Changes Schmanges

[lagpressure]

If we look at golf shoes… the spikes are there for you so we can deal with the rotational ground forces created by swinging the club around us… and the flatter we swing, the more traction we need. This is why I prefer real spikes in golf shoes. It allows me to swing better, flatter, and harder.

Interesting on the barefoot thing. I have always liked to walk around barefoot or run barefoot and never knew why. It really makes sense.

[eagle]

…and at the risk of getting too “far out”, here’s a clip about a therapy called “grounding” or “earthing”, in which practitioners go barefoot in order to neutralize electrical charges in their body. Might be good to do daily, and prior to putting on one’s spikes, maybe even at the turn…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XumPQLTzPWI[/youtube]

[Newman]

@lagpressure

If we look at golf shoes… the spikes are there for you so we can deal with the rotational ground forces created by swinging the club around us… and the flatter we swing, the more traction we need. This is why I prefer real spikes in golf shoes. It allows me to swing better, flatter, and harder.

Interesting on the barefoot thing. I have always liked to walk around barefoot or run barefoot and never knew why. It really makes sense.

Yeah so there’s improvements and there’s ‘improvements’. You can’t just claim something ‘helps’ without some proof. It has to make sense and hold up in reality. One thing our foot is not is puncture resistant. So soles on shoes can be good for that. The other big thing is traction issues, and there it all depends on what surface you’re on and what you’re trying to do. Golf shoes are no good for bowling, ice skates aren’t good on the beach. What confuses me about the new tennis-style golf shoes is, when did people decide it was better to have less traction? Do they think golfers have been wearing spikes all this time for no reason? It was all overkill? Or there’s also the other thing… Are the people making golf shoes now claiming that soft spikes are supposed to have every bit as much traction or more than metal spikes? That would be something that I imagine could be tested.

[kirkschwart]

years ago when i was running a ton, i went and took a golf lesson and i was wearing my lightweight running shoes. i wore running shoes
all the time so i could sneak runs in whenever i could. i don’t think i even
owned a pair of golf shoes at the time. i had never taken a lesson from this guy but a friend said i should go see him so i did. he
basically spent the first 10 minutes chewing me out (in a nice way) about wearing the flemsy arse shoes i was wearing. he still had me hitting
the ball great in less than 10 minutes but he could not get over the shoes. he was very ground oriented and his argument made alot of sense that day. it makes even more now. i’ve been buying heavy leather golf shoes ever since. they aren’t spikes but i definitely like heavy or sturdy shoes. i just don’t
understand how pros play in those ecco things or anything resembling lightweight running shoes…

[eagle]

@Newman

It’s been a couple years since I read it. What I got out of it was a heightened awareness of what was going on in a running stride, and also found real enjoyment in running that I’d never experienced before. New attitudes, new sensations, new confidence in the capabilities and resilience of the human body. It’s pretty inspirational.
I could go on about a lot of stuff, but to tie it back in to ‘changes schmanges’, there’s the idea in there that maybe trusting “experts” in the lab over actual athletes isn’t always the best idea. There’s theory and there’s reality, and they don’t always overlap. Sure, there are improvements and advancements over time, but the claims need to be investigated and tested. Like it was stated earlier, just because something is ‘technology’ doesn’t mean it’s better. The golf example would be, lighter=faster, faster=farther, farther=better, et voila, lighter=better! I think we’re all hip to the fact that that argument breaks down once you start actually playing golf and need to feel a club head and, I don’t know, maybe hit it where you aim… To take an example from the shoe thing, the theory was that the human foot is poorly designed, and by padding the heel and supporting the arch, the foot would be stabilized and able to land heel first and roll forward, thus allowing for longer strides = faster running. Well, it turns out that the bottoms of your feet are sensitive for a reason, so you’re automatically hyper aware of balance and alignment, and not jamming your feet into the ground! And the arch thing… did someone mention Architectural Digest? Any “arch” gets it strength from the weight on top, that’s how the structure works. How do you weaken an arch? Push up from underneath. The idea that a bump in your shoe is supposed to be ‘arch support’ is comically backwards. What also happens is that over time, your foot is essentially being held in place, like it’s in a cast, kept from functioning properly, and naturally it grows weak from lack of use. There’s also the issue of the heel being raised so the foot doesn’t sit flat, also messing up the natural order of things. You know how frying pans are ‘swing cancer’, well, the modern running shoe is ‘stride cancer’. And Nike is making big bucks selling you shoes for your supposedly broken feet, which had nothing wrong with them in the first place.
Not so different form hacker scientists designing hacker clubs for hacker swing problems to make sure they’ll always stay a hacker.

Thanks Newman. “Stride cancer”…I’m pretty sure I developed it as a recreational runner. Reminds me of what John Schlee said…something like " I just learned how to walk." (posted previously)…and also what Hogan said about opposites…and what BOM posted about the Seinfeld episode.
Looks like the world can really be upside down. Just do the opposite.

[JesseV]

@lagpressure

If we look at golf shoes… the spikes are there for you so we can deal with the rotational ground forces created by swinging the club around us… and the flatter we swing, the more traction we need. This is why I prefer real spikes in golf shoes. It allows me to swing better, flatter, and harder.

Interesting on the barefoot thing. I have always liked to walk around barefoot or run barefoot and never knew why. It really makes sense.

I used to never wear shoes if I didn’t have to. i hate anything that makes my feet uncomfortable.

As far as technology goes, some things can be made better and many things can be made worse. I come from a computer background and I for one hate what technology has done to us as a society. Of course I love ABS.

One of these days I’m gonna go up to the next person I see with a cell phone glued to their ear and they aren’t saying a word for five minutes and punch them right in the cell phone… just kidding, well maybe not.

I’ve noticed the last few times I’ve been able to get in a round that someone at my club is wearing real spikes. Hmmm - Are real spikes still available? I may have to get a pair and start wearing them.

its time to take back the game!

[eagle]

@Newman

@kirkschwart

modern technologically advanced running shoes caused 90% of all injuries

Yeah man, Born to Run changed everything (the book, not the Springsteen tune). After reading that, I got into running barefoot or with really minimal shoes. You run with good form ‘or else!’ Changed my feet, ankles, knees, hips, and back all for the better. Padded up heels and arch supports are for suckers! Like cavity back irons for your feet…

Anyone who hasn’t read this book, I highly recommend it. Not just for runners. amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidden-S … 0307266303

Ordered the book, got it earlier in the week, and just finished it. Newman, thanks for recommending, it is like an ABS book on running…so may parallels. BTW, a fair amount of interesting science is in the book…health, training, anthropology, nutrition…all woven into the tale. The facts regarding racing times, and what a human is capable of at old ages is worth knowing, can’t use the “I’m too old for that” excuse anymore. Companies like Nike come out looking bad…again.

If you are skeptical of “conventional wisdom” prior to reading this, the book will only pour gasoline on that fire.

And LCD, no need to worry about the sundial thing, these races aren’t from home plate to first, they’re 50-100+ miles long. Sundials, or moondials, will work just fine.

[Ironsmith]

Well, I ordered some Pro Stinger spikes finally from Amazon. Couldn’t find them at PGASuperstore, GolfSmith, Dick’s Sporting goods, Sports Authority etc. Must be a damned conspiracy!

Anyway, I plan on just using a few on each shoe in the critical spots so that way I can try to be in stealth mode on the golf course. They look like regular Champ stingers but they have a metal spike down the middle. I’ll make sure I don’t put too much pressure on the sidewalks on those things to be making any noise. No one will know.

Signed, the golf shoe ninja…

[hoganut]

A good source for the Pro-Stingers is the company posted below. I’ve purchased them from this website. Good service, no surprises.

golfspikes.com/prostingercleats.html

[Ironsmith]

Thanks for the link. Since I’m only using a few per shoe, this pack of stingers should last me a few seasons hopefully.

[JesseV]

I just ordered myself some today. Should be here next week.

[Ironsmith]

Get ready for the clack, clack, clack sound if you haven’t played on metal spikes before.

Also beware that they do get slippery on concrete and cart paths. Great for traction on grass but slide like ice skates on concrete.

If they don’t like metal spikes at your course, a sneaky thing to do is wear your sneakers all the way to the first tee, pull them outta yer bag then change into them at the first tee. Then swap out after the 18th.

Sad that it’s not against the rules to wear metal spikes but you get treated like a leper if you do at most courses.