Steel Spikes

[Woodenwoods77]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... 1MqiRxA68#!

[chris_golf]

The other thing I was thinking about the old leather soled shoes, was the steel plate in the sole. The less give in that sole, the stronger the pressure you can apply out of the front of the right foot. I always remember how long it took to break in the earlier Classics, you had to earn those shoes, and you knew and accepted that it was going to hurt for a while. There seems to be some symbolism in that. I remember growing up, we all had Doc Martin boots, and they were the same. They'd cut the heels of you until you broke them in, but after a year or so, they were yours. And you'd have them for ever too. Comfort, in many ways, is an overrated state.

I learned to play golf with steel spikes - I think that is the origin of my footwork. After my summer break I really
felt a sloppy footwork and put my Footjoy Classics with softspikes on:



The Driving Range Mat is ugly soft (Astroturf), but you can see very good the changing pressures...
For sure the shoe itself is much more stable and the most important part for me is that the heel area fits
snuggly. My modern Golfshoes have to much give (flex-sole design!). Personally I would prefer steel spikes -
but more importantly for me is the Golfshoe itself.

I will buy a vintage leather sole Footjoy model and hope they have even less give... and report back in 02/14
(I never heard about the steel plate in the sole).

Chris

[lagpressure]

Shoes become more and more important the better your golf swing gets. Flatter swings put more horizontal and rotational pressures into the footwork than upright swings.

Steel spikes were put in shoes a long long time ago and for very good reason.

The flexible sole tennis shoes worn today may be comfy, but they are not designed for great golf swings.

Your absolutely right about the heel needing to be snug.

I can hear Moe's laugh in my head when I think about someone promoting modern golf shoes.

[chris_golf]

Shoes become more and more important the better your golf swing gets. Flatter swings put more horizontal and rotational pressures into the footwork than upright swings.

Steel spikes were put in shoes a long long time ago and for very good reason.

The flexible sole tennis shoes worn today may be comfy, but they are not designed for great golf swings.

Your absolutely right about the heel needing to be snug.

I can hear Moe's laugh in my head when I think about someone promoting modern golf shoes.

You mean this one?



BTW: ...I can only slide into my Classics with a Shoe Horn - even air rushes out of the shoe then...

I have Foot Joy Dryjoys Tour in the same size and they are for sure wider in the heel area, and
the stability of the shoe is not compareable.

Chris

[cox11]

Based on the fact that good shoes are getting harder to find, I thought I would let everyone know about a great little place in Melbourne Australia that can still make traditional welted golf shoes. Jess wootten is his name. Amazing product. I have a pair of black oxford capped toe dress shoes from him, my next pair will be exactly the same but with spikes on the bottom.

I'm going for the hogan look, maybe one day I will even play like him

[cox11]

Here is a shot of my shoes

[Wknhacker]

So last year I bought a pair of brand new Nike Air Comfort Tiger Woods golf shoes on Ebay for $40. It was too good a deal to pass up. They came with plastic spikes but I remembered seeing a picture of Tiger wearing these shoes with metal spikes. I decided to get some Champ Scorpion Stinger Pro spikes and promptly replaced the plastic ones just to get an idea of the difference between the two.

Let's just say there is no comparison. The traction from the steel spikes is unbelievable. I've been using this shoe on the range and I feel so rooted into the ground and can pressure and pivot off my left leg (I'm left handed) as much as I want with full confidence I won't slip.

Unsurprisingly, I've been refused by every golf course to play with these except last week at one of my local muni course. I told the marshall on the first tee these were the only golf shoe I had on me and he just shrugged his shoulders and said "yeah go ahead, just be careful on the greens".

So these are my thoughts after a round with steel spikes. The traction is second to none. Plastic spikes will unfortunately not come anywhere close but we will just have to learn how to deal with that. I felt the stability of the steel spikes in all the shots requiring a full swing. I didn't see any damage to the greens anymore so than those caused by plastic spikes (but I was extra mindful). The only real negative is that the steel spikes are considerably heavier than my soft spike shoe and after walking 18 holes my feet were tired out a lot more.

Needless to say these will be my range shoes for a very long time.

IMG_4243.JPG (299.65 KiB) Viewed 2427 times

[stevemcgee99]

Would love to know where that muni was. I want to wear metal spikes!

I figure there's a number of places where I could get away with it.

[lagpressure]

It really is incredible when you think about it.

Steel spikes are legal with the USGA, the main governing body of the game, yet they are banned at 99% of all golf courses, public and private.
Could you imagine showing up at a bowling alley and they tell you you can't wear those bowling shoes?

So the reason is they hurt the greens? How about change the rule so people can tap down spike marks. You can fix ball marks but not spike marks?
Ball marks are inevitable, spike marks are from players who drag their feet. Just makes no sense.

I've seen the plastic spikes leave horrible indentations in the greens by the way....

I think it was sometime in the 90's golf clubs across the globe all colluded to ban the steel spikes going against their own governing body?
The whole thing is very bizarre. You would think the USGA would have banned them by now, yet they have not. They also have done nothing to
support the return of steel spikes.

I think American Golfers should organize a steel spike march down Pennsylvania Ave.

[k2baloo]

I think American Golfers should organize a steel spike march down Pennsylvania Ave.

I can see it now.