I would personally really love a basketball that was easier to get into the hoop.
Just like to add, I’m glad I’m not the only one who listened and was not inspired.
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Just to make a clear statement: I’m very pro-regulation of equipment when it comes to distance.
But, if we don’t think sport needs equipment innovation…and that should apply to golf…what should a golf club and golf ball look like? How far back should we go?
The Spaulding basketball from the early 1900s had laces. The hoops were wicker baskets. You could argue that the basketball we have today IS easier to get in the hoop.
I don’t care. I was just making a stupid joke. Sorry.
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Rolling back the ball for male professional events only is literally easy and simple. Tell professionals the change happens in five years so they have time to figure out the new ball. In terms of what the ball should behave like, just make it like the 90s ball pre prov, as a starting point.
If everyone else wants to play “the pro ball” let them, I don’t see why anyone would give up the benefits of the juiced ball but all power to you. College athletes can decide when they want to switch over to a professional ball if that’s their career path.
Titleist would throw a fit but they already market the prov1 as the professional ball. People might finally slowly realize they shouldn’t be playing it compared to their more distance ball options.
This is the path of least resistance If the usga refuses to touch equipment. It helps reign in how athletic average professional golfers have become in 2021 without touching the amateur game.
If you’re gonna have a distance debate, don’t forget to invite @BigJake
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I’d still love to work for a person like Mike Whan. He fucking gets how to lead it seems like. Even if I wish he had said “yeah, we’ve been trash and we’re trying to fix it. that includes equipment”.
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Just bifurcate and get this shit over with
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This is wrong. They still make baseball bats and tennis racquets even though restrictions have been placed on them. The sport would not die it would make equipment less lucrative and reduce the # of manufacturers.
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in my hypothetical, all equipment manufacturers were driven off. So no, I don’t feel I’m wrong. Is it an extreme scenario, sure. But my point is they cannot create a regulatory environment that is so obtrusive as to basically kill the industry. They do have to care about equipment manufacturers and whether they make money.
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This is a question that I don’t think NLU would answer, but I guess taking the pro OEM argument…
How much would fans would lose in terms of content if the OEMs buttoned up their finances and stopped throwing all their money into marketing? NLU is paid out of Callaway’s marketing budget, Barstool out of Taylormade’s, Crossfield out of Srixons’s and Titleist’s before that, etc. Do people like NLU go out of business if we nuke the OEMs? Does golf Channel fire everyone without OEM sponsorship money?
Feels like we get this nice thing we call professional golf only because we accept it’s just a money making wheel for businesses. It’s not like every other sport where fan attendance and viewership drives the business.
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It’s an absurd hypothetical. Why would all manufacturers be killed off and kill the game? New players would still create demand for equipment, and somebody would fill that demand with supply.
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I haven’t listened yet. Is this another NLU podcast where the guest is being railroaded into a crappy distance debate?
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Happy to answer—you all would still be stuck with us.
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Nice. We don’t need them then.
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This would be EXACTLY what I would propose and have proposed in the past. I’m VERY in on a minor bifurcation effort such as making a tournament ball.
https://refuge.nolayingup.com/t/the-ball-debate/1595/12?u=caddiecoveralls
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as an automotive enthusiast, let me just say that the auto industry fucking sucks. it’s not like they’re some altruistic entity acting in peoples best interest. they’re acting like any other public company (titleist, callaway, etc) and all they give a shit about is making money. this whole mentality of regulation being inherently bad is just another bit of politics. Are you going to try to convince me that the emissions requirements from the 70s are actually against the public interest?
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superior technology != a better, healthier, approachable, more sustainable game. Golf would be better off without any of the “contributions” of manufacturer technology over the last 20+ years. I don’t give two shits if the engineers that work for callaway are bored and have nothing to do. fire them and reduce the cost of the equipment instead.
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I actually think on your 2nd point that the current regulations as they exist make it harder for engineers to make it easier for average golfers. Think if the USGA just said go wild for 99% of golfers and make the game as easy as you can - no limits. Think innovation would take off considerably.
And no, I don’t want to go back to equipment from 20 years ago. I like my equipment now.
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I would be 10,000% okay with going back to the era of the 975D.
ducks
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sure why not. lets remove all restrictions and limits.
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Soly is a great interviewer but I couldn’t get into this one. It sounds like Mike is a great hang in person but it just didn’t translate in this format. Lots of buzzwords, self-promotion and talking in circles.
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