Greatest advance in modern golf

[LobWedge]

There have been so many advances in modern golf. What's your pick for the biggest?

[Big Johnny69]

The poll is only letting you choose one option Rich.

[LobWedge]

Dang it! Thanks Geoff. I can't change it...

One choice I guess...

[Big Johnny69]

Dang it! Thanks Geoff. I can't change it...

One choice I guess...

No worries, I voted golf ball anyways.

[Samick]

I also said that the golf ball is probably the biggest advance in modern golf. The Drivers are pretty close too though.

[jeffc]

gotta think for the average person it is cavity back irons. even with an older ball, etc. these have made the game so much easier for the regular joe.

[rancherJ]

The ball

[big mac]

Damm--I voted for GPS but I think I should have voted for ball----"Do you know how long it's been since I've seen a ball with an honest to goodness smile?"

[Mattchew]

I have a couple persimmon woods and cant hit those things 230 with a new nike one black. but average 280 with my driver now...I say metal woods!

but have never tried an old balata ball with new technology.

[jonf]

I voted other. I think one of the biggest advances is the use/availability of cameras/videos/computers to analyze swings. I think it's led to a vast improvement in the quality of golf played by many golfers

[Wilster]

From learning to play with hand-me-down blades, then finally , someone had the sense to invent cavity backs , that gets my vote !

[mcgoo]

hybrids, started four years ago and didn't need to learn how to hit long & mid irons.

[BC MIST]

Perhaps as big as any of the items on the poll is the overall conditioning of golf courses and the more extensive use of bent grass. Bent, cut to run 10+ on the stimpmeter allows us to make many more putts than one could ever dream of in days gone by, and fairways cut short reduces the flier lies that were standard one time. Tight fairways allows us much better distance control.

Looking back when I joined Outaouais in the early 60's, the greens were probably running at 4 or 5 at the most and the fairways were so long that the ball was always nestled down in the grass. Good course grooming adds so much to the enjoyment of the game.

[Hacker]

The driver started the tech boom IMO.........its the Granddaddy of em all

[jvincent]

I voted ball.

Your vote is somewhat age dependant. I'm older than many on this site, but I only played one season with wooden woods so I don't consider metal woods modern.

Some of our old timers probably consider the gutta-percha modern.

[TourIQ]

I voted other. I think one of the biggest advances is the use/availability of cameras/videos/computers to analyze swings. I think it's led to a vast improvement in the quality of golf played by many golfers

I wonder why the average score hasn't gone down in nearly 20 years?

I wanted to vote for the Ti Driver so picked Driver over Titanium.

[TourIQ]

Perhaps as big as any of the items on the poll is the overall conditioning of golf courses and the more extensive use of bent grass.

Hi BC MIST

I had a 19-year old girl from AL, USA fly in to K-W airport so we could work together and get his clubs tuned up for NCAA Division I play. She thought I was bs'en her on the drive back from the airport when I told her our range and course is a 9-hole cow pasture. She travelled over 1,000 miles one way for me to help her.

When we arrived at my home course we immediately went to the range. Noticing the grass on the hitting area was not cut in a couple of week, I seen the course superintendent coming in with the mower. I kindly asked if he would cut 1 swath with the mower so she could hit balls. He looked at me like I was out of my mind but obliged and cut 1 path. She proceeded to hit balls and the grass just cut was still over 2 inches long, with the surrounding range hitting area at over 4+ inches.

She turned to me and said Harry I though you were exerating about your cow pasture but back home in New Zealand we have animal grazing areas with less grass then I am hitting off of right now. We both had a good laugh.

Our range was pathetic, along with the above problems, I don't think they fixed a single divot all season and never watered the area since they would have to run a garden hose to reach it. Then they wonder why our club develops few good players.

When the girl got back to Alabama she had 2 NCAA tournaments left. She was no. 4 of 5 on her team, but finished in the no. 2 spot to finish off the fall season. Worth the long trip.

[jonf]

I wonder why the average score hasn't gone down in nearly 20 years?

I wanted to vote for the Ti Driver so picked Driver over Titanium.

I would say that is a result of the massive increase in weekend golfers. I think its just a lot easier these days for people to see a good swing, and see what's wrong with theirs. Certainly not everyone takes advantage of that. But, I think being able to do something as simple as slow down a good swing and look at exactly where their hands are at critical times is a massive advantage that we have over golfers from 20 years ago.

[TourIQ]

I would say that is a result of the massive increase in weekend golfers. I think its just a lot easier these days for people to see a good swing, and see what's wrong with theirs. Certainly not everyone takes advantage of that. But, I think being able to do something as simple as slow down a good swing and look at exactly where their hands are at critical times is a massive advantage that we have over golfers from 20 years ago.

Yes I agree but I do not think many take advantage of this advanced video technology. They would rather have a new driver and look the part, rather than learn how to swing.

When I was picking and alternating coaches for my son I never took him to someone who needed video to see his faults. He wasn't taped until his 8th year of play. His last coach [R. Akins coach to D. Toms] told him his 2 swing faults by watching only 2 swings. I think video is great for the golfer so s/he can say "do I look like that" ... this wakes them up to their own reality. I think too many coaches rely on video, but the real great coaches can see it in their minds-eye frame by frame in slow motion, without the use of any adv. technology.

[Itchy]

I dunno, but I figure hitting one of these with my Callaway would not be a pretty sight.


I vote golf ball.

[sillywilly]

I would say the tech. used to custom fit people. Its amazing how different a custom set of clubs feels compared to something bought off the shelf which is I guess has to do with the new shafts, heads and balls I win

[TourIQ]

There have been so many advances in modern golf. What's your pick for the biggest?

The term 'modern' is relative to how old you are. Ask a teenager who golfs and
s/he is thinking the last 5 years. As a senior and s/he is thinking in the last 50 years.

[fundonny]

Can I vote for Gulbis' legs?

[Golfbum]

I voted other. I think one of the biggest advances is the use/availability of cameras/videos/computers to analyze swings. I think it's led to a vast improvement in the quality of golf played by many golfers

They were filming the swing back in Bobby Jones prime. So I would not say that is the biggest advancement in golf. Of course there were no portable laptops to load the swing video onto and then check it out. But golfers seemed to get along just fine without that.

I tend to say, for the average amateur golfer that the invention of the metal wood, CB irons, Hybrids, wedges, and the advancement of the golf ball have been the biggest boost.

I started playing golf with laminated and persimmon drivers and fairway woods. Muscle back or blade irons and only one wedge, a PW. Now you have so many different wedges on the market that there is one for almost every yardage you might encounter. Back in the "OLD DAYS" we had to manufacture shots with the PW. Maybe, you had a SW, maybe.

I took my old laminated driver out to the range one day this past summer. Trust me, hitting balls with it was not quite as easy as it was with the Cobra Comp I own. My buddy who is a decent player could hardly get the ball in the air with that old driver!

Have you ever tried hitting one of those old 100 compression balls? Or a wood driver? Heck the 5 woods on the market today have bigger heads than the old wood drivers.

Yes it is nice to be able to tear down your swing on a computer screen. But how many amateur players actually do that? A small percentage I would tend to think. I know I have never had that done.

But we have all bought new drivers to gain a few yards, CB Irons to gain accuracy, hybrids to get rid of those dreaded long irons (I chuckled when I read that Mcgoo has never hit a long iron! He doesn't know what he is missing ) We've bought PRO V's at $60/dozen because they spin more and fly further. We have bought a new putter because the ball rolls off it better.

So I would say the advancement of the clubs and balls is the big thing in golf. You just can not narrow it down to one item. It is a combination of equipment.

Hey Chi Chi once said "I hit it further now at the age of 60 than I did when I was 30. It is the equipment that allows me to do that"

I do agree with the statement Harry made though. With all the advancement in equipment why has the average handicap not come down much in the past 20 years?

Is it because we can hit it further but not always straighter? Or is it because the trees are a lot bigger on the course now than they were twenty years ago?

[Paulio]

I'd say that it has to be the driver. This club was once the toughest club to hit in golf, apparently. With the size and forgiveness of some of the drivers today - it has to be the greatest advancement. Although, the ball does fly much further now, as well.

When you hear alot of pro's today though, they credit so much of their new found success to equipment. It makes them better.

[mpare]

The clubs and balls have been a huge boost to golfers. The clubs are more forgiving for the average player and the balls fly much straighter (especially in the wind) and are lot longer than the old balata balls. Also, the science of golf course agronomy has advanced by leaps and bounds. As a result, fairways can be cut much tighter resulting in "faster" fairways which, in turn, has contributed to longer distances off the tee. Greens are much smoother and faster than they ever were making putting a more predictable exercise. Believe it or not, the game has become easier to play than it ever was.

[LobWedge]

The term 'modern' is relative to how old you are. Ask a teenager who golfs and
s/he is thinking the last 5 years. As a senior and s/he is thinking in the last 50 years.

In my mind, with regard to equipment, the moden era of golf began with the USGA accepting the use of steel shafts in 1926. More than likely before both our times.

[landlord]

I'm too new to vote in the poll, but Lee Trevino's answer to this question used to be "the lawnmower."

More recently, I'd have to say the ball.

[Started2k3]

Tiger ... THE "poster child" for longer is better.

[Shivas Irons]

Equipment improvements that have had the greatest effect on scores depends on your level of play. IMO 460 cc drivers for the high handicapper & long putters for the scratch player are the biggest improvements. Outlaw the long-putter!!!