There are hundreds of golf shoes that are available every year that come in varying different styles and offer different levels of comfort and performance. When looking to buy your first pair of golf shoes there will be plenty of shoes that look exactly like the ones you could wear during the day to day life, but there are several reasons why wearing golf shoes on a golf course is much better than wearing regular trainers.
“Do I need to wear golf shoes?”
There are some courses in the UK that allow people to play on the course without having to wear golf shoes, but plenty of clubs will ask anyone who would like to play on their course to wear the appropriate footwear, and it’s in your best interest to do so…
“Why wear them?”
Asking players to wear golf shoes isn’t just because clubs want golfers to look the part, but also because it helps your game and can stop you from injuring yourself. It also enables greenkeepers to maintain conditions.
Golf shoes are an essential item for a golfer. While creating enough traction and grip to produce a full swing and finish in a stable and strong position, you also create a further transfer of power through to the ball.
Golf shoes create a lot of traction that allows a player to have guaranteed stability as they’re swinging at the ball so that only the areas of the body you want to move do, without any sliding or slipping that could ruin a crucial shot.
If you are playing on a course that has uneven surfaces or trying to chip at a steeper angle there is the possibility that you could slip without the right footwear. While a slip might be funny every so often, the risk of a serious injury could occur to your back or lower body. With a lot of stress being put on the knees while swinging you need to make sure that you have the right footwear that will provide proper support.
Styles Of Golf Shoes
Spiked
Spiked golf shoes offer the stability and traction that is needed on the golf course to help you maintain the right body positioning for a great swing. Many spiked shoes feature the classic brogue design, but new modern versions having a more sporty and practical look you have the option to enjoy the best of both.
Spiked shoes also use lightweight and waterproof material so that players can wear them year-round in all conditions.
Spikeless
Designed for more comfort and style, spikeless golf shoes provide golfers with a low-profile, lightweight option that can be worn both on and off the golf course.
While being spikeless the shoes do feature rubber studs or dimpled soles rather than using metal spikes. This design is much more comfortable than the spike design, with many professionals now opting to use spikeless shoes.
Boot
Golf boots are a heavier and warmer option to normal golf shoes, primarily used in winter months when you’re in a battle with mother nature to complete a full 18. While they may allow for less movement around the ankles due to their design, they offer brilliant traction on icy and frosty mornings.
Types of Spikes
Soft/Plastic
Plastic spikes, or soft spikes, offer the same or sometimes greater amount of traction on the course as the traditional metal spikes. They are a lightweight and safe option to use as they are much less likely to damage the green than metal spikes because the wider design allows for weight to be spread across the playing area.
Metal
Metal spikes are becoming less common with some golf courses banning them due to the damage that they can cause to the greens. This isn’t just for maintaining the greens, but alos the fact that you aren’t able to repair a spike mark on the green, so any divots or damage could affect your putts.
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