) And there was a visible mark of dressing in the sole part of the club. Mcilroy driver used in Quail Hollow (Right, below) does not have the same flaw.

Nr. 2: Mcilroy’s driving took a big step on Thursday back. He runs the PGA Tour in the winning strokes: off-the-thee (.869) with more than one tenth of a stroke and was second in the category in the Championship Last week. In Round 1 in Quail Hollow, Mcilroy won only 0.037 strokes from Tee, and lost three consecutive discs in 15, 16 and 18 left, with tight water missing every time and leading to a double Bogey to 16 years. After an opening 74, Mcilroy looked more like himself, winning 1,268 strokes outside in tee on his way in a 69 in a first opening in a first number, though he was hit on Friday, winning 1,268 strokes from tee on his way to make a 69 to make the first number. 1,268 Strokes outside toe in tee to. Two rounds.

Nr. 3: We still don’t know exactly why Mcilroy had to change drivers. On Friday afternoon, during the second round of Mcilroy, Siriusxm reported that the old mcilroy driver’s head was considered “no more permissible”. Host Taylor Zarzour said: “(Mcilroy) was unable to use it this week – his gamer, if he wanted. It was considered no longer permissible. Whether it was cracked or something happened to the head. Rory (was) unable to use that driver and changed drivers yesterday …” Siriusxm staff Jason Sobel later Tweet The driver was considered “non-conforming from USA”. USGA supervises driver testing this week in Quail Hollow, as does at PGA Tour events, with 30 players who have been selected at random.

As USA and America’s PGA have confirmed that Mcilroy’s driver failed in a test, mentioning The confidential nature of its test process. The players themselves are free to discuss the results of the test, as Xander Schauffle did in the 2019 Open Championship when his driver was appreciated. Mcilroy rejected media interviews on Thursday and Friday.

Kerry Haigh, the PGA of the main American Championship official, issued a statement Saturday afternoon confirming the USA testing, but he did not name names. The statement reads:

“This testing program is in line with the same level of support that USGA offers PGA Tour and other championships, as part of their regular driver testing programs. The standard process is that about one -third of the field is randomly tested under the program. This was the case in Holls this week. Finding the Driver’s head that has a conformity line, Early times.

“The results are kept confidential to protect players, who are unaware that the club has fallen out of conformation and is not responsible for falling out of conformation, except that the club hit thousands of times. Players are simply required to change their heads if necessary, and everyone publicly identifies. Concern about players about players about his players, cannot lead to that player unnecessarily asked.

The faces of the driver raised against the legal limit is not a concern for players on your fourth Sunday, but for Mashers like Mcilroy, who constantly hit their drivers in the same place in 125+ MPH, the face will be unavoidable exquisite over time and maybe even crack or cave inside. For Mcilroy, he is likely to have been playing the Qi10 head with which he won a master for several months, if not longer.

All clubs eventually get tired. Pro the wedges change as often as every week and change iron groups once or twice a year. Interestingly, dressing makes drivers perform better (or at least faster) while other clubs perform less well due to lack of rotation.

Random test by USGA for drivers in the game was introduced for season 2019-20And the players were chosen based on Darrell’s survey information, meaning that there would be a representative sample of manufacturers based on how many drivers each manufacturer had in the game.

How to know when a driver is approaching the legal limit

The driver’s heads you will find in a tours truck at a PGA Tour event are marked with CT (characteristic time) with which they came out of the factory. The tour of the tournament actually cherry -choice heads for the good that are slower than those available with retail to extend the demolition of the face.

Still, all Faces wear down.

Tour players drivers fail in conformity tests more often than you might think; Most players will simply appear in a new head and continue with their weeks. No great job. Rep Ping Tour Keanton Oates told Golf.com that changing heads in flight was more challenging 10 years ago, but with advances in adaptation, it has become easier to have two or three spare heads on standby.

Rep the Reply Callaway Tour Kellen Watson told Golf.com that Jon Rahm failed a test before the Generals Invitational 2023 and continued to win that week.

The benefits may not know when a driver’s face is pushing up against the border, but the equipment rapids know the signs – ie. When the ball speed begins to grow and rotate.

“You will see some of what the good ones say are ‘staggering shots,” Watson said. “Right from the middle, going to the right and not rotating at all or right from the middle, going left and not rotating at all. Just break the material over time.”

All tour trucks are armed with the same CT testing machines that use USGA so that they can quickly determine if a driver must be replaced before any tests.

Watson said after two to six months regular game, there is nothing you can do to mitigate the risk of failure of a CT test. And this is no comment on how well a driver has become or what materials is made, or.

Watson used the example of giving an MLB power hitter as Ohtani see a fast metallic software stick.

“It may take three shakes and this will break completely,” he said. “So there is a breakdown of the material. The lifespan of the metals will never last.”

This is where the reserve driver of a pro becomes essential.

Watson said Mcilroy was taken with a particularly bad hand this week, despite why he changed his heads. Not only is it a big week, but the weak weather in Charlotte and the time of limited practice is also likely to make it difficult for Mcilroy to become calm with its copy.

This comfort, Watson said, is essential. Watson said when Rahm failed in that test in the origin of 2023, he and Rahm thought the reservation was called on Wednesday afternoon, but when the tour began, it was a different story.

“He played stunning with his handcuffs and decided a lot to win that tour,” he said.

Another factor to keep in mind, said oates, ping rep, is that 3-druit, which are not tested by USGA as regularly as drivers, can actually become “hot” as quickly as drivers.

“We actually have to keep an eye on 3-dru out because of the smaller heads and the way these people hit them on the ground,” Oates said.

The players are still swinging 3-Dru up 110 or 115 mph, and the way they interact with the terrain can accelerate the dilution process. Smaller heads also offer less face support, which can lead to the cave.

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Whatever the reason for Mcilroy’s exchange, he had a short window to be comfortable with a new head – and this seemed to lead to some big losses from Thursday’s Thursday that returned it as he follows his second big title of the season.

Mcilroy did not violate the rules or played a driver that was considered non -conforming. Nor is it any fault of Taylormade’s.

It is just a result of what happens when you have a player hitting a golf ball with a carbon or metal object thousands of times at 125 mph.

Give mcilroy time with his new gamer – he will be fine.

Johnny Wunder contributed to this report.

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