Dustin Johnson Hits Jack's Old Clubs

[iacas]

1 hour ago, Buckeyebowman said:

Errrr! I think you may have gone over the line with that last sentence. I still have a 4 wood (remember those?) from a set of persimmons I had made for me in the 70's. I stuck it in the bag thinking it might suffice for a 5 wood.

I hit it at the range and on the course and compared to modern clubs, I cannot describe to you how "dead" it felt! Yet, I could play it when I was younger.

Uhh, Dustin Johnson carried Jack's old driver 290 yards.

Must not have been very "dead."

[turtleback]

3 hours ago, Buckeyebowman said:

But I guess if there was an internet when hickory shafts changed over to steel, there might be the same discussion!

There wasn't an internet but there WAS the same discussion.  @brocks posted quotes and links.

[Kloeshuman]

I think that today's golfers are way more athletic then back in Jack's days...meaning that they train a whole different way. Back in Jack's days they were smoking cigarettes and most drinking before and during a round. That's not saying Jack wasn't a athlete,  they just didnt train the way the players of today do. They showed up and played, ask that from today's guys and they would quickly fall back

[Buckeyebowman]

This might be the best comment so far. Back in the day, any kind of training with weights, or even swimming, was considered anathema by Tour pros. I remember reading a quote by Sam Snead who said that best exercise for golf, was golf!

So, physical training advanced, along with advances in club and ball technology, as well as analysis of the swing, as well as teaching. This has created kind of a perfect storm, which we are seeing, not only in golf, but in many sports.

It could be like Carly Simon sang. These ARE the good old days!

[3jacker]

You consider Bubba an "athlete?"

Think he's in better shape than fat Jack was in his 20s/30s?

[Kloeshuman]

You're missing the point......they didnt really train back in Jack's days. They showed up and played golf. Today's guys are in the gym more then on the course 

This forum gets me....so many one sided views crazy....think about what you're saying

Jack was a natural athlete 

[Kloeshuman]

Look at what Babe Ruth did....he was over weight and possibly a alcoholic......but still made history....

[Kloeshuman]

I never said that today's players weren't athletes

[3jacker]

I guess my point is folk always focus on the "athletes" like Dustin and Brooks but ignore the fat guys (or terribly thin, like Bubba) who hit it just as far or farther. Both now and in the past.  

I think the physical conditioning helps to an extent.  Especially with fatigue, and theoretically, injury prevention.  But they still get hurt so I'm not sure about that second part.

For every Brooks, there's an Arnie. For every Angel Cabrera, there's a fat Jack.  

I think it's all overrated.

[Kloeshuman]

Ok, I have to say it's funny how you keep saying fat Jack when you just said yourself that people overlook the overweight or really thin guys...lol

Sounds to me like a troll trying to stir the pot

Edited September 6, 2018 by Kloeshuman

[boogielicious]

On 9/6/2018 at 4:57 PM, Kloeshuman said:

Ok, I have to say it's funny how you keep saying fat Jack when you just said yourself that people overlook the overweight or really thin guys...lol

Sounds to me like a troll trying to stir the pot

Jack did look a bit heavy in those early year photos, but no doubt he was a very good athlete. I agree calling him “fat Jack” is a bit much. 

I also think body frame can be deceiving with regards to athletic ability. There are tremendous large, tall, short, thin althetes in many sports. Chris Sale is rail thin and CC Sabathia is pudgy, yet both are excellent baseball pitchers.

Brooks looks ripped on TV and does a lot of training, but Bubba hits it far too. JT is small and thin, but hits it a country mile. Beef and Boo are heavy, yet hit it very far. And even though they may look heavy, they most likely do training to keep strong.

[Kloeshuman]

I wish " fat Jack" could read this and post a little something 

Jack and Arnie were two of the most classy golfers of all time....I hope we have others  like them to fallow and lead this sport....

I'm hoping maybe someday its Tiger, he is headed that way

Edited September 19, 2018 by Kloeshuman

[Lihu]

On 8/30/2018 at 7:43 AM, 3jacker said:

The guys that argue the old persimmon woods and balata balls weren't more difficult to use tend to be those that have never played with them.

I've played since the 80s.  I know that I hit it much further now with less effort than I did then.  Today's 290 is easily 1988's 276.   

More forgiving clubs will allow the average golfer to hit it further, but that’s because we don’t hit the same spot in the face. 

Physics hasn’t changed that much since the 1960s...

The only real difference I’ve found with Balata balls (tour 90 versus my prov1) is that they don’t last very long. Like 4 holes...I’d guess that an average pro can easily carry on average 274.

[boogielicious]

32 minutes ago, Lihu said:

More forgiving clubs will allow the average golfer to hit it further, but that’s because we don’t hit the same spot in the face. 

Physics hasn’t changed that much since the 1960s...

The only real difference I’ve found with Balata balls (tour 90 versus my prov1) is that they don’t last very long. Like 4 holes...I’d guess that an average pro can easily carry on average 274.

Ummm. It hasn't changed since shortly after the Big Bang. 

[lastings]

I don't know if this is considered relevant or not, because i am no where near a professional ball striker, so the difference might be exaggerated for me...   so take this for what it's worth.  

 

recently, I was at the driving range and in my basket there was an old Titleist tour balata 100.   This isn't exactly the balata ball Jack was using, as these were made in the late 90's, but you get the point.   I played a 9-hole practice rd a week later and thought I'd give it a shot.  worst case I figured it would sharpen my ball striking.   

with my irons, what I figured was correct.   maybe bent a little harder in the air.   possibly a bit shorter by not much.  8-iron was still within the range of 8-iron distance.   certainly not a whole club distance or anything like that.   

The big, very big difference was with the Driver.    Even with my forgiving as can be, TaylorMade M3, my soft draw was no longer a soft draw.   I now had to play it out to the right of the fairway and hook it back in.   when I tried to take the draw off and hit straight or light fade, straight or light fade was not what I was getting.   I haven't hit a banana ball like that in years.     Hard to tell how distance compared because of my inability to hit the ball straight.   it was definitely an...   um..     experience.   

The only conclusion I walked away with myself was that I would much rather hit a persimmon off the tee with a proV1 than I would hit my M3 off the tee with a balata.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SPJr]

5 minutes ago, lastings said:

I don't know if this is considered relevant or not, because i am no where near a professional ball striker, so the difference might be exaggerated for me...   so take this for what it's worth.  

recently, I was at the driving range and in my basket there was an old Titleist tour balata 100.   This isn't exactly the balata ball Jack was using, as these were made in the late 90's, but you get the point.   I played a 9-hole practice rd a week later and thought I'd give it a shot.  worst case I figured it would sharpen my ball striking.   

with my irons, what I figured was correct.   maybe bent a little harder in the air.   possibly a bit shorter by not much.  8-iron was still within the range of 8-iron distance.   certainly not a whole club distance or anything like that.   

The big, very big difference was with the Driver.    Even with my forgiving as can be, TaylorMade M3, my soft draw was no longer a soft draw.   I now had to play it out to the right of the fairway and hook it back in.   when I tried to take the draw off and hit straight or light fade, straight or light fade was not what I was getting.   I haven't hit a banana ball like that in years.     Hard to tell how distance compared because of my inability to hit the ball straight.   it was definitely an...   um..     experience.   

The only conclusion I walked away with myself was that I would much rather hit a persimmon off the tee with a proV1 than I would hit my M3 off the tee with a balata.   

Interesting.... I'll have to pay more attention to my range buckets.

[Lihu]

7 hours ago, boogielicious said:

Ummm. It hasn't changed since shortly after the Big Bang. 

😂

[Kloeshuman]

5 minutes ago, Lihu said:

😂

Lol