I’ve had my driver CT tested hundreds of times. Here’s the truth. 

The characteristic time test is a hot topic in golf right now. There won’t be many people in the world that have had their driver put through the test more than me.

When drivers are tested on the PGA Tour, they get put through what is called CT testing. This is the testing process to see if the driver is conforming or non-conforming for tournament play. 

Rory McIlroy was a big talking point at this year’s PGA Championship, but it wasn’t through brilliant play on this occasion. Instead, it was because his driver failed the CT test before play got underway on Thursday. You might think that this driver would have given Rory a competitive advantage in the event, but that’s not necessarily the case. 

I’ve competed in the World Long Drive circuit for a number of years and I have had my fair share of drivers tested. From my personal experience, the testing process isn’t long, I find it takes around five minutes at most. There’s over 100 competitors in these events, so it can be done in large quantities.

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So, how does the CT driver test actually work?

Essentially, you have a vice which locks the driver in place. Then, a metal ball attached to a pendulum hits the face, which delivers a measurement on how long the ball stays on the face.

This reading is what will determine if the face is conforming or non-conforming. Your driver will be measured based on the flex of the driver face and how long the ball spends on the face.

The limit for this is measured in microseconds, with 239 microseconds being the maximum time allowed. If your driver reading is over this, then your driver will fail, because the driver is too hot. 

To some extent, you can argue that the ball will be faster off the driver face and the golfer will gain an advantage. You might think that, but it’s not always true. 

When I hit drivers I always look at numbers on Trackman. I look at ball speed and spin, which are the two main factors for performance with the club.

If a driver started to produce faster ball speeds, you could tell it was starting to get hotter. But, that would often go hand-in-hand with a drop in spin, which isn’t always a positive. That usually means the face has flattened, which leads to less forgiveness. Your driver might be fast, but it’s not going to give you the same forgiveness on mishits.

You will always get hot spots in a driver, but do they add an advantage if you can hit the middle? Maybe, but the spin will be lower, and you’ll also see inconsistency in flight, launch and spin. 

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For the people that have accused Rory McIlroy of cheating, when the numbers on Trackman have been the same all year when he’s practising, you don’t really know what you’re talking about. 

His driver could have been conforming at the start of the week, but that could change after just a dozen or so hits on the range, especially at Rory’s high speeds. 

In my opinion, the whole field should have their drivers tested before each professional event. If the capabilities are there to test a third of the biggest professional event in golf, it should be possible to test everyone to level the playing field.

Regardless, it’s important to remember that if a driver does fail the CT test, it doesn’t mean it’s any better than a driver that passes. That driver could drop in spin and become less forgiving and that’s not a combination any of us want.

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James Tait is bunkered’s Gear Editor. Want to know how the latest Callaway driver, Vokey wedge or Scotty Cameron putter performs? He’s the guy to ask. Better yet, just watch his videos on the bunkered YouTube channel. One of the biggest hitters in the UK, James also competes on the World Long Drive circuit and is a descendent of former Amateur champion Freddie Tait.

Gear Editor