I never played on metal spikes before, but how bad to they leave marks on the green? I hear everyone always complaining how it tears up the greens, and that any person caught with them will be asked to leave the golf courses and or change shoes to soft spikes.
If thats the case, i will just practice with the metal spikes and deal with the soft ones when i play.
I’ve got those replacement spikes and they’re great! They don’t tear up the greens at all…The only thing you have to worry about if you’re going “en secret” is how loud they are on the cart paths…It might not be an issue if you ride or carry your clubs but can be an audible problem with a push cart.
Steel spikes allow you to grip and pressure the ground so you can swing the club properly. They are so much more effective than any of the plastic spikes. They actually are good for the greens as they airiate the grass, and as long as you don’t drag your feet on the greens… they will not damage the greens in anyway.
The whole anti steel spike thing is just mindless propaganda. Proper traction is essential in most all sports. The people running the game of golf are simply making very ignorant decisions while not being properly educated.
Wondered what the real reason they started banning steel spikes for the general public. If the pros are still using them, there is obviously a huge reason. I do agree they will give more traction then soft spike no doubt. I can already feel my plastic ones slip…I also can’t see how people can swing bare footed or on regular sneakers, some I have seen in sandals…
Always liked the Jackie Burke quote (which is probably here somewhere) saying that he’ll wear plastic spikes when usain bolt does the same…
says it all for me!
Are plastic spikes only a local ruling?
I still wear my metals and so far nobody has objected.
I remember the short lived stylo shoes that Nick Faldo advertised in the 80’s - like a rubber grip sole. They were advertised as being able to be worn indoors in the clubhouse after the round. They were’n’t ideal for playing in the rather wet UK!! No great surprise that they didn’t last long eh?
Talking of Faldo, I was interested to read that he was planning a comeback at the Open in Muirfield (in 2013 I think)
I have heard that many clubs have not actually banned metal spikes…but the rumour got around that there was a ban…so we all switched to plastic…and the manufacturers only sold plastic…so it reinforced the apparent ban… but I hear that many clubs don’t officially ban metal spikes because to do so would be to put the club at risk of “health and safety” litigation…ie. if you slip on a wet slope in plastic spikes when you really needed to have metal spikes for real traction… then the club would be at fault… not sure how true that is but on a soggy day it might be worth asking your club management… use “health and safety” litigation against them…
Lots of clubs are soft spike only. I’ve heard superintendents say that its better for the greens, and I’ve heard some who still encourage metal spikes because they say it helps the greens by aeriating them. Metal spikes have such incredible traction, I remember being able to really use ground forces and push off of my right foot back in the day with them. Not so much anymore.
This is another one of those arguments that should have been settled by now. Wouldn’t it be fairly easy to run an objective test to determine if steel spikes do indeed help greens thru a form of aeration? With all the turf studies and advances being made over the last several years there still isn’t a simple conclusive answer to this question???
And… wouldn’t it be equally as easy to determine if the occacasional steel spike mark is any better/worse than those damned waffle foot prints left by a shoe with a bunch of soft-spike nubs on them?
Pelz doesn’t seem to be too busy these days… this might be the exact type of experiment he could run. Why isn’t the USGA and their agronomists on top of something like this? We know it isn’t because they’re keeping an eye on equipment trends.
Also, because they look like a simple running shoe, most people assume your wearing no spikes at all and wont even notice your metals as long as you dont walk off the grass:)…
I bought some new golf shoes and replaced them with some hopefully decent SPIKES! Cant wait to try them out. Here are some before and after pics from soft spikes to the metal ball tip spikes. The closet single spike replacement i could find are the TriLok Champs Pro Stinger model.
I can already tell a difference onto my right foot when loading into the backswing. My right foot does not slip at all and i can feel a lot more resistance towards the inside of my right foot, it also keeps my right leg very steady.
Only thing, it makes a clickity clack noise when u walk…haha
Ill find some time tomorrow to go hit at the range.
After seeing the spike shoes article over at persimmongolftoday, I checked with Allen Edmonds shoes reference their honors collection shoes. I didn’t ask about the extra row of spikes but I assume they could accomodate that. They will “recraft” any of their standard goodyear welt shoes into golf shoes for $160. I am now keeping an eye on ebay to find a pair of AE shoes. You can usually find pretty good bargains on them. This will be a good way to get a very comfortable pair of heavy solid shoes to wear for golf. Add the metal spikes mentioned above and those will be some good shoes.
interesting to know. i had a pair of AE leather soled spikes long ago and sent them back to get recrafted and
they put rubber soles and soft spikes on them with even asking me. last pair of AE golf shoes i ever bought.
but they are still the only dress shoe i wear (not that i wear dress shoes much anymore). i wish they could put spikes
in their normal collection, i’d be in business…
