Hot topic: Soft spikes v Metal
Join the debate on which you prefer as Champ re-introduces the metal spike because it's safer in winter.
|
Side view of the Pro Stinger metal spike
|
Metal spikes in golf shoes are making a comeback. But while many of us will be grateful for the added stability they give us in wet, winter conditions, others will be pulling their hair out because of the damage they can do to greens.
Champ, one of the leading manufacturers of screw-in spikes for shoes is launching a new
Pro Stinger metal spike designed, they say, ‘to update metal spike technology into the 21st century.’
"We wanted to engineer a spike that would perform better than existing metal spikes, using the latest technology to provide the best possible traction," says Harris MacNeill, whose US company created the Champ brand and the successful Scorpion Stinger soft spike.
Until the flexible soft ‘cleat’ was introduced around five years ago the soft crunch of metal spiked shoes on tarmac and concrete was a familiar sound of ‘golfer approaching’ on many courses.
|
Metal spike surrounded by plastic stabilizers
|
The spider-like cleat, however, was proved to be far more forgiving than metal spikes for golfers walking an 18-hole round and less damaging to carefully tended greens. Metal spikes tended to tear the surface and leave the dreaded ‘spike marks’, which under the Rules of Golf ‘may not be repaired on the line of a putt.’
You also need fewer of them on each shoe (often seven compared to 11 or 12) to retain similar traction.
Indeed many clubs introduced a ‘softspike only’ or ‘softspike preferred’ policy – such had been the volume of complaints from players following a golfer wearing metal spikes on to a green, and leaving a tell-tale trail of torn grass shoots.
However, a key downside in softspikes is that in damp conditions, they tend to clog with grass and mud – reducing their traction in the golf swing and often proving hazardous when walking on downslopes.
The makers of the new Pro Stinger claim that not only is their product user-friendly but green-friendly, too. With four ‘traction points’ featuring a single 6mm hardened steel tip surrounded by three sets of soft, flexible teeth and six recessed pods which prevent foot rotation.
Says MacNeill: "The case has been made for regulating courses to use plastic cleats only in the UK, but I find that highly irresponsible.
"Plastic cleats are known to get clogged and churn up greens, especially in winter conditions and we would argue in favour of a two-season approach, where green-friendly plastic cleats are worn in summer and metal ones in winter, when they do less damage and offer more stability and safety to golfers."
|
Pack comes complete with a wrench
|
He backs his remarks by claiming Champ metal spikes are becoming increasingly preferred on Tour with almost a third of players on the US PGA Tour and one-in-five in Europe choosing metal spikes.
Pro Stinger metal spikes are sold at most golf stores and pro shops in packs (£9.99 including a wrench) with a choice of three fastening systems - Q-Lok, Tri-Lok and the standard small thread - to fit most shoes, including FootJoy, adidas and Etonic.
What’s your view in the soft spike v metal spike debate? Tell us on the forum.
|
Discuss this story
This could end the arguement.
CLEMSON TURFGRASS RESEARCH FINDS
LITTLE DIFFERENCE IN GOLF SHOE SPIKES
CLEMSON -- A growing trend among golf courses is to ban metal spikes in favor of the "soft" variety. The intent is to reduce wear and tear on greens.
"Actually, soft spikes are no better, and no worse on golf greens than the traditional metal spikes," said Clint Waltz, a Ph. D. candidate in horticulture at Clemson University.
He spoke about results from a five-month research project during a Sept. 15 Turfgrass Research and Education Field Day at Clemson. About 275 golf course superintendents and others involved in the turfgrass industry were given their first look at a new 20,000-square-foot creeping bentgrass research green located next to the Walker Course at the university.
Waltz said the makers of Foot-Joy golf shoes funded a study to see how 15 different styles of shoes affected turfgrass quality. The styles included no spikes, several types of soft cleats and traditional metal spikes. Plots were 1.5 feet x 14 feet and replicated three times.
Students were hired to walk each plot 40 times a day, six days a week, from late March to the end of August in order to simulate 30,000 rounds of golf. Plots were visually evaluated for turfgrass quality and wear stress, while speed was evaluated with a U.S. Golf Association (USGA) Stimpmeter.
Waltz said that soft spikes caused more wear stress early in the study. Metal spikes began causing more stress in mid-July, more than three months after the study began.
"For turf health, your best bet is to do what you can to alleviate excessive traffic in any one area," he said. "Use good design to move traffic across the greens, and move your pin placements to give the turf time to rest.
"Excessive traffic is going to wear the turf no matter what type of sole you have, whether it's soft spikes or traditional metal spikes," Waltz said. "Leave the choice of soles to the membership."
Clemson turfgrass researcher Bert McCarty said the new research green is subdivided into 10 blocks, each controlled separately in terms of irrigation and drainage.
"We can catch leachates from each block, as well as use SubAir equipment to pull or push subsurface air into each block, to see how that affects the quality of bentgrass during times of high stress," McCarty said.
The field day audience also visited plots where varieties of bentgrass, bermudagrass, zoysia, St. Augustine, centipede, buffalograss and fescue were being evaluated. Disease and weed management were also discussed, as well as different materials used to construct golf greens and a project which will evaluate the use of microorganisms in the soil to improve turf quality.
Will Holroyd, president of the South Carolina Turfgrass Foundation, was pleased with the facilities, the research and attendance.
"Clemson's commitment to turfgrass is very impressive," Holroyd said. He is especially interested in research that is planned to investigate the effects of subsurface air movement on the new green.
According to Landon Miller, Clemson Extension Service turfgrass specialist, South Carolina is home to 384 golf courses and revenues derived directly from golf in the state amount to about $644 million each year.
Posted: 14/11/2005 12:12
A few observations.
1. When walking across car parks, on paths etc, metal spikes, over time, burr. When in this condition, the spikes pull out tufts of grass on the greens. Very annoying for those in the groups following the offending golfer.
2. Generally, it is 'old duffers' who persist with metal spikes. They are now at an age where carpet slippers are the norm, and so drag their feet. Metal spikes are longer and cause even more damage.
3. A course ran its own experiment. For a season, half the practice green was metal spikes only, the other half was soft spikes only. The difference in condition was so pronounced, next season, metal spikes were banned.
4. Grip. I have not experienced any loss of footing wearing soft spikes. I do, however, pick out the excess of grass at regular intervals during wet conditions. Do it a bit at a time, while playing partners are playing their shot.
Ian
Posted: 16/11/2005 09:00
See more comments...
|
|
