There is no question that golf has changed from what it once was. The days of wearing knickers and playing with a golf ball stuffed with feathers are long gone. Although some of these changes have potentially taken a bit away from the game, most of the additions have been quite impressive. One major area of improvement in the world of golf is the way technology has impacted the game. Technology never seems to stop improving and making our lives different. Here are a few of the top ways that technology has changed golf for the better.
Most golfers have some type of rangefinder. Whether it be a rangefinder app on their phone or a physical laser rangefinder for getting a yardage, most golfers need that yardage. Years ago, the idea was to pace off the yardages from the nearest sprinkler head. Clearly, this was not nearly as accurate as the rangefinders or GPS’s are today.
One thing to consider is how the stride that each person takes is not precisely a yard. Those small discrepancies added up over time can easily lead to a par instead of a birdie. Another great thing about the rangefinder technology is that it has helped to speed up a round of golf. Players are not aimlessly searching for sprinkler heads while their playing partners wait for them.
Great players have always tracked their golf game. They usually have a score card with lots of marks, checks, circles, and more. After all, tracking your golf game is the only way to know if you are improving or getting worse.
In today’s world of technology, there are golf game trackers that do this for you. Some are so smart that they simply attach to the grip of the club. You won’t have to do anything but log on at the end of your round and check out your performance.
The idea of tracking your golf game and your scores are certainly going to help golfers become better players. Sometimes it is just a matter of having some awareness about the shots you hit if you are trying to get your handicap to a lower level.
Golf simulators have been around for quite some time, but the access that players have now is much different. Golf simulators are available for at-home use, and players can work on their game, regardless of the weather and of the conditions outside.
A golf simulator can allow you to play a golf course halfway across the world or practice your game at a virtual driving range. Simulators also help to give you specific information about your swing and some insight into how you can fix issues as well.
In the past, golfers would have to go to a facility to use a golf simulator, but now there are at-home versions that are available for less than $1000. Considering the original golf simulators were priced well over $50,000, this technology has come a long way.
The technology used for golf club fitting has changed remarkably since the early days. Years ago, a set of clubs was purchased off of a shelf, and a golfer tried to adapt their game to get those clubs to work for them.
Today things have changed considerably. Instead of having to try and find a golf club fitter, golf club fitting is a part of purchasing every set of golf clubs. Players have the ability to use a launch monitor to determine how far they are hitting their shots and get the perfect shaft and lie angle as well.
Launch monitors give access to information that was never available before. This has made the game of golf easier for many people. Playing with shafts that are not the right flex or weight or swinging a clubhead that is a few degrees off in lie angle will make golf unnecessarily more difficult.
Launch monitors have come so far that they are now available for the average golfer to bring to the range with them. If you are thinking of adding new equipment to your bag, it makes a lot of sense to use this technology to help you.
One of the most significant advancements in the last year or two is the use of artificial intelligence in the manufacturing of golf clubs. The new Callaway Mavrik golf clubs were manufactured using artificial intelligence. This allowed Callaway to place the center of gravity in a unique location for every individual iron.
Golf clubs are getting much more advanced because of the materials that they can use. A wider range of materials, higher-quality testing, and machines allowing manufacturers to build clubs strategically have significantly impacted the game.
If you are a golfer that struggles with distance. Chances are, some of these technologies have helped you gain more length in your game. Lighter materials and increased engineering and aerodynamics have helped to give golfers the distance that they have lost in recent years.
The modern golf ball is much more technologically advanced than a ball from twenty or even ten years ago. The golf ball has gone from mainly being a two to three piece construction to sometimes having five pieces.
Typically speaking, the more pieces a golf ball has, the higher the performance on the course. When a player can get a low spin off the tee, high spin around the greens, and lots of distance, they will see an impact on their game.
The rubber core inside the golf ball has evolved through the years. The advanced testing facilities and procedures that are currently in place certainly help manufacturers choose the proper specifications for their ball.
The golf ball dimple design has also changed. Now golf balls have dimples inside dimples, hexagonal dimples, and alternating large and small patterns. Let’s not forget the colored golf balls that are now available even in the premium designs. These colored golf balls come in matte finishes now to make sure that players can see their ball even on the brightest days.
Golf carts have always been a fun addition to the world of golf. Whether you ride in one or pull a cart along with your clubs attached, it is nice to have a break from carrying your clubs. Modern golf carts are equipped with LED lights, Bluetooth speakers, and even GPS.
If you forget to bring along your GPS device, your golf cart may be able to tell you exactly how far you are from the pin. Golf carts are also becoming more environmentally friendly and fuel efficient as well. Believe it or not, some golf carts now function on solar power.
If you have been around the game of golf for a while, you have probably seen some gas golf carts leaving large clouds of smoke behind them as they travel. This is not the case with the newer golf carts. They burn very clean, and the noise level on the carts has been adjusted to accommodate other players as well. Certainly, these are positive changes for the world of golf.
Golfers tend to be traditionalists. They like the game’s history, and they have firm opinions about how it should be played and why traditions need to stay in place. However, these are the same players that purchase the latest and greatest driver with the speed technology and get their yardage to the pin with a golf GPS unit. Even the strictest, by the book golfers, have to admit that these technological advances have helped to save them a few shots. Technology has proven to be helpful for most golfers; it is time to embrace it and use it to your advantage.
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