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.
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.
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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