Estate Living Digital Publication Issue 9 September 2015 | Page 19

WHAT’S PUTTING

Blaming the tools

The discussion
turns to
equipment
technology

However, it must be said that the modern golfer has
more help from the golf clubs he or she chooses
to use than at any other stage in the history of the
game. There have been watershed moments in the
past, including the change from leather hand-made
golf balls to rubber moulded varieties, which could
be mass-produced and were, therefore, far cheaper,
to the move from hickory to steel shafts and then
on to the advent of heel-toe clubs with wider sweet
spots. These changes were spread over decades,
but now it is rare for a season to pass without some
improvement in club, shaft and/or golf ball design
being trumpeted by various manufacturers.
These design changes are not focussed on aesthetics,
but are aimed more at improving the actual
performance of the club. Ironically, the changes have
often been at the expense of line and visual appeal,
judging by some of the clubs, which look like they
might be more suited for a braai than for hitting a ball!I
was recently involved in a wide-ranging conversation
with a few golfing friends about the state of