Quote:
Originally Posted by fdpaq0580
Just a thought after reading an article about balls. I mean golf balls. It got me thinking how technology is constantly improving equipment and how those improvements alter training, playing, range, etc, and ultimately the game itself. As a pro, you compete with others for the "prize". With sponsors designing equipment for you, specifically. As amateurs, we don't have that luxury. As amateurs, we also are told we are competing with ourselves (who am I kidding). Being our best. For low handicap players, it might not be anything wrong with your game, but a change in equipment that will move you up the ranks.
Just the meandering mind of an old guy that loves the game, even though I was never any good at it.
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Equipment is nearly irrelevant for the vast majority of golfers. Unless you have physical characteristics that are vastly different than the average person, changing balls or clubs, isn't going to do anything significant to help (or hurt) your game.
About 7-8 years ago, I conducted a "golf ball test". (the entire story is posted on GolfWRX, same user name).
I played 10 rounds with Titleist Pro V1's. Average score was 80.3. Course Rating 71.2, Slope 133.
I played 10 rounds with balls I found in the woods. I only played balls that were in good condition and I would NOT play any top line balls (No Pro V1's, no Srixon Z-Stars, no Taylormade TP's). My average score with the "found in the woods" balls, was 79.8.
All 20 rounds at the same golf course.
For the average golfer, there's not a whit of proof, that "fitting" produces any significant and sustained improvement in score.
Years ago, a guy name Dick Weiss came up with a process called "SST Pure" shaft alignment ((Shaft Stability Technology Precision Unifying and Resonance Enhancing). It was in theory, an improvement of the old "spine align" process and supposed set the shaft in the most "stable" position. 100,000's of clubs have had this process completed, for about $50/shaft, in the hopes that they would become better golfers.
Dick hired a friend of mine to get USGA approval for SST Pure. His analysis proved that there was no inherent improvement in shot dispersion, using SST Pure. At best, it could identify "outlier" shafts that had manufacturing defects. The USGA approved the process. Now a days, shaft manufacturing has improved to the point that there are very few outlier shafts.
It's the Indian, not the Arrow.