“I never like it going backward” – Michael Block says the golf ball rollback will be like giving ‘Little League kids a wooden bat’

Michael Block recently said that he is not a fan of the newly introduced golf ball rollback rule, terming it as 'going backward'. He insists that the focus should be on limiting the thickness of the drivers instead.

Block, who became one of the biggest sensations of 2023, was recently on the Country Club Adjacent podcast, hosted by Jake Adams, Griff Pippin, and Aristotle Georgeson (aka Blake Webber). Last month, the USGA and R&A announced the golf ball rollback rule to control hitting distances. On being asked about his opinion on the golf ball rollback, Block expressed his disappointment over the recent ruling.

He said:

"I'm bummed out. I never like it going backward. that's too bad. It'd be like giving Little League kids a wooden bat. They must have some serious reasons for it. But I mean why don't we just limit it now, just quit making them faster.

"I think we're at the peak level right now with how thin a driver face can be. We're at the peak where how far a golf ball can go. Let's just not allow him to go any further than that, than they are now and just end it. But I guess their RNA and USG have decided not to."

He also mentioned that the ruling would financially affect golf ball manufacturers as well.

As per the new proposal, the golf ball will only be passed if it does not go beyond 317 yards after being struck at a swing speed of 125 mph (five more than earlier) by a robot. Besides, the launch angle will be revised from 2520 rpm and 10 degrees to 2200 rpm and 11 degrees, respectively.

The golf ball rollback proposal has received criticism from players like Justin Thomas, Bryson DeChambeau, and more recently, Michael Block. However, World No. 2 Rory McIlroy had come out in support of the proposal. He said it would not make any change to the average golfer, and instead, it was bringing the game back on a path of sustainability. He added that it would also bring certain skills back into the game that have disappeared over the past 20 years.

Block was quoted as saying by Golf.com:

"The people who are upset about this decision shouldn’t be mad at the governing bodies, they should be mad at elite pros and club/ball manufacturers because they didn’t want bifurcation. The governing bodies presented us with that option earlier this year.

"Elite pros and ball manufacturers think bifurcation would negatively affect their bottom lines, when in reality, the game is already bifurcated. You think we play the same stuff you do? They put pressure on the governing bodies to roll it back to a lesser degree for everyone. Bifurcation was the logical answer for everyone, but yet again in this game, money talks."

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How was the 2022–23 season for Michael Block?

Last year was life-changing for club pro Michael Block as he shot to fame after his T15 finish at the PGA Championship. This was his best-ever performance in a major championship. He also made an ace in the final round while being paired alongside Rory McIlroy.

However, this was Block's only memorable performance last year. He couldn't make a cut in any other PGA Tour start for the rest of the year. His last appearance was at the ISPS Handa Australian Open, where he made the cut and finished T27.