Is Driver Dragging a Thing?

[nevets88]

I’ve seen it a couple of times on my social feeds. Like this:

[iacas]

Not that I know of. Nat used to do it when she was pissed about something, or pouting. I didn't like that. It looked stupid.

[Shindig]

I can't see a reason to do this.  Once I hit my tee shot, my driver head doesn't touch the ground again until either I'm taking address at the next driver shot or I'm measuring club-lengths. 

[Piz]

It's a form of meditation.  The golf club assumes the role of a teddy bear, or toy car, and the golfer regresses in age appropriately.  It recalls the age of wonder...when simple acts seemed both profound and mundane simultaneously.  

[Buckeyebowman]

It acts like a lightning rod. All the negative feelings generated by the bad drive are sent into the ground, thus ensuring an equanimity of mood for the next shot! Well, at least until the player sees where they wound up. 

[nevets88]

I saw Charley Hull do it at the Women’s Open Championship. Maybe this is something the young uns’ know about, not get off the lawn like me. 

They do it after they hit a good drive. 

[billchao]

26 minutes ago, nevets88 said:

Maybe this is something the young uns’ know about

The young uns' don't know shit. That's why they eat Tide Pods.

[Zippo]

Perhaps he was too weak to lift the club after "blasting" that drive...

[boogielicious]

11 hours ago, nevets88 said:

I saw Charley Hull do it at the Women’s Open Championship. Maybe this is something the young uns’ know about, not get off the lawn like me. 

They do it after they hit a good drive. 

 

11 hours ago, billchao said:

The young uns' don't know shit. That's why they eat Tide Pods.

[Casualgolfer]

Golfs version of pimping a home run in baseball....

[ChetlovesMer]

Okay I played 18 early this morning. First one out. They sent us off the back, as they had a middle school (9 hole) tourney going off the back at 8AM. I finished my 18 holes and went over to see where the middle schoolers were, and how they were doing. I watched them play a couple of holes. Every last one of them dragged their driver up to the teebox. Not neccessarily off the teebox, but always onto the teebox. 

So, I was curious and asked one of the parents there. "What's up with dragging the driver?"

The parent told me the kids had been coached to do that. When asked why I was told that dragging the driver to the teebox covers the face in dew. The idea being the wet driver face will reduce spin off the face. 

"Does that actually work?" I asked.
"No idea, but they've been told to do it." 

A million things went through my mind. 
Firstly, Is that legal? 
Secondly, if its not legal, what kind of coach teaches middle schoolers to break the rules? I would think at middle school level you are just trying to get them to enjoy the game and play by the rules. 

 

[Double Mocha Man]

8 minutes ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Okay I played 18 early this morning. First one out. They sent us off the back, as they had a middle school (9 hole) tourney going off the back at 8AM. I finished my 18 holes and went over to see where the middle schoolers were, and how they were doing. I watched them play a couple of holes. Every last one of them dragged their driver up to the teebox. Not neccessarily off the teebox, but always onto the teebox. 

So, I was curious and asked one of the parents there. "What's up with dragging the driver?"

The parent told me the kids had been coached to do that. When asked why I was told that dragging the driver to the teebox covers the face in dew. The idea being the wet driver face will reduce spin off the face. 

"Does that actually work?" I asked.
"No idea, but they've been told to do it." 

A million things went through my mind. 
Firstly, Is that legal? 
Secondly, if its not legal, what kind of coach teaches middle schoolers to break the rules? I would think at middle school level you are just trying to get them to enjoy the game and play by the rules. 

 

I found that very interesting.  I'll defer to the rules guys on here but I can't think of anything in the rules saying you need to dry your clubface if it is naturally wet.  I suppose you couldn't use a spray bottle of water any more than you can use vaseline, WD40 or 10W40.

[mcanadiens]

27 minutes ago, ChetlovesMer said:

The idea being the wet driver face will reduce spin off the face. 

Looks be damned.

I'm doing it next time.

 

 

[iacas]

44 minutes ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Firstly, Is that legal?

No, it is not legal.

See also: 4.1a(3).

[ChetlovesMer]

Just now, iacas said:

No, it is not legal.

That's what I assumed.

I was like "WTF, these are middle school kids!"

What kind of message is that sending? 

[pganapathy]

This is one of those more complicated situations.  Deliberately wetting the club face is against the rules.  However, not cleaning the grooves on an iron face so you get more distance is bending the rules, but not breaking it.  Essentially you shouldn't deliberately do anything like that.  Though doing something, like leaving dirty grooves, is against the spirit of it too

[Shindig]

3 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Secondly, if its not legal, what kind of coach teaches middle schoolers to break the rules? I would think at middle school level you are just trying to get them to enjoy the game and play by the rules. 

Not sure about middle schoolers, but I found out at some point early in my golf playing that the high school I went to was notorious for cheating at golf.  Supposedly the coach had players cut a hole in a pocket so they could drop a ball.  I didn't play in high school, but I know who the golf coach was when I was there and it wouldn't surprise me if he did that.

2 hours ago, pganapathy said:

This is one of those more complicated situations.  Deliberately wetting the club face is against the rules.  However, not cleaning the grooves on an iron face so you get more distance is bending the rules, but not breaking it.  Essentially you shouldn't deliberately do anything like that.  Though doing something, like leaving dirty grooves, is against the spirit of it too

I didn't realize there was a reason to not clean one's clubs.  After a shot, I'll almost always wet then dry the face of a club, and I'll check if a face is clean before I hit and will give it a quick wiping before hitting if I think it needs it.  I thought that I did was far more common practice. 

[imsys0042]

There is someone at my club who has been noticed putting Vaseline or chap stick on his driver to reduce spin.   The person who told me said that they were told not to do it if money was on the line.   So I guess it’s a thing.