Integral to just about every sport (minus curling) is some kind of ball. For hundreds of years the golf ball has evolved from a rock or primitive wooden sphere to the technological marvel it has become in recent years.
No other sport has allowed as many differences in their ball’s playability as golf has the golf ball. Foremost on a modern player’s mind are spin, compression, distance, and aerodynamics. Different players want different things from golf balls. Some need lower spin for distance others are looking for higher spin for different flight and control possibilities. Golf ball makers have seized upon this opportunity and churn out a plethora of options for amateurs and pros alike. Golf equipment manufacturers make more money from golf balls than they ever will their clubs.
So where has the lowly golf ball come from? What is it’s history? Lets take a peek…
In every sport, there is good, bad, and ugly. Over the last few weeks I’ve seen a little bit of each. Of course there is some Tiger and a bit of Love, but I won’t even spare myself from the steely glare of the Numbers Game microscope.
Tiger Woods wins his fourth tournament in a row while Richie Ramsay wins the U.S. Amateur despite not knowing that golf has rules. Also, the 2007 PGA Tour ‘Fall Series’ is announced, Miyazato aces two holes in a six-hole stretch, Tiger (and John Hawkins) go over (or through) the roof, the Ryder Cup team practices, and Tiger favors drug testing. Tune in to this episode of Golf Talk for more.
You’d think Tiger Woods would be tired this week after playing five tournaments in a little over a month. However, the golfing phenom seems to be thriving off the competition and pressure. After winning his fourth tournament start in a row, Woods hopes to continue the dominance and winning streak at the TPC of Boston.
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Adams Golf is one of the established leaders in hybrid clubs. This latest addition to their line comes to market after considerable testing on the PGA, Champions, and Nationwide Tours where a number of players have had them in use for several months now.
Another week, another Tiger Woods win. I feel like the guy in the movie Groundhog Day. I wake to see Tiger Woods in the lead, and then I sit in front of the television on Sunday and watch him win.
Long putters – the broomstick-style flatsticks like Bernhard Langer has used for years – have been part of the golf equipment landscape for the last couple decades. Some players swear by them, and some would never touch one. The last few years saw a spike in the use of mid-length putters, also known as “belly” putters for the tendency of golfers to anchor the end of the shaft around their navel. Mid-length putters have the benefits of a long putter, mainly taking the wrists out of the putting stroke, while providing for a more traditional stance and stroke.