MVP
Journeyman Pro
Do you think that with todays new equipment. Ie. longer straight drivers...gps...cavity back irons. That amatuer golfers have improved over say the last 10 years?
Are amateur golfers getting better ?????
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Nope, there is still a lot of high handicapping hackers out there, its technique and talent over equipment.
Too many golfers showing LOFT where it wouldnt matter what set of clubs they were using.
Too many golfers showing LOFT where it wouldnt matter what set of clubs they were using.
DCB
Well-known member
Looking back at the results of Medals and Comps at my club, the results are roughly the same each corresponding year. The Scratch guys score roughly the same year on year. Comps are won by the same score +/- 1 each time.
In the handicap section, there are obviously the odd "score of a lifetime" which disrupts the stats but on the whole these are again the same sort of scores year on year.
Whilst Equipment has changed, it still hasn't made that much of a difference to the average club golfer as far as scoring is concerned.
In the handicap section, there are obviously the odd "score of a lifetime" which disrupts the stats but on the whole these are again the same sort of scores year on year.
Whilst Equipment has changed, it still hasn't made that much of a difference to the average club golfer as far as scoring is concerned.
Herbie
Tour Winner
when you look to yesteryear and the quality of golf with very inferior equipment, then the answer is most definately NO!
Imurg
The Grinder Of Pars (Semi Crocked)
Average handicaps havn't moved in decades so it doesn't seem to matter what the manufacturers do - the average Joe is at the same level he was 10/15 years ago.
andiritchie
Journeyman Pro
No however the new equipment makes it easier for players to get alright quicker compared to using the old blades and persimmions
TWM
Challenge Tour Pro
Here is one who is not getting any better.
USER1999
Grand Slam Winner
I have played off 12 for getting on 20 years. Not getting better, but not getting worse either. May be I need modern tech to stand still.
SammmeBee
Journeyman Pro
No.....new technology has helped, as it is designed to do, along with new golf balls to hit the ball further, which if you ask the majority of golfers is what they want to do.....unfortunately in most cases further into the rubbish....
theeaglehunter
Tour Winner
I haven't been in the game long enough to judge however I would guess the average standard golfer is probably about the same but the better golfer is now better than 10 years ago- if that makes sense. In other words now a days someone who would have been off of 8 would be off 6, however someone who would be off 28 is off 28 anyway. This is a guess though.
Herbie
Tour Winner
I think you may have something there, I dont know why? it just seems right.
forefortheday
Tour Rookie
Eagle makes a great point.
I keep getting told that golf is more accesible now than it ever has been so maybe 10 years ago there were less people playing overall?
I guess this would mean that 10 years ago handicaps were more evenly spaced as an average than they are now but due to there being more people playing golf now that us hackers are dragging the average up?
I hope that makes sense maths aren't my strong point!
I keep getting told that golf is more accesible now than it ever has been so maybe 10 years ago there were less people playing overall?
I guess this would mean that 10 years ago handicaps were more evenly spaced as an average than they are now but due to there being more people playing golf now that us hackers are dragging the average up?
I hope that makes sense maths aren't my strong point!
I think that probably in overall terms the change if any has been only slight. As many have commented, a player with fundamental flaws in his game will not improve dramatically until these are addressed but with the benefit of improved technology is still able to have "one of those days"
I think those who will have benefited the most, are those guys anywhere from 20 downwards that have some sort of repeatable action and the ability to chip and putt to some degree. The difference in ball performance, wedge design and drivers and irons mean that these players can pick and choose the right set up to suit their game and reap as much out of their natural talent as possible.
Similarly those guys that practice hard and know their weaknesses and are taking strides forward (lessons etc) are also ultimately going to see some sort of improvement as their technique stands up better under pressure and again they can pick and choose what clubs to use (maybe switiching from a full cavity to a tour cavity - X20 to X20 tour for example) or getting a custom fit on a driver or some irons.
However as we know there are no real shortcuts to this game and while kit can help unless you can get the thing in the hole regularly it doesn't maater if you are using a persimmon from the 80's or the latest 460cc driver.
I think those who will have benefited the most, are those guys anywhere from 20 downwards that have some sort of repeatable action and the ability to chip and putt to some degree. The difference in ball performance, wedge design and drivers and irons mean that these players can pick and choose the right set up to suit their game and reap as much out of their natural talent as possible.
Similarly those guys that practice hard and know their weaknesses and are taking strides forward (lessons etc) are also ultimately going to see some sort of improvement as their technique stands up better under pressure and again they can pick and choose what clubs to use (maybe switiching from a full cavity to a tour cavity - X20 to X20 tour for example) or getting a custom fit on a driver or some irons.
However as we know there are no real shortcuts to this game and while kit can help unless you can get the thing in the hole regularly it doesn't maater if you are using a persimmon from the 80's or the latest 460cc driver.
Herbie
Tour Winner
spot on Homer. 
The_Squire
Head Pro
Not in my case 
, if I had been asked in the celeb jungle to do a bush tucker putter trial I would have starved the way my putting has been lately. No amount of equipment technology can make a person a better putter and that's where the scores are made.
, if I had been asked in the celeb jungle to do a bush tucker putter trial I would have starved the way my putting has been lately. No amount of equipment technology can make a person a better putter and that's where the scores are made.RGuk
Tour Winner
No! A bogey is a bogey; doesn't matter if the drive went 30 yards further than 20 years ago.
Fair point about putting too....
Players between 5 and 20 h'cap probably hit a few more greens (I'd say) and might be benefiting by the odd shot. I often hit a green and think "that was not an ideal shot, and I'd not have got away with that with my first set of irons!!"
Fair point about putting too....
Players between 5 and 20 h'cap probably hit a few more greens (I'd say) and might be benefiting by the odd shot. I often hit a green and think "that was not an ideal shot, and I'd not have got away with that with my first set of irons!!"
Cernunnos
Journeyman Pro
A lot of amatures are perhaps hitting further with a combination of more forgiving or simply better equipment. Not to mention more & more amatures are taking lessons.
However this does not mean the consistency of the amature game is getting better. My gut feeling that there has been so much empesis over technology & technique that Ironically far from consistency improving, things have gone southwards in general.
I really do think that all forgiving clubs do for players, is hide swing faults & all that bigger drivers with better technology does is get said amature futher into trouble.
There does seem to be a big thing made about how far we hit our clubs & I'll be the first to admit getting cought in the trying to hit seven bells out of a ball rather than hitting it better.
No the amature game is not getting better. Technical knowledge yes, but the game itself... No.
However this does not mean the consistency of the amature game is getting better. My gut feeling that there has been so much empesis over technology & technique that Ironically far from consistency improving, things have gone southwards in general.
I really do think that all forgiving clubs do for players, is hide swing faults & all that bigger drivers with better technology does is get said amature futher into trouble.
There does seem to be a big thing made about how far we hit our clubs & I'll be the first to admit getting cought in the trying to hit seven bells out of a ball rather than hitting it better.
No the amature game is not getting better. Technical knowledge yes, but the game itself... No.
haplesshacker
Money List Winner
Probably not. But.
There are probably a lot more of us out there than there was 10 years ago. Probably playing infrequently (weekend hackers like me, that only get 3 games in a month on average or less).
Equipment for the likes of us has got much easier to use. I started and quit after 4 months, 20 years ago with a borrowed set of blades, horrid things. Restarted 10 years ago for about 15 games over a period of 2 years with a set of Dunlop RMS clubs, which I hated as I couldn't hit them. Mind you can't hit much anyway!
Restarted casually 3 years ago and more seriously in the last year and bought the MX19s, now these I can hit (occasionally!), which means that equipment has improved for the likes of me.
Sorry, I'm rambling.
We're no better, just more of us doing it, and the equipment makes it easier for those with less time to get to a playable level.
There are probably a lot more of us out there than there was 10 years ago. Probably playing infrequently (weekend hackers like me, that only get 3 games in a month on average or less).
Equipment for the likes of us has got much easier to use. I started and quit after 4 months, 20 years ago with a borrowed set of blades, horrid things. Restarted 10 years ago for about 15 games over a period of 2 years with a set of Dunlop RMS clubs, which I hated as I couldn't hit them. Mind you can't hit much anyway!
Restarted casually 3 years ago and more seriously in the last year and bought the MX19s, now these I can hit (occasionally!), which means that equipment has improved for the likes of me.
Sorry, I'm rambling.
We're no better, just more of us doing it, and the equipment makes it easier for those with less time to get to a playable level.
