The Evolution Of Golf

I have posted on the Jack or Tiger thread numerous times and found myself mostly off-topic talking about changes in equipment, golf balls, course make-up, training aids and etc. With all the advancements in the game does it make a difference when comparing a Jones era to a Nicklaus era to a Tiger era. Does it really matter what technology in equipment is used at the time or what level of competition one era experienced versus another - you still gotta get the ball in the hole and score well to win.

I think the modern professional will always win hands down. Tiger is better than Nicklaus who in turn is better than Hogan was who was better than Jones was and so on.

Its the same in every sport, they are continuously getting bigger or stronger or faster or smarter etc.

Bolt is the best sprinter ever; Federer would have wiped the floor with MacEnroe; Ali wouldn't have lasted two rounds with Tyson; and I'm damn sure that this applies to all sports.

It is basically down to genetic engineering. Improvement in performance has become a science and goodness knows what the future holds but the days of small guys like Gary Player or indeed Ben hogan reaching the pinnacle of this sport seem to be over.

I may be wrong but it certainly looks that way to me.

It's a difficult comparison because the people you mentioned from the past were some of the best at their sport.  The fact they achieved what they did without the benefits of the technology we have today says a lot about their natural athleticism and determination.

Imagine how great Jack and Hogan would be if they were in their prime today with the training techniques, equipment, technology and supplements that they would have access to.

I will never get past the size of the worldwide pool of players in a given era. The farther back you go the smaller the pool, and the easier it is to be at the top of that pool, and the fewer elite players at the top.

It's like watching a good high school football player going to a 1A school and competing against other 1A schools. You really don't know what you are seeing. There is the possibility that he's better than the best in 6A but the odds say he's not (and college recruiters know it and usually play the odds).

In baseball it's even harder to judge (much like golf) because a 40 time or strength achievements don't tell if a guy can hit. If he's playing 1A he may not face an elite pitcher more than a few times a year (if that) whereas in 6A every team has a rotation of them. The 6A hitter batting .300 is more than likely better than the 1A hitter batting .500.

It's also possible that...

They would have been scared shitless by the golfing athletes that are around today.

They would have met Hank Haney and he would be altering their swing all over the place

They would have got hooked on Super Mario or something stronger.

They would have joined TST and found things out about the swing they didn't even know existed.

They would have struggled to continue competing after Nike or Adidas offered them enough money in one season to live in luxury for the next 100 years.