Article: The Right Golf Shoe Could Get You 9 More Yards

[boogielicious]

http://www.golf.com/equipment/right-golf-shoe-could-grab-you-nine-more-yards

Here we go again with Marketing hype. The article doesn't define how the study was done, just the equipment used. Unless the testing was done with Design of Experiments methods, the data has to be questioned. 

Quote

Their study concluded that a third of all golfers need a rigid shoe for maximum ground reaction; another third need more mobility; and the remaining third are "dual" players who can benefit from either a stiff ("structured") model, such as the FootJoy Icon Black, or a more flexible ("mobile") one like the Freestyle. In fact, having the proper shoe type produces, on average, a 3 mph increase in swing speed, the equivalent of nine yards with the driver.

 

[iacas]

Well, I think there's likely a little validity to it, to be honest. But I think the 3 MPH thing is probably a stretch… and if it's 1 MPH, I'm not willing to wear a shoe that I don't like for it.

[Hardspoon]

 

29 minutes ago, boogielicious said:

The article doesn't define how the study was done, just the equipment used.

More importantly, they are very careful not to say what the "increase" is relative to.

In fact, having the proper shoe type produces a 3 mph increase in swing speed compared to standing on one leg, barefoot, while blindfolded.

My guess is that it is compared to barefoot or tennis shoes.

[newtogolf]

Cue the RocketShoes commercial...

[Golfingdad]

55 minutes ago, Hardspoon said:

 

More importantly, they are very careful not to say what the "increase" is relative to.

In fact, having the proper shoe type produces a 3 mph increase in swing speed compared to standing on one leg, barefoot, while blindfolded.

My guess is that it is compared to barefoot or tennis shoes.

Yeah.  Perhaps the real conclusion is something less glamorous (and much less beneficial to selling equipment) such as "The WRONG shoe could cost you as much as 9 yards."

[natureboy]

2 hours ago, Hardspoon said:

More importantly, they are very careful not to say what the "increase" is relative to.

In fact, having the proper shoe type produces a 3 mph increase in swing speed compared to standing on one leg, barefoot, while blindfolded.

My guess is that it is compared to barefoot or tennis shoes.

That was my first thought too, but why bother to test 'thousands' of golfers if it's just as easy to tailor/fudge your results with a small sample size? Could be they really wanted to find something statistically significant.

If they did, however, that article won't do the job of convincing me it's got legitimacy. It's like one big advertisement.

Edited October 9, 2016 by natureboy

[Hacker James]

open toed sandals  from Walmart is the way to go. Wear bootie socks also, if you have toe fungus.

[Hardspoon]

1 hour ago, natureboy said:

That was my first thought too, but why bother to test 'thousands' of golfers if it's just as easy to tailor/fudge your results with a small sample size? Could be they really wanted to find something statistically significant.

It may be that their results comparing different shoes are real (spiked vs. spikeless may really suit certain players better). Then they threw in a "control" of sneakers or socks so that they could have their "nine-yard" headline.

[caniac6]

Between shoes, golf balls, and the mythical driver that hits it "20 yards further", I 'll need radar to track my ball.

[Vinny Cap]

I got the new TM driver that added 10 yards, I bought the TM irons that added 18 yards, this new glove adds in 6 more yards, a custom ball that goes 8 yards more, special tees that are adding in 3 more yards, matching Garanimal pants and shirt for 12 yards and now these 9 yard shoes!!!!

I can hit it from my house and still get a hole in one and the course is miles away!

At this rate, in a few years we will be able to tee off in America and the ball will land in Europe!