Opinion & Analysis
Match of the Ages: 30 Years of Tech Goes Head to Head
I vividly remember being a teenager watching the 1987 U.S. Open at the Olympic Club on television with my dad. The ever-stoic Scott Simpson made a slew of late birdies to dash the title hopes of my boyhood heroes Tom Watson and Seve Ballesteros. Simpson hit a feathery 9-iron from 125 yards into the 16th and I said to my dad, “I can do that.” My dad just laughed and shook his head.
“Son, this is not the Rich Acres Par-3,” he said. “This is the U.S. Open.” I went right back at him. “I know,” I said, “but I can do that. My 9 iron goes 125 yards.”
Fast forward to the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills. Rickie Fowler is hitting 5-iron into a 250 yard hole. Brooks Koepka melts a 325-yard 3-wood. My 6-year-old daughter is watching with me as Koepka overpowers Erin Hills and she asks, “Daddy, can you do that?” I answered with no delay, “No chance.” But what struck me as odd was that I was starting to grow numb to the video game-like control and power we see week in, week out on the PGA Tour. Four-hundred-yard drives just happen now and that’s how it is. Sounds like fun, but I’m not sure it’s good thing.
Somewhere between my father’s 1987 dismissal of the crucible that was the Rich Acres Par-3 and Koepka’s brutish dismantling of Erin Hills, golf has become a wildly different game. But is it a better game? Is it more entertaining to watch? Does the technology that facilitates the game for the masses belittle the game’s rich history? Most importantly, is today’s game more fun to play? I set off on a crusade to find out.
Short of buying a silver DeLorean and traveling back in time to 1987, my best bet was to try and piece together the clubs I played as a teenager and pit them against my current set to see how they would match up. A Match of The Ages if you will; Teenage Me vs. Middle-Aged Me. The artistry of the late 20th century versus the power of the early 21st century. This was going to be fun.
Building My Teenage Arsenal
East Bloomington, Minnesota in 1988 was The Land of 10,000 Blades. My buddy Aaron played his dad’s old X-31s. The Hogan brothers (sons of PGA legend Terry Hogan) worshiped all things Apex. I played a set of Wilson Staff Fluid Feel irons handed down from my father. Persimmons were still King and my all-time favorites were Cleveland Classics that I bought off a guy at my barber shop for an incredibly low price. How he got them wasn’t important. What was important was that I knew at a young and tender age that there are certain questions you just don’t ask folks who are selling goods out of their trunks at barber shops.
I went online and was able to find a similar set of Fluid Feel 2-SW with Dynamic Gold shafts, a Cleveland persimmon driver and 4 wood, and a putter that was close to an old TPA that I occasionally had in play. I didn’t think playing a 30-year-old balata made much sense, so I splurged and bought some Titleist Professionals for $10 (I know the Professionals weren’t released until the mid-nineties, but I figured they’d have a puncher’s chance of still being round). All in all it cost me about $150 to recreate my teenage arsenal. Not quite barber shop prices, but a bargain nonetheless.
Middle-Aged Me: An Embarrassment of Riches
I buy way too many clubs. Like, it’s-a-problem-in-my-marriage amount of clubs. I’ve had to pay off the doorman at my building to stash any deliveries so my wife doesn’t find them and throw them away. Currently my storage unit has more clubs than some pro shops, but here’s what’s in my bag as of right now. The Epic driver is incredible and the RBZ 14.5 and Tour Exotic 19 hybrid have kept their place in the lineup for months — not an easy task considering a few snap hooks with a utility club normally means an early retirement. This is my second set of AP2s (DGS300) and I’ve been a fan of the Callaway wedges since I got them. The 2-Ball putter might strike you as odd, but I side-saddle putted not that long ago, so the term odd is lost on me. I play the Vice Pro Plus and it’s a terrific ball. Middle-Aged Me is well-armed and ready for battle.
The Tale of the Tape
I took 16 shots with each driver and 8-iron using Bridgestone E6 balls. I took out the best and worst 4. Averages in gray.
The 8-iron data had me puzzled. Sure enough, the modern 8-iron was bent fairly strong. Thanks to Brendan Kelly and Tim Ellis at Roger Dunn’s Golf Shop in Seal Beach, California. Here are the specs for all the irons in play.
The Match Begins
Rancho Park Golf Course is the epicenter of golf on the Westside of Los Angeles. Its 6,630-yard, par-71 layout from the tips makes it the perfect host for the Match of The Ages. The format is 18 holes of Match Play. Middle-Aged Me has honors and so my match begins.
The opening hole is a 381-yard par-4 and my first drive with the Big Bertha Epic might as well be a commercial for whatever Jail Break Technology is. I don’t come close to hitting it squarely, but the ball somehow stays in the air for a lifetime and carries the fairway bunker some 240 yards away with ease. I don’t exactly hit the Cleveland persimmon on the screws, either. Instead, I smack an embarrassing line drive that rolls out some 220 yards into the middle of the fairway. I make a pair of sloppy bogeys and move on.
The second hole is a 467-yard tree-lined beast of par-4. I hook the Epic left, which is my stock miss. Teenage Me, sensing an opening, bombs a high fade. I seldom hit fades, so this is shot is completely slightly miraculous. I pose on the finish longer than usual to savor the moment. Teenage Me has 215 yards left and a useful 3-iron finds the green. An easy two-putt gives Teenage Me a 1-Up lead.
For the rest of the front nine, the Epic catches fire. Middle-Aged Me has wedge into all of the remaining par 4s and is greenside on the sole par-5 in two with ease. The Epic is an undeniable, inanimate Death Star of a driver. It is completely robotic in every sense and lethal when programmed properly. Middle-Aged Me rides the Epic to a 3-Up lead through nine holes.
In a cinematic sense, if the Epic is the Death Star then the persimmon is Morgan Freeman’s Sergeant Major John Rawlins from Glory: old, dark, proud, regal, and loyal no matter the odds. Unfortunately, Teenage Me is facing long odds because the persimmon is consistently 50 yards behind the Epic. My swing with the persimmon seems to be a little longer, a little more deliberate, and even when I hit it one the screws it’s just not even close.
As for the irons, the Wilson Staffs feel great, but they seem to drift left (hook) a little more than I’m used to. With exception to the 2 and 3 irons (which require Buddhist Monk-like focus), the Staffs seem just as playable as my AP2s. I would guess that any purists out there who still game a clean MB blade like the Callaway Apex, Titleist 718 or Cobra Kings would find little difference. As for workability, just about every single shot I’ve hit since age 12 has gone right-to-left, so you want to read about workability you’ve got the wrong guy.
Checking in on the golf ball battle through nine holes, the Titleist Professional is holding its own. Lots of check and surprisingly firm and durable considering the vintage (a skulled 3-iron on the 8th imparted more damage to my fragile psyche than the actual golf ball). Should the USGA ever move towards bifurcation, the Titleist Professional would be a great standard for ball construction. On the other side of the cart, if you know how the Pro V1x plays then you know how the Vice Pro Plus plays, which is to say incredibly well. When played side-by-side, the difference between the modern ball and the older ball is staggering.
Example: No. 4, par-3, 200 yards. Teenage Me rips 4-iron (24 degree loft) and I’m on the front edge. Middle-Aged Me hits a solid but not spectacular 5-iron (26 degrees) that flies to the middle of the green. I would confidently say there’s a one club difference in distance on irons (matching lofts, of course.)
Back to the Match of The Ages: the back nine starts off with some real fireworks with blood exchanged on Nos. 10, 11, 12 and two gritty up-and-down par saves on No. 13. Middle-Aged Me is 4 Up and has the honor on the intimidating 14th that plays out of a shoot. A compact swing of the Epic produces a low draw/hook off the tee that ends up in the fairway about 160 yards out. Teenage Me (focusing too much on the canopy of trees surround the tee box) hits the persimmon off the toe and the result is a Clayton Kershaw sinker that goes about 60 feet 6 inches and dives into the junk. Needing a miracle, I hack the ball back into play but Teenage Me has met his Waterloo. Middle-Aged Me makes par and wins 5 & 4.
Middle-Aged Me may have won the match 5 & 4, but Teenage Me definitely won the fun 10 & 8. A big part of that fun was getting reacquainted with a game I hadn’t played in a while. A game that was less about distance and more about shapes and trajectories. A game light on predictability and loaded with variety where a good drive didn’t mean wedges into every green. I saw the golf course as the architect had intended it to be seen, which let me appreciate more of its features. I’m not denying the element of novelty, but playing with my old teenage clubs — despite shooting 86 — was nothing short of inspiring. And to emphatically answer my original question; yes, it was a lot more fun.
Trust me on this: go out and get a nice persimmon. If for no other reason than if you practice with it you’ll improve as a ball striker, just buy one. Don’t worry about how old it might be. Jack Nicklaus won every single one of his majors — including the ’86 Masters — with a 3-wood from 1958, so I think it’s safe to say the material holds up well. Yes, you’ll find the older clubs are heavier and they’re a little harder to hit, but they are far more rewarding… and they’ll make hitting your modern clubs seem like child’s play.
As you can tell, the old clubs are growing on me. Maybe it’s a nostalgic whim, or maybe there’s something more profound at play. It could just be that people out there want something with a little more heart and soul. I think that’s why we buy hand-stitched wallets and drive old roadsters; we want to feel the humanity and the craftsmanship that goes into someone actually making things. So if you’re ever around a driving range in L.A. and you see a guy with an old Wood Brothers driver working on his gentleman’s fade, stop by and say hello. I’ll give you a few cracks at the driver and you can tell me what you feel.
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Of all the clubs in our bags, wedges are almost always the simplest in construction and, therefore, the easiest to analyze what might make one work differently from another if you know what to look for.
Wedges are a lot less mysterious than drivers, of course, as the major brands are working with a lot of “pixie dust” inside these modern marvels. That’s carrying over more to irons now, with so many new models featuring internal multi-material technologies, and almost all of them having a “badge” or insert in the back to allow more complex graphics while hiding the actual distribution of mass.
But when it comes to wedges, most on the market today are still single pieces of molded steel, either cast or forged into that shape. So, if you look closely at where the mass is distributed, it’s pretty clear how that wedge is going to perform.
To start, because of their wider soles, the majority of the mass of almost any wedge is along the bottom third of the clubhead. So, the best wedge shots are always those hit between the 2nd and 5th grooves so that more mass is directly behind that impact. Elite tour professionals practice incessantly to learn to do that consistently, wearing out a spot about the size of a penny right there. If impact moves higher than that, the face is dramatically thinner, so smash factor is compromised significantly, which reduces the overall distance the ball will fly.
Every one of us, tour players included, knows that maddening shot that we feel a bit high on the face and it doesn’t go anywhere, it’s not your fault.
If your wedges show a wear pattern the size of a silver dollar, and centered above the 3rd or 4th groove, you are not getting anywhere near the same performance from shot to shot. Robot testing proves impact even two to three grooves higher in the face can cause distance loss of up to 35 to 55 feet with modern ‘tour design’ wedges.
In addition, as impact moves above the center of mass, the golf club principle of gear effect causes the ball to fly higher with less spin. Think of modern drivers for a minute. The “holy grail” of driving is high launch and low spin, and the driver engineers are pulling out all stops to get the mass as low in the clubhead as possible to optimize this combination.
Where is all the mass in your wedges? Low. So, disregarding the higher lofts, wedges “want” to launch the ball high with low spin – exactly the opposite of what good wedge play requires penetrating ball flight with high spin.
While almost all major brand wedges have begun putting a tiny bit more thickness in the top portion of the clubhead, conventional and modern ‘tour design’ wedges perform pretty much like they always have. Elite players learn to hit those crisp, spinny penetrating wedge shots by spending lots of practice time learning to consistently make contact low in the face.
So, what about grooves and face texture?
Grooves on any club can only do so much, and no one has any material advantage here. The USGA tightly defines what we manufacturers can do with grooves and face texture, and modern manufacturing techniques allow all of us to push those limits ever closer. And we all do. End of story.
Then there’s the topic of bounce and grinds, the most complex and confusing part of the wedge formula. Many top brands offer a complex array of sole configurations, all of them admittedly specialized to a particular kind of lie or turf conditions, and/or a particular divot pattern.
But if you don’t play the same turf all the time, and make the same size divot on every swing, how would you ever figure this out?
The only way is to take any wedge you are considering and play it a few rounds, hitting all the shots you face and observing the results. There’s simply no other way.
So, hopefully this will inspire a lively conversation in our comments section, and I’ll chime in to answer any questions you might have.
And next week, I’ll dive into the rest of the wedge formula. Yes, shafts, grips and specifications are essential, too.
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Golf's Perfect Imperfections
Golf’s Perfect Imperfections: Amazing Session with Performance Coach Savannah Meyer-Clement
In this week’s episode, we spent some time with performance coach Savannah Meyer-Clement who provides many useful insights that you’ll be able to implement on the golf course.
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19th Hole
Vincenzi’s 2024 RBC Heritage betting preview: Patrick Cantlay ready to get back inside winner’s circle
Just a two-hour drive from Augusta National, the PGA TOUR heads to Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Hilton Head Island is a golfer’s paradise and Harbour Town is one of the most beautiful and scenic courses on the PGA TOUR.
Harbour Town Golf Links is a par-71 that measures 7,121 yards and features Bermuda grass greens. A Pete Dye design, the course is heavily tree lined and features small greens and many dog legs, protecting it from “bomb-and-gauge” type golfers.
The field is loaded this week with 69 golfers with no cut. Last year was quite possibly the best field in RBC Heritage history and the event this week is yet another designated event, meaning there is a $20 million prize pool.
Most of the big names on the PGA Tour will be in attendance this week with the exceptions of Hideki Matsuyama and Viktor Hovland. Additionally, Webb Simpson, Shane Lowry, Gary Woodland and Kevin Kisner have been granted sponsors exemptions.
Past Winners at Harbour Town
- 2023: Matt Fitzpatrick (-17)
- 2022: Jordan Spieth (-13)
- 2021: Stewart Cink (-19)
- 2020: Webb Simpson (-22)
- 2019: CT Pan (-12)
- 2018: Sotoshi Kodaira (-12)
- 2017: Wesley Bryan (-13)
- 2016: Branden Grace (-9)
- 2015: Jim Furyk (-18)
In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the Rabbit Hole by Betsperts Golf data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value).
Key Stats For Harbour Town
Let’s take a look at key metrics for Harbour Town Golf Links to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their past 24 rounds.
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes Gained: Approach is exceedingly important this week. The greens at Harbour Town are about half the size of PGA TOUR average and feature the second-smallest greens on the tour. Typical of a Pete Dye design, golfers will pay the price for missed greens.
Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds
- Scottie Scheffler (+1.27)
- Tom Hoge (+1.27)
- Corey Conners (+1.16)
- Austin Eckroat (+0.95)
- Cameron Young (+0.93)
Good Drive %
The fairways at Harbour Town are tree lined and feature many dog legs. Bombers tend to struggle at the course because it forces layups and doesn’t allow long drivers to overpower it. Accuracy is far more important than power.
Good Drive % Over Past 24 Rounds
- Brice Garnett (88.8%)
- Shane Lowry (+87.2%)
- Akshay Bhatia (+86.0%)
- Si Woo Kim (+85.8%)
- Sepp Straka (+85.1%)
Strokes Gained: Total at Pete Dye Designs
Pete Dye specialists tend to play very well at Harbour Town. Si Woo Kim, Matt Kuchar, Jim Furyk and Webb Simpson are all Pete Dye specialists who have had great success here. It is likely we see some more specialists near the top of the leaderboard this week.
SG: TOT Pete Dye per round over past 36 rounds:
- Xander Schauffele (+2.27)
- Scottie Scheffler (+2.24)
- Ludvig Aberg (+2.11)
- Brian Harman (+1.89)
- Sungjae Im (+1.58)
4. Strokes Gained: Short Game (Bermuda)
Strokes Gained: Short Game factors in both around the green and putting. With many green-side bunkers and tricky green complexes, both statistics will be important. Past winners — such as Jim Furyk, Wes Bryan and Webb Simpson — highlight how crucial the short game skill set is around Harbour Town.
SG: SG Over Past 24 Rounds
- Jordan Spieth (+1.11)
- Taylor Moore (+1.02)
- Wyndham Clark (+0.98)
- Mackenzie Hughes (+0.86)
- Andrew Putnam (+0.83)
5. Greens in Regulation %
The recipe for success at Harbour Town Golf Links is hitting fairways and greens. Missing either will prove to be consequential — golfers must be in total control of the ball to win.
Greens in Regulation % over past 24 rounds:
- Brice Garnett (+75.0%)
- Scottie Scheffler (+69.9%)
- Corey Conners (+69.0%)
- Shane Lowry (+68.3%)
- Patrick Rodgers (+67.6%)
6. Course History
Harbour Town is a course where players who have strong past results at the course always tend to pop up.
Course History over past 24 rounds:
- Patrick Cantlay (+2.34)
- Cam Davis (+2.05)
- J.T. Poston (+1.69)
- Justin Rose (+1.68)
- Tommy Fleetwood (+1.59)
The RBC Heritage Model Rankings
Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (24%), Good Drives (20%), SG: SG (14%), SG: Pete Dye (14%), GIR (14%), and Course History (14%)
- Shane Lowry
- Russell Henley
- Scottie Scheffler
- Xander Schauffele
- Corey Conners
- Wyndham Clark
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout
- Matt Fitzpatrick
- Cameron Young
- Ludvig Aberg
2024 RBC Heritage Picks
Patrick Cantlay +2000 (FanDuel)
With the exception of Scottie Scheffler, the PGA Tour has yet to have any of their star players show peak form during the 2024 season. Last week, Patrick Cantlay, who I believe is a top-5 players on the PGA Tour, took one step closer to regaining the form that’s helped him win eight events on Tour since 2017.
Cantlay limped into the Masters in poor form, but figured it out at Augusta National, finishing in a tie for 20th and ranking 17th for the week in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. The former FedEx Cup champion will now head to one of his favorite golf courses in Harbour Town, where he’s had immaculate results over the years. In his six trips to the course, he’s only finished worse than 7th one time. The other finishes include three third places (2017, 2019, 2023) and one runner-up finish (2022). In his past 36 rounds at Harbour Town, Cantlay ranks 1st in Strokes Gained: Total per round at the course by a wide margin (+2.36).
Cantlay is winless since the 2022 BMW Championship, which is far too long for a player of his caliber. With signs pointing to the 32-year-old returning to form, a “signature event” at Harbour Town is just what he needs to get back on the winning track.
Tommy Fleetwood +3000 (FanDuel)
I truly believe Tommy Fleetwood will figure out a way to win on American soil in 2024. It’s certainly been a bugaboo for him throughout his career, but he is simply too talented to go another season without winning a PGA Tour event.
At last week’s Masters Tournament, Fleetwood made a Sunday charge and ended up finishing T3 in the event, which was his best ever finish at The Masters. For the week, the Englishman ranked 8th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 10th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking and 16th in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Harbour Town is a perfect layout for Fleetwood, and he’s had relative success at this Pete Dye design in the past. In his four trips to the course, he’s finished inside of the top 25 three times, with his best finish, T10, coming in 2022. The course is pretty short and can’t be overpowered, which gives an advantage to more accurate players such as Fleetwood. Tommy ranks 8th in the field in Good Drive % and should be able to plot his way along this golf course.
The win is coming for Tommy lad. I believe there’s a chance this treasure of a golf course may be the perfect one for him to finally break through on Tour.
Cameron Young +3300 (FanDuel)
Cameron Young had a solid Masters Tournament last week, which is exactly what I’m looking for in players who I anticipate playing well this week at the RBC Heritage. He finished in a tie for 9th, but never felt the pressure of contending in the event. For the week, Young ranked 6th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 6th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.
Despite being one of the longest players off the tee on the PGA Tour, Young has actually played some really good golf on shorter tracks. He finished T3 at Harbour Town in 2023 and ranks 20th in the field in Good Drive% and 16th in Greens in Regulation in his past 24 rounds. He also has strong finishes at other shorter courses that can take driver out of a players hand such as Copperhead and PGA National.
Young is simply one of the best players on the PGA Tour in 2024, and I strongly believe has what it takes to win a PGA Tour event in the very near future.
Corey Conners +5500 (FanDuel)
Corey Conners has had a disappointing year thus far on the PGA Tour, but absolutely loves Harbour Town.
At last week’s Masters Tournament, the Canadian finished T30 but ranked 20th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach. In his past 24 rounds, Conners ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 3rd in Greens in Regulation % and 24th in Good Drive %.
In Conners’ last four trips to Harbour Town, his worst finish was T31, last season. He finished T4 in 2021, T12 in 2022 and ranks 8th in Strokes Gained: Total at the course over his past 36 rounds.
Conners hasn’t been contending, but his recent finishes have been encouraging as he has finished in the top-25 in each of his past three starts prior to The Masters, including an impressive T13 at The PLAYERS. His recent improvement in ball striking as well as his suitability for Harbour Town makes Conners a high upside bet this week.
Shane Lowry (+7500) (FanDuel)
When these odds were posted after Lowry was announced in the field, I have to admit I was pretty stunned. Despite not offering much win equity on the PGA Tour over the last handful of years, Shane Lowry is still a top caliber player who has the ability to rise to the top of a signature event.
Lowry struggled to score at The Masters last week, but he actually hit the ball really well. The Irishman ranked 1st for Strokes Gained: Approach on the week and 7th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. As usual, it was the putter that let him down, as he ranked 60th in the field in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Harbour Town is most definitely one of Lowry’s favorite courses on the PGA Tour. In his six starts there, he’s finished in the top 10 three times, including third twice. Lowry is sensational at Pete Dye designs and ranks 7th in Strokes Gained: Total in his past 36 rounds on Dye tracks.
Lowry is perfect for Harbour Town. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 5th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 2nd in Good Drive% and 5th in Green in Regulation %. If he figures it out on the greens, Shane could have his first win in America since 2015.
Lucas Glover +12000 (FanDuel)
This is one of my weekly “bet the number” plays as I strongly believe the odds are just too long for a player of Glover’s caliber. The odds have been too long on Glover for a few weeks now, but this is the first event that I can get behind the veteran being able to actually contend at.
Glover is quietly playing good golf and returning to the form he had after the understandable regression after his two massive victories at the end of 2023. He finished T20 at The Masters, which was his best ever finish at Augusta National. For the week, Lucas ranked 18th for Strokes Gained: Approach and 20th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.
Over his past 24 rounds, Glover ranks 9th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 13th in Good Drive %. Harbour Town is a short course that the 44-year-old will be able to keep up with the top players on Tour off the tee. He’s played the course more than 20 times, with mixed results. His best finishes at Harbour Town include a T7 in 2008, but recently has a finish of T21 in 2020.
Glover has proven he can contend with the stars of the Tour on any given week, and this number is flat out disrespectful.
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Crazy About Golf
Dec 15, 2017 at 12:06 am
Great article. Thanks for sharing! I play to a 1-handicap with today’s golf club technology. A few years back, I wondered just how I might fare with clubs from yesteryear. So i took my dad’s set of Golden Rams (of course he still had them because he’s a hoarder) out to the course for a test drive. The driver itself didn’t give me too many problems, but the irons were the tiniest little things I can ever recall seeing (and I play blades now)…..needless to say, I put up 8 strokes more than I normally would (luckily i made a few good putts or it would have been worse). I felt like my manhood had been completely stripped away from me…hitting approaches that ended up 10 yds short of the green or having even the slightest mis-hit feel as though I had just rearranged my dental work gave me the utmost respect for those who played the game in the generations before us. Tiger is certainly the greatest of this era, but his skill is no match for what Nicklaus, Hogan and Jones showcased before him.
JW
Dec 5, 2017 at 9:32 pm
Thought the article was really well written… and a cool take as well.
Now that I don’t play for anything bud fun the older clubs are definitely more fun.
Also believe Randy Moss is the best WR ever… LOL.
Benny
Nov 29, 2017 at 6:21 pm
Thanks for the great reading. It does make me think about strategy and precision. It’s why I still play blades. I remember the girl on Morning Drive was laughing while being blown away after she saw some old drivers. The phrase “hitting it on the screws” made so much more sense. She had no clue there was actually screws in the faces. Thats when you know we are old and walked to school up hill both ways. Nuts to think about the original 59 and that time and length. Maybe the best round ever??
Jeff
Nov 10, 2017 at 11:10 am
Thank you for an enjoyable read. Love your writing style. Many years ago I started with a set of Hogan blades and a couple of Ping persimmon woods. Would be very interesting to have that same set and take a whirl with them again.
EGR MN
Nov 11, 2017 at 12:01 pm
It’s called EBay.
I play with a set of Wilson Staff Goosenecks I bought in 1992. 2-PW with a HOgan Apex SW for added comfort.
Last year I found a 1 iron WS Gooseneck on eBay and bought it, though I’m not yet convinced it gives me more than the 240-250 I consistently get off the tee with my 2 iron.
Last year I finally broke down and got rid of my old Burner Plus 9.5 driver, which I used to launch 310-320 consistently. My wife bought me a driver fitting and I got put in a Titleist 915D3 (I’d still rather put my $ into rounds of golf instead of equipment). 290 off the tee right down the middle…and I’m now 56 years old (10 handicap; used to be 3).
Next up is my putter…since it too is from 1992. But…as much as I’ve test drove other putters, this Taylor Made is the perfect swing weight and it’s small imperfections are embedded in my brain and muscle memory.
Dad used to tell me “It’s the Indian, not the Arrow.” With apologies to all the great equipment companies, he’s right.
Carl-Gustaf
Nov 8, 2017 at 8:03 am
First of all, why you play DG S300 shaft is beyond me. Totally not the correct shafts for you seeing your swing speed and spin with your 8-iron.
Second of all, why did you not correct the lofts in the old set first? Clearly it’s 4 degrees between clubs so the 8-iron in the old set should be 40 degrees but thru the years got bent a bit (which is common).
Laz Versalles
Nov 9, 2017 at 11:39 pm
Hi Carl,
A few things: I’ve had Rifle 6.5, and DG X100, but ever since I suffered a grade 2 separation of my AC joint I’ve gone down to the DG300. As for the old staff lofts, I was happy with how they looked and kept them as is.
Mike
Nov 7, 2017 at 11:36 am
Very interesting! No. 3 is the par-3, not No. 4, just fyi.
Laz Versalles
Nov 9, 2017 at 11:40 pm
Yeah- saw that. Funny how I seem to make 4 more on #3 than I do on #4!
Mark Peck
Nov 6, 2017 at 8:34 pm
Fantastic article, thank you Laz.
I’m 49 now and this really resonated with me. Brings me back to playing in my teens in the 80s. I’ve always played blades and currently have 3 sets of the Staff Fluid Feels in my basement, all full 1 iron through wedges. (though not with the W/S badge stamping). I believe my sets are circa ’86 – ’89.
Also have a set of the Ram Tour Grinds but I couldn’t hit them as well for some reason. Currently playing Mizuno MP37s. I love when folks tell me that blades are only for good players. Then I let them hit mine and they get instant feedback on where they are missing on the face, even high handicappers. I’ve seen folks improve dramatically after a bucket of balls on the range with my butterknives.
I’ve also gone full retro on my bag, used to tote a Vagabond (Jones knockoff) from high school through college and have since tracked down 3 on Ebay and am restoring them now.
I’m sure I could lower my index w/ full kit of modern, fully juiced sticks, but I love the simple passion of walking, shotmaking (and shot failing!!) and enjoying the experience.
PS – also loved your review of Goat Hills on GCA, bravo.
Thanks again
Laz Versalles
Nov 9, 2017 at 11:45 pm
Thank you, Mark. I appreciate your feedback. We just had the club championship at the goat and there was a lot of persimmon in play. Tons of good players there. I just bought a Wood Bros driver on eBay this morning. A friend had one in college and he tells me a lot of the old SWC players like Justin Leonard played that driver. Can’t wait. Funny you call the vagabond a knock off! I loved those bags but I was a Jones kid myself. Connect w/ me on twitter or FB.
Mark Peck
Nov 12, 2017 at 10:44 pm
Love it Laz. I’m headed down to my basement to dust off my old MacGregor m85w eye-o-matic. You’ve inspired me to get a new grip on it and put it back in play.
I’ll hit you up on FB.
Thanks!
jgpl001
Nov 4, 2017 at 3:00 pm
Just puts Al Geiberger’s 59 into perspective and how brilliant it was with a similar bag of old school blades, persimmon woods and a balata ball on a course well over 7000 yards in the Texas heat
Unbelievable
etc.
Nov 4, 2017 at 5:22 pm
Does anybody really believe that today’s GI and SGI clubs helps recreational golfers with their game? I think it’s all a gigantic hoax perpetrated on the gullible golfing masses to sow discontent with their current clubs and to trick them into buying the latest ‘improved’ clubs that will rescue their pathetic game.
IOW, it’s not YOU, it’s your clubs trickery propaganda. Have you fallen for the scam?
Pp
Nov 5, 2017 at 5:14 pm
Ask the people who bought the P790 how they’re playing
M. Vegas
Nov 4, 2017 at 8:57 am
Your teenage arsenal had a sweet lookin putter yo
Laz Versalles
Nov 9, 2017 at 11:47 pm
It’s no longer in the teenage arsenal. It’s in the tournament bag now yo.
Mat
Nov 4, 2017 at 2:38 am
To me, this is all the more reason to reign in the ball.
If clubs can have a CoR, why can’t the ball?
Tim
Nov 3, 2017 at 6:48 pm
I run a summer golf league at one of the local muni’s. Every year, I try to convince the league to play with “real” woods and blades on British Open week, just for the tradition and to put some of the fun you speak of into the round. I have enough in the garage to outfit anyone who wants to give it a try. I have one player out of 50 that will hit a ceremonial tee shot off the first tee, but other than that, it’s just me against the world. I’ve been trying for almost 20 years to get people to give it a try, but no success so far. I’ll keep trying, as everyone should have some perspective on how things have come along.
Someone
Nov 3, 2017 at 5:57 pm
is it just me or were the loft gaps between the 7/8:9 in the wilson set off? wouldn’t it be more accurate to play modern day blade vs old blade?
i used to think blades were all the same but i went to a fitter to just hit some of the new stuff and found that Mizunos new MP18 actually went 5yds linger while the new TM p790’s with microgrooves actually went shorter, obviously due to the additional spin, but that gave them a much steeper landing angle and possibly could hold more greens. game improvement irons have always been jacked lofts which is one of the reasons that i prefer to play blades, but to each their own. i always check the std lofts of sets on their websites and any game improvement is always jacked up to be stronger. i guess long and wrong equates to game improvement since you may be closer to the hole, however if you hit them center every time, they absolutely have a chance of going further. with blades I have had more consistent distance control. not a knock on the cavity back tho, i did start with cavity backs from the get go. I just enjoy playing blades now.
Laz Versalles
Nov 3, 2017 at 8:52 pm
The Apex CF16 lofts are nuts. These were used, old clubs so I wasn’t surpised to see them all voer the map.
asugrad1988
Nov 3, 2017 at 5:32 pm
Laz:
The best thing I got from your article was memories. As I read through your great story, it brought back memories of playing with my friends when I was just a kid. I can’t remember how far I hit my clubs back then but I can remember getting a hot dog and a Coke at the turn for less than $1.00.
Thank you Laz!
Laz Versalles
Nov 3, 2017 at 9:26 pm
Love it. We always played the par-3 and the loser bought lemonades and snickers. Normally 1.00.
Matt
Nov 3, 2017 at 4:27 pm
Golf seems a bit less fun with the newer equipment, regardless of the scoring improvements. I’m playing the latest and greatest, fitted properly and all my old gear is gone except for a handful of Mac and Hogan persimmons. With retro gear (bikes, surfboards, golf, etc) the handmade aspect simply makes sport feel more human, so if I had enough spare time it would include an occasional round with old clubs.
Tom54
Nov 3, 2017 at 4:04 pm
Wonderful article Laz. Lots of golfers who are not old enough to have ever played persimmon woods and balata balls cannot relate to the difference between older equipment. One of my longest drives ever was with a Macgregor 945. Whenever I stand on that hole even with today’s modern drivers there’s no way I could carry it on the green. I guess being younger had a lot to do with it though. I wonder if 25-30 years down the road will those clubs and balls be such a leap forward or have we reached the limits. It is funny how when you look at old persimmon drivers you say “ man look how small it is, I could never hit that”. I’ll bet in 1980 if you handed someone todays big headed monsters you would have said “man look how big this thing is, how am I supposed to hit this little ball with that”
Laz Versalles
Nov 3, 2017 at 9:28 pm
Thank you, Tom. Question: Do you still have the McGregor? If not….
https://www.ebay.com/itm/MacGregor-T945-Eye-O-Matic-Driver-Vintage-Persimmon-Original-RH-mens-golf-club/172954809052?hash=item2844e8f2dc:g:YTEAAOSwxixZ9nV8
James Sweeney
Nov 3, 2017 at 1:02 pm
Enjoyed this article. While highly unscientific, you’ve taken a fair shot at the question of whether this game has actually gotten better over time.
One can fairly say, I think, that if the clubs used were tested using laboratory standards the differences betwen the two sets would be less than you experienced.
I often play persimmon woods in casual rounds with friends whose abilities are similar to mine, and for the most part I can keep up, distance- wise. I practice with the persimmons, however. My persimmon driver and three wood are copies of clubs custom made for Tiger Woods by Louisville Golf in the late 90s. They were copies of his Byron Nelson driver and McGregor Armour three wood and made so he could use them in practice. I use modern equipment in competition. I play blades.
Speaking for myself, I prefer the persimmons. I like the feel, the sound. I miss the Titlleist Professional, the best ball ive ever played. Some of the new “soft” balls are pretty good with the persimmons.
Is the equipment better today? Maybe. Certainly more consistant. Is the game better? Well, the game hasn’t reallly changed, the way it is played has. Not necessarily for the better.
In 1960 Arnold Palmer drove the 346 yard first hole at Cherry Hills CC in the fourth round of the USOpen. Even allowing for altitude at 5%, he drove that tee shot 325 yards. With persimmon.
The game is played differently today. If I can could only play one set for the rest of my life, I’ll take the persimmons.
Laz Versalles
Nov 3, 2017 at 5:11 pm
I recall Davis Love III killing drivers in the mid-nineties with persimmon. If you get a good block, they’re hard to beat.
James Sweeney
Nov 3, 2017 at 9:25 pm
Love was the last player to win a major with persimmon.
Dave Bourne
Nov 3, 2017 at 12:10 pm
Those Wilson Staff irons are from 1989 or 1990. The 1989 model has the diamonds along the scoring lines while the 1990 models don’t. Your loft values in the table aren’t correct either, although the ’89 Fluid Feel 8 iron is 41 degrees. This model of the Staff iron is one of their best ever IMHO and I restore and sell 10-20 sets per year.
Laz Versalles
Nov 3, 2017 at 1:26 pm
Hi Dave, the lofts may be off from the standard spec, but this is what they measured at. Can you DM me and tell me more about your restoration process? I am definitely keeping these clubs and would like to know what I can do to make them a bit nicer.
rex235
Nov 3, 2017 at 12:08 pm
Nice article. It is more of an apples vs oranges comparison, since your OEMs are different.
All of the newer clubs are available in a LH model, with few restrictions. They weren’t 30 years ago.
Of the traditional club set of Cleveland Classic persimmon woods and Wilson Staff irons, both were very high end, as the Driver and fairway wood have 5 screw butterfly soleplates. Neither was offered in a LH model. Quote Cleveland Golf- “You get 4 screw sweepback soleplates-nothing else.” Even the drill thru hosel for LH models was by request only. This Wilson Staff Fluid Feel iron model has the “W/S” crest, and they were only offered RH as well. The Wilson Staff TPXVIII putter came in RH/LH. Perhaps the test would have been closer with early cavity back irons vs modern blades.
Laz Versalles
Nov 3, 2017 at 2:34 pm
Or maybe me playing LH?
Grover
Nov 3, 2017 at 11:53 am
Laz
Love the article
Seems to me you have to get the ball right with the old irons and woods
Can’t hit these hard new balls with persimmon clubs
Laz Versalles
Nov 3, 2017 at 1:42 pm
Hi Grover, I seldom played the soft balatas back in the day, mostly the DT Titleist that were harder. I played mostly muni tracks that didn’t require the high spin softer balls.
I hit some shots with the persimmon and the Vice ball and it was fine- as long as you hit it in the middle of the club face. There’s a few models of “deep face” persimmon drivers that have caught me eye recently. I may try one.
Joseph dreitler
Nov 3, 2017 at 11:39 am
Great article. Thanks much. Hope i am around to read in 12 years what the writer’s number are when he is in his 60’s. For most amatuers, once you hit 60 or so, the numbers drop off a cliff. But, the biggest point was the original teaser — when i was 35 i could hit my irons close to the same distance and many Tour pros and the driver went about 250-260 including roll.
Fast forward today and way too many courses have become irrelevant for the Tour pros unless they are gimmicked up around the greens or fairways narrowed and rough grown up like weeds. Absent that or making the course 8200 yards long, the only solution is to bifurcate rules on the ball.
I have the proof (by the bucket every year) in my yard as i live across the street from the 15th green of The Ohio State Scarlet course of 450 yards and watch people hit 230 yard drives into the rough and then yank their 220 yard 3 woods into my yard.
BB
Nov 3, 2017 at 11:34 am
Well done! Very interesting article.
What shaft do you play in that Epic?
Laz Versalles
Nov 3, 2017 at 1:27 pm
Thanks, BB. I play the Alida Silver Rogue Max X-75.
david
Nov 3, 2017 at 8:44 am
I have a wooden tennis racket, Donnay Allwood a la vintage Borg, that I will warm up with before switching to my regular racket. Really makes me focus on form and watching the ball. I look forward to trying it with a persimmon.
ActualFacts
Nov 3, 2017 at 8:18 am
Great article and fun experiment Laz!
JB
Nov 3, 2017 at 7:59 am
What would you say the biggest difference was in tech?
Was the blade harder to play than a CB tech hyped iron of today?
Obviously there was distance issues off the drive. Do you think having to make up for that longer distance gap with an older longer iron (2 or 3 iron which are notoriously the hardest irons to play) played a part in why the scores differed?
I’m relating it to strokes gained, which just off the drives alone, you should already be up almost a whole stroke over the older clubs. Simply because your approach shots are now longer and inherently harder.
Laz Versalles
Nov 3, 2017 at 1:38 pm
Hi JB, Honestly 8-PW is the same feel. I think once you have that much loft, having a forgiving cavity is irrelevant. Hitting the AP2 4-iron vs. the Staff 4-iron is a different experience.
But the driver was just an unfair fight. I’m currently looking around for a driver with a shaft that suits me a little better and maybe has a deeper face. The Old Wood Brothers drivers have my interest right now. We’ll see.
The dude
Nov 3, 2017 at 5:41 am
Great article,…..now, do the same with hickory sticks ….now that’ll surprise you
alanp
Nov 3, 2017 at 7:19 am
agreed i just sent a group message to all the guys last week that we should do a hickory day at the club. that would be a lot of fun
Laz Versalles
Nov 3, 2017 at 10:30 pm
Call me. I’m in.
UnclePhil
Nov 2, 2017 at 11:22 pm
This was a great read!! I too miss my blonde TC15 Cleveland Classic persimmon driver with the diamond shaped black insert, and the walnut colored CC 3 wood. My first set of irons in ’89 were the Titleist Tour Model butter knives. Whew, those would still be tough to hit today, but when you “catch one out of the middle,” there is absolutely nothing like the impact’less feel. Like butt’a!!
Great article and fun to flashback on!! Bravo
Stuart
Nov 2, 2017 at 8:58 pm
Ah, Rich Acres. Before it was a runway, it was one of two exotic golf destinations from my home in Apple Valley, the other being Hiawatha, which is not long for this world. Time has passed by more than just our old driver.
Laz Versalles
Nov 3, 2017 at 1:30 pm
God bless you, Stuart. Hiawatha appears to be on the chopping block from what I’ve read but the city is blessed with many, many great courses. Every time I land at MSP I wonder if my plane is rolling over the old course (not St. Andrews). I hear that little exec course in Eagan is also gone.
Paul
Nov 2, 2017 at 7:59 pm
Very interesting article, I would love to see the pros play a “vintage” tournament, a 36 hole off-season event for charity on a classic course.
Bernard
Nov 2, 2017 at 5:53 pm
“…….it was a lot more fun”.
It’s why I still carry traditional irons, and will forever though the Driver will not be persimmon. The shot options on trajectory and maneuverability is 2nd to none. The good is greater the bad is worse, so it really becomes a more vivid time. It’s golf in 4K HD.
Laz Versalles
Nov 2, 2017 at 7:26 pm
What kind of irons do you hit, Bernard?
Bernard
Nov 2, 2017 at 8:42 pm
Hi Laz,
I have several in rotation, ’99 Hogan Apex, Greg Norman Signature MB, Titleist 681 and Wilson FG 59’s, another 6 sets that if had the right shafts I would play too. The Wilson’s are hot in the bag this moment.
Bernard
Nov 2, 2017 at 8:44 pm
Right now Wilson FG 59 but have 3 other in rotation plus more waiting on proper shaft fit.
SK
Nov 2, 2017 at 9:15 pm
I have a set (2-PW) of RAM Tour Grind model TW276 clubs (used by Tom Watson to win one of his Open claret jugs) in a beautiful brushed satin finish. I use them as training clubs because they are very small muscleback blades with a very low eccentricity between the shaft axis and sweet spot.
This forces me to guide the shaft and hosel closer to impact point. This also creates an effortless supination of my left lead arm going into impact. It’s an interesting sensation and takes a few days to adapt. Then I return to my larger and higher eccentricity PINGs with some compensation and I can find the sweet spot more easily too. It’s like a refresh and reboot!
The same thing would happen if you owned and played the Wilson Staff and Titleist AP2 clubs and alternated between each set of clubs.
You see, there is no such thing as “grooving” a golf swing because the human body is not that accurate using the big slow twitch muscles at high speeds. It’s just an anatomical fact.
Bernard
Nov 3, 2017 at 3:40 pm
I really do not mind the miss hits on irons near as much as I mind the misses with metals. Truth is ball stays in play better with blades, coming up short on a misfire is 9/10 better than being offline to yardage.
bill
Nov 2, 2017 at 5:40 pm
To GolfWRX Staff:
That banner flashing ad you have at the top of the website is not only annoying, it gave me an epileptic seizure due to the rapid flashing. I did find the ‘Close Ad X-box’, but it a bit too much of an in-your-face promotion ad. Tone it down please.
mM
Nov 2, 2017 at 9:24 pm
Use an AdBlocker. Simples!
Jim Lahey
Nov 2, 2017 at 5:38 pm
Now repeat the test using a modern golf ball with both sets. I’ve done a similar experiment and found that the Persimmon woods don’t lag that far behind the modern metal woods when hit out the middle. I got curious and bought some balata balls at a 2nd hand store, and could instantly see the distance drop off (much higher spin).
Laz Versalles
Nov 2, 2017 at 7:17 pm
Jim, That’s a great idea. I hit a lot of shots with the persimmon and the modern ball. All the data from the drivers is using a modern Bridgesotne ball. I think if I had a modern shaft inserted into a persimmon it would get even more interesting. Maybe an Aerotech or KBS Tour C-Taper.
mM
Nov 2, 2017 at 9:25 pm
“when hit out the middle”
Of course! But the modern clubs give you the size to miss the middle and still get a lot out of it. THAT’s the difference.
Jim Lahey
Nov 3, 2017 at 3:24 pm
Yes, that is true. But the main point I was trying to make is that the ball is making a majority of the difference. Laz was reporting 50 yards difference on the course between new and old equipment (including ball), but I think he will see a much smaller difference when using modern balls.
NRJyzr
Nov 3, 2017 at 9:03 am
The biggest issue with these sorts of comparisons is the golfball. Wound balls suffer a great deal of performance loss due to age, far more than solid balls, and the loss tends to be more apparent with the longer clubs.
Unless someone really is still making a few wound balls for pros who never switched, we’ll never be able to know for sure. Other than ball test data from 2001…
SK
Nov 2, 2017 at 4:41 pm
The modern equipment should be played from the tips and the old equipment a tee box step down or two.
As the golf courses got longer the club lofts changed to compensate for the extra distances.
Scott Francis
Nov 2, 2017 at 5:21 pm
True that would be more of an even match play old equipment from one up tees.
Laz Versalles
Nov 2, 2017 at 7:19 pm
Scott, Teenage Me would have never gone up a tee box against anyone. Never. Honestly, I think if I get a persimmon driver with a better shaft it’s a much closer game.
mM
Nov 2, 2017 at 9:28 pm
SK,
At Rancho Park, the new Black tees are what the Pros plays during the 50’s and 60’s at the LA Open at this site. So what you say is not true, as the old tee boxes were recently restored.
Which says that some of the bombers in the old days really bombed it, as we know, Jack hit it past 300 easily with the soft balata and with persimmons.
iutodd
Nov 2, 2017 at 4:18 pm
Seems like you could have more fun on the course if you got a modern mini-driver!!!
Or if you didn’t hit driver on 375 yard par 4s. The game CAN be more fun – you just have to think differently. For instance – the 381 yard par four first…I guess if it’s wide open hit driver…but with a bunker at 240 out…why not play short of the bunker and have ~140 in? That’s still a 8 or 9 iron right? I guess I just don’t think driver should be an automatic pull off the tee on every par four and if it is then maybe you’re playing the wrong tees.
I don’t like playing with other people (that I don’t know) mainly for that reason – I’m hitting my 4 or 5 wood or even an iron and they’re hitting driver. And it’s always like…like they think that I’m too cool for school or something. “Look at Mr. Golf over here – hitting less than driver….(wanking motion)” is kind of the attitude. (There is also a masculinity element to it somehow – like I’m not man enough to hit driver or soemthing) It ups the pressure on me to execute and gets into my head a bit and makes the round less fun. Anyway…
Enjoyed the article BTW.
Laz Versalles
Nov 2, 2017 at 7:25 pm
Todd, I’ve hit 3 wood on #1 at Rancho exactly twice. Both shots are still rolling down Pico Blvd (O.B. left.) Maybe it’s because I go from trunk to tee quite often, but I like taking driver off the first tee whenever possible.
iutodd
Nov 3, 2017 at 9:24 am
Thanks for the reply – obviously I don’t know the course.
And I get it with going right from the car to the course.
Just the thoughts that were rolling through my head. Again – enjoyed the article.
Chris Olseth, PGA
Dec 7, 2017 at 6:43 pm
“Never show fear on the 1st Tee, hit the driver!”
T.J.H.
mM
Nov 2, 2017 at 9:30 pm
iutodd,
You would normally hit driver on that hole because it’s uphill quite a bit and requires at least a 250 carry type shot to get over the bunker uphill and with your first swing of the day, you’re hard-pressed to hit that unless you hit it square, which, for most amateurs with mid-handicaps, we know it’s not easy. Not on the first tee.
George
Nov 2, 2017 at 3:11 pm
The difference in score could be from the learning curve of using a set that does not get as much practice. When I got my new clubs it took at least a couple months before I was able to notice any difference. If I switch back i would have zero control over my old clubs.