Why I believe Tiger and Rory & Co are ruining my golf
game.
The main performance parameters for say ‘drivers’ have been
restricted for some time now, these being MOI (moment of inertia) and COR (coefficient
of restitution).
Existing materials used in golf equipment today can
surpass these limits. So there is no incentive or point investing R&D dollars
introducing new materials.
Similar story for golf balls, where initial velocity is limited
and today’s golf ball materials can easily attain these limits.
But golf manufacturers always need new areas of development
to keep punters interested in their products.
The latest fad is increased
adjustability; it’s almost as if there's a gentleman’s agreement between the
rule-makers and the brands.
COR & MOI are fixed and off-limits. Ok, there’s
already adjustability in moving small amounts of mass around the club head, so how
about increasing other areas of adjustability? That should keep everyone busy
for a couple of years.
Personally I would rather learn how to adjust my stance and
grip to help me either draw or fade a shot and or de-loft a club etc. Rather
than search for a screwdriver and adjust a setting on my club between holes.
So who are these main performance rule restrictions really for?
I believe they are not
for the vast majority of golfers but for the small number of professionals who
through greater athleticism and practise are already hitting the golf ball too
far.
But I’m not hitting the golf ball too far. I do not have time to practise every
day to improve my game. I need the latest technology, the very latest materials
which can achieve near perfection for the main performance parameters set by
physics not by the governing bodies of golf.
You can stick your adjustability and new ‘cavity’ drivers. I
want new materials.
New bio-synthetic golf ball materials which can achieve 97%
elasticity (while current synthetic rubber; polybutadiene, used in today’s golf balls can
achieve only 70% elasticity). They do exist, perhaps only in small quantities in laboratories but
very soon they will be produced in a viable economical way and I want them.
I also want new front striking face materials which can reach
the limits of physics.
No doubt even with these near perfect materials I’ll still
be a rubbish golfer. But my enjoyment of golf will be enhanced because very
occasionally I will hit a dream of a shot.
Unfortunately Tiger & Rory & Co are standing in my
way. Their supreme talent and dedication is preventing me from having the best
technology. I don’t want them to be paid millions of dollars endorsing a particular
brand. I want the brands to pay millions of dollars to people in white coats.
It's time for the performance restriction rules for the pros to be applied only to them. Let the vast majority of golfers enjoy the benefits of the very latest developments in material science. Instead of leaving us reading page after page of endless marketing spin.
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