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Is technology killing the game?

Tadashi70

Tadashi70

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This isn’t me condemning technology, I am a huge fan. This is me wondering if technology that aids in greater distance, more control, higher launch, more forgiveness and a few other game changers, is masking bigger issues. And by masking the issues, tech is giving golfers a false sense of ability.

These golfer start to improve and think they need ‘players’ clubs only to find out they can’t hit them as well as the high tech clubs. They toil between multiple sets looking for the magic bean and sooner or later just quit the game.

What are you thoughts?
 
It could definitely be masking it (it does for me), but I would argue that is a good thing. Not everybody has the time or the want to practice, get lessons, fix things, etc. So new technology could let them enjoy the game more.
 
Haven't handicaps stayed the same?

Technology may be helping tee to green. But there is no new wedge that will magically give a person a short game or a new putter insert that reads the line and pace for the golfer.
 
blugold said:
Haven't handicaps stayed the same?

Technology may be helping tee to green. But there is no new wedge that will magically give a person a short game or a new putter insert that reads the line and pace for the golfer.
Click to expand...

Handicaps have stayed the same, but in my opinion that is not a barometer as much as it is used. The same people that had handicaps 25 years ago, have them now and many new era golfers don't keep an official one.
Courses have also become longer, harder and faster.
 
It's not the technology that's killing the game. It's the people that think that the technology will inherently make them better players. That's the snowball.

The "better" clubs aren't going to fix your swing. Or your course management issues. The range finder's not going to help you if you don't know how far you can reasonably hit each club. That special sand wedge isn't going to magically get that ball out of the bunker if you have no idea about the technique involved.
 
JB said:
Handicaps have stayed the same, but in my opinion that is not a barometer as much as it is used. The same people that had handicaps 25 years ago, have them now and many new era golfers don't keep an official one.
Courses have also become longer, harder and faster.
Click to expand...

Right. The game has adapted. Additionally, short games have not gotten better. Alignment isn't any easier with speed pockets or twist faces. While a player no longer has to learn how to shape shots and control trajectory to be pretty good, that ability is still very much a necessity for the tour players.
 
JB said:
It could definitely be masking it (it does for me), but I would argue that is a good thing. Not everybody has the time or the want to practice, get lessons, fix things, etc. So new technology could let them enjoy the game more.
Click to expand...

There is definitely that side of it and I agree. You’ve embraced the tech and let your ego go. Many can’t say the same.
 
JB said:
Handicaps have stayed the same, but in my opinion that is not a barometer as much as it is used. The same people that had handicaps 25 years ago, have them now and many new era golfers don't keep an official one.
Courses have also become longer, harder and faster.
Click to expand...
I wonder if courses have been extended almost as much as technology has added yards?
 
JB said:
It could definitely be masking it (it does for me), but I would argue that is a good thing. Not everybody has the time or the want to practice, get lessons, fix things, etc. So new technology could let them enjoy the game more.
Click to expand...
This is kind of my position as well. New tech could bring more people into the sport and keep those already in the game playing longer to "mask" it.

Speaking from where I'm at right now, I'm actually looking for clubs with more Tech to help me out get back into the game. Lord knows I couldn't hit a "Players Club "right now. Looking for forgiveness and playability. So for me it's actually helping my game

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk
 
JB said:
It could definitely be masking it (it does for me), but I would argue that is a good thing. Not everybody has the time or the want to practice, get lessons, fix things, etc. So new technology could let them enjoy the game more.
Click to expand...

While I've been a bit slower to come around 100% on this one I agree wholeheartedly with JB here. Embrace it and go with it, they're not going to take the technology and the advancements in making the game easier away from us, so why not use it to our advantage?
 
The better skilled the player, the more significant the help (from equipment technology).
A faulty amateur swing is beyond help from equipment.
I believe Tour pro shots have benefited the most from improved graphite shafts, driver head weight technology, hybrid clubs, high MOI putters etc...
 
blugold said:
Right. The game has adapted. Additionally, short games have not gotten better. Alignment isn't any easier with speed pockets or twist faces. While a player no longer has to learn how to shape shots and control trajectory to be pretty good, that ability is still very much a necessity for the tour players.
Click to expand...

I would argue the tech exists in short games as well.
Look at how many more mallets exist. How many high MOI putters exist. Wedges with perimeter weighting and soles to assist players in so many areas.
Courses are harder, greens are faster and us golfers do not like to embrace change.
 
JB said:
I would argue the tech exists in short games as well.
Look at how many more mallets exist. How many high MOI putters exist. Wedges with perimeter weighting and soles to assist players in so many areas.
Courses are harder, greens are faster and us golfers do not like to embrace change.
Click to expand...
I agree that all of that tech helps. But none of that tech has made the short game so much easier that players upgraded to less forgiving putters and then got frustrated and quit playing.

And none of that putter tech has made it any easier to read greens.
 
JB said:
It could definitely be masking it (it does for me), but I would argue that is a good thing. Not everybody has the time or the want to practice, get lessons, fix things, etc. So new technology could let them enjoy the game more.
Click to expand...

I completely agree with this. My brother gives me a hard time often for buying new clubs because of this new feature or that new feature. He tells me to take lessons and get better. While that's great advice it's easy for someone like him who doesn't have a family or demanding job to do more than myself.

I'm probably a worse ballstriker than I was 7 years ago before my first child and my job got busier but I'm at almost my lowest handicap ever and I give a lot of credit to technology. And that is also making the game more fun.

I think Freddie hit it on the head though that you have to be willing to let some of the ego go and not be afraid to play clubs that you might not normally play.
 
Just for giggles I've been carrying around an old laminated wood construction driver and blade 7iron. I have to say if that were state of the clubmaking art I was forced to play I would play a whole lot less than I do now. I could probably live with the bladed irons but that wood has to absolutely be hit on the button to get anything out of it. And I have neither the time, nor the desire to groove a swing to that level of precision.

I'll take as much tech as I can get.
 
I don't think so. Regardless of the technology, you still have to put a good swing on the ball. The average drive for the recreational golfer is around 215, average score around 97, and for those that keep a HI, the average has only dropped two points in more than two decades. Overall, I don't think technology has made THAT much of a difference to the average person's game.

Drivers have reached their max COR, many iron sets are half an inch to an inch longer than in years past, lofts are considerably stronger (for example some sets have 21º 5-irons), and many courses are in better condition.

There is no "magic bean" when it comes to equipment...where the magic comes from is in the individual's golf swing. Don't get me wrong, equipment can help...but only up to a point. If a golfer thinks he is going to gain monstrous yardages with a new driver, drop his HI by 10 points, or whatever, simply by purchasing new equipment he is probably a bit delusional.

I also think forgiveness is a bit overrated. Sure it can help a bit, but not to the degree we are led to believe. And, compared to the clubs of yesteryear, today's players irons would have been considered GI irons. :)

Again, while a I agree technology has helped I don't think it's impact has been as profound as you would think it should be...except at the elite level, and the biggest game changer there was with the golf ball. Regardless of how technology laden equipment is, regardless of how forgiving the equipment is, a poor swing will result in a poor shot.
 
I think the tech is especially helpful for older players that will embrace it, unfortunately most older (say 59+) that I know use stuff until the grips fall off and just don't realize how much more enjoyable and easier the game would be if they upgraded to better equipment.
 
Technology can only do so much and the rest is up to the golfer. In the OP example, I wouldn't say that the tech is hurting the game, it's the golfer's own desires to get closer to the "pro" game. If the improving players were to go through a proper fitting and get the irons that produced the best results for them, then technology is part of the solution to these situations, not the problem. I guess I just don't get the reasoning in the OP and haven't had personal experience of someone doing that, so I cannot really get it as I tend to think there are many more underlying issues why someone would give up the game.
 
I think anything that makes the game a bit easier will always result in more people playing. Ability due to tech imo is still ability. There are still far different levels of skill and ability between players even with the tech and honestly imo it doesn't matter if that ability is non existent when one tries blades and/or play clubs that are less forgiving. Ability is still ability when played with whatever is available to the person regardless.

Moving to so called "players clubs" and failing is imo similar to one thinking they can start to take and make shots above their pay grade. Similarly they think they are at a point to only then realize afterwards they are not.

Is not club fitting also tech? Especially since modern swing analyzers? Even for one using players clubs couldn't it be said a real good fitting is in theory masking things much like GI clubs are masking things for the higher capper? I mean remove the fitting process and if the players game changes even a little for the worse, that imo would be the same as suggesting the theory that tech in GI clubs is the only reason a player is performing better too.

And isnt there also tech in players clubs too? Different heads, weights, etc, different shafts and all the different characteristics in the different shafts? It still all tech, is it not?

I just don't think there is a false sense of ability because I think the clubs and balls are what they are and as long as conforming it doesn't matter because that's where the game is at. I mean we can apply this logic and go back 25 years, or 50, or 100, whatever years and say that vs modern day aren't we all (even the best players) playing with false sense of ability?
 
Personally I think for the average golfer the technology is fantastic as players generally do not have the same amount of time as players at a professional level to practice.

For professionals, I do think that technology is kinda messing up the game. I personally do not think that professionals should be able to have hybrids or forgiving irons and woods. I think these guys are playing at such a high level, they shouldn't be able to have access to these clubs that mask their bad swings. I realize the analogy isn't quite the best, but I relate it to baseball where aluminum bats are used all the way up til the professional level. Once you get to that professional level though, you need to be able to put the barrel of the bat on the ball with the wood bat if you want to be successful. I know stats will probably show that not much has changed scoring wise at the professional level, but I think that it could change the amount of true talent on tour.

I'm not overly concerned about it though, just my thoughts.
 
I don’t think it’s killing the game. I think it is making the game more enjoyable for most amatures and weekend warriors. The tech can minimize swing faults and helps keep the ball in play and makes it much easier to elevate the ball. I think more people are having more fun.
 
Sean said:
I don't think so. Regardless of the technology, you still have to put a good swing on the ball. The average drive for the recreational golfer is around 215, average score around 97, and for those that keep a HI, the average has only dropped two points in more than two decades. Overall, I don't think technology has made THAT much of a difference to the average person's game.

Drivers have reached their max COR, many iron sets are half an inch to an inch longer than in years past, lofts are considerably stronger (for example some sets have 21º 5-irons), and many courses are in better condition.

There is no "magic bean" when it comes to equipment...where the magic comes from is in the individual's golf swing. Don't get me wrong, equipment can help...but only up to a point. If a golfer thinks he is going to gain monstrous yardages with a new driver, drop his HI by 10 points, or whatever, simply by purchasing new equipment he is probably a bit delusional.

I also think forgiveness is a bit overrated. Sure it can help a bit, but not to the degree we are led to believe. And, compared to the clubs of yesteryear, today's players irons would have been considered GI irons. :)

Again, while a I agree technology has helped I don't think it's impact has been as profound as you would think it should be...except at the elite level, and the biggest game changer there was with the golf ball. Regardless of how technology laden equipment is, regardless of how forgiving the equipment is, a poor swing will result in a poor shot.
Click to expand...

Bingo! The biggest change has been in the golf ball. Making lower compression balls and putting a solid core into the ball has changed this aspect of equipment drastically. If the USGA wanted to dial back distances all they would have to do is make the golf balls a bit bigger diameter. A tiny change there could drop 15-20 yards off of every shot.
 
Let's face it. Golf is not an easy game. For every golfer where technology has led them to equipment beyond their capability and then seen some quit the game out of frustration, technology has allowed just as many or more beginners to more quickly find a degree of performance that allows them to get past that early frustration period and enjoy the game and stick with it.

Additionally, technology has enabled us older golfers to maintain a level of performance that keeps us in the game. Years ago I would see golfers my age (71 now) or even a little younger bunt the ball down the fairway off the tee, bump the ball down the fairway closer to the green with little hope of reaching a par 4 or 5 in regulation, then chip and usually one putt (old guys were always known for their incredible short games if you recall). If that were me today I would give up the game. Never being a long hitter I still hit driver as long or longer than my younger days, I still hit my irons as long or longer than I did with older technology clubs. I am still able to play at a high level from the usual "men's tees" without having to move up to the "senior tees" and I still enjoy the game as much or more than ever.
 
I think the biggest thing that has changed the way golf can be played is GPS. While it's a tool I love to use because of my high handicap it really takes a lot out of the mental aspect of the game to an extent. Some of the older courses do a great job of masking and playing tricks with your mind when looking down the fairway, but with GPS its pretty easy to pinpoint the yardage with wind and elevation adjustments.

From a high handicap player it helps make the game more enjoyable, and allows you the option to keep improving your game even when you get to a handicap you are comfortable with. Add more difficulty by taking some of the technology out of the game and playing by books and guesses next. If you've maxed out that level than go back and swing hickories. There are various levels of complexity that you can find for your comfort level. The beautiful thing is that it allows the player to play with what they are comfortable with which in my view is great for growing the game to the more casual player.

One thing that worries me is that lengthening courses to keep up with distance will become increasingly more expensive to maintain, modern course design is going to have to get interesting to bring OB and other hazards into play with tight turning doglegs instead of just adding length. But we'll just have to wait and see how all that shapes out.
 
I'll take all the help I can get. I can't get too concerned about it ruining a game for the top players in the world. Bobby Jones probably thought the technology Jack used was hurting the game. Now Jack thinks technology is hurting the game. Just can't see it from my end of the world!!
 
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