Golf is one of the few sports that is 99% mental. Its allows athletes like John Daly, a man famous for his self-indulgence in food and alcohol, and Rory McIlroy, the man known for having the perfect golf swing, to be spoken of in the same breath. It takes years of practice for a newcomer to even be considered average in the sport. In fact only 55% of all male golfers in the US are able to break 100. I’ve been playing the sport for years now and some of the things I hear most from middle-of-the-road golfers is “their clubs don’t fit them right” or “their clubs are crap”. They use their poor golf game to justify spending thousands of dollars on new golf clubs, with companies claiming the technology within the clubs is vastly different from the previous years version. While I do admit, fitting the right clubs can help quite a bit for experienced players, I have also went by the philosophy of “it’s the wizard, not the wand”. Meaning dropping $600 on a new driver isn’t going to stop you from hitting the ball into the woods.
However Callaway, one of the largest golf equipment manufacturers in the world, believes they have narrowed the gap between equipment and technique in reasons someone is bad at the sport. In an attempt to innovate the game and break away from the current way most companies develop and implement new clubs, Callaway used an $8 million supercomputer to help design and guide one of their recent club lines: the Mavrik.
Callaway uses a very accurate simulation capability for the collision between a club and ball, and it uses a large amount of data to teach a computer how to think about club design. Callaway’s aim is to combine these AI and data-driven design breakthroughs with the knowledge they already have about what golfers like to see and feel from their equipment.
The use of AI is changing the way clubs are designed. Callaway has always been a brand that thinks outside the box and has recognized the importance of investing in research and development. It has been striving to maximize the amount of ball speed a player can generate since the days of the Big Bertha. In 2019, it took this to a different level with a new Flash Face, designed by an $8 million supercomputer that used AI to cycle through 15,000 face design iterations and over 100 impact simulations. According to Alan Hocknell, the Head of Research and Development at Callaway, this process of analyzing swings and impacts, normally takes 6-8 months.
The computer’s tests resulted in certain club face and weight variations that Callaway had apparently never considered before. Many of the thickness patterns that the company was looking at were generally thicker in the middle of the face and thinner at the edges in various forms. However, the computer suggested that they try patterns that were thicker near the toe and heel, and thinner in the middle. This design performed notably better in the initial tests and was eventually used in the Epic driver’s design.
Another way that Callaway is using AI is by creating new driver designs using machine learning. Callaway developed a neural network that analyzed the design of every driver ever made and used this data to generate new club designs. The neural network was trained to recognize the characteristics of popular drivers and used this knowledge to create new designs.
The new drivers created by the neural network performed exceptionally well in initial testing, and some golfers found them to be an improvement over their current clubs. However, not all golfers liked the new designs, and Callaway decided not to release them. This shows the lack of knowledge within the golfing community. Lots of the below average players that were a part of these tests, came to the conclusion that the looks of a driver were more important to them than the results they produced. Every time I have ever bought new clubs, I always make sure to get fitted and try a bunch of variations from different companies. However, I have seen friends and others, who will go to PGA superstore and buy a new $1200 set of irons after hitting them in a golf simulator for 5 minutes. They go there already knowing what they want to buy because they see professional golfers swinging the same clubs, and they don’t bother to find out which clubs are truly best for their swing. It is a growing problem in the sport and its why the cost of clubs are so high. If a company came out and charged $300 for a set of irons, no one would buy them because they would be seen as cheap and of poor quality, even if the technology behind them was the same as the other brands. Scotty Cameron is the most used putter on tour, and therefore the most expensive. Even though just about every putter is the same apart from weight and length. Scotty Cameron’s are still the most sought after putters by average golfers. Any golfer can experience the same results from a $400 Scotty as a $50 Costco brand putter.
In conclusion, AI is transforming the way golf clubs are designed and manufactured. Callaway has been using AI to design and develop its latest range of golf clubs, the Mavrik, and has seen significant performance benefits. While AI can be used to develop some the best new golf equipment on the market, it will likely be a long time before the average golfers of the world will wise up and make the right decisions. I am also still a full believer in that no club on the market is going to truly elevate your ability on the course.
What about the new Paradym driver? I’m sure they used AI models to help make that one even a little better. Crazy that a 10+ handicapper thinks a $600 driver is going to make them play better golf!
Hey Spencer! It’s cool to see how AI is influencing the design of golf clubs and their performance in the sport. It’s interesting that some players will pay for expensive clubs that won’t make much of a difference in their swing. I believe that “it’s the wizard, not the wand” as well- those golfers with better skills and practice will have an advantage over those who solely rely on advanced AI generated equipment.
This is a very cool post and to see the way AI is shaping the game of golf is fascinating. If only I had a club to make me always hit the ball straight then maybe I could break 100, but until that day I won’t be doing that. You have inspired me to go to the range and work on my game.
Hey Spencer, cool post. I definitely agree with your statement, “It’s the wizard, not the wand.” The uniqueness of each individual swing and speed makes me think that the best AI development will be within fitting, not necessarily product development for the masses.
Hey Spencer, this was an extremely informative post! As a fellow golf player, I understand the complaints that you mentioned above and I too believe that the skill gap in the game of golf all comes down to your years of experience. Every single week, I find artificial intelligence recreating and innovating on a current invention and the golf clubs are definitely a top contender.
Just when I think I’ve seen it all when it comes to topics in this class, here comes another one I didn’t know about. Great work. Of course, I realize me hitting the ball in the woods is pretty much 100% user error and nothing to do with the clubs. Until AI makes my swing more consistent, I’m doomed.
Hi Spencer, as a golfer this is an amazing post. I have been through the club fitting process many times now and it was only after years of experience that I was able to actually notice a difference with different clubs and settings. Those people you mentioned that carelessly drop $1200 on a set of irons they hit for 5 minutes in a simulator are getting robbed. Do you think golf clubs are overpriced? If so their margins must be unreal. Also, I will be replacing the phrase “its the Indian, not the arrow” with “it’s the wizard, not the wand” from now on.
Great post! I recently just started playing golf and usually just borrow my friends old set so interesting to hear how I might not have to buy a more expensive set after all. I think it’s pretty cool what Flashface is doing and would like to see how it evolves. I am gonna definitely be at the golf range a lot this summer, so hopefully I will be able to improve.
Amazing post ! I recently just started playing golf and usually just borrow my friends old set so interesting to hear how I might not have to buy a more expensive set after all. I think it’s pretty cool what Flashface is doing and would like to see how it evolves. I am gonna definitely be at the golf range a lot this summer, so hopefully I will be able to improve.