Technology in Golf Clubs

**ronaldkuntoro** · October 1, 2010

Golf manufactures are telling us that the have the most technology breakthrough for the irons and drivers. Then 12 months later they tell the same thing.... 12 months later the same marketing hype.... 12 months later it's the same song....

Do we need that much Technology in Golf?

I don't see any driving distance improvement from 5 years ago. The same thing for PGA Tour driving distance. 5 Years ago Bubba watson over 315 yards ranks no.1. Now he's second at 310 yards.

**Zeph** · October 1, 2010

The manufacturers are using marketing strategies. The last breakthrough in golf technology was probably the graphite shafts. Today it's more about making a bunch of different models to fit the eye and swing of every player.

**tristanhilton85** · October 1, 2010

Maybe I'm wrong (it's not unheard of), but I think that most of the recent advancements in technology with regards to golf has to do more with forgiveness rather than distance. You are right when you say that driver distances haven't really gone up but I think on those off center hits we tend to have (especially as amateurs) we are not being punished as much and are still getting decent results, at least more so over clubs from years gone by.

Do I think that a lot of this is marketing hype? Of course. They don't want to tell you that next year they'll have something better, otherwise you'll wait until that product coms out. The limits on increase in distance I believe has been met, or at least it has under the current rules of golf, but like I said, I think that forgiveness is probably getting better.

**ronaldkuntoro** · October 1, 2010

The manufacturers are using marketing strategies. The last breakthrough in golf technology was probably the graphite shafts. Today it's more about making a bunch of different models to fit the eye and swing of every player.

I think the last breakthrough in golf is Hybrid club. Although I think it's not the easiest club to hit in the bag like most people said.

**WUTiger** · October 1, 2010

Golf technology has an interesting way of bringing back old concepts as "new technology." For example, oversized iron heads from the early 1990s. My brother and I have some vintage clubs from the 1930s, early steel-shafted with wood veneer on the shafts. Several of the irons have very large clubfaces. One TopFlite mashie-niblick (9 iron or so) had a face slightly wider and almost as deep as the palm of my hand. The head was about 1/4" thick, with a rather shart leading edge, and could chop you out of almost anywhere. I carried it in my bag until the late 1970s.

And the "big heads" have become too much of a good thing. The fairway woods have gone much smaller than some of the oversizes in the 1990s. The hybrids have always been smaller. And, lots of people are having second thoughts about 46" driver shafts. Again, too much of a good thing.

We can also talk about shafts. With over a hundred different shaft varieties - flexes, kick points, varied torque - almost too much choice for the average person.

**sean_miller** · October 1, 2010

Next time you go to a candy store, ask the guy behind the counter, what's the "best" candy? WTF?

Now ask him what's new.

Same with golf clubs - new and "hot listed" doesn't mean better.

PS. the biggest innovations in the past 20 years are 1.) custom fitting technology 2.) drivers 3.) balls

**andef** · October 1, 2010

Nothing has really changed over the past few years in terms of breakthrough technology. Miller's right, custom fitting technology and balls have changed dramatically for the better (just think of the introduction of Mizuno's shaft optimizer). However, if you compared a TaylorMade Burner 2007 to the 2010 TaylorMade Burner Superfast, there might be a 5/10 yard difference between the two drivers. Why is that? The SF has a longer shaft and less weight on it and probably slightly better aerodynamics. The massive breakthroughs in technology can only give you 7 more yards than a 2007 club but it looks like it's 20 yards more because of the marketing.

**sean_miller** · October 1, 2010

Nothing has really changed over the past few years in terms of breakthrough technology. Miller's right, custom fitting technology and balls have changed dramatically for the better (just think of the introduction of Mizuno's shaft optimizer). However, if you compared a TaylorMade Burner 2007 to the 2010 TaylorMade Burner Superfast, there might be a 5/10 yard difference between the two drivers. Why is that? The SF has a longer shaft and less weight on it and probably slightly better aerodynamics. The massive breakthroughs in technology can only give you 7 more yards than a 2007 club but it looks like it's 20 yards more because of the marketing.

I also said 20 years. Compare the top drivers of 1990 versus those from 2010.

**golfro** · October 1, 2010

I still have an old Ping ISI titanium driver that I pull out once in awhile for fun. Things like 10 years old and I still get great distance with it.

I think technology has come a long ways in regards to shafts. Just 10 years ago, graphite shafts on irons and fairway woods was often not reliable. Nowadays, there are graphites shafts that are much better than steel shafts. Now with custom fitting technology, everyone can get fitted for a shaft that really fits their swing.

As for irons however, blades are still blades, not incredible technological advancements there.

**sean_miller** · October 1, 2010

I still have an old Ping ISI titanium driver that I pull out once in awhile for fun. Things like 10 years old and I still get great distance with it.

Good blades are still good blades, but there's a lot of older cast potmetal garbage out there from the 60s and 70s. A lot late 60s / early 70s MacGregor house brand stuff is garbage. Ram put out some terrible blades too - just purely awful stuff in the 80s (not the FX or TW or Grinds - those were good). Walter Hagen "Haig Ultra" with aluminum shafts - terrible. Robert T Jones signature blades in stainless steel - awfulness - check (same as all the old Wright and Ditson shite).

***iacas*** · October 1, 2010

I think the last breakthrough in golf is Hybrid club. Although I think it's not the easiest club to hit in the bag like most people said.

The hybrid is not really new. There were "hybrids" in the 30s, 40s, 50s...

**bwdial** · October 1, 2010

As for irons however, blades are still blades, not incredible technological advancements there.

Not entirely true. Today's blades feature some semblance of weight re-distribution through the length of the blade. This has made them a little more forgiving than the old blades. The sweet spot on a lot of older blades was toward the heel, which meant a perfectly struck shot was perilously close to el hosel. Centers of gravity have been moved around on modern blades as well.

**sean_miller** · October 1, 2010

Not entirely true. Today's blades feature some semblance of weight re-distribution through the length of the blade. This has made them a little more forgiving than the old blades. The sweet spot on a lot of older blades was toward the heel, which meant a perfectly struck shot was perilously close to el hosel. Centers of gravity have been moved around on modern blades as well.

I have blades spanning 60 years and some of the old ones are just as easy to hit as new ones, except they're a couple clubs shorter and vintage hard leather grips are not pleasing on the hands. Since MacGregor introduce the M series in the mid 1950s, there have been easy to hit blades.

There did seem to be almost an elitist movement in the mid 1980s when some blades seemed to take step backwards in playability (most notably a couple from Ram and Wilson Staff). The Mizuno blades from the 1990s are as easy to hit as anything on the market today - the MP-14 for example is many people's idea of the golf standard in golf club design.

**JWL1957** · October 1, 2010

Good blades are still good blades, but there's a lot of older cast potmetal garbage out there from the 60s and 70s. A lot late 60s / early 70s MacGregor house brand stuff is garbage. Ram put out some terrible blades too - just purely awful stuff in the 80s (not the FX or TW or Grinds - those were good). Walter Hagen "Haig Ultra" with aluminum shafts - terrible. Robert T Jones signature blades in stainless steel - awfulness - check (same as all the old Wright and Ditson shite).

Revealing you're age pards. ;)

**sean_miller** · October 1, 2010

Revealing you're age pards. ;)

Yeah, I picked up those 1955 MacGregor M75s brand new while on a golfing road trip with Bing Crosby and Bob Hope.

**newtogolf** · October 1, 2010

Golf manufactures are telling us that the have the most technology breakthrough for the irons and drivers. Then 12 months later they tell the same thing.... 12 months later the same marketing hype.... 12 months later it's the same song....

Of course not, but technology and innovation are the driving forces for consumption. It's the primary focus of highly paid marketing departments within manufacturers who's goal is to get people to replace their perfectly good cell phone, television, computer, camera and now golf clubs. They want us to believe that was was best last year is no longer best even if the differences are marginal at best.

The problem is with all the marketing hype it's hard to recognize when there are actual advances in technology that justify the need to upgrade.

**bigoak** · October 2, 2010

There are limits on the response of COR of golf clubs. They are farther? Then they are illegal. Golf and bowling share the same motive for technological advance. " Make the hackers think they are almost a professional grade. Oil patterns on the lanes turn a 160 average bowler into a 200 average and he thinks he can turn pro. Put this hack on a pro oil pattern and he couldn't hit his butt with either hand. Put the average golfer on a course set up for the professionals and he/she will not break 100. I had the opportunity to play the East Course at Oak Hill following the PGA. I am not good enough with 9 strokes to break 110 on this set up. The greens are lightening and the roughs are brutal and the fairways are very narrow.

**jamo** · October 2, 2010

I don't really get the purpose of this thread. If you don't ask for innovation, they won't even try. At least now they've given us cool toys to play with.

And if you don't like the fact that a shaft is 46', a lot of times you can get a custom one for little to no cost (ie. get fit). Or have it cut down.
If you don't like that most OTR shafts are pretty soft, get a stiffer rated shaft or get fit.
If you don't like that most OTR heads are pretty high spin/high launch, get a lower spin shaft, lower loft, or get fit.
If you don't like the cost of a club wait 5 a few months. If you really don't care about having the latest and greatest that won't be a problem for you.

Sign In

Technology in Golf Clubs

Recommended Posts

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

Create an account

Sign in

Topics Being Discussed Right Now on The Sand Trap

TST Partners

Popular Now

Posts

Important Information