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26 Part I: Getting Started: No, You Can’t Hit the Ball Yet
Technology and all its implications is a conversation topic that PGA Tour players visit quite often. Is the ball too hot? Are the big-headed titanium drivers giving the golf ball too much rebound? Is Tiger getting rich? I think that most players would answer these questions in the affirmative. Should golfers take a stance on the tenuous line between the balance of tradition and technology?“Probably not” would be the answer if all were polled.
To see where golf is today, you have to examine its past; then you can try to predict golf’s future. This section helps you gaze into the crystal ball to focus on what the future has to offer.
Whoever said that golf is played with weapons ill suited for their intended purpose probably hadn’t played with clubs made of titanium and other composite metals. These clubs allegedly act like a spring that segments of the golfing populace believe propels the golf ball — also enhanced by state-ofthe-art materials and designs — distances it was not meant to travel. This phenomenon is called the trampoline effect, which some folks may mistake for a post-round activity for reducing stress. In fact, this effect is the product of modern, thin-faced metal clubs.
This phenomenon has fueled a debate pitting the forces of technology (the evil swine) against those of tradition (those languorous leeches who never see special-effects movies). equipment that makes the game easier for the masses helps the game grow, the techno-wizards say. Traditionalists fret that classic courses are becoming obsolete, the need for new super-long courses may make the game cost more in both time and money, and golf may become too easy for elite players. Regardless of which side you agree with (you may, indeed, back both camps), one fact is undeniable: Improving Golf Equipment has been an unceasing process throughout the game’s history.
People have been developing the golf ball and clubs for many years. In the last 100 years, however, science has played an increasing role in golf-club development, with a strong influence coming from research into new metals, synthetic materials, and composites. Other developments worth noting:
_ The introduction of the casting method of manufacturing clubheads in 1963.
_ The introduction of graphite for use in shafts in 1973.
_ The manufacture of metal woods in 1979 (first undertaken by TaylorMade). This last creation rendered persimmon woods obsolete, although a small number are still crafted. The application of titanium to clubheads raised the bar in technological development (yet again) just a few years ago. Lighter than previous materials yet stronger than steel, titanium allows club makers to create larger clubheads with bigger sweet spots that push the legal limit of 470 cubic centimeters. Such clubs provide high-handicap golfers a huge margin for error — there’s nothing quite like the feel of a mishit ball traveling 200 yards! But it’s
Chapter 2: Gearing Up 27
golf balls flying in excess of 300 yards that raise suspicions that these new clubs are making the ball too “excitable.” Golf balls have been under scrutiny for much longer, probably because each new generation of ball has had an ever greater impact on the game. Ball development makes golf easier and more enjoyable for the average person and, thus, cultivates more interest. Modern balls tout varied dimple patterns, multiple layers, and other features that attempt to impart a certain trajectory, spin, greater accuracy, and better feel, as well as the ever-popular maximum distance allowed under the Rules of Golf established by the USGA. A recent change in the Rules added more than 20 yards to the old maximum of 296.8 yards. But even way back in 1998, John Daly averaged 299.4 yards on his measured drives on the PGA Tour. By 2004 the leader, Hank Kuehne, averaged 314, and the trend is upward. Uh-oh. In the coming years, golf stands to become increasingly popular, and if history tells us anything, it’s that technology is apt to contribute to the game’s popularity. However, advances in golf equipment may occur at a relatively glacial pace. The early 21st century likely won’t come close to rivaling the first ten years of the 20th for technological impact or dramatic innovation. Why? For one thing, scientists are running out of new stuff they can use to make clubheads — at least stuff that isn’t edible. An expedition to Saturn may yield possibilities. Metallurgists are going to be challenged, although so far they’re staying ahead of the game. New entries in the substance category include beta titanium, maraging steel, graphite (yes, in clubheads), and liquid metal, all purportedly better than current club materials. Dick Rugge, Senior Technical Director for the USGA, is one of the prominent folks standing in the way of radical equipment enhancement. His job is to regulate the distance a golf ball should travel, yet he doesn’t want to stifle technology altogether. The goal is to give the average golfer an advantage (whether it comes from the equipment itself or the joy of having better equipment) while keeping the game a challenge for the top players. But someone is always trying to build a better mousetrap. And although everyone wants more distance, most performance-enhancing innovations are likely to come in putter designs. On average, the USGA approves more than one new putter every day, and many of the new ones look like something out of Star Wars. Still, no one has yet invented a yip-proof blade. When somebody does, that genius is going to make a fortune. We may also see more changes in the ball — although, again, dramatic alterations in ball design are unlikely. Customizing may become more commonplace. You may also see more layering of golf-ball materials to help performance.
28 Part I: Getting Started: No, You Can’t Hit the Ball Yet
Not to be discounted are improvements in turf technology — an overlooked area boasting significant breakthroughs in the last 20 years. For example, in 1977, the average Stimpmeter reading for greens around the country (the Stimpmeter measures the speed of a putting surface — or any surface on a course) was 6.6. This means that a ball rolled from a set slope traveled 61⁄2 feet. Today, the average is closer to 9 feet. The biggest future breakthroughs will probably come from humans. Physiological improvement and psychological refinement may be the surest paths to more distance and lower scoring. So hit the gym, take up Pilates, hit your psychologist’s couch, get in touch with your inner self, eat bran and all the protein bars you can stand, drink 20 glasses of water a day, and take a stab at self-hypnotism if you have to. And if all that fails to add 10 yards off the tee, then you can try a different ball. Ain’t innovation grand?
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