September 24th, 2011 | 
Author: In doing some research a while ago I ran across a study that essentially said that what helped people enjoy golf the most was solid ball contact. Well, that generally makes sense – we all keep coming back to the game because we crushed that one drive or smoked that long iron or something like that. So, in the name of solid ball contact manufacturers have put out game improvement clubs to to help people hit more solid golf shots and thus keep coming back to the game and spending more money. In fact, I can remember the Ping Eye 2s when they first came out and their crazy looking offset next to my Arnold Palmer blades. But, have the manufacturers perpetuated bad swings? Maybe…
If having an easy to hit club helps people really enjoy the game then I’m all about it. But, if it keeps you from developing a proper swing then probably not the best thing. With that in mind, I’ve been debating about switching up my equipment to force me to be better at striking the ball solidly. And, I’m starting to think about how to incorporate that into my semi-regular practice on the net downstairs. Maybe its as simple as tracking the number of times I hit the ball with solid contact and seeing if I get better over time.
For more thoughts on club playability and how to measure it, Ralph Maltby at the GolfWorks.com has done some absolutely fantastic work, especially to the engineering mind. Oh, and he’s measured all of the other name brand clubs – so most of those “this will so help your game get better” clubs more often than not are “we have to hype this club, but it really won’t help your game…”
Check out this wealth of knowledge – The Maltby Playability Factor
- http://www.ralphmaltby.com/system/assets/398/2011MPFIronHead_additions.pdf
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