New Study on Spikes vs Spikeless Shoes

[ChetlovesMer]

Study Shows Golfers Are Forfeiting Distance Off The Tee

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A recent study conducted at Pinehurst Resort has found that amateur golfers — both low and high handicaps — are leaving a significant amount of...

Okay, I read this and I immediately call foul.

The study was conducted by PrideSports Company. … They make replacement golf spikes... Methinks they have a vested interest in the results. 

This is my opinion, but there's no way this test was unbiased! 

[Double Mocha Man]

40 minutes ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Study Shows Golfers Are Forfeiting Distance Off The Tee

---

A recent study conducted at Pinehurst Resort has found that amateur golfers — both low and high handicaps — are leaving a significant amount of...

Okay, I read this and I immediately call foul.

The study was conducted by PrideSports Company. … They make replacement golf spikes... Methinks they have a vested interest in the results. 

This is my opinion, but there's no way this test was unbiased! 

No, it's true.  You gain an extra 3/4 inch on your drives.  1/2 inch on your 7 iron distance.  And they do have cute bottoms.

Edited December 12, 2019 by Double Mocha Man

[ChetlovesMer]

36 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

No, it's true.  You gain an extra 3/4 inch on your drives.  1/2 inch on your 7 iron distance.  And they do have cute bottoms.

By the way, this is also the same company that makes brush tees. According to their "fair and unbiased" testing you gain 4-1/2 yards per drive by using brush tees. So, if I use their replacement spikes and their brush tees I should be able to see at least a full club length distance gain. 

[dennyjones]

On 12/12/2019 at 5:24 PM, Double Mocha Man said:

And they do have cute bottoms.

what are we talking about?

[Double Mocha Man]

10 minutes ago, dennyjones said:

what are we talking about?

Shoe bottoms, the one in the pic.  Get your mind outta the unraked bunker.  😊

Edited December 13, 2019 by Double Mocha Man

[David in FL]

On 12/12/2019 at 4:44 PM, ChetlovesMer said:

Study Shows Golfers Are Forfeiting Distance Off The Tee

---

A recent study conducted at Pinehurst Resort has found that amateur golfers — both low and high handicaps — are leaving a significant amount of...

Okay, I read this and I immediately call foul.

The study was conducted by PrideSports Company. … They make replacement golf spikes... Methinks they have a vested interest in the results. 

This is my opinion, but there's no way this test was unbiased! 

I have no idea about the accuracy or validity of this particular study, but companies conduct tests and studies all the time, exactly because they want to be able to demonstrate that their product is superior.

Nothing at all wrong with that, and just because they have a bias, doesn’t necessarily mean that we can infer that the study was flawed.

[Vinsk]

1 hour ago, David in FL said:

I have no idea about the accuracy or validity of this particular study, but companies conduct tests and studies all the time, exactly because they want to be able to demonstrate that their product is superior.

Nothing at all wrong with that, and just because they have a bias, doesn’t necessarily mean that we can infer that the study was flawed.

True. But any valid study will list the potential biases and how they were avoided. Tests are bogus until proven otherwise. Not the other way around.

[David in FL]

1 hour ago, Vinsk said:

True. But any valid study will list the potential biases and how they were avoided. Tests are bogus until proven otherwise. Not the other way around.

We’re not talking about experimental bias here, but rather an assumption (probably true) that the company sponsoring the study was hoping for a particular result.  Regardless though, this isn’t the study.  It’s simply an article outlining the results for public consumption.

Again, I don’t know a damn thing about the validity of this.  But neither does anyone else here.  I just don’t think we can infer whether the conclusions are valid or not solely based upon who may have commissioned it...

[criley4way]

1 hour ago, Vinsk said:

True. But any valid study will list the potential biases and how they were avoided. Tests are bogus until proven otherwise. Not the other way around.

I completely agree. I in the sciences and we conduct experiments all the time (I know Duhhh). I insist that the hypothesis is that the system is flawed until proven otherwise. The study above could be perfectly valid under the conditions and processes in the study. What it doesn't tell you is if they did initial studies that focused on which conditions spikes fair best and spikeless performed worst. Possibly they showed that under dry freshly cut fairways with no clippings, with shot grass (say tour length), and hard ground spikeless was better than hard plastic cyclone spiked but if the grass was longer with fresh clippings and and soft ground spikes were much better. WIthout knowing what data was not included and how many conditions they chose all that can be said is that in that group there was a trend. I also don't know if the difference is statistically significant.

[Double Mocha Man]

49 minutes ago, criley4way said:

I completely agree. I in the sciences and we conduct experiments all the time (I know Duhhh). I insist that the hypothesis is that the system is flawed until proven otherwise. The study above could be perfectly valid under the conditions and processes in the study. What it doesn't tell you is if they did initial studies that focused on which conditions spikes fair best and spikeless performed worst. Possibly they showed that under dry freshly cut fairways with no clippings, with shot grass (say tour length), and hard ground spikeless was better than hard plastic cyclone spiked but if the grass was longer with fresh clippings and and soft ground spikes were much better. WIthout knowing what data was not included and how many conditions they chose all that can be said is that in that group there was a trend. I also don't know if the difference is statistically significant.

My head is spinning...