Technology has done wonderful things for the game of golf, including making what is really quite a hard sport easier to play.
Modern drivers are easier to hit, clubfaces are more forgiving, putters are more stable, GPS devices tell us exactly how far we have to the target…
WATCH: Dan and Joe from Kick Point: The Golf Gear Show discuss alignment aids on golf balls (from 07.24)
That’s what Dan and Joe from Kick Point: The Golf Gear Show were discussing recently in the episode above – and Joe believes we’ve maybe crossed a line (excuse the pun).
What do you think? Should alignment aids on golf balls be banned?
We want to hear from you, but before you leave an angry comment below, at least hear Joe out.
“Lining yourself up as a player, pointing your clubface in the right direction, is part of the skill as much as swinging the golf club is a skill of the game,” says Joe.
Does that sound like a fair point? After all, this is why caddies were banned from going behind players and lining them up.
There’s no single golf ball, per se, that has upset Joe; rather, it’s been the gradual rise in the number of models featuring an alignment aid printed on the side that has made Joe question whether they should be banned.
A study by Titleist revealed that golfers using AIM were up to 35% more precise with their alignment
(Image credit: Acushnet)
Has your putting improved by using a ball such as the Callaway ERC Soft or TaylorMade TP5 Stripe (there are many more of this type)?
When Titleist recently added patterns to the AVX, Tour Soft, Velocity, and TruFeel models, it got Joe thinking about whether an important skill has been taken away.
“In what other sport is this allowed?” adds Joe.
Another fair point. Take snooker, for example. Players aren’t allowed to mark where they want to strike the cue ball or use a Sharpie pen to put a line on the object ball to help with aim.
Are there any other sports that allow this kind of assistance, where you can modify your equipment in such a way? Again, Joe invites your comments.
Xander Schauffele is one of many…
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