Equipment, Non-conforming drivers: From January 1st every golfer must use a driver approved for competition by the R and A. Philip Reidlooks at the implications of the rule change

If, perchance, you are browsing eBay with a view to picking up a second-hand driver, there could be a surprise in store with people, for some reason, bidding on drivers that will be non-conforming next January 1st. The reason why they'd want a soon-to-be-obsolete piece of equipment is unclear.

Could it be that they intend to use them in competition, ie, cheat?

Or are they merely acquiring the club for what is called "recreational play", seeking an edge over your buddy in a social match where the restrictions don't apply?

Or is it to store them away for posterity?

Who knows for sure.

The fact is, for rule-abiding club players all around the world, and that includes this green isle of ours, the law will change in 105 days, by which time every man, woman and child who swings a driver in any club competition will have to use one that conforms to Royal and Ancient rules of golf that will ban certain drivers.

So, if, for instance, you have a Wilson Deep Red Forged Ti 400 with 10.5 degree loft or a Callaway ERC II Forged Titanium driver with lofts of 7 to 12.5 degrees, or a MacGregor MACTEC NV2 ix400 in your bag, time is running out on using them legally.

In fact, some 436 drivers are on the non-confirming list, which can be viewed at www.randa.org/index.cfm?action=rules.equipment.nonConfDriversMain, which supplies a full list and photo images of drivers which will be banned in less than three months.

The relevant R and A rule is Appendix II, 5a of the Rules of Golf, which states: "The material and construction of, or any treatment to, the face or the clubhead shall not have the effect at impact of a spring (test on file), or impart significantly more spin to the ball than a standard steel face, or have any other effect which would unduly influence the movement of the ball."

From January 1st, a Rule of Golf will be introduced limiting the "spring-like" effect of driving clubs for all golfers. The introduction of this rule was announced in August 2002 and it has been applied at the elite level, via a Condition of Competition, since January 1st, 2003.

However, "ordinary" club players were given a buffer zone to be made aware of the change and that period of leniency will run out on December 31st.

The new rule affects the conformance status of some drivers which may still be in a golfer's bags if he or she hasn't changed drivers in the five years since the rule was first announced.

Since then, manufacturers have only put conforming drivers on sale to the general public, although Nike were left somewhat red-faced earlier this year when some of their new and vaunted Sumo Square (version one) drivers were found to be slightly over regulations for what is known as "characteristic time", which measures in microseconds how long the ball stays on the club during impact. The problem was immediately rectified, with anyone who purchased the original model getting a one-for-one trade-in.

But the onus is on players themselves to check that drivers are legal and conforming. In the experience of retailers in the Irish golf industry, most club golfers have been changing to conforming drivers in recent years.

"The majority of players are definitely aware of what is happening. I don't anticipate any mad rush of people changing, as it has been a gradual process of change since the announcement was made," said Gavin Irwin, of McGuirk's Golf.

Likewise, Gary Pollitt of GolfWorks in Santry agrees that the changes have been well flagged by the GUI and by notices on golf club boards.

"The older models have been replaced over the past two or three years," said Pollitt, who observed that players began trading in drivers that will become non-conforming when the announcements were made. Those who didn't can't expect much by way of exchange.

"There's no real trade-in value (now)," added Pollitt.

Nevertheless, the GUI - which have banned non-conforming drivers in their championships since 2003 - is encouraging all club players to check their driver, and any driver they may buy in the future, in preparation for the new regulations.

To this end, the R and A website has lists not only of non-conforming drivers, but also one - updated weekly - of conforming drivers, which can be accessed on www.randa.org/index.cfm?action=rules.equipment.confdrivers and that firmly puts the ball into the court of the player to know what is and isn't legal.

No excuses, in other words.

The list of Conforming Driver Heads identifies the models and lofts of all post-1998 driver heads that have been submitted for evaluation to the R and A and/or the United States Golf Association (USGA) and been determined to conform to the Rules of Golf. Any driver marketed prior to January 1st, 1999, is considered to be conforming and on the list unless specifically ruled otherwise.

The entire list, which runs to over 170 pages if printed off, may be downloaded in PDF format (sorted alphabetically either by manufacturer or product name) or it may be searched by manufacturer, product name, and/or markings (ie, specific graphics on the sole, back, crown, etc).

Players are requested to be aware that there may be only subtle differences between the markings on two different models of driver - one of which could be conforming and one of which could become non-conforming in 2008.

Meanwhile, the list of non-conforming drivers includes details of all drivers which have been in the marketplace and will in effect become obsolete on January 1st.

The response of the R and A - and the USGA, who have also gone along with the change and so making it one that affects every player around the world - came about after concerns over the trampoline effect of new drivers. A test, which measures the coefficient of restitution (COR) of clubs, was introduced to see how quickly the ball springs off the face of the club head at impact.

Before metal drivers, drivers were made of wood and had no spring effect. The term came into the popular lexicon as ultra-thin-faced drivers began to proliferate. An effect of the thin faces is known as the "spring-like effect" or "trampoline effect".

The face of the driver depresses as the ball is struck, then rebounds. A driver that exhibits this property will have a very high COR, a limit on which has now been set at 0.830 COR.

Although many diligent golfers have already changed their drivers which will be non-conforming, there is still a significant segment who have clubs in their bags which, at this time, remain legal.

From January 1st, don't be surprised to see your opponent cast an eye over the driver in your bag.