Technology in Golf Clubs

[motteler621]

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....

Alot of times they come up with innovative ideas for a new design that has certain qualities they want the club to have. Then the next year or 2 they will improve upon that same design making small tweaks to it for a slightly different club. It is technological advancement really and clubmakers take it pretty serious. Its not really that one is better than the other but they are different in their qualities and technology slightly.

[newtogolf]

Alot of the people on this forum can use a tour driver or blades and do quite well with them. The manufacturers already have you guys as customers so the advances at your level won't seem as dramatic. The focus for the existing golfer appears to be to maximize their performance, such as finding an extra five yards on a drive or helping you hit a fade or draw like the pro's do.

The golf manufacturers are trying to use technology to make the sport more accessible to expand their market. They are after the middle and higher income youth and non or infrequent golfers. These are the people that want to be able to play a round without taking lessons, and spending countless hours at a range all the time just so they don't embarrass themselves during a business or social outing. It appears there has been significant advancements over the years in GI irons and drivers that can be adjusted to compensate for swing flaws. While some of this is gimmickry, alot of it is not. Most people will agree the Callaway FT-IZ is alot easier to play than the original Big Bertha, at least it is for me.

The challenge for the manufacturers is having to work within one set of rules that applies to both pro's and amateurs. Any club they produce has to conform if they hope to have mass appeal and the rules limit how much they can deviate from what they are doing today.

[warbirdlover]

The irons haven't changed for years other then they've (again) de-lofted them to make them longer. Driver's are still getting better mainly due to the face technology that makes hitting the sweet spot less critical. And the shaft technology also makes a new driver better then an older one. The ball is what is really helping people hit longer.

[O.B. Right]

I recently upgraded from 20 year old golfsmith (or something like that) brand irons to 10 year old ping i5's and didn't really notice that much difference. I think the Ping's are nicer - especially looking - but I shoot about the same with them. I have a new driver, though, and that's a lot different than my 20 year old TM Burner with graphite shaft. Mainly the shaft is way lighter and better in the new driver and, of course, the head is bigger and lighter. I still hit the steel shafted 5 wood from that vintage, though. I don't like to rush into change.

[Shanks A Million]

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.

Forgiveness is maxed out. A club can only have an MOI of 5900 g-cm² + 100 g-cm² of tolerance. The Nike SQ² 5900 and the Cleveland HiBore Moinster have as much MOI as any driver can have. They are, theoretically, the most forgiving drivers that can be legally made. After that, there's nothing much more they can do except move the center of gravity, increase other small factors, etc. The rest is hype.

[Gerald]

Many of the guys around here weren't even born when some of the others started playing golf.

In irons there were no big steps forward in 20 years, only the distances grew a little (because most lofts are 3-4* stronger than they used to be).

In drivers the steps are big, but only in playabillity, it is much easier for even highcappers to hit the ball beyond 225 yds.

Hybrids are a marketing hype, most will be gone in a few years...... lacking the aim of an iron and lacking the distance of a FW ......

Ballcovers have improved a lot in 20 years, more (or the same) spin in a more durable cover.

Grips didn't change much in 20 years.

Iron shafts are still basicly the same as 20 years ago, but the graphite shafts went through lots of improvements.

Looking at todays developments..... it is mostly improvements in adjustabillity ..... is that important, for one it might be, for many others it is just a way of spending some bucks on the next better......

[JWL1957]

Just like every time they update a golf ball. For the past 30 years, each new ball has been hailed 5 yards longer. If the advertisements were true.....we wouldnt need any troops in Iraq or Afghanistan. We could bomb the bad guys from our local muni.

[ronaldkuntoro]

I recently upgraded from 20 year old golfsmith (or something like that) brand irons to 10 year old ping i5's and didn't really notice that much difference. I think the Ping's are nicer - especially looking - but I shoot about the same with them. I have a new driver, though, and that's a lot different than my 20 year old TM Burner with graphite shaft. Mainly the shaft is way lighter and better in the new driver and, of course, the head is bigger and lighter. I still hit the steel shafted 5 wood from that vintage, though. I don't like to rush into change.

Upgrade to a 1 year old iron, then you will see some changes in distances. New irons use less loft just to make it longer. Whats a 4 iron 10 years ago becomes a 5 iron now.

[ronaldkuntoro]

Many of the guys around here weren't even born when some of the others started playing golf.

Hybrids are a marketing hype? Ask many PGA Tour players who use them (From Jim Furyk to YE Yang) and they will say it's a life safer. Most of them don't bring a 3 iron anymore. YE Yang used his hybrid to win PGA Championship in 2009. He was tie with Tiger Woods and then he hit a shot using his hybrid to get 1 stroke advantage. The rest is history.... Grips has also changed for the past 20 years. It used to be Leather wrap grip which is kinda slick. Now Golf Pride got Multicompound grip that is a mixed of standard rubber and cord grips.

[sc13ntific]

Callaway seems like they are about to step their technology game way up

http://content.usatoday.com/communit...n-composites/1

You wouldn't think that golf clubs and exotic supercars have a lot in common except that the trunks of the latter are so small that they won't accommodate bags of the former. Nevertheless, Callaway Golf announced today that it has a big collaboration going with Lamborghini -- and showed up at the Paris Motor Show to cement the relationship. The two signed an agreement to work together on new, sophisticated carbon fiber materials that will transform golf clubs and car bodies. The new stuff is being called Forged Composite, which is a third less dense than titanium. Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann and Callaway CEO George Fellows met at the show today to discuss their joint development effort. "We see power-to-weight ratio and weight reduction as the keys for future super-sports cars and carbon fiber as the material to achieve these goals. Callaway's expertise in specific technologies is strategic for our research projects," Winkelmann said. The two companies say they discovered both were working in similar areas in developing advanced composites. They are lighter and stronger than steel. Lambo uses them extensively in the Sesto Elemento concept car that it introduced at the show.

[motteler621]

Callaway seems like they are about to step their technology game way up

man I was hoping they would get over that carbon fiber plastic crap on their drivers.

[Gerald]

Hybrids are a marketing hype? Ask many PGA Tour players who use them (From Jim Furyk to YE Yang) and they will say it's a life safer. Most of them don't bring a 3 iron anymore.

Well it is actually so that less than 2% of Tour Pro's carry a Hybrid instead of a 4i, slightly less than 40% of them carry a Hybrid instead of a 3i.

So 6 out of 10 use a 3 iron (blade, players cavity or GI) ! Maybe you would expect a higher percentage Hybrids instead of 2i ..... Yepp that is true, but looking at the stats it is about 3% 2i, 40% Hybrids, 50% 5W and 7% use an extra wedge instead of a 2i/Hy/5W So the 2 iron has been replaced by a Hybrid by some (maybe because it is in their contract that they have to carry one hybrid at least), but the hybrids in the Tour pro's bags aren't the crap "we" or most handicappers use........ Also some players have a stronger loft on their 3 and 4 irons so they are basicly 2.5 and 3.5 irons .....

Grips has also changed for the past 20 years. It used to be Leather wrap grip which is kinda slick. Now Golf Pride got Multicompound grip that is a mixed of standard rubber and cord grips.

Hmmmm the Golf Pride standard grip has been around at least 50 yrs now and is still the most used grip. Leather is from way longer ago, allthough some people were still using these let's say 25-30 yrs ago. I agree (and use) the Multicompound grip, but basicly it is not very much different from the halfcord grips that have been arround for so longggg.

[ronaldkuntoro]

Well it is actually so that less than 2% of Tour Pro's carry a Hybrid instead of a 4i, slightly less than 40% of them carry a Hybrid instead of a 3i.

No Players do not have contract to carry hybrid. They chose to. Players choose what club they put in their bag as long as it's the brand name from their Sponsor.

And how did you get these numbers? Are they accurate? I read somewhere in a magazine that 70% of PGA Tour Pros already use hybrid to replace 3 iron. 60% of those do not carry 4 iron anymore. Golf Pride New Decade Multicompound is waaay different from Half Cord grips. They texture is much softer than halfcord. I used to have a halfcord grip and it causes blister all over my fingers. Not with my New Decade Multicompound.

[Gerald]

No Players do not have contract to carry hybrid. They chose to. Players choose what club they put in their bag as long as it's the brand name from their Sponsor.

Many Mizuno Tour players carry different brand Drivers, and many players carry Adams Hybrids instead of from their sponsor.

And how did you get these numbers? Are they accurate?

PGA Tour winners players bags jan-aug 2010, these numbers might change, but not very fast.

I read somewhere in a magazine that 70% of PGA Tour Pros already use hybrid to replace 3 iron. 60% of those do not carry 4 iron anymore.

Might have been in an article on hybrids .... I guess and a the same time the magazine sold 20 pages of advertisements for hybrids of course ..... just remember that magazines earn money from the advertisement, not from the few $'s readers bring.

Golf Pride New Decade Multicompound is waaay different from Half Cord grips. They texture is much softer than halfcord. I used to have a halfcord grip and it causes blister all over my fingers. Not with my New Decade Multicompound.

Yep great grip !!!!, a golf grip basicly has still the same shape as 50 yrs ago ..... not much has changed, and cerntaintly not very much has changed over the last 20 yrs.

[Zeph]

So the 2 iron has been replaced by a Hybrid by some (maybe because it is in their contract that they have to carry one hybrid at least), but the hybrids in the Tour pro's bags aren't the crap "we" or most handicappers use.

The pros use whatever clubs they want, it does not say in the contract that they have to use a hybrid.

And no, they don't use some super high tech PGA-only hybrids, they use the same clubs we do, though probably more thoroughly fit than most amateurs'.

[socks and shoes]

Also if you listen to pros do a "what's in my bag?", there are a lot of them who state they will rotate a hybrid in and out based on the rough at the course they will be playing. Thicker rougher more chances the pros carry a hybrid.

ex:


But on topic with technology. Companies want you to think they have the most innovative and best product. It happens in all markets. I feel we wont really see a huge increase in technology and performance until different materials start being used.

[sean_miller]

I shot 40 yesterday (9 holes) and 80 today using the clubs in my signature. Yesterday I was using an old Acushnet bullseye, and today I had my Odyssey.

A mid-iron on the sweet spot still stops on a dime whether it was struck with an iron from 1960 or one from 2010. Everything in the bag had a fairly stiff shaft - like a lot of stuff did back then. That's a couple strokes over my index, but I can't say it was the club's fault on any of my poor shots. Having an extra club into the green wasn't that much of a penalty.