Should the pro's be allowed to wear steel spikes?

[MCDavis]

Some comments on another thread made me wonder about this. So, should the pro's be required to wear what we wear?

 

I don't know of any courses in my area that allow steel spikes any longer.

 

I voted no.

[CowtownTexas]

The spikes are a mental thing. Those guys have such good balance that they don't really need the spikes. Sure, it might make some difference in poor conditions or with a poor lie, but on a normal surface under good conditions (which is what these guys play in 90% of the time) the spikes make no difference other than between the ears.

 

I play with guys who hit it just as far as the guys mentioned in this thread, if not further, and they seem to do just fine in the soft spikes that are required at our course.

[2zlinks]

The reason the general public is required to wear softspikes has to do with tearing up greens as well as the inside of the facilities (pro shop/ restaurant) and transfering disease from green to green. The tour plays one course one week and then moves on. Doesn't make any sense why they should they be required, its an apples to oranges comparison.

[dpwrx]

For now the equipment rules are the same regardless of tour or amateur. Shoes should be no exception.

[Lionstar]

Yes they should and so should everyone else.If courses have a "thing" for wanting to control what we wear they should enforce the "no denim,no t-shirts" rule.If you can afford a set of clubs you can certainly afford a $20 pair of pants and a $10 shirt.And yes I know clubs say they enforce these standards but I have seen people on courses with $180 greens fees wearing dungarees and a t-shirt.

Let me wear spikes,,they are "equipment".

[nick01]

personally i would prefer the idiot hacks who cant pick there damn feet up with soft spikes wear metal cause the damage is more easily fixed the gigantic scraped patches of grass al around the cup its really frustrating cause its so bad right around the hole its rediculous

 

And yes they should be able to wear them

[taylormadefan]

Fairways, tee boxes, greens, I think it's a toss up. I've seen some people do some SERIOUS damage to greens on softspikes, and I don't really miss steel spikes most of the time.

 

Where I think it really makes a difference is wet rough. Softspikes clog, big time, and you're essentially on ice skates. Take a big hack out of long, wet rough and it's a gamble. Pros are always playing in thick rough, so I can imagine why they feel they need to when they're trying to launch a five iron over a hazard 200 yards from three inch bermuda. :drinks:

[samm980]

I hate to beat a dead horse but if you have a sound swing you can play in soft spikes without a problem.

[phillypete]

I don't know softspikes have a real tendency to get clogged up and can be difficult to clean.

 

Softspikes are not a USGA rule, as far as I know, but a course to course policy. Now the question is if Tiger and Ernie roll up in metal cleats, will they make them change... hehehe... now thats funny.

[WyGuy]

I honestly don't care, as I don't see metal spikes that big of an advantage over soft spikes.

[AcesAZ]

I'd say metal spikes don't have much of any advantage other than when it is wet and sloppy. Those are the times I wish I had the spikes on.

[italianstallion]

There's an article in Golf Magazine pertaining to the issue in this month's addition. Basically to sum up the article, theres supposedly really no difference between how softspikes and how metal spikes react on the ground, if you have a solid swing. You shouldn't need either if your swing is controlled and balanced. But, I agree with what was said earlier, and that is softspikes really get clogged up too easy on wet days, and become slippery and very difficult to clean out.

 

My pro plays in wood sole shoes, something he's been doing since he was a kid, because the pro that gave him lessons would penalize him for making an off-balance swing, forcing him to have a swing that's tremendously balanced. Weird, yes, but this guy can play, trust me.

 

I also have seen what happens to the greens when people don't know how to pick up their feet, I think we all have. Softspikes themselves cover alot of area, and when you have 10 of those little disks on each foot being drudged against a soft green, disaster is the only outcome.

 

Back to the article. The last line sums it all up for me, and that is pros use spikes to remind you that they are pros, and you aren't.

[sync71]

Personally I really don't care if they wear them or not. But I voted yes because I figure there pros and if they can feel it can help them play even better then why not.

[DemolitionMan]

If Pros must wear them, fine with me, I don't care. But don't tell me nails are better than soft spikes because that is complete nonsense. Other than the wet rough of loose grass clogging a spike issue (and that is rare), nails are totally inferior.

 

As Johnny Miller was saying (though tongue in cheek), tour pros wear nails so they can show off and make it obvious they are prima donnas and the rest of us are not.

[sheppy335]

They should have to follow the same tihngs we do! No metal spikes.

[SadTrombone]

If Pros must wear them, fine with me, I don't care. But don't tell me nails are better than soft spikes because that is complete nonsense. Other than the wet rough of loose grass clogging a spike issue (and that is rare), nails are totally inferior.

 

As Johnny Miller was saying (though tongue in cheek), tour pros wear nails so they can show off and make it obvious they are prima donnas and the rest of us are not.

 

And Johnny Miller was the greatest golfer to ever play the game. . .just ask him.

 

Seriously, when Johnny talks, there's a VERY large group of people that don't listen. This is one of those times.

 

FWIW, I've seen worse damage done to greens from soft-spikes than from metal and I personally preferred metal, but I'm so used to soft (and love the Black Widow) that I probably couldn't go back.

 

-mini