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What was the quantum leap in equipment that really changed the game that we know today?

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JW Smoove

JW Smoove

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There have been so many threads that discuss, to me anyway, the periphery of this question. Courses that we the pros play get longer and longer and equipment continues to embrace technological marvels, so what was it, and more importantly what (if anything) is next?

No particular order but this is what I think:

Ping Eye irons
TayorMade Metal woods
ProV1
460cc drivers
Shaft technology
Lasers (?) and/or radar to measure swing speed and spin, etc.
Interchangeable shafts on woods
Moveable weights (though I think it's more the actual amount of weight versus the moving of it - if that makes any sense)
Lob Wedges (for those who can hit them!)
Club fitting
MOI - on putters and drivers
Bigger putters - the newer mallets that move weight to the extreme fringes.

That's it, all I can think of.

For me, I think the metal woods and larger heads as well as perimeter weighted irons, finally the ball - I guess that would be the answer for most golfers.

But, what comes next - will there be anything that allows regular people to play more like pros (beyond practice and lessons)? And if there is how will that affect the courses that many of us play - will they become obsolete or will par go from say 70 to maybe 64 (or something)?
 
For me it is golf ball first. The shift from a wound ball to solid core with the ProV, The Nike ball at the time and I think it was the Strata was substantial.

Next would be Titanium heads that enabled 460cc clubfaces. This was combined with better production quality in graphite shafts that enable consistency and stability at lighter weights driving longer length shafts.
 
Of course! I did not think metallurgy at all - but absolutely Titanium was a huge jump, that said, I had a lot of success (for me) with an aluminum driver - but it was aircraft grade. and it was (I think) huge for it's time at 300cc - company was Goldwin Golf. Graphite improvements too - absolutely. As to the ball, yea, I am sure you are right as to the order, I go back and forth on that compared to other things that came along, in that I wonder if the ball would have changed as fast as it did if not for changes in equipment - but frankly I guess that's a chicken/egg argument.

Thanks - great images in my head from your post.
 
I mean the wound ball over a gutta percha might have been the biggest change but it would still come down to the ball.
 
I was thinking that while writing the original thread - I meant to suggest in the modern game - so looking from maybe late 1970s forward (when did Ping come on the scene?) I guess we'd have to add the anser putter too.
 
I think your top three are in order:

Ping Eye irons
TaylorMade Metal woods
ProV1
 
The ball with the Pro V1 or actual metal woods with steel and eventually graphite shafts.
 
perimeter weighted irons
metal woods
 
I think the Pro V1 was a huge game changer, but I would think the availability of data (GC Quad, Strokes Gained, etc...) had as big an impact on the game.
 
In my lifetime, metal woods by a mile.
 
The beauty is no one is wrong. With the posts so far though I’m no’s wondering how charges to some items accelerated charges to other parts of the game.
If love to see a discussion on this with both older pros, say Tom Watson and after Tom maybe a name from every 8-10 years up to the present they all experienced some of the changes and could offer insight as to what may have affected what else.
 
I would go with the solid core golf ball. I won't say ProV1 because they weren't the first one with the technology. It was either Nike or Strata.

What if I told you Kenny Perry's earnings double every year from 1999-2001? Coincidence?
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Perimeter weighted irons.... Thanks, Karsten!
Metal woods... Thanks, Gary Adams
Graphite shaft technology
Advances in ball technology
 
Solid core ball and the big giant driver.
 
It's a different kind of equipment, but how about the changes/improvements in mower technology in the 70s that made it possible to mow greens as tight as .125 inch compared to the earlier standard of .185 or even .25 inch? Today the greens can be cut and rolled as low as .1 inch. Pre-1980 green speeds at the Masters were around 8. The speed at the '63 US Open was estimated at <3! In 1977 the USGA used the new Stimpmeter to measure the greens speeds at many US Open venues (as well as other elite clubs; munis were in the 4-6 range):
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The mover technology improvements allowed superintendents to maintain healthy greens even at speeds in excess of 12! Clearly advances in mowing equipment (as well as agronomical knowledge) have changed the game over the last 40 years. Just compare pre-1980 putting strokes (wristy) with those today, not to mention the changes to the putter lofts (down) and weight (up). Not saying it's good or bad, but it really changed the game as we knew it (and I'm old enough to have experienced it!).
 
MattyD-MPLS said:
I would go with the solid core golf ball. I won't say ProV1 because they weren't the first one with the technology. It was either Nike or Strata.

What if I told you Kenny Perry's earnings double every year from 1999-2001? Coincidence?
View attachment 9015048
View attachment 9015049
View attachment 9015050
Click to expand...

I think the solid core ball probably helped but I also think that purses increased dramatically because that was shortly after Tiger burst on the scene.
 
Chef23 said:
I think the solid core ball probably helped but I also think that purses increased dramatically because that was shortly after Tiger burst on the scene.
Click to expand...

Wins, Top 3's, top 10's and top 25's all increased year over year.
 
Jaw2000 said:
There have been so many threads that discuss, to me anyway, the periphery of this question. Courses that we the pros play get longer and longer and equipment continues to embrace technological marvels, so what was it, and more importantly what (if anything) is next?

No particular order but this is what I think:

Ping Eye irons
TayorMade Metal woods
ProV1
460cc drivers
Shaft technology
Lasers (?) and/or radar to measure swing speed and spin, etc.
Interchangeable shafts on woods
Moveable weights (though I think it's more the actual amount of weight versus the moving of it - if that makes any sense)
Lob Wedges (for those who can hit them!)
Club fitting
MOI - on putters and drivers
Bigger putters - the newer mallets that move weight to the extreme fringes.

That's it, all I can think of.

For me, I think the metal woods and larger heads as well as perimeter weighted irons, finally the ball - I guess that would be the answer for most golfers.

But, what comes next - will there be anything that allows regular people to play more like pros (beyond practice and lessons)? And if there is how will that affect the courses that many of us play - will they become obsolete or will par go from say 70 to maybe 64 (or something)?
Click to expand...
Multi layer golf balls are the biggest thing that has changed golf in recent years. When you can design a ball that is low spin off the driver and high spin off the wedges, its a game-changer.
 
Lie machines but I like the op’s ordering. Metal woods prob number one tho.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Definitely the solid core golf ball. Nike was well ahead of the curve with their ran balls I believe.
after that, has to be shaft technology / fitting
finally, the birth of the spider tour putter.
 
No contest , the revolutionary developing of metal woods , from persimmon , which closed the peloton , those that werent as good driving had a tool that made them better ...

The evolving of metalheads equally so ... more forgiving and greater distances ..


The best drivers and long players were suddenly , caught by those less so...
 
For the average amateur like me, I don’t think there has been a quantum leap. For the elite pro that can maximize it, that’s different.
 
When engineers became a permanent resource within the golf industry everything changed. This occurred around the time the US space program began winding down. Many of the engineers found positions within the golf industry.
 
I would say the ball. And it shows in the market so many brands have a ball to fit all types of games. I remember when I started there were 2 ball choices from Titliest the Professional (soft) or the DT (hard).
 
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