[Update: The last test slot is now filled. Thanks to everyone for the responses.] This post is going to come off like an advertisement, but I promise it’s not. I just find the idea compelling. Let me rewind a bit. Remember about week ago, when I talked about the idea of divergence in rules and equipment for tournament and recreational golfers? I mentioned that the thought process was sparked by a conversation with someone in the golf industry. Well, that someone was Dave Felker, the director of technology for a company called Polara Golf. I found the story of Polara to be quite interesting. In last week’s post, I discussed the idea that the USGA has a way of squashing technology through equipment regulations. Those of you who go back a ways might have even heard of the Polara ball before. The brand originated in the 1970′s. Here’s some information from the Polara Golf history page that kind of outlines what I’m talking about. Two scientists, Daniel Nepela and Fred Holmstrom developed the original Polara
Should Tournament Golf and Recreational Golf Diverge?
I had an interesting phone conversation last night with someone from the golf industry that I’m going to tell you more about some time in the next several days. One of the things we discussed, at length, is the idea that there is a serious disconnect between tournament golf and the enjoyment that recreational players derive from the game. The Rules of Golf are probably the biggest divergence between the best players in the world and the rest of us. They have to play the Rules to the letter or suffer dire consequences. Weekend players, however, take extreme liberties with them. In many cases, it’s not even out of a desire to cheat. Sometimes, it’s a matter of ignorance. It’s also an issue of the Rules not always being practical on busy public courses. Be honest, how many of you go back to the tee to hit another shot after you’ve discovered that your ball is lost or has ended up out of bounds? All of the golf leagues I’ve been involved with had local rules
The New Groove Regulations Came in with a Whimper
For the last few years, there was a mix of emotions and reactions as the USGA proposed and implemented new, more stringent regulations on golf club grooves for short irons/wedges. As the D-Day for the new rules approached, there was a prevailing opinion that, on Tour, where the regulations took effect well before they will for the rest of us, there would be a rebirth of shot making hearkening back to the old days of tournament golf. There was speculation that there would be a painful adjustment period, that scores might increase slightly, and that the “bomb and gouge” would fall out of favor, as players struggle to control the ball out of the rough, putting a higher premium on being in the fairway. I was fascinated to read in the October 2010 edition of The Pelz Files in Golf Magazine (p. 32), that maybe things didn’t quite work out that way. In his column, Dave Pelz compared some key statistics from 2009, the year before the rules took effect, with the same from 2010 to see
Playing a Three-Club Round
You might have noticed the poll in the side bar that’s been running for a while that asks, “If you had to play a round with only three clubs, which would you choose?” My golf league does a three-club event which, unfortunately, I missed this year. It got me thinking about it some, though, and I thought I’d see which clubs you all would choose. It’s really a great exercise in course management. It forces you to think about which clubs you need most and which clubs you can most easily adapt to fill in the holes. Many teachers would tell you that a limited set is the best thing for juniors, too. It gets them out of the analytical mindset that overburdens many of us and teaches them just to grab a club and hit a shot, and if they don’t have a club that’s perfect for that shot, then they have to make that shot with what they have. It’s a great way to learn creativity and to become versatile shot-makers. As of now,
Trading Science for Art Around the Greens
As most of you realize by now, I’m a big proponent of the type of short game that Dave Pelz advocates. Not only do I recommend his books, but I enjoy his articles in Golf Magazine each month. In the February 2010 issue, he wrote an article about choosing wedge lofts wisely. It kind of centered around the new wedge groove rule changes and, as usual, was full of great facts and advice. One thing kind of caught my attention, though, and I’m not sure I’m fully on board. Because of the lessened spin resulting from new groove regulations, he points out that players can expect around 50% less spin from the rough and about 20% less spin from the fairway for wedges of comparable lofts. He goes on to point out that to stop shots on the greens as effectively, players will have to adopt higher and softer trajectories than what we’re used to producing. And, he says, there are two ways to do that: either open the faces to current wedges to produce
Loading ...
Connect
Here are some other ways we can connect