The golf ball that made golfers too good
Golf’s distance debate, explained.
Subscribe and turn on notifications đ so you don’t miss any videos: http://goo.gl/0bsAjO
These days, pro golfers are hitting the ball far. Really far. And it’s creating a problem: because modern golfers can reach the hole with fewer shots than before, older courses — like Augusta National Golf Club, Oakmont Country Club, and others — are becoming obsolete. Now, professional organizations, like the United States Golf Association, are struggling to find a solution for big powerful golfers like Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, and Tiger Woods. While the jump in distance is due to lots of factors, conversation is centering on the controversial possibility of redesigning the golf ball to reduce distance. It’d be the latest turn in the ball’s long history: Golf balls have evolved from “featheries,” to gutties, to balata balls, and eventually dimpled modern balls. But the biggest, and most recent change? The almost-instantaneous switch from wound balls to solid core multilayer balls like the Titleist Pro V1.
A previous version of this video contained an audio glitch at 2:35. The error has been corrected.
Make sure you never miss behind the scenes content in the Vox Video newsletter, sign up here: http://vox.com/video-newsletter
Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what’s really driving the events in the headlines. Check out http://www.vox.com
Support Vox’s reporting with a one-time or recurring contribution: http://vox.com/contribute-now
Shop the Vox merch store: http://vox.com/store
Watch our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/IZONyE
Follow Vox on Facebook: http://facebook.com/vox
Follow Vox on Twitter: http://twitter.com/voxdotcom
Follow Vox on TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@voxdotcom
@Vox
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
Happy Friday everyone, thanks for watching our vidyas!
@danilobanaag1354
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
Dont know whats so hard about it. Just change the course lessening the shots needed. For example making it a par4 than a par5 hole. Or yea buying the land behind the tee and push it farther đ
@ChrisKarlWittmer
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
âOakmont is being overpowered by playersâ – I have never heard a sentence farther from the truth đđđ
@TJMicale
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
The Oakmont comment in the video after the 2025 is actually hilarious
@Jspeer512
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
When you first asked what gutties were made of I was like.. uh gutters?
@davidlong6796
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
Its almost like equipment got better, and Tiger forced his competition to up their game…
@cristianramirez430
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
Make them play irons only on some holes .
@johnvogel3536
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
Driver headâs being the size of an infant now helps
@samstedman409
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
I donât normally play Pro V1X but I keep a few in my bag in case thereâs a technical hole that Iâd rather carry most of the way over
@MindlessYouTube
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
Even if gets to point all golfers can hit on green in 1 or 2 shots still will come down to who has best control and accuracy.
@AntonVanDerSar
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
The 2025 US Open proved that Oakmont is anything but obsolete. Only the winner was under par after 72 holes.
@andrewseifert7121
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
4:22 idk if you saw the US open this week, but regardless of the ball you play youâre gonna have a bad time.
@Steve-fx2fb
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
Everyone has the same opportunity to hit the ball far. đ
I love how multiple sports cap the game when someone is "too good".
@djdude117
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
Well that oakmont reference didnât age well lol. 2025 U.S. open showed itâs the hardest course in the countryđ
@johannbekker6175
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
Ti-de-list đ
@kevin_heslip
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
Vox is so passĂŠ
@KristianYeager
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
It is not the ball or the equipment making golfers âtooâ good! It is the golfers making themselves better!!!
@SmokeyBear-420
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
What's the deal with Balata's!? Thought this was gonna be about the elusive Balata ball. Found one on the course a few weeks ago.
@miinyyo4178
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
Just make courses longer
@awareness-mb5do
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
Just adjust the course
@bennguyen6827
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
More simple solutions, make it a Par 3 instead of Par 4…or Par 4 instead of Par 3
Watching this @ work sooo volume super low
@Clutch_Kick187
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
I don't play as much as I used to, but in the late 90's and early 2000's there was no ball that even came close to the Pro V1.. It had plenty of distance off the tee, yet was so soft, that even a moderate golfer could get bite and learn how to put spin on the heavier pitched irons.. Once I started driving and or long second shots with the Pro V1X, and using the Pro v1 for shorter holes, or around green work.. I hit 2 holes in 1, and 2 eagles in a 4yr period.. The ball is and or was that much better than anything else.. They were expensive, but so worth the cost..
@jman5258
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
So eventually we might see a hole in one on a par 5?
@itsa-itsagames
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
You should always be pushing golf to the max
@chocinspired
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
Would they also want to change the football?
@Tracer1999
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
nothing burger video
@beaubellamy2999
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
Wha? Are we going to raise the basketball rim to 12â because too many pros can dunk and theyâre making shots from too far away? Get outta here. Let the pros be awesome.
@bawbq5305
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
Just move the tee boxes back thatâs why we have them
@katlynklassen809
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
Each course needs ball rules for official records.
@michaelf3805
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
Lol at driver sound at 0:50 yet heâs hitting an iron
@noahburt2722
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
0:50 wrong sound haha
@ciaranmccormack704
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
Technology has too much influence on the game.
@Great_PatBingsoo
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
This video was a giant waste of time.
@hgriff14
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
augusta has the money to import a redwood to make that hole harder if they wanted to
@Senor.Loucas
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
Tigerđ
@newsogn5148
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
No no no no no please no!!! The only reason to limit a golfers ability to hit tanks is if they have too many viewers!
@tomretallick1719
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
I played top flite tour and strata multilayer ball before prov1 .
@RazorSharpRust
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
Bern hard longer sounds like the final boss in a golf game.
@samxyx
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
Generally I donât like rules that stifle innovation. Players are going to continually get better and hit the ball farther one way or another
@supmojo
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
@0:49 that iron shot sounded like a driver shot. Nice audio editing !!!!
@jazzcardashcam
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
0:49 must be a driving iron
@CunoThe
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
I remember when pro v1 came out. Went from driver to 5 wood for a safe 250 yard shot.
@johncassani6780
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
He didnât land âright in front of the green.â Also, none of the pros, if they hit a decent tee shot, are unable to go for the green in 2, even if they are further back than Bubba is here. This hole was 70 or 80 yards shorter up until about 25 years ago.
@tomtom9879
November 23, 2025 at 3:00 am
Just make short par 4s into par 3s. đ
Comments are closed.