EDITORAL – CHANGES AND INNOVATIONS IN GOLF CLUBS NOW AND FOR THE FUTURE

It seems that each year, we are promised the latest and greatest in golf club technology, and there is a running joke among many that they should be hitting the ball 700 yards by now.

Well, the joke’s on them as indeed, golf club improvements over the years have made our difficult game easier to play than ever. Although the maximum coefficient of restitution (i.e., the amount of “spring-like” club face technology) in drivers was reached two decades ago, the reality is that today’s drivers far outplay those of 2006. Manufacturers found ways to increase the spring-like effect from then while still being legal to play, and learned how to positon the weight in the clubhead for maximum performance. Irons, too, now feature spring-like face technology, and companies have found ways to use it in irons that are designed for better players.

All of this means that, just when it seems golf clubs cannot get any better, they do. No, they won’t guarantee 700-yard drives or iron shots that finish inside 10 feet every time, but there are now clubs that fit every style of golfer, whereas years ago players had to fit themselves to the clubs they used. It’s a world of difference and it is incumbent among us instructors to make sure our students have clubs that are the best for them.