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Minimalist golf shoes about to go global

Discussion in 'Biomechanics, Sports and Foot orthoses' started by Griff, Aug 2, 2011.

  1. Griff

    Griff Moderator


    Members do not see these Ads. Sign Up.
    You heard it here first - the 'barefoot' shoe industry is about to jump aboard another cash cow. A few golfers have mentioned in passing that they like to practice barefoot, and some use Vibram Five Fingers; but obviously this never makes it to TV or the mainstream media as the R&A have strict rules regarding dress codes.

    For those who aren't in to golf (Spooner) you may not know that Tiger Woods has been injured for the last 3 months and not played a single competition in this time. There was always going to be a huge media circus surrounding his comeback, and it has just begun following his statement that he will be playing at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio starting in 2 days time (a tournament he happens to have won on 7 previous occasions).

    Tiger asked Nike to make him a pair of golf shoes out of a pair of Nike Free's. They duly did.

    [​IMG]

    Place your bets on how long it takes for these puppies to be available for average Joe to buy now that he's seen Tiger wear them on TV (thats often all it takes for a golfer to part with their hard earned).

    I'll hold my hands up... I want a pair...
     

  2. Place your bets on how long it takes before: a) I care; b) someone is reporting on an increased injury rate amongst the elderly men and women who wear these in-between jumping off and on of their banana-splits inspired vehicles.:rolleyes:

    For those that haven't realised it yet, Tiger Woods has been rubbish since his hobby of shagging loads of women other than his wife was exposed to the world. I don't think his choice of shoe has been the key problem here any more than him opting for a Nike free with spikes is going to be a solution.

    Dude, can I suggest that you buy a pair of Nike free's and just play in them. Can someone tell me why golf shoes need spikes in them other than to aerate the grass? Is it to stop the elderly falling over as they step off their comedy cars?

    While you're in: "caddies" they're superfluous too- I'm a professional sportsman (womens golf is even more superfluous), who needs someone else to tell me which bat to use... does any other "sport" involve some random character that carries their kit for them and "advises" them on every shot they play? Man, snooker would become even more tortuous. "Caddies" what a load of old bollocks. You've got banana splits cars, electric shopping trolleys, but still you need some random to advise on which bat to use and carry your **** for you. Absolutely cack. :bash: Which pair of shoes should I put on today Jeeves? Never wear brown in town, Sir. Yeah, thanks.

    Don't get me started on golfing trousers, or golfing trousers as they're called, your Orwellian language not withstanding.

    And why one glove? Jeezus... if you want some extra grip, there are plenty of spray-on solutions as used by pole-vaulters, and gymnasts the world over... no, you want to walk around looking like a tit and doing an impression of Alvin Stardust. Two gloves, "only for winter, Sir". **** off, if you can wear a pair in winter you can wear a pair in summer, you tit. You're not Michael Jackson, although you're as daft looking.

    Just my opinion.

    Love golf, me.

    I could go on..."the green" yeah the whole ****ing course is that colour knob head. It's another one of those games, like snooker where you can get away with the jammiest shot in the world and complete randomness being mistaken for skill since "you were aiming for the hole".

    Golf? It's a load of old cock.
     
  3. RobinP

    RobinP Well-Known Member

    Sacrelige. Golf shoes should be golf shoes, like these babies.

    What were the flappy things on the front for anyway?
     

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  4. RobinP

    RobinP Well-Known Member

    As much as it kills me to agree with Simon on the subject of golf, I have to second the statement about using a glove.

    I have never used a glove and can think of no good reason why one should. If you happen to have hand with the lowest co efficient of friction in the world and require something that offers some grip, why not wear two gloves.

    It's a bit "w*nky isn't it?.......the whole one glove thing. And another thing, why take it off for putting?!

    Regarding spikes and playing golf in Nike Free - the spikes do add quite a lot of traction but more than a trail running shoe?
     
  5. Seriously, analyse the mechanics- why are spikes helpful? To be honest, I'm surprised y'all don't put some other shoes on for putting (even that word is ****- what you doing? "putting", "you mean you are finally hitting the ball into the hole?" "No I'm putting it in the hole". "No ****, Sherlock"). Except, that's the one area of the pitch the owner wants you to aerate and if you walk on there without your spiked shoes on you get into trouble- ever wondered why? Hint: nothing to do with grip, all about the grass, man. That and the fat, lazy owner (who no-doubt has a "caddie" to mow the lawns for him). Here you go, this is what they'd prefer you to wear:
     

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  6. Will the Nike free match the all important powerband bracelet Ian - cause if you have both - single figures here you come.
     
  7. Golf. Look at it. Say what it is... Piece of ****.

    Cricket? You're joking with me, right?
     
  8. Griff

    Griff Moderator

    Anyone else wish Spooner would stop sugar coating things and just say how he really feels? ;)
     
  9. RobinP

    RobinP Well-Known Member

    Right, don't start slagging off cricket or I'll have to....to.....to..... be incredibly annoyed with you
     
  10. Golf is cack. I don't say that lightly, that's the one word that gets my mothers back up.
     
  11. DTT

    DTT Well-Known Member

    OOOOOOOOOOOOh I could so get into this thread ...but I aint going to apart from :-

    Griff

    Perhaps thats why he blew out the open here??
    Would you fancy walking 20 miles in those in the weather they were playing in ??

    Si

    Give you a clue as to why golf shoes are spiked ??

    I have to say for an inteligent man you do talk bollox at times mate :D

    Learn the concept and principles of the game and when you have, even just a minimal understanding , then perhaps just perhaps you will be qualified to make a judgement.

    Clothing ? I had it explained to me by a wise old golfer years ago, he said it was an excuse for men to dress as pimps and walk round a park without getting arrested.

    When I look at some nowadays I think he was right :D

    Cheers
    D;)
     
  12. fishpod

    fishpod Well-Known Member

    hey guys i ride in my own pimpmobile on the golf course i cant play for toffee but enjoy it all the same. simon the spikes help to keep your feet planted and stop you spinning out during your golf swing. this has a huge impact on where the little white ball goes its abit like lower limb biomechanics only more complicated and has had more videos and bull**** written about it . loads of idiots like myself spend money on this crazy addictive game i cant explain why its almost as crazy as people who run about on tarmac at night and shag their knees up. regards fishpod.
     
  13. fishpod

    fishpod Well-Known Member

    robin the flappy things on the front are to prevent water ingress into the shoe. ie they cover the tongue and laces so when you walk in the long rough in rain you dont get soaked.
     
  14. Hit the ball into the hole using the least number of shots... rocket science it ain't, Derek. Still don't understand the rubber spikey things, nor the need for someone to tell you which bat to use, nor the reason to try and look like Alvin Stardust/ Michael Jackson.
     
  15. fishpod

    fishpod Well-Known Member

    blimey simon ive got a snooker room and live on a golf gourse i must be a right t--t you are right of course about the least number of shots. i wish it was that simple in practice. never looked like alvin or michael though. got to do some sport when you are to old for footy and rugby.
     
  16. RobinP

    RobinP Well-Known Member

    That is what i would assume, but we no longer have them. Has it suddenly stopped raining on golf courses. If not, then why have we not still go the flappy things?
     
  17. DTT

    DTT Well-Known Member

    OK Simon, Golf courses are / can be muddy & hilly therefore slippery. My course has put steps down all the sides of the tee's because they were getting fed up with people breaking their ankles and claiming against the club.

    Fishpod gave you the answer they stop you spinning out of your swing remembering the surface is slippy. The soft spikes are supposed to cause less damage to the greens BUT it would appear many clubs are allowing metal spiked shoes again because the difference is minimal. The spike is therefore to give a firm stance and stability.

    You have the basis correct hit it into the hole in the least number of shots. Ever tried it yourself ?:rolleyes: 458 yard par 4 , 4 1/2 inch diameter hole ? go on give it a try.
    You will find many footballers, rugby players athletes from all sports there all taking on the personal challange to do just that over 18 holes. The concentration levels that are required are phenomenal and the self control is really tested. lose either and your scorecard is finished.

    The caddies are there because most of them are scratch golfers themselves,who walk the course to get yardage , hazards from all points on the course before they start. They give the pro the exact yardage to the pin, any hazards, what section of the green he should aim at to get the ball to stop, run,go over the pin, what spin to put on the ball ect,wind direction and then because they know exactly how far the pro can hit each club in his bag they suggest a club. The pro then has a practice swing or two visualises the shot if his happy then plays the ball.

    Oh and they carry 14 clubs 2 sets of waterproofs,around 25 balls,tee's munchies, drinks, golf umbrellas , several towels ,18 gloves on wet days so yeah you wanna be fit give that a try as well .

    I could go into Etiquette, standards etc but I'll spare you that:D

    Dress codes my club has and enforces one But I take your point on the way some of them dress and you may be pleased to know that even they get refused playing rights at some clubs until the conform to the code of that club, which IMHO is just how it should be.

    So there ya go Si, hope thats shown you just a little insight into what people DONT know about the game. It is claimed to be the most difficult game to get right because of the variables I agree after 25 years of playing my best ever was a handicap of 9. I played a lot with pro's and I can tell you I wasnt within a million miles of their skill or capability.

    The pro's spend as much time in the gym these days as they do on the practice ground and all have their own physio's personal trainers , mind guru's.

    Ask Griff to take you out one day you may be suprised if you play the game how it should be played...but no throwing clubs and swearing coz the ball wont do what you want..thats bad etiquette and you may be asked to leave, and NEVER more that 3 hours 30 mins for a round !!!! :D

    Cheers Fella
    D;)
     
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2011
  18. DTT

    DTT Well-Known Member

    We have, you can buy them from most golf shops if you want , but the modern day waterproof trouser usually covers the top of the shoe so the need is removed.

    Traditionalists still use them.
    Cheers
    D;)
     
  19. RobinP

    RobinP Well-Known Member

    I always loved them so I think I'll be looking for a pair on the interweb before my next game
     
  20. fishpod

    fishpod Well-Known Member

    robin they have gone cos they are abit 70s even 200 quid golf shoes do not have sown in tongues its abit anoying as they give you a 2 year warranty against leakage but water pissess in by the laces this is one of the reasons i play much less golf in the winter i have become a fairweather player in middle age as playing in a hoolie is no fun. as dtt says you can still buy them but when u r wearing your customized my joys you look like abit of a tit wearing them. dtt if we play in aclub comp its about 5hrs over 7200 yds i dream about 3 1/2 hr golf.
     
  21. DTT

    DTT Well-Known Member

    Robin

    I'm racking my brain cell to remember the proper name for them:wacko: If no one come up with it I'll make a few phone calls to see if any of my mates can.

    Fishpod

    Yeah I know what you mean about 5 hours in competition golf. Peter Aliss ( one of the best sports commentaors EVER IMO ) is always going on about slow play and I make him 100% right. A lot of the blame must lie with the major comps because that and longer is the norm. I'm afriad I walk off if its over 4.30 cant be arsed.

    What really winds me up is the pratts when they are putting walk round the ball 5 times . lie down on the green to line up the putt, stand up plumb bob it with the putter , putt, miss by a yard and then do it all over again and all the time there is a game waiting to play onto the green :bang: Bad Manners Bad Etiquette total rsoles.

    I dont care if they want to spen 8 hours on a round...BUT I DONT. Trouble is the macho thing comes in when they think their balls will fall off if they let a game play through!!

    I said I wasnt gonna get involved on this thread ( only to have a go at Si :D ) dont get me started pleeeeeeeeeeeze dont get me started

    Cheers
    D;)
     
  22. Thanks Derek,

    Both of my in-laws are past ladies and club captains at Romsey and will bore the pants off even someone who is interested in golf. Moreover, I didn't get to realise just how crap golf is without ever having played it you know.;) That said, I don't mind a bit of crazy golf though; I'll even play a bit of pitch and put after a couple of beers.

    So, the professional golfer is incapable of walking the pitch to find out exact distances and where and how to hit the ball and that's why they need a caddie? Come on, it's just a man-servant to "carry your bag, sir". You got access to banana splits cars, so you needn't carry anything. I know with the electric shopping trolley you still have to walk, but you are hardly carrying the load are you now?

    You didn't answer as to why golfers like to dress like Alvin Stardust with the single glove? Although I am glad to hear that your club doesn't just let anyone in.:rolleyes:

    Personally, I like my exercise to be a bit more adrenaline filled and to actually cause me to have a raised heartbeat and sweat for a sustained period. Concentration levels, hmmm, I've done a bit of free-climbing in my time, and still like a bit of free-riding on my downhill bike, I race BMX's and even still try to skate when I can, so I think I have a reasonable understanding of what real concentration and control are all about. Ruining a scorecard on the golf course would be a real downer, loosing concentration when you're several meters off the ground, hurtling through a forest or around a track or about to acid drop off a small building is another. Anyway, I digress.

    Is there a point to all of this? Of course there is, it's about feet in golf right? So: stability of the foot is interesting, what motions do the feet go through during a swing? With this in mind at what points during the swing should stability be desirable and in which directions? How do the cleats achieve this? Moreover, if stability is important, why stick cleats onto a shoe which is inherently less stable, i.e. the nike free?

    Why are the shoe last generally highly curved when if my understanding is correct you want the load on the feet to be medial when driving? Why does the old valgus wedge trick help when so many shoes due to their curvature appear to promote a varus attitude?

    Cheers :drinks
     
  23. DTT

    DTT Well-Known Member

    Si People only call me Derek when they have the hump with me :rolleyes:

    Pro's cant use buggies or trolleys in competition, dont work that way.

    .

    Oh the macho statement is made and noted :D

    I spent many years of my life in riots under trains fighting with rsoles, being shot at, scum trying to stab me...but that was in the gentle art of helping people ..so I spose that dont count.

    Enough of my dicks bigger that yours ..at my age it dont matter anyway


    I dont think this Nike Free is a good model for a golf shoe for many reasons one is its far too shallow BUT the power generated in a golf swing ( especially by these guys) is exceptional so the base stability must be good to allow that to happen or everyone would finish on their arse on slippery ground.

    Kevin K had a pop this morning on another thread "perfect golf swing"apparently Im old and decrepid coz I play golf again started by Griff.

    You have a look at that vid and tell me if you agree that running swing wont work consistently and why ??

    You work out where the stresses are or where they need to be and why ??

    The rearfoot should I think remain more ore less stable as that is the foot that the swing "winds up" on. The leading foot will again need a stable base but will move medially to laterally throughout the swing via the stj, knee and hip and lumbar spine.

    Ian are you gonna join in at any stage in this ??

    Cheers
    D;)
     
  24. Ain't got the hump with anyone:santa: When I say golf is ****, I'm not saying that you play golf, ergo, you are ****.

    Why aren't trolleys allowed in competition- to provide employment for caddies- right?;) They could always carry their own kit, after all if they work out in the gym they ought to be able to carry it just as well as their caddie- right?

    As for your scum- Yeah, I grew up in the West Midlands too. I just wished I could be deep as well as macho, though. Hence I'm taking my lead from those that KNOW about the game of golf and I'm trying to understand how spikes on the bottom of the shoes provide a biomechanical advantage during a golf swing and why a pro golfer might opt to move away from a shoe with a carbon fibre shank to a shoe which was originally designed as a training tool for runners. So if the foot is rolling, it ain't stable in the direction of the roll and if its rolling medial to lateral, are the spikes helping or hindering here? Do we want the foot to roll or not?

    And what about that single glove? It's a serious question.

     
  25. DTT

    DTT Well-Known Member

    Si you called me DEREK = means you have the hump with me, ask the wife :rolleyes:

    I think you are VERY deep AND a very caring person despite the exterior, you are my double 25 years ago but your clever, you just dont like anyone knowing your vulnerable, its in the make up of groupings in people

    Basically Si I've told you simply spikes stop you fallin on your arse !! thats why I sent you to Kevins post. Can you invisidge on a very wet rainy day in this country someone running up to a ball and hitting it consistently without spikes ??? NO because the head would get in front of the ball on the tee which will steepen the swing= not good. AND they would more times than not go further than the ball !!!!

    The glove :-

    An overlapping golf grip on a right handed golfer means the gloved hand in this case the left is the actual hand that GRIPS the club with 345 fingers. The Thumb and 1st finger on the right hand are a cradle for the club. Its very difficult to explain but if you picked up a living thing in your fingers thats about the pressure you need, squeezing a tube of toothpaste is another one. The right hand actually has a free ride on this grip, ever seen a pro have the right hand fly off the club on follow through ?? Thats why it really aint grippin the club its guiding it.

    The glove on the lead hand is for that reason , that is the hand that actually grips the club.

    Oh and Robin, Putting is all about feel :rolleyes: the only good putter that left a glove on in my memory was Jack Nicklus. Thats why most remove the glove when putting FEEL the putt

    http://[​IMG]

    This is a pic of a real golf pro. Line up for the advice ÂŁ25 quid a pop :)

    Oh and BTW Si his father is a famous footballer , played for Manchester United and went on to be a sucessful football club manager also a member of my club.

    He hasnt a glove on because I was examining him for a hand problem but the glove would be on the left hand

    I said I wasnt gettin involved with this thread AND Annies away I have ironing, washing up and the rest to do before I go to bed ( I have remembered to put the clean sheets on tonight ( unlike last night) when I had to make the bed at 2 am.

    Hah Hum grumpy ol git that I am I gotta get on coz she's home in a couple of days, washing , ironing, vacuuming , gardening .

    She's in the cottage in Cornwall Si with my daughter and the 4 grandkids.

    If I send you a quid can you shut the bridge for me just for another couple of days please

    Cheers
    D;)
     
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2011
  26. Griff

    Griff Moderator

    Wow, can't believe what I've started! Apologies for the tardiness of my involvement - I have been playing in an Open golf tournament all day at West Essex Golf Club (that isn't even banter). Feel like I should give you my thoughts on these matters, as I was the clown that started this whole thing...

    (N.B I am by no means trying to talk anyone into golf - each to their own and I'm aware its not everyone's cup of tea)

    Caddies
    Pro golfers use caddies. No-one else regularly does. Approximately 200 golfers have a card on the PGA tour at any given time. About 5 million Americans play golf at least twice a month (source: Wikipedia). Ergo, we are talking miniscule percentages of people who play golf actually have a caddy. I, along with millions of other golfers drag our own clubs around and make our own bad decisions regarding course management. And don't feel sorry for these 'man-slaves' by the way. They make more money than most of us using this forum combined.

    Gloves
    It's a personal choice. There are golfers who wear two gloves. There are golfers who wear none. (Admittedly these are in the minority). Why do the rest wear one? Tradition? Superstition? Sponsorship?? (That's why they all wear hats after all). I wear one glove. Does it help me 'grip' the club better? Doubt it. When I started playing golf I never used to wear one. I found that during the hotter summer months I got blisters down the medial aspect of my left index finger. This doesn't happen with a glove on my left hand. Simples. In the pissing rain I wear two gloves (called MacWets). Stop the club slipping out of my hands and turning into a projectile weapon.

    Shoes
    Why do they have 'spikes'? The more I think about this the more convinced I become that it has less to do with the swing. A round of golf takes on average 4 hours. A golf swing takes approximately 3 seconds. Most average golfers will take 90 blows per round. That equates to 4.5 minutes of swinging a club, and basically a 3 hour 55 minute walk. Golf courses are very undulating. For most of the year (in England at least) it's slashing it down with rain. Therefore spikes = safety. Thinking about foot level mechanics during the golf swing I personally can see very little benefit to the spike placement on most golf shoes (in dry conditions). I can hit balls at the range in my trainers (in dry conditions) with no problems. In fact during the drier months I don't wear my spiked shoes, I wear my 'summer' pair which have no discernible 'spike' but still conform to course regulations (golf clubs are sticklers for the rules). Then again during my swing I am generating no where near the ground reaction forces that a low handicapper does during theirs.

    [​IMG]

    I acknowledge golf isn't the most physically exerting of sports. It's certainly not particularly dangerous (being hit by wayward balls aside). But I assure you it is not adrenaline free. As I was standing on the first tee today with a crowd of about 20 people watching and my name was announced on the loudspeaker the fact that my hands were shaking like a sh1tting dog and that I had a feeling in my stomach like I'd just been kicked in the goolies suggests to me a physiological response was very much present.

    Like I say it's not everyone's bag. I appreciate that. Might not even have been mine if I had a hip I could still run and change direction on. But I don't. So I took up golf. And I am very enthusiastic about it (as anyone who has spent 10 minutes in my company will testify). It sounds so simple in theory. Just deliver the club face to the ball in any kinematic pattern you wish and the ball will travel forwards (hopefully). I'll be playing this silly little game until I am 80. And I reckon it might take me that long to get half decent at it.
     
  27. RobinP

    RobinP Well-Known Member

    Jack Nicklaus - one of the best men with a putter ever?
    I would have thought that chipping around the greens required as much feel as putting.
    Aparently this is the greatest Masters shot ever......if you are American. Sandy Lyle 1988 final hole gets my vote



    I don't disagree that you want grip in your left hand during the swing but if grip is good, whiy not benefit yourself further and have a glove on both hands

    Robin
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 22, 2016
  28. DTT

    DTT Well-Known Member

    About bloody time you put in an appearance puppy :D

    Leave us olduns to sort out what you started why dont you ??

    Well done on the results of you tournament, keep it up buddy

    Cheers
    D;)
     
  29. DTT

    DTT Well-Known Member

    Coz if the other hand has no use but to have a light grip and no real part to play in the grip other than to guide. Whats the point you only lose FEEL and FEEL is what its about Robin ask Ian :D

    Agree with your choice of chip, brilliant mind on him

    What am I having for dinner tomorrow ??? must get it out of the freezer in the morning...IF I dont forget AGAIN :wacko:

    Nite

    cheers
    D;)
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 22, 2016
  30. So you need not wear a glove at all since grip can be enhanced on the right hand using a resin e.g. http://www.resinpad.com/index.htm
     
  31. Wouldn´t the resin make the hands too sticky for the Old boy networks secret handshakes ?
     
  32. Thanks for the honest answers, Griff. Why the highly curved lasts used on the majority of golf shoes? As I said, valgus wedging seems to help lots of golfers, yet the shoes appear designed almost in the opposite way. If the spikes have little to do with swing, they could be done away with. I've walked across many a golf course in all kinds of footwear, never fallen over, not once, even when ******. The boots I use to walk mountains don't have spikes, I only add these in severe ice, they do have a good tread pattern though. I even have a pair of Nike free designed for off road which have a bit of extra grip. Why is Mr Woods wearing Nike free shoes?

    Riddle me this, if the golfers who get to be professionals where good enough to do so without the aid of a caddy, why do they suddenly need one when they turn pro? Mental.

     
  33. DTT

    DTT Well-Known Member

    There is no obligation to wear a glove Si. I have many friends that dont use them.

    As far a resin goes yep I spose but its messy and washes off in the rain.

    The grips on golf clubs come in various types from corded to soft sticky grips that get more tacky in the wet, so if you dont wear a glove then most adjust to the the grips that suit them.

    There is nothing worse that having wet hands and the club spins at impact. The tendancy is then to grip harder which tenses the arms and shoulders which in turn impairs the swing.

    Thats why in the major comp's the caddies carry about 20 gloves so the pro always has a dry one.

    Cheers
    D;)
     
  34. DTT

    DTT Well-Known Member

    Coz he has a 60 million a year sponsorship deal with them...so he can wear what he likes as long as he has the branding ;)

    Cheers
    D;)
     
  35. One of my best friends is the technical director at Pittards, who make the leather for many of the golf gloves. He developed a leather which gets stickier when wet which was subsequently used in golf gloves. I was chatting to him a couple of weeks ago, they have something new on the horizon, which he says will improve grip even more, but I can't tell you about it, yet.

    Why not fit a Dyson blade to the bag? It could be charged via a dynamo from the wheels of your trolley? Save carrying all those gloves. Or maybe just a hand towel and some resin would suffice?;)

    I honestly think that the single glove is more about tradition/ sponsorship than anything else. But each to their own.
     
  36. Probably.
     
  37. Precisely. Yet here is a man who has slid down the rankings/ popularity poll faster than my daughter down a playground slide. He/ the sports scientists must think that this shoe provides him with an advantage or he would be wearing his other Nike shoes, unless he wants to loose because he's bored of playing golf.
     
  38. DTT

    DTT Well-Known Member

    I havent followed him Si, but I understand he is struggling with injury ( presumably involving his feet) and has been for some time. Maybe thats the reason for the new shoes and if he wears them Griff will , Fishpod will and thousands of others will...and so the machine rolls on;)

    I'm suprised he is coming back as I thought he would have been sensible to call it a day as his game has gone, but we will see how he fares.

    Cheers
    D;)
     
    Last edited: Aug 4, 2011
  39. Griff

    Griff Moderator

    I don't know the answer to this. But what I do know is that golf shoes (not unlike running shoes) vary between brand with respect to the curvature of the last, width fitting etc. Some just feel nicer than others and which one a golfer prefers will often depend on the geometry/architecture of their foot (or in the pro's case who pays them the most...)

    In my experience valgus wedging feels nice when standing over the ball (just pre-swing and when putting/chipping). I also like it for the walk, but thats due to my aforementioned chronic ankle instability etc. However for a full swing (for a right handed golfer) a valgus wedge in the left shoe isn't necessarily great. The position the leading foot (the left foot in a right handed golfer) has to get into at terminal follow through is often close to maximally supinated:

    [​IMG]

    I can see how a shoe with a curved last may be of benefit here. I personally can't get my foot into this position without my ATFL grizzling, so I wear valgus rearfoot wedging, abduct my left foot by about 20 degrees during a full swing and have a slightly shorter follow through. I'm not alone in these compensations I'm sure.

    It is well documented that Tiger often hits balls completely barefoot when practising. Rumour has it that he has been wearing Nike Free's for many months whilst in the gym. For whatever reason he likes them. My guess is that if he was told by the R&A/USPGA that he could wear standard Nike Free shoes to play in then he would jump at the chance. Golf being what it is that just won't happen. So spikes have been added just to allow them to conform. He has had a pair made in black and in white. And he will be showcasing them today at 1.40pm (ET) when he tees off in Ohio. Rest assured Nike are rubbing their hands together. Despite all that has happened regarding Tiger's extra-marital affairs, his fall to number 28 in the world, and his reputation in a worse state of disrepair than his left knee he is still a marketing companies wet dream.

    And think how busy we'll all be if these golf shoes take the amateur game by storm with all the Achilles tendinopathies that may crop up...
     
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