At the 2010 Masters Fred Couples sported golf shoes that looked alarmingly like sneakers and the world took notice. They alleviated his long-term back pain, he claimed. They looked so stylish, said everyone. And thus, spikeless golf shoes came walking into our lives.
Shopping for golf shoes? Here’s the lowdown on cleated vs. spikeless shoes.
CLEATED SHOES
Today’s soft spikes are designed to grab the turf and not let go. Through your weight shift, in the wet, on a slope – when the going gets tough cleats offer stability and confidence.
Benefits
- Superior traction
- Excellent stability in wet conditions including morning dew
- Spikes can be changed – like new!
Drawbacks
- Replacing spikes gets costly
- Spikes clog with debris and have to be cleaned
- No walking on hard surfaces
- Heavier that spikeless shoes
SPIKELESS SHOES
Research and FitBits everywhere say that the average golfer walks 6-8 miles during a round. You’ll do your feet a favor by selecting a light, comfy shoe – and that’s often a spikeless style. Ditto if the day is dry, and the course is relatively flat. And the ease and convenience of wearing just one pair of shoes from home to course to clubhouse to home again – well, that’s big.
Spikeless Benefits:
- Wear them on or off the course
- Stylish
- Spikes never need changing
- Easily cleaned/don’t choke with debris
- Cushioned comfort
Drawbacks:
- Lugs cannot be changed
- Less traction than soft spikes
- Much less traction in wet conditions. Hello, Slip and slide.
The Takeaway
Rain or shine, ride or walk, a quick 9-and-dine or a competitive tournament – golf world is different every day. And the ideal footwear might be different every day too. So cleated vs. spikeless, can we just say, “l’ll take one of each”?
“Just a chip and a putt” – it sounds so easy. But in a blink of an eye, it’s a chip and a putt and another putt. Or a chip and a chip and a putt and a putt and oh, another putt. You see where I’m headed – the downward slope to a hellish score. All because of a simple shot, done poorly.
Golf lessons, friends’ advice, magazine how-to’s, golf on TV, our own experiments, and practice, practice, practice – these are the many good, bad and sometimes successful ways we get better at golf.
Love, love the golf cart – that mini-car of camaraderie and competition. The cross-course quickness, the searching and circling for lost balls, the charging up ahead to see what’s what – love it all! The wind in our hair! Stowed snacks! Scorecard and pencil at the ready.
Congratulations to Volvik winner, Ariya Jutanugarn, who posted a third consecutive LPGA Tour win. Our games will never, ever reach the heady heights of the women who played in our local LPGA event, but take heart. There’s info and insights from the week we can apply to our own games, however humble they may be.
