Luckily for most of us, this is no longer the case. Besides having 455cc heads with graphite shafts with club face’s the size of small hand, we are even spoiled with having the luxuries of adjustable technology in many of our drivers. Us golfers in the modern age are given the opportunity today to adjust our hozels to best suit our needs, we can also alter our club faces’ loft and lie with a simple twist of a key. What scientist and engineers are doing in the laboratories of the major manufacturers is simply amazing and it gives us golf players more advantages than ever when trying to stripe the fairways on a long, straight par 5; making the game of golf more enjoyable than it has ever been before.
The advances in golf have not only been contained to long clubs neither. Odyssey has developed a brand new technology giving golfers multiple choices in their short game. In April Odyssey debuted the new Flip Face putter on the market, which gives golfers the option of putting with either the new Metal-X insert face or the alternative of swapping to the ever so popular White Ice face insert. Having this choice, golfers can go out before the day starts and decide whether they need the white ice face for faster greens or the aluminum Metal-X inserts for slower.
Golf clubs seems to be the majority focus on the latest golf technologies, but are not limited too. Golf shoes also have had a major over-hauling through the years. Golf shoes today are just as essential to golfers looking to get the best performance from every swing as the latest and greatest drivers, irons or putters. Many companies like Nike or Adidas are constantly creating new designs and incorporating new breakthrough technologies helping golfer’s performances along the way. Many of the technologies shoe companies are incorporating into the design of the shoe; from waterproof fabrics to power flex soles, all are commonly used throughout the industry.
However, sometimes many brands hi-tech developments will be exclusive solely to that company, even exclusive to just one type of product they are offering that year, making their products much more of a commodity than their competitors. For example, Nike released a pair of the Nike Zoom TW ’12 Men’s Golf Shoes, a pair of golf shoes Tiger Woods himself has been requesting for years now like a bad song you hate to love from the 80’s. After years of persistence, Nike in collaboration with Tiger designed a brand new golf shoe with the comfort of a pair of running shoes, but the bold looks of a solid golf shoe we are all used to from Nike Golf.
Nike is not the only brand giving their latest line of shoes a boost of performance with revolutionary ideas. Adidas, another long standing sovereignty, has recently introduced to the world THiNTech spikes. The whole idea behind THiNTech spikes was brining golfers lower to the ground, making them more stable in the back swing to the follow through, making for better ball striking capabilities. As golfers we know solid form, and perfect technique go astronomically further than raw power, and Adidas surely understands that too. Besides having the low-profile allotting for better balance Adidas has also built the THiNTech cleats with anti-clogging capabilities, offering more stability and support that we need each shot we take.
This would not be an article worth reading if we did not include the world’s leader in golf shoes, FootJoy. FootJoy has recently released a brand new shoe which they claim, is the most technologically advanced golf shoe to date. The New XPS-1 which stands for Xtreme Platform Stability accurately depicts what the shoe is offers people in those three words. FootJoy has built the new XPS-1 with Xtreme Out Sole, a technology that widens the sole with outriggers, automatically widening the natural stance of golfers creating more stability. The XOS technology also gives aide to the golfers who are finding themselves rolling their ankles on the follow through of the swing. FootJoy also gave the foot bed of the shoe Heel Lock, a raised silicone print where the heel of the foot would be, which prevents golfers from slipping in the shoe giving even more stability and control. All of these technologies with in the shoe collaborate together, elevating every golfer who uses these shoes level of play.
These forward movements in golf shoe developments are not limited to only major manufacturers that are being played on the PGA Tour. There is a plethora of small companies innovating brand new looks and practical technologies throughout the country. For an example, A-Game Golf has built a shoe with what they call Brisole Technology. What this actually is, is they have incorporated tiny bristles to the outer sole of their golf shoes, and enabling golfers to swipe clean the face of their irons or wedges freeing the club from dirt and debris with a simple flick of the foot. Fastening this feature to their golf shoes makes it much easier for golfers to stay focused on the pin, eliminating the need of going back and forth to their respected golf bags for a towel just to dust off the club before they swing.
There are many more technologies I did not get the opportunity to discuss that are available on the market. My suggestion to everybody is find out your weaknesses in your golf swing and find out where a good pair of golf shoes will be able to assist in your all-around play. The majority of players think a brand new pair of golf clubs, or the latest techniques will lower our handicaps, when maybe all you need to do is invest in a little more in the shoe department.
This article was written by Richard Hart from Vegas Golf Inc.
There are so many different aspects when it comes to this topic. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge on this particular aspect.
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