Golf's Digital Divide 228
theodp writes "Are $50,000 simulators and $4,500 sensor vests driving a wedge between golf's haves and have-nots? That's the question posed by the WSJ, who reports that a new generation of expensive high-tech tools is stoking a costly arms race among golfers looking for an edge in a sport that already has an elitist reputation."
Doesn't help (Score:5, Informative)
That's not to mention the fact that in golf a fair bit of the skill is in knowing what to do, not just how to do it.
perfect golf ball (Score:2, Informative)
So good it was immediately outlawed. Which is fine but, you have to admit, golf is a pretty artificial sport.
None of this matters... (Score:5, Informative)
The only things you need for golf are a swing you can repeat, and knowing how to putt. Neither require anything more than a normal set of clubs, and some practice.
Ben Hogan said it best that there is no reason the average person can't break 70. And there was no tricks, no $50k electric vests, no goofy clubs that collapse when you swing the wrong way, or anything else. It's just having a swing that repeats, and includes the fundamental things you need to have that all great golfers do.
Best thing to be a better golf game is get the Ben Hogan book about the 5 fundamentals. About $5-$10 at any bookstore. Ben Crenshaw has a video on putting that's also good, and it's about the same price if you can find it.
Re:O RLY? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:perfect golf ball (Score:2, Informative)
Backspin makes the air on top move faster than the air on the bottom - relative to the direction of ball flight I think. Faster air has less pressure than slower air and generates lift.
I also think it generates less drag, but I don't remember why.
Partial side-spin creates hooks and slices. So less spin overall creates less hook/slice, but in some cases less distance.
For a club like a driver, backspin can actually cause a loss of distance, because the ball ends up with a trajectory that is too steep, and you get no roll at the end of the flight.
Nirvana is a ball/club combination with low spin off a driver and high spin off a wedge or other short club.
Yes, I'm a Golf Geek.
Comment removed (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Running (Score:3, Informative)
Swimming can be really inexpensive, especially if you forget about the swimsuit !!