Medicus Driver – Is the Medicus Driver a legal golf club?

The Medicus Driver is the best selling golf training aid in history. The Medicus Driver, along with the Medicus 5-iron and Medicus 7-iron have a huge following among all golfers, both amateur and professional. The fact that they are golf swing trainers gives them even more appeal when compared to other golf training aids.

Over the years, I have seen many golfers use Medicus golf clubs on the driving range. I’ve even seen golfers pull out their Medicus Driver as a way to improve their swing on the golf course while waiting to hit their next tee shot. However, many golfers ask, “Is it legal to carry any of the Medicus double-hinged clubs in your golf bag?”

In a word, the answer is NO. Let me repeat myself, the answer is NO. Medicus double-hinged golf clubs are not legal for use during a round of golf, per USGA rules of golf.

As we’ve seen so far in 2010, knowing the rules of golf is important. 2010 has been an atypical year in golf. With Tiger out of the game this year, it seems the entire golf world has been turned upside down. This year has been the year of rule violations. In fact, there have been several notable violations of the rules in the last year alone.

In the past year, we have seen a shocking lack of judgment on the part of many well-known professional and amateur golfers. Notable rule violations this year alone include:

1. Dustin Johnson grounding his club in a “sand trap,” drawing a two-stroke penalty. This caused him to miss the PGA Championship playoff at Whistling Straits.

2. Jim Furyk didn’t wake up because his cell phone battery died and he missed his start time for the Barclays Pro-Am. The result was disqualification from the tournament.

3. Julie Inkster using a weighted donut during the LPGA Safeway Classic. This sanction resulted in disqualification.

4. Jerry Rice (NFL Hall of Famer) had his caddy use a rangefinder during a National Tournament. The result – You guessed it, disqualification from the tournament.

While the infractions of Dustin Johnson and Jim Furyk were talked about more at the water cooler, for our purposes, the two examples of rule infractions that apply to the Medicus are the disqualifications of Julie Inkster and Jerry Rice.

LPGA Hall of Famer Julie Inkster was disqualified from the LPGA Safeway Classic for using a weighted donut in her 9-iron to keep herself loose, as there was a 30-minute wait on the 10th hole. Using the donut Weighted is fine if you’re playing on a Sunday with your friends. We have all been there. You’re in a groove, you feel good, and then you get stuck in a traffic jam of golf carts, usually on a par 3. You want to stay loose, keep that groove. However, when you play in a tournament, the USGA Rules of Golf are in full effect. Remember, if you are playing in a tournament, you must read the rules.

So what makes the Medicus Driver an illegal golf club? The Medicus driver, Medicus 5-iron, and Medicus 7-iron violate USGA rule 14-3. Rule 14-3: Artificial Devices, Unusual Equipment and Unusual Use of Equipment specifies that the penalty for breaking this rule is not one or two strokes. The sanction is disqualification.

To read the full rule, visit the official USGA website here: http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules-of-Golf/Rule-14/#14-3

The basic language of the rule is that if you are using anything to gain an advantage on the golf course, other than USGA-approved golf equipment, you are likely using equipment that violates the rules.

Professionals aren’t the only ones who break the rules. Earlier this year, Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice was disqualified from a Nationwide tournament when his caddy used a rangefinder to measure yardage. This was also a breach of Rule 14-3.

While yardage books are allowed, rangefinders are not. The same is true for new GPS devices and smartphone apps. Using any of these will disqualify you under rule 14-3. So what can we do as amateur golfers to learn from these high-profile mistakes? The first thing you need to do is familiarize yourself with the rules of golf. Remember, while many training aids are designed to help the weekend golfer improve his or her scores, keep in mind that many are not legal to use on the golf course. This is according to the rules established by the USGA. This means that use of any of the Medicus Double Hinge Swing Trainers while on the course is a rule violation, resulting in disqualification.

So you don’t want to become dependent on training aids and other devices while on the golf course. Training aids are for practice, not actual rounds of golf. I am a firm believer in using training aids especially Medicus Driver as it has helped improve my scores immensely. But training aids have a time and a place. That time and place is on the driving range and in your backyard. You don’t want to use training aids during a round of golf. Basically, it’s cheating, even if you feel like you don’t really get any kind of distinct advantage by doing it. Also, make sure any equipment you use is approved by the USGA for use on the golf course. The Medicus also has weighted swing trainers, and all of those are illegal clubs, too, except for the Power Maximus L-Wedge, which has been approved by the USGA for use on the golf course.

When you play with your home group, do any of them really care that you’re breaking the rules by using a Medicus, a rangefinder, or some other training aid? Probably not. But you must remember this rule when you play in a tournament. Your tournament partners won’t be as forgiving as your usual quartet. This is especially true if you end up in the money. Leave your Medicus and any other training aids at home, otherwise you may fall into old habits and use the training aid during the tournament, violating USGA Rule 14-3. If you throw your Medicus Driver in your golf bag but never use it, you may be in violation of another USGA rule.

Having an extra club in your bag would violate USGA rule 4-4: Maximum of 14 clubs. The penalty for carrying an extra club in the bag is also disqualification.

To read the 14 Club rule, click this link: http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules-of-Golf/Rule-04/#4-4

Do yourself a favor when playing in a tournament, especially if money is involved, leave your golf training aids at home. When it comes to tournaments, just remember, training aids are a big NO-NO!

For more tips and information on Medicus training aids, including the Medicus Driver, see the links below.