PGA Tour and "Hot" Drivers

[gas_can]

I was reading ESPN yesterday and found an article likening baseball's steroid problem with PGA pros using illegal drivers as per Tiger's accusation a while back. He correlates the PGA's new voluntary testing policy with the decrease in driving distance by many of the world's top players (Daly, Kuehne, Mickelson).

What does everyone think aobut the possiblity of illegal drivers being used on tour. The author, Ron Sirak is a highly respected Associated Press writer and covers just about every major golf tournament on the planet. I think he may be reaching for a story where there isn't one.

While he does take into account that many players are switching to softer balls and conservitavely going with irons off the tee; he never mentions the fact that players like Daly and Kuehne have changed from hitting draws to fades off the tee for greater accuracy that in itself could account for the change in distance.

[iacas]

I don't particularly care for Sirak . In my experience, he's closer to a tabloid "journalist" than a real journalist.

Your opinion on draws and fades as well as Daly's playing style (he's older and more conservative, both of which tend to limit distance) are accurate and deserve a mention in a balanced piece.

Sirak, in my opinion, is not one for balanced pieces.

I think that some pros may get away with some "hot" faced drivers, but I don't think they're likely to be the elite players. They'd have very little to gain (an extra 10 yards? who cares?) and everything to lose.

[flap]

Mickelsons allready gone to a soft fade and look what happened.280 and in the fairway beats 320 and rough anyday.Of course at my age 280 in rough aint bad either!!!

[skrumple]

I think that some pga tour players do use them but not mickleson or tiger or any big names because they are so closely watched they couldnt get away with it. I know a lot of regular golfers use illegal taylor made ones from japan because they have different COR rules over there and the R7 and other drivers go a lot farther then the american ones but I couldnt use one it just wouldt feeel right.