 A new survey reveals that two-thirds of golfers in the UK now have soft spikes in their shoes. Do you miss the old crackle of metal spikes on concrete and the extra grip they give you in the wet. Or have you sacrificed all that for comfort and less green damage? Or is it all hype to sell more shoes?
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 When I first played in Ibiza a few years back they changed my spikes for cleats free of charge and as they were lightweight shoes I have kept them for summer use.
Having recently bought a pair of Hi-Tec Warwick with soft spikes I dont know how these will perform in very wet conditions.
What I do Know is that they tend to clog up very easily with grass cuttings but are not that easy to clear with the old pitch repairer - at least not as easily as spikes.
Come the autumn they might find a set of decent metals in 'em.
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 My Stylo Legend shoes came with spikes and cleats, and because the driving range I use don't allow spikes, I kept the cleats in most of the time and changed to spikes when I was playing (damned nuisance!). Now the courses are drying out a bit (hopes) I'm keeping the cleats in all the time. When it starts getting wet again, I might buy a cheap set of shoes for the driving range and keep the spikes in the Legends.
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Even FootJoy admit it's a problem with cleats clogging up when it's wet and have produced a stiff brush to clip on to your bag with an extending cord - a bit like one of those ski lift passes - to allow you to unclog your cleats. When you let go, the brush smashes against your bag, useful when your matchplay opponent is at the top of his backswing! Alternatively get a small scrubbing brush from Focus or Wilko and tie it on your bag or keep in the boot of your car. One for each preferably, they're only about 50p each.
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I have been using soft spikes for about 4 years and on the whole find them OK. The main difference is felt in very wet weather like this winter when you start sliding about a bit. However, they are much easier on the feet and because of this I am happy with them. Besides, my club insists all players have them.
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I have been using soft spikes for about 4 years and on the whole find them OK. The main difference is felt in very wet weather like this winter when you start sliding about a bit. However, they are much easier on the feet and because of this I am happy with them. Besides, my club insists all players have them.
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What damage do spikes do?
On British greens surely the additional aeration given to the green is beneficial?
Reminds me of the time that a club in Wales refused to let me use a trolley because the tyres had grooves in them and weren't completely smooth.
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 I prefer metal spikes, but play all year round in soft ones. There are enough courses around that insist on soft spikes, and I'm too lazy to carry a set of metal spikes around to change into.
I guess the solution is to have two pairs of shoes. Having said that, I haven't noticed myself sliding around in the soft spikes.
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 Al - apparently the metal spikes are supposed spread disease on the greens....???? that's what someone told me anyway.
Soft spikes are comfy for walking on hard surfaces, but I don't think they grip as well...especially when you trying to throw yourself at one of those mega-drives on par 5's!
Slipperdeedooodah, slipperdeeaaa
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 I find softees great in summer hard conditions but i find that i sometime lose my footing when it's a bit damp/wet so to get round this i carry 2 pairs of shoes me footjoys armed with tungsten tipped spikes and addidas adx armed with softees.
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 I wear Black Widows all year round with no problems, and my course gets really wet. Yes they do clog but so do metals to a degree and they still seem to grip. I don't think anyone else has developed a soft-spike anywhere near as good as this which is causing me a problem for my new Etonics which have the Q-Lok (see my other link). If you are wearing something other than Black-Widows, this may be part of your problem. And remember, they cause less damage to our beloved greens.
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Yes Ste, less damage to our beloved greens...so long as people remember to pick their feet up when walking eh! :-)
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 I am not totally convinced about the soft spike issue - I reckon that a lot of it is hype. I always played with spikes and never really had any problem with them. If you lift your feet on the green, you won't scuff the surface and as for spreading disease, plastic can do that just as easily as steel.
Black widows are my preferred choice of spike now, but in the dry conditions when the grass is a bit "shiny", I tend to slip a little. With the traditional cleat, it seems to be a better grip on the fairway's and tees.
I spoke with Paul McGinley a few months ago and he changes his soft spikes in his Adidas Tour tractions from Black Widows to normal cleats - he reckons that the cleats are more reliable on Tour - so that must tell you something.
The big problem with soft spikes such as the Black widow is that they really do pick up wet grass and mud easily, therefore losing traction. So unless you clean your soles every hole (which is something I don't really thing of too much) you can slip at the most inopportune times!
Spikes are great, if you lift your feet up, they won't cause problems - and soft spikes, when dragging feet across the green, cause more damage than a cleat, in my humble opinion!!!
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It just makes sense to use soft spikes. If you wish to keep damage on the greens and fairways t oa minimum then I would ban anything other than the softies. Ban them, ban them all.
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I wore soft spikes for the first time yesterday whilst playing 36 holes at Wellingborough, Harrowden Hall. No problems at all. In fact, after a while it is quite a blessing to have soft spikes under your feet rather than hard metal spikes !
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What other things should be banned on golf courses? Let me start you off...people over the age of 50...slow players...
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Slow play for sure, nothing worse than being held up behind players that take countless practice swings before playing the real shot. Personally I wonder about the merits of practice swinging anyway. One of the best players I play with (who is off about 3) walks up to the ball and hits it, then carries on. Doesn't even bother with practice swings.... and how often do you take a great feeling practice swing, and then duff the real one anyway.
As for banning anyone because of their age, I know you're being contraversial Les, but evenso. Without the over 50's there would be no golf. Over 50's have all the cash which supports the clubs, and the promotion in the game. It's probably over 50's who are at the top of the big companies that plough £££'s into the sport. Ban them, and they wouldn't be too keen to back the game.
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Let's ban the over 50's from playing golf- here, here.
After all it will make the medals so much easier to win.
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Can we ban women, fatties, anyone under 5 foot seven, people with blue eyes (cos they cheat)and anyone that has a name you can't pronounce when you play with them. Yeah, bloody good idea Les!
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Ban people who
1) Don't replace divots.
2) Don't repair pitch marks.
3) Mark their card before walking away from the green.
4) Have clothing, bags, covers all matching their golf clubs (it's bad enough paying some of these prices without giving free sponsorship as well)
5) Anyone who wears the old 70's "Rupert Bear" style golf outfits.
6) Anybody who drives a buggy and then takes twice as long as people who walk.
7) Spends 15 minutes lining up a 2 foot put AND THEN MISSES!
8) Never lets you through even though they lose their ball in the rough on every hole.
9) Are in such a hurry hit their drive just after you have hit your second despite the fact that you are being held up by the group in front.
10) Left-handed golfers. I playing with them really off-putting. Funny how a left-handed cricketer or tennis player doesn't look odd but someone hitting a golf ball left handed looks strange.
Any more for any more?
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