Britt, I have enjoyed numerous Maltby driver models since the Tricept series. My question, at what point did design make ball speed performance improve? What years and models improved that and by what amount? Thanks! Michael
We have always produced our drivers to be conforming, but right up to the limit of what the USGA has allowed. From a ball speed standpoint, that testing has not changed for a long time, although the USGA has now put new “tolerances” on the CT allowance (COR). Up to 2021, the limit on the Characteristic Time measurement was 239 micro seconds with a 17 microsecond tolerance to the upside. So, anything under 256 would be considered conforming. However, you get a warning letter if you fall in that zone from 240 to 256. ALL manufacturers target the mid 240’s, so 245 CT would be a good number. Understand, the difference in ball speed on distance realized between a 239 and a 245 would be in inches, not yards. In COR terms, if the old limit was 830 COR and increased it to 840, mathematically it would translate into approx. a 1 yard increase. My point is we kind of get into splitting hairs with regards to the CT number. What the USGA has proposed is that the 239 CT number remains, but is only going to allow a +6 CT tolerance, I believe. So the absolute max will be 245, meaning our target will fall back closer to the 239 number.
So, to more directly answer your question, at least from our products standpoint, the CT number, or ball speed off the face has been consistently as high as we could make it as long as the current methods of measurement have been in play. Our CT 250 from 2004 had the same ball speed off the face as our latest drivers. That is true for ALL manufacturers that have produced drivers during this era. That is why I have always said that all modern drivers are the same off the face. If we isolate just the ball speed measurements off the face, the variances between all modern drivers would be minimal. Still, a player might find a particular driver that does work better for them, based on adjustment capabilities, shaft, fit, etc. You just can’t contribute any distance gain from one driver to another (again comparing top end, name brand products) to JUST the ball speed off the face.
Britt Lindsey
I would say once everyone went to 450-460 cc heads, that’s the last time I think you would have have seen a performance jump and that is mainly because of the increased MOI and improvement on of center hits.
Britt Lindsey
Thank you, Britt.
Another fine, detailed explanation. It is as I suspected, no real difference in performance in drivers going back a good while.
My all-time favorite driver is the Maltby Tricept PFT 10.5* with Grafalloy ProLite 35 S. I’ve enjoyed numerous other heads and shafts, but this one is my go to!