The game has changed and so it should have. It is not a stagnant game but very dynamic. We cannot preserve the game but we can protect it and all that makes it so attractive.

The invasion of science has not been something that has taken from the game but rather added to it. Very little if any real science was used in equipment development until the late sixties.

Professor Tait of Edinburgh University in the 1890's, through the application of some of the basic laws of physics explained how and why equipment performed the way it does. He explained and was able to measure the Coefficient of Restitution (COR) of a ball colliding with the clubhead. He was also able to explain that spin affected the flight of a ball. His experiments were crude but remarkable, based on the fact that he had to develop his own timing equipment and had to do all his calculations by hand.

Practically none of the work done by Prof. Tait at this time was ever used in the design of equipment until the 1960's. This does not mean that some of the basics were not understood but rather that club designers were not schooled in physics and that club design remained an art form. Ball design was based on trial and error, a few more dimples here and there or what sort of material or production process could be used to reduce the cost.

 1960'S AND 70'S

It was not until the late 1960's and 70's that science really started making its mark in the development of equipment. Perimeter weighting was taking hold. Graphite composite shafts (a material only used in the space industry) were introduced, and the aerodynamics of golf balls was becoming better understood. The numbers of dimples, dimple patterns and dimple size and depth were being studied and various experiments conducted.

The two-piece ball (the forerunner of the multi-layer) was introduced and becoming popular.

Hollow metal drivers and the use of new materials were introduced to specifically meet certain design requirements rather than, "Lets try it and see what happens." the trial and error method.

It is only recently that the potential improvement has become clearly understood and that there are natural laws of physics limiting performance.