SQAIRZ, Fact or Fiction?

[Vinsk]

1 hour ago, TexasSR75070 said:

From what I understand, the guy that improved so much had a really awful sway in his swing. The stability that the Sqairz shoes gave him due to the wider base improved his swing tremendously.

Just seems unlikely to me. It’s not like other golf shoes are ice skates. I find it hard to believe that the Sqairz shoes made his sway better just for being heavier. I’m sure if he swung inside a gym with basketball shoes on he’d still sway.

[iacas]

3 hours ago, TexasSR75070 said:

Nope. I just think these happen to be the best golf shoes I've worn in all the years (60+) that I've played golf. As a "grumpy old man", it upsets me to see people knock a product without doing any research or trying the product themselves before doing so. 

Who here has "knocked it without doing any research?"

A healthy dose of skepticism is fine.

For me, I like a lighter, more flexible, more minimalist shoe. Sqairz ain't that. I don't need to do much research to see that.

Their claims, also, sound dubious.

1 hour ago, TexasSR75070 said:

From what I understand, the guy that improved so much had a really awful sway in his swing. The stability that the Sqairz shoes gave him due to the wider base improved his swing tremendously.

I don't care if his shoes were cement, he's still gonna sway.

[NM Golf]

1 hour ago, TexasSR75070 said:

From what I understand, the guy that improved so much had a really awful sway in his swing. The stability that the Sqairz shoes gave him due to the wider base improved his swing tremendously. He really did improve his handicap that much.

As @Vinsk said it just doesn't work that way. They are shoes! They cannot possibly give someone a 7 stroke improvement in their handicap. And if he widened his base, though I doubt that makes much of a difference, that has nothing to do with the shoes he was wearing. 

I also doubt your claim as to gaining 7 yards of distance on average. First, you would need launch monitor data to back that up. You would need to get on a trackman and hit a number of drives with a regular pair of shoes and then do the same with the Sqairz. Anecdotal data from just playing golf on the course would be completely insufficient. You can't eyeball such an insignificant gain, and you can't be sure that any gain you did see that one time didn't come from hitting a firmer part of the fairway or any number of other variables. Hey as a kid I was alway way faster when I got a new pair of sneakers!

Dude, it comes down to this...they are good shoes, I've heard they are very comfortable. They aren't all that aesthetically pleasing to me, but to each their own. They seem to be very durable as well. BUT there is no way they improve your game that much or add that much distance compared to other brands. It just isn't possible if you know anything about golf.

[TexasSR75070]

I agree with you. Gains like mine can't be eyeballed, and, in a round or two on the course they could definitely be attributed to any number of factors. I don't think that even a session on a trackman would really prove things one way or another as I think you have to look at the impact over time. I use a shot tracking tool that records every shot in every round. Since starting to wear Sqairz, I have played over 170 rounds of golf, enough, I think, to even out the plus and minus factors that would increase or decrease distance. The data collected shows a 7-yard increase in average drive, that is every drive over those 170+ rounds, good, bad and indifferent. I attribute that to the shoes providing me with better balance, thus more consistent ball striking. That doesn't mean I hit my best drives 7 yards longer.

If you knew anything about golf, you would know there is a lot more focus and study going on in the area of ground forces and how they impact the swing. I guess people like Philip Stotter, one of the world's top experts in the field of ground forces, and Terry Hashimoto, an industry leader in pressure mapping, just two examples, have it all wrong when they say the swing starts from the ground up and proper footwear can make a difference. If you can confidently push off the turf in the downswing due to more stability and better traction, you apply more vertical force and thus maximize driver swing speed. It is also possible to just view the Sqairz shoes like any other, not take advantage of the features that allow you to create greater swing speed and see no benefit. 

I am not an employee of Sqairz and really don't care if someone buys or doesn't buy Sqairz golf shoes, though I'd like to see the company succeed so I can buy more from them in the future. I am just trying to relay what I know and have personally experienced with the shoes directly and through research and pass that along to those who express skepticism.

 

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[Sandy Divot]

I ordered a pair last week. They arrived Saturday, and were returned this morning. I ordered them based on things I read that said how comfortable they are. I was not really looking for any performance benefits. When I took them out of the box, they were very heavy, and they had a vinyl like smell. When I tried them on, they were not comfortable at all. They might work for some, but they were not for me. Also, there is a restocking fee. If I had ordered from TGW , or a similar online seller, I have never paid a restocking fee to make a return. That should have been a red flag.

[iacas]

21 minutes ago, TexasSR75070 said:

I agree with you. Gains like mine can't be eyeballed, and, in a round or two on the course they could definitely be attributed to any number of factors. I don't think that even a session on a trackman would really prove things one way or another as I think you have to look at the impact over time.

Did you alternate rounds played with other shoes during that time?

Because what you attribute to Sqairz can just be… a change. Maybe you're playing more, maybe the weather is warmer or the fairways firmer, maybe your swing is different… all sorts of things could be the cause.

21 minutes ago, TexasSR75070 said:

If you knew anything about golf, you would know there is a lot more focus and study going on in the area of ground forces and how they impact the swing.

@NM Golf knows quite a bit about golf. I'd like to think I do too, particularly about GRF.

Do you know how GRF impacts the swing? And do you know how your footwear applies to that? If so, please elaborate.

21 minutes ago, TexasSR75070 said:

If you can confidently push off the turf in the downswing due to more stability and better traction, you apply more vertical force and thus maximize driver swing speed.

Can you elaborate on this, too: in what dimension do you "push off" during the downswing, with what parts of your body, and how does your footwear play a role in this?

21 minutes ago, TexasSR75070 said:

If you can confidently push off the turf in the downswing due to more stability and better traction, you apply more vertical force and thus maximize driver swing speed.

What role does "traction" play in applying a "vertical force"?

21 minutes ago, TexasSR75070 said:

It is also possible to just view the Sqairz shoes like any other, not take advantage of the features that allow you to create greater swing speed and see no benefit.

 

Let's be honest about that: it's not been proven that Sqairz "allow you to create greater swing speed."

[TexasSR75070]

If you don't think shoes can make a difference, go try and play in leather soled dress shoes. 

Let me ask a question. If Footjoy were to come out and say that the right golf shoe could add 9 yards, would you question it? 

[Sandy Divot]

15 minutes ago, TexasSR75070 said:

If you don't think shoes can make a difference, go try and play in leather soled dress shoes. 

Let me ask a question. If Footjoy were to come out and say that the right golf shoe could add 9 yards, would you question it? 

Yes

[iacas]

13 minutes ago, TexasSR75070 said:

If you don't think shoes can make a difference, go try and play in leather soled dress shoes.

So do you think the advantage is purely due to the spikes/sole?

15 minutes ago, TexasSR75070 said:

Let me ask a question. If Footjoy were to come out and say that the right golf shoe could add 9 yards, would you question it? 

Buddy, you clearly don’t know us very well. 😂

YES!

Would you answer the questions I asked you?

And again how does friction help with vertical GRF?

There are others. Please answer them.

[TexasSR75070]

41 minutes ago, iacas said:

So do you think the advantage is purely due to the spikes/sole?

Buddy, you clearly don’t know us very well. 😂

YES!

Would you answer the questions I asked you?

And again how does friction help with vertical GRF?

There are others. Please answer them.

In my case, yes, I do believe the distance increase I have realized is due to the shoes. 🙂

Are you saying, "Yes" you would believe Footjoy or are you saying that "Yes" Footjoy has said that, or "yes" you would question it?

Did I say "friction". If I did, I meant "traction". The better connection I have with the ground, the more I am able to push into the ground with confidence, shifting my weight to my lead side, knowing my trail foot won't slip. At this point, I start losing my knee flex, straightening my legs, speeding up my turn and maximizing clubhead speed. Doing that with better "balance" also enables me to more often have center face contact.

44 minutes ago, Sandy Divot said:

Yes

"Yes" you would believe Footjoy (but not Sqairz), or yes, Footjoy said that, or yes you would question it?

Edited March 8, 2022 by TexasSR75070

[Vinsk]

1 hour ago, TexasSR75070 said:

 

If you don't think shoes can make a difference, go try and play in leather soled dress shoes. 

 

 

Who said shoes can’t make a difference? Of course leather soled dress shoes vs golf shoe will have a difference. I’m not skeptical of that l. I’m skeptical that a shoe with a little more toe room and weight vs FJ flex adds 7yds to your drive.

6 minutes ago, TexasSR75070 said:

"Yes" you would believe Footjoy (but not Sqairz), or yes, Footjoy said that, or yes you would question it?

You’re just being dodgy now. None of us here would accept FJ claiming their shoes add 9yds to our drives. 

Edited March 8, 2022 by Vinsk

[TexasSR75070]

4 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

Who said shoes can’t make a difference? Of course leather soled dress shoes vs golf show will have a difference. I’m not skeptical of that l. I’m skeptical that a shoe with a little more toe room and weight vs FJ flex adds 7yds to your drive.

You’re just being dodgy now. None of us here would accept FJ claiming their shoes add 9yds to our drives. 

They did! They did a study back in 2016 with BodiTrak, the same BodiTrak and Terry Hashimoto that Sqairz used for testing, and came to that conclusion

The Right Golf Shoe Could Grab You Nine More Yards

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Conventional wisdom says that the more rigid and stable your shoe is, the greater the "ground force" will be, and that this increased force will lead to a more explosive swing. Turns out, it's not that simple.

I guess I'm in that third that benefits from a more structured golf shoe like Sqairz

[iacas]

Here are the questions I've asked you. I'll add numbers to them to make it easier for you:

14 hours ago, iacas said:

1. Did you alternate rounds played with other shoes during that time?

14 hours ago, iacas said:

2. Do you know how GRF impacts the swing? And do you know how your footwear applies to that? If so, please elaborate.

3. Can you elaborate on this, too: in what dimension do you "push off" during the downswing, with what parts of your body, and how does your footwear play a role in this?

4. What role does "traction" play in applying a "vertical force"?

Also:

48 minutes ago, iacas said:

5. So do you think the advantage is purely due to the spikes/sole?

So, please.

8 minutes ago, TexasSR75070 said:

In my case, yes, I do believe the distance increase I have realized is due to the shoes. 🙂

But you have no real proof. All you know is that since one point in time, for some reason, your stat tracker reports a seven-yard gain.

8 minutes ago, TexasSR75070 said:

Are you saying, "Yes" you would believe Footjoy or are you saying that "Yes" Footjoy has said that, or "yes" you would question it?

We both answered the question "would you question it?"

8 minutes ago, TexasSR75070 said:

Did I say "friction". If I did, I meant "traction".

You said "traction" but to me they're essentially synonyms here, so I'll stress again that I've asked you questions. Please answer them. 4 and 5 apply here.

8 minutes ago, TexasSR75070 said:

The better connection I have with the ground, the more I am able to push into the ground with confidence, shifting my weight to my lead side, knowing my trail foot won't slip. At this point, I start losing my knee flex, straightening my legs, speeding up my turn and maximizing clubhead speed. Doing that with better "balance" also enables me to more often have center face contact.

6. Is it "balance" or "traction," then?

1 minute ago, TexasSR75070 said:

They did!

No, they didn't. They did not say "shoes can't make a difference."

You're doing the straw man thing again. First with the "not doing any research" comment, then with this.

[Vinsk]

@TexasSR75070 I’ll be curious what your conclusion will be when those extra 7yds disappear despite still wearing your Sqairz.

[klineka]

38 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

@TexasSR75070 I’ll be curious what your conclusion will be when those extra 7yds disappear despite still wearing your Sqairz.

Or if he were to switch shoes and not lose any distance 

[TexasSR75070]

@iacas

1. I did not alternate with other golf shoes. I wouldn't be able to quantify any difference doing it that way as I cannot "pick and choose" specific rounds to look at in regard to accumulated data with my current shot tracking tool. I can only look at the accumulated difference in hundreds of rounds played before and almost 200 rounds since wearing starting to wear Sqairz.

2/3/4. Why do I have to explain GRF to you? You know very well. I defer to the experts. My only "proof" is in the data I have collected over time. 

5. Again, yes, I personally attribute my difference in driving performance to the shoes. I've taken no lessons, made no swing changes, not changed equipment during the times referenced. 

6. It is the combination of both. By being able to swing faster by making better use of GRF in a controlled, balanced manner, I am one of those who has seen a performance boost from the Sqairz shoes.

You said no one here would accept Footjoy making the claim that their shoes can add 9 yards to one's drive. I said "they did", as in they made just that claim and I linked the to the article in which that claim was made. 

No one driver, no one ball and certainly no one shoe is for everyone. 

@vinsk

As for losing distance, at my age of 74 I fully expect that any performance improvements I've seen as a result of technology, be it clubs, balls, shoes, will eventually erode, as it has been doing for years. Fortunately, technology has slowed down that erosion or enabled my to get back some of what I've lost. My "conclusion" might be that my loss of those 7 yards might have come sooner.

[Bucki1968]

I got some sqairz golf shoes for Christmas. I'm not sure that I have gained any distance, but I can say that I have lost any distance. I love how stable the shoes are and I like how comfortable they are. They are great in wet conditions (waterproof). The only downside I have seen so far is that they are heavier than my other shoes. I actually think I do hit it a little better in the Sqairz shoe just based on the stability of them. I can't say for a fact that I hit it longer, however. 

[boogielicious]

5 hours ago, TexasSR75070 said:

Let me ask a question. If Footjoy were to come out and say that the right golf shoe could add 9 yards, would you question it? 

I think you will find most members of The Sand Trap are skeptical of claims made by manufacturers without actual well documented scientific studies supporting them. If the shoes are comfortable, then that is 95% of what is needed for most folks. We’re glad you like them and that simultaneously you gained distance, but there certainly could be other factors besides just the shoes.