When Equipment Has Gone Too Far

[mahonie]

Tiger was second in driving distance in 2000 at 299 yards. That would place him at 65th accirding to the stats for this year. Just an indication of how quickly things are moving on.

[Bye]

Tiger was second in driving distance in 2000 at 299 yards. That would place him at 65th accirding to the stats for this year. Just an indication of how quickly things are moving on.

 

Go back a bit further John Daly topped the driving chart in 1992. He would be 160th on the 2017 season. The second longest that year would have been the 7th shortest on tour in 2017.

 

25 years.

 

 

[Wriggles]

Most of the old guys that say "I hit the ball as far as I did when I was 20" are right. Myself included, but I attribute very little to the equipment. Back when I was young, I had a terrible slice which probably cost me 50 yards on average, and a lot of OB penalties. Even with the earliest new and improved titanium stuff, my driving distance was behind guys in their sixties. Was really depressing to be outdriven by the old guys.

 

Then, I got old, and the decreased swing speed, and more concentration on hitting the ball smoothly, and not trying to kill it, resulted in longer, straighter drives than when I was young. I used to get depressed at less than 200 yard drives, when I was in my 20's and 30's. I now have around a 200-220 or so carry, with any driver. Maybe 5-10 yards more than an ancient wooden wood.

 

Course condition is the key. Hard, concrete fairways in the dry summer can sometimes roll 250+. Wet soggy fairways, no roll, just the 200 carry. The pros play on groomed courses, designed for maximum roll and distance. The viewers want to see 300+ off the tees, and the manufacturers want to sell $500 drivers.

 

The goat tract I play isn't the same game, even with a $500 driver.

[bladehunter]

Oh come on guys. We all know they are hitting it same now as 20 years ago. Lol.

[pinestreetgolf]

Tiger was second in driving distance in 2000 at 299 yards. That would place him at 65th accirding to the stats for this year. Just an indication of how quickly things are moving on.

 

Right, but that also doesn't mean its the equipment. NFL players are WAY faster than they were in even 1999 but they're not using bionic legs. Its nutrition and training combined with higher prize purses (so better athletes choose golf over other sports now when before they never chose golf).

 

This whole thread assumes the distance gain is due to equipment and I'm not sure you've made that case very well. Trackman, nutrition and fitness are 90% IMO. Otherwise why do we see such huge improvement in speed in sports that don't even use equipment now as compared to 1990?

 

If swing speeds were the same and distance much larger, then you could conclude it was equipment - more distance, same speed. But that isn't what is happening. DJ's speed is off the charts compared to Tom Weiskompf's speed. Given his speed is so much faster, that doesn't point to equipment and certainly not the driver head.

[North Butte]

Tiger was second in driving distance in 2000 at 299 yards. That would place him at 65th accirding to the stats for this year. Just an indication of how quickly things are moving on.

 

Right, but that also doesn't mean its the equipment. NFL players are WAY faster than they were in even 1999 but they're not using bionic legs. Its nutrition and training combined with higher prize purses (so better athletes choose golf over other sports now when before they never chose golf).

 

This whole thread assumes the distance gain is due to equipment and I'm not sure you've made that case very well. Trackman, nutrition and fitness are 90% IMO. Otherwise why do we see such huge improvement in speed in sports that don't even use equipment now as compared to 1990?

 

If swing speeds were the same and distance much larger, then you could conclude it was equipment - more distance, same speed. But that isn't what is happening. DJ's speed is off the charts compared to Tom Weiskompf's speed. Given his speed is so much faster, that doesn't point to equipment and certainly not the driver head.

 

Right. So what we need to do is find some equipment that will force DJ to swing no faster than guys did 30 years ago. Can't have someone showing off his strength and speed on a golf course, golf is all about finesse, guile, control and drawing pretty pictures in the air.

[ChronicSlicer]

All sports has been improved with technology, or at least changed by it, and that's just the way life is.

 

How has basketball been influenced by technology in the last 50 years or baseball? All I can think of is padding in a baseball glove might be a little better now? And steroid use I guess.

I suppose you use Hickory shafts? Balata balls? etc

 

No sir, Cobra F6 Irons, and whatever reasonably priced "soft" ball is available. I was simply asking a question, do you have an answer?

[new2g0lf]

All sports has been improved with technology, or at least changed by it, and that's just the way life is.

 

How has basketball been influenced by technology in the last 50 years or baseball? All I can think of is padding in a baseball glove might be a little better now? And steroid use I guess.

 

Wood bats have been greatly enhanced since the 60's and 70's. Wood bats are optimized and customized for individuals, weight, handle thickness, wood type. Take a look at baseball gloves, they are bigger, better webbings, better fit and come broken in. Consider Sabermetrics which provides them batters and pitchers information about tendencies and how to shift the defense. Ball park design, fields are designed to give the home team the most advantage based on their style of play.

 

Golf utilizes more equipment than most of the other major sports so you're not going to see the same impact but they are there.

[hybrid25]

Tiger was second in driving distance in 2000 at 299 yards. That would place him at 65th accirding to the stats for this year. Just an indication of how quickly things are moving on.

 

Go back a bit further John Daly topped the driving chart in 1992. He would be 160th on the 2017 season. The second longest that year would have been the 7th shortest on tour in 2017.

 

25 years.

I think it has more to do with the players conditioning today. Think back years ago when many of the golfers were very lanky and not very muscular. Now they are often fine-tune machines on workout regimens that make them very golf physically fit. Dustin Johnson is a perfect example. He is not only long and lanky, but he is very strong compared to Golfers back 25 years ago. There's only so much equipment can do for a player, you have to swing the club. Some in here think that you could hand a person without any golf experience today's irons and all of a sudden they be shooting scratch golf. This just isn't true, it takes personal dedication and practice no matter what clubs you are using.

[ChronicSlicer]

All sports has been improved with technology, or at least changed by it, and that's just the way life is.

 

How has basketball been influenced by technology in the last 50 years or baseball? All I can think of is padding in a baseball glove might be a little better now? And steroid use I guess.

 

Wood bats have been greatly enhanced since the 60's and 70's. Wood bats are optimized and customized for individuals, weight, handle thickness, wood type.

 

Call it optimized if you want, but at the end of the day the bat today is the same bat as in 1970.

[hybrid25]

All sports has been improved with technology, or at least changed by it, and that's just the way life is.

 

How has basketball been influenced by technology in the last 50 years or baseball? All I can think of is padding in a baseball glove might be a little better now? And steroid use I guess.

 

Wood bats have been greatly enhanced since the 60's and 70's. Wood bats are optimized and customized for individuals, weight, handle thickness, wood type.

 

Call it optimized if you want, but at the end of the day the bat today is the same bat as in 1970.

no, they are fine tune for each particular player, and that is just one item in the game of baseball that has been technologically advanced. Spike's, gloves, sunglasses, training facilities, the baseball itself, the stadium and field, etc. I think people have to get over it the fact that technology is changing all sports with better equipment.

[Shilgy]

All sports has been improved with technology, or at least changed by it, and that's just the way life is.

 

How has basketball been influenced by technology in the last 50 years or baseball? All I can think of is padding in a baseball glove might be a little better now? And steroid use I guess.

 

Wood bats have been greatly enhanced since the 60's and 70's. Wood bats are optimized and customized for individuals, weight, handle thickness, wood type. Take a look at baseball gloves, they are bigger, better webbings, better fit and come broken in. Consider Sabermetrics which provides them batters and pitchers information about tendencies and how to shift the defense. Ball park design, fields are designed to give the home team the most advantage based on their style of play.

 

Golf utilizes more equipment than most of the other major sports so you're not going to see the same impact but they are there.

Way beyond that in baseball. They now use Trackman and measure everything. Spin rate of various pitches, pitch velocity of course, bat speed, exit velocity. I recall a player-Kris Bryant of the Cubs iirc- that changed his swing a few degrees to swing more up-just like in golf to get more bat speed and ball carry.

[JoeJoeJoeUrBoat]

The winners of professional tournaments don't win because of the clubs. DJ could have used his old M2 and won, he was hitting the ball amazing.

 

Does the M4 give him more confidence on off centred hits? Sure. Did that win him the tournament? No.

 

The best will always win. Nothing beats talent AND hard work which is DJ's game right now.

 

Twist face won't hurt his game because he hits middle a lot more than the average golfer. Will it hurt a high handicapper that's always hitting the toe? Sure, because when they hit anything but the M4 they won't get the same result. However, being punished after every bad shot is what detracts people from golf. The easier the game the better. Nobody is dropping 10 strokes a round because of twist face, but if it can help Joe Blow hit a couple more fairways on terrible misses then why not?

 

The game is hard enough already, the mentality that everyone should hit blades to become better ball strikers is ridiculous. Some people just can't find the middle of the club. Does that mean they don't deserve to enjoy the game the way others with more skill do?

 

In a tournament situation ? Absolutely yes they do not deserve to enjoy the same game as the guy who hits the center.

 

It's thoughts like these that remind me why the game of golf is slowly dying. Sorry, that's a piss poor mentality to have.

[North Butte]

It just amazes me that in sports where the object of the game is to hit a ball with a stick and hit it a long way, some people find it impossible to believe each generation of players actually find ways to hit the ball farther.

 

Golfers didn't adopt the ProV1 or the Titanium driver because they wanted to get exactly the same performance from different equipment. The whole point was to find ways to hit it higher, farther, straighter.

[Bye]

Tiger was second in driving distance in 2000 at 299 yards. That would place him at 65th accirding to the stats for this year. Just an indication of how quickly things are moving on.

 

Go back a bit further John Daly topped the driving chart in 1992. He would be 160th on the 2017 season. The second longest that year would have been the 7th shortest on tour in 2017.

 

25 years.

I think it has more to do with the players conditioning today. Think back years ago when many of the golfers were very lanky and not very muscular. Now they are often fine-tune machines on workout regimens that make them very golf physically fit. Dustin Johnson is a perfect example. He is not only long and lanky, but he is very strong compared to Golfers back 25 years ago. There's only so much equipment can do for a player, you have to swing the club. Some in here think that you could hand a person without any golf experience today's irons and all of a sudden they be shooting scratch golf. This just isn't true, it takes personal dedication and practice no matter what clubs you are using.

 

It's not just the clubs it's, conditioning, coaching & technique changes using force plates and launch monitors, course conditions etc.

 

The modern clubs do allow players to swing harder. I was listening to an ex Europen Tour player a few months ago talking about how long some of the younger players will be able to play for due to injuries because of this. Hopefully they stay fit.

 

I also know first hand that my carry distances the same as they were 20 years ago even with an extra 30lbs of weight, a bad back and a slower swing.

 

 

[Bye]

It just amazes me that in sports where the object of the game is to hit a ball with a stick and hit it a long way, some people find it impossible to believe each generation of players actually find ways to hit the ball farther.

 

Golfers didn't adopt the ProV1 or the Titanium driver because they wanted to get exactly the same performance from different equipment. The whole point was to find ways to hit it higher, farther, straighter.

 

But when does it stop? When it's a par 3 contest?

[North Butte]

Well golf is a game that can be enjoyed for a lifetime, assuming you are lucky enough not to have debilitating health problems as you get older. The fact that modern clubs are lighter, easier to swing, easier to get distance with and less bone-jarring on mishits is a plus for those of us hoping to play as long as Gene Sarazen.

 

It may well be that golf as a televised entertainment, competitions among elite athletes at the highest level, turns into a typical big-time sport that tends to use up an athlete's body by the time he's in his 30's. Almost every other sport is that way at the elite level, golf seems headed in the same direction.

 

I don't see a problem with that but I'm someone who came to golf as a personal activity, not something to watch on TV.

[JoeJoeJoeUrBoat]

The golf industry has changed in regards to the "how do I get better?" question.

 

It's not about learning the fundamentals and hitting straight shots. It's about bombing the ball out there with your new driver. Then smashing one onto the green in 2 with your 3 wood. Then using the latest putting groove technology to roll the ball in perfectly straight on an off centred hit.

[North Butte]

It just amazes me that in sports where the object of the game is to hit a ball with a stick and hit it a long way, some people find it impossible to believe each generation of players actually find ways to hit the ball farther.

 

Golfers didn't adopt the ProV1 or the Titanium driver because they wanted to get exactly the same performance from different equipment. The whole point was to find ways to hit it higher, farther, straighter.

 

But when does it stop? When it's a par 3 contest?

 

Who knows? It's nowhere near a "Par 3 contest" now but I wouldn't venture to guess what the televised version of the game looks like in 20-30 years. If it gets uninteresting, people will quit watching and it will either change or go away.

 

Not something that much worries me either way. I'd rather watch a decent soccer game or NFL game than any golf tournament if I'm at home watching TV.

[North Butte]

The golf industry has changed in regards to the "how do I get better?" question.

 

It's not about learning the fundamentals and hitting straight shots. It's about bombing the ball out there with your new driver. Then smashing one onto the green in 2 with your 3 wood. Then using the latest putting technology to roll the ball in perfectly.

 

Bull.

 

You have to have good fundamentals to be able to "bomb it". And you sure as heck have to be a able to hit straight shots. Have you ever stopped to think how accurate a 320-yard drive has to be in order for the player to even find the ball to hit the next shot?

 

Go stand 1/4 mile away from a street sign. Notice how small it looks from that distance? Now imagine hitting a ball down that street so perfectly that it roll right up to the base of the sign. That's basically what DJ did on his near-ace.

[hybrid25]

The golf industry has changed in regards to the "how do I get better?" question.

 

It's not about learning the fundamentals and hitting straight shots. It's about bombing the ball out there with your new driver. Then smashing one onto the green in 2 with your 3 wood. Then using the latest putting groove technology to roll the ball in perfectly straight on an off centred hit.

it's about learning the fundamentals of golf and bettering your game with technique and practice. The latest and greatest technology alone will not allow a golfer to perform well.

[chisag]

Tiger was second in driving distance in 2000 at 299 yards. That would place him at 65th accirding to the stats for this year. Just an indication of how quickly things are moving on.

 

Go back a bit further John Daly topped the driving chart in 1992. He would be 160th on the 2017 season. The second longest that year would have been the 7th shortest on tour in 2017.

 

25 years.

I think it has more to do with the players conditioning today. Think back years ago when many of the golfers were very lanky and not very muscular. Now they are often fine-tune machines on workout regimens that make them very golf physically fit. Dustin Johnson is a perfect example. He is not only long and lanky, but he is very strong compared to Golfers back 25 years ago. There's only so much equipment can do for a player, you have to swing the club. Some in here think that you could hand a person without any golf experience today's irons and all of a sudden they be shooting scratch golf. This just isn't true, it takes personal dedication and practice no matter what clubs you are using.

 

 

... While being in better shape would obviously help anyone play better, I am not sure it would have helped as much with the old equipment. It just wasn't a power game for more than a handful of players. A very short hitting Corey Pavin could win any given week back then and did 15 times, but could not win today. The game has changed and taking advantage of todays equipment means being in the best shape possible. Todays game is a power game and the best athletes in the world have maximized their abilities to hit to far and straight. But they won't win anything unless they combine that poe with touch, shot making ability, mental toughness and good if not great putting on much more difficult greens. Us old school golfers keep saying we had to hit it straight first because the ball was much harder to control and virtually nobody hit a straight ball, we moved it one way on purpose because the ball was going to move. Maybe only 5 yds but hitting straight shot was deemed to be just about impossible. Those were the realities of what golf was like and players molded their games to fit the equipment. Same as they do today.

 

... Today's golfer must play with power and distance or they cannot compete. Anyone that says one is harder than the other is just being obtuse. They are just different and as many have said, nobody is picking up these new clubs and playing at a scratch level. I use my son as an example again and at age 26 he has gown up with clubs designed for him because I made sure he had the right clubs. Carried his driver 290 but was crazy wild and rarely used a driver his first 2 years playing, teeing off with a 5 iron and limiting his tee shots to around 240. I finally put a Nunchuk in a Fly Z and he started to control the ball better and keep it in the fairway instead of a low hook followed by a towering slice. My point being, he was not much different in his first 2 years with a 460cc driver than I was my first 2 years with a McGregor M85. He just hit it further poorly. Watching him attack the game with passion these last 2 years has been fun and interesting because he still hasn't broken 90, although he has been right on that number 3 times. This is a superior athlete at 6'3" and 240 lbs that played DE in college and was offered a contract to play in the NFL and turned it down. Being in the best physical condition has helped him carry his driver over 300 on occasion but he still has to chip and putt, not short side himself with iron shots and putt well. So the game is not easier for him with the new equipment than it was for me both the old equipment, it is just different with different challenges.

 

... Now I can make the argument that it is easier for a beginner to get the ball around the golf course in a lot less strokes than they would have with balata/persimmon. They are getting the ball in the air much easier and curving it less immediately. But the aspect of getting really good at the game is still the same. Bad swings still produce bad shots because they are swinging harder and hitting it further. It is just as difficult today to shoot par as it was back then, just different. Us old timers can talk til we are blue in the face but players in their 20's don't care about persimmon/balata anymore than we cared about hickory shafts and teeing the ball on a mound of dirt.

[North Butte]

The weird thing is that (supposedly) there was ever a time when being stronger, faster, with better technique and conditioning was NOT an advantage in golf played at the highest levels. I'm not buying that it was ever the case (not in my lifetime, anyway) but if such a strange situation did obtain, it's certainly no wonder that the equipment was improved to eliminate that issue.

[Bye]

It just amazes me that in sports where the object of the game is to hit a ball with a stick and hit it a long way, some people find it impossible to believe each generation of players actually find ways to hit the ball farther.

 

Golfers didn't adopt the ProV1 or the Titanium driver because they wanted to get exactly the same performance from different equipment. The whole point was to find ways to hit it higher, farther, straighter.

 

But when does it stop? When it's a par 3 contest?

 

Who knows? It's nowhere near a "Par 3 contest" now but I wouldn't venture to guess what the televised version of the game looks like in 20-30 years. If it gets uninteresting, people will quit watching and it will either change or go away.

 

Not something that much worries me either way. I'd rather watch a decent soccer game or NFL game than any golf tournament if I'm at home watching TV.

 

No,it's a more of a drive pitch and put at the moment.

 

I have stopped watching it, as for me it has become dull.

 

What ever is decided one group will be annoyed about it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bye]

Tiger was second in driving distance in 2000 at 299 yards. That would place him at 65th accirding to the stats for this year. Just an indication of how quickly things are moving on.

 

Go back a bit further John Daly topped the driving chart in 1992. He would be 160th on the 2017 season. The second longest that year would have been the 7th shortest on tour in 2017.

 

25 years.

I think it has more to do with the players conditioning today. Think back years ago when many of the golfers were very lanky and not very muscular. Now they are often fine-tune machines on workout regimens that make them very golf physically fit. Dustin Johnson is a perfect example. He is not only long and lanky, but he is very strong compared to Golfers back 25 years ago. There's only so much equipment can do for a player, you have to swing the club. Some in here think that you could hand a person without any golf experience today's irons and all of a sudden they be shooting scratch golf. This just isn't true, it takes personal dedication and practice no matter what clubs you are using.

 

 

... While being in better shape would obviously help anyone play better, I am not sure it would have helped as much with the old equipment. It just wasn't a power game for more than a handful of players. A very short hitting Corey Pavin could win any given week back then and did 15 times, but could not win today. The game has changed and taking advantage of todays equipment means being in the best shape possible. Todays game is a power game and the best athletes in the world have maximized their abilities to hit to far and straight. But they won't win anything unless they combine that poe with touch, shot making ability, mental toughness and good if not great putting on much more difficult greens. Us old school golfers keep saying we had to hit it straight first because the ball was much harder to control and virtually nobody hit a straight ball, we moved it one way on purpose because the ball was going to move. Maybe only 5 yds but hitting straight shot was deemed to be just about impossible. Those were the realities of what golf was like and players molded their games to fit the equipment. Same as they do today.

 

... Today's golfer must play with power and distance or they cannot compete. Anyone that says one is harder than the other is just being obtuse. They are just different and as many have said, nobody is picking up these new clubs and playing at a scratch level. I use my son as an example again and at age 26 he has gown up with clubs designed for him because I made sure he had the right clubs. Carried his driver 290 but was crazy wild and rarely used a driver his first 2 years playing, teeing off with a 5 iron and limiting his tee shots to around 240. I finally put a Nunchuk in a Fly Z and he started to control the ball better and keep it in the fairway instead of a low hook followed by a towering slice. My point being, he was not much different in his first 2 years with a 460cc driver than I was my first 2 years with a McGregor M85. He just hit it further poorly. Watching him attack the game with passion these last 2 years has been fun and interesting because he still hasn't broken 90, although he has been right on that number 3 times. This is a superior athlete at 6'3" and 240 lbs that played DE in college and was offered a contract to play in the NFL and turned it down. Being in the best physical condition has helped him carry his driver over 300 on occasion but he still has to chip and putt, not short side himself with iron shots and putt well. So the game is not easier for him with the new equipment than it was for me both the old equipment, it is just different with different challenges.

 

... Now I can make the argument that it is easier for a beginner to get the ball around the golf course in a lot less strokes than they would have with balata/persimmon. They are getting the ball in the air much easier and curving it less immediately. But the aspect of getting really good at the game is still the same. Bad swings still produce bad shots because they are swinging harder and hitting it further. It is just as difficult today to shoot par as it was back then, just different. Us old timers can talk til we are blue in the face but players in their 20's don't care about persimmon/balata anymore than we cared about hickory shafts and teeing the ball on a mound of dirt.

 

IT would be an expensive game if we had to use Balata's again.

[JoeJoeJoeUrBoat]

The golf industry has changed in regards to the "how do I get better?" question.

 

It's not about learning the fundamentals and hitting straight shots. It's about bombing the ball out there with your new driver. Then smashing one onto the green in 2 with your 3 wood. Then using the latest putting technology to roll the ball in perfectly.

 

Bull.

 

You have to have good fundamentals to be able to "bomb it". And you sure as heck have to be a able to hit straight shots. Have you ever stopped to think how accurate a 320-yard drive has to be in order for the player to even find the ball to hit the next shot?

 

Go stand 1/4 mile away from a street sign. Notice how small it looks from that distance? Now imagine hitting a ball down that street so perfectly that it roll right up to the base of the sign. That's basically what DJ did on his near-ace.

 

I agree with what you're saying. I'm saying that the marketing ploys out there are all about distance, and how you can pick up extra yards. Which campaign out there emphasizes good technique and proper hip rotation? They just want to sell clubs, and make people think by getting the latest and greatest they'll hit it further. 99/100 times its the Indian, not the bow.

 

My post is explaining how it's wrong, I'm not agreeing with what they do.

[NRJyzr]

Call it optimized if you want, but at the end of the day the bat today is the same bat as in 1970.

 

No, it really isn't. Modern bats in MLB are frequently made of a different wood, and generally lighter than what was used in times of yore, due to more information and study of what generates bat speed.

 

It's rather unlikely you'd see someone today using anything close to the weight of bat used by someone like Harmon Killebrew, as one example.

 

Edited to add: rules have changed relatively recently, bat barrels are smaller now than previously allowed.

[new2g0lf]

The golf industry has changed in regards to the "how do I get better?" question.

 

It's not about learning the fundamentals and hitting straight shots. It's about bombing the ball out there with your new driver. Then smashing one onto the green in 2 with your 3 wood. Then using the latest putting groove technology to roll the ball in perfectly straight on an off centred hit.

 

What do you consider fundamentals? The ability to bomb it means you're athletic and have mastered the fundamentals of a good golf swing. A good course tests every aspect of ones game, woods, irons, wedges, putter.

 

You're confusing what the networks broadcast during a tournament with the reality of golf. In every tournament round of professional golf there are around 9100 shots taken, you see a very small percentage of them from a very small percentage of competitors.

[Sean2]

The winners of professional tournaments don't win because of the clubs. DJ could have used his old M2 and won, he was hitting the ball amazing.

 

Does the M4 give him more confidence on off centred hits? Sure. Did that win him the tournament? No.

 

The best will always win. Nothing beats talent AND hard work which is DJ's game right now.

 

Twist face won't hurt his game because he hits middle a lot more than the average golfer. Will it hurt a high handicapper that's always hitting the toe? Sure, because when they hit anything but the M4 they won't get the same result. However, being punished after every bad shot is what detracts people from golf. The easier the game the better. Nobody is dropping 10 strokes a round because of twist face, but if it can help Joe Blow hit a couple more fairways on terrible misses then why not?

 

The game is hard enough already, the mentality that everyone should hit blades to become better ball strikers is ridiculous. Some people just can't find the middle of the club. Does that mean they don't deserve to enjoy the game the way others with more skill do?

 

I agree Joe. If equipment has gone too far, then we would all be scratch golfers and hitting 300 yard drives. As it is, over the past two decades the average golf score is approximately the same, for those that keep a HI it hasn't dropped by much, and the average drive is around 215 yards.

 

Maybe advances in equipment have helped the elite golfer, but for the recreational golfer things haven't changed all THAT much. If they have we would be seeing unprecedented improvement in the recreational golfer's game. Sure a guy can hit his 7-iron now farther than he hit is 6, or even 5, but take a look at the lofts of his equipment. The only thing that has really changed is the number on the bottom of his club.

 

A golfer can play the most advanced, most forgiving clubs on the planet, but if he doesn't have a decent swing the "latest and greatest" won't help much.

[bladehunter]

The golf industry has changed in regards to the "how do I get better?" question.

 

It's not about learning the fundamentals and hitting straight shots. It's about bombing the ball out there with your new driver. Then smashing one onto the green in 2 with your 3 wood. Then using the latest putting technology to roll the ball in perfectly.

 

Bull.

 

You have to have good fundamentals to be able to "bomb it". And you sure as heck have to be a able to hit straight shots. Have you ever stopped to think how accurate a 320-yard drive has to be in order for the player to even find the ball to hit the next shot?

 

Go stand 1/4 mile away from a street sign. Notice how small it looks from that distance? Now imagine hitting a ball down that street so perfectly that it roll right up to the base of the sign. That's basically what DJ did on his near-ace.

 

 

I don’t know. I get what you are saying. But I could name 4 low single digit handicaps that if made to hit a small driver and a set of blades would likely raise 5 shots or more in Handicap by the next revision. They have decent fundamentals as far as being able to hit a ball. But ones Driver face looks like a shotgun practice target. And the other has a chipper and a Cleveland sure out wedge. ( yips sufferer). These are less than 5 caps each. From the men’s tees. Tech is certainly helping. A lot.

 

 

Edit. That’s not to say that it’s right or wrong to force those guys to use something that hurts instead of helps. But I just can’t to with the “ tech isn’t making a difference “ argument. It is. That same tech. Even if I’m small amounts helps the top guy too. Being able to swing hard at a driver without fear is a big deal.