Adam Scott Proposes a Different Strategy to the ‘Rollback’ for Pros

Adam Scott proposed a different strategy for professional golfers to maneuver in lieu of the currently proposed golf ball rollback, and it has to do with equipment rather than the ball itself.

On the Smylie Show Podcast hosted by Smylie Kaufman, the 2013 Masters Tournament winner suggested a change to drivers and their size instead of the ball, which has been the subject of the USGA’s idea to make the game tougher for professionals.

Adam Scott on the rollback:

“The biggest fundamental change in the game since I’ve been a pro, is traditionally the driver has been the hardest club to hit in the bag, and now it’s the most forgiving. And, that’s the biggest evolutionary change in the golf bag to me, out of the…

— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) July 13, 2023

Drivers are the least lofted club in the bag, and they have, over the years, been the hardest to hit for most players. While the professionals are in a league of their own, they still were forced to fight the idea of a potentially disastrous tee shot if it was not hit well. Finding the center of the clubface was imperative for golfers at all skill levels, and with advances in modern technology, that simply is not the case any longer.

TaylorMade, for example, has shown off their Stealth 2 drivers and their ability to be more forgiving than nearly any club on the market today. Without hitting the center of the club face, players are still able to manage exceptional carry and total distances due to the club’s engineering. Granted, you still have to have an above-average swing speed and proper technique, but anyone on the PGA Tour has that, so is it necessary to give them as much forgiveness as humanly possible?

🗣️ AND STILL!!
@McIlroyRory put on a show in the #Stealth2Driver Fargiveness long drive.

Watch the full video: https://t.co/DeP9Dx331Q pic.twitter.com/N7Ch7tsfGE

— TaylorMade Golf (@TaylorMadeGolf) July 11, 2023

Adam Scott doesn’t necessarily think so.

Recognizing that the biggest change since 2000, which was when he turned professional, was the driver, Scott believes the way to make the game more challenging and combat the low scores that we see every weekend is to minimize the size of the driver, which has become perhaps too forgiving.

He said to Smylie:

“The biggest fundamental change in the game since I’ve been a pro is traditionally, the driver has been the hardest club to hit in the bag, and now it’s the most forgiving. And, that’s the biggest evolutionary change in the golf bag to me, out of the equipment. The ball is the ball. But, the driver went from the hardest club to hit to now the most forgiving and the go-to club for guys if they are nervous. The penalty for missing a driver just isn’t high enough anymore, in my opinion, at the top level. I’d like to address that first and see what knock-on effects that has.”

While there are still the standouts in terms of driving distance and strokes gained off the tee, the driver has become less of a strategy move for those who can control it, and it has allowed nearly everyone to benefit from the distance it provides.

Adam Scott believes making the head smaller and perhaps allowing less of a forgiving design across the board would lead fewer players to have shorter irons into the green, thus increasing scores, even marginally.

“If guys wanna swing at it 130 with a tiny driver head then good luck.”

Cover Image Via USA Today