Big-headed drivers make players sloppy according to Watson

Five-time Open champion Tom Watson believes that using ultra-forgiving big-headed drivers can make golfers sloppy.

A change back to smaller-headed drivers was one of three ways that the American said he would change the current equipment.

“If I were commissioner for a day or if I were commissioner for ten years, I would do three things; I would roll the golf ball back ten percent. The golf ball, we’ve exceeded the distance it should be going.

“I’d get rid of square grooves, and they’re going to do that in the States (and worldwide from January 1 2009). And the other thing is I would reduce the size of the head of the driver, say you can’t have it 460; you can have it 240 or 250, and that’s it.

“Has anybody here taken an old persimmon head driver and hit it recently? I couldn’t hit the sweet spot if it saved my butt. No way I could hit the sweet spot.

“They have hat big old thing like that (indicating), and you swing it as hard as you can, and if you mis-hit it off centre it still goes out there. It makes you sloppy. The big-headed clubs make you a little sloppy.”