Golfers on the PGA Tour (and elsewhere) hit the ball farther than ever. I agree. I'd be a fool not to, of course.
Geoff Shackelford, and others, all want to blame the golf ball. They overlook, frequently, several factors, including:
Launch monitors allow us to optimize launch.
Players are more fit now.
Drivers are bigger and more forgiving.
Drivers are longer.
Drivers are lighter.
Players understand the value of distance over "hitting fairways."
The last several items lead to this: players are swinging their drivers significantly faster than they