Why play with Hickory clubs?

One might ask why someone with today's range of modern and forgiving clubs wants to play golf with hickory-shanked clubs made before 1930? The answers are several, but some of us who play have a genuine historical interest, some in particular former competition players are looking for new challenges, some have grown tired of scoring, hole-out, ball-eting and tough four-balls, others on the material hysteria, where manufacturers want to suggest that game characteristics are included when buying new clubs. Training or playing strategically is not part of the concept and golf has also for many become a macho sport that is about hitting far, but not straight and certainly not on the fairway.

U.S. Champion Mike Stevens on Tee Kilspindie GC. Everyone's favorite, a wonderful true links.

A common denominator, however, is the community, many have lacked the genuine classic club feeling that they themselves grew up with. An ingredient that is unfortunately usually stripped away in modern clubs, where stressed people run up to the 1st tee, quickly greet, pat with the deLux megadriver, spread and then look for balls throughout the municipality and hysterically hole out. As quickly as they arrived, they leave the club with a kick-start.

In addition to looking for community and genuine club feeling, it is also more fun or rather much more fun to play with hickory-shanked clubs. When it comes to the game itself, the challenge lies, among other things, in playing with a few clubs in the bag (usually 6-8). You learn to shape battles. And just learning this is hysterically fun and incredibly evolving.

You therefore experiment and play much more to shape different strokes at each hole. You also learn to play strategically because it is difficult to get "bite", you aim more often in the middle of the green, than on pin. You also try when the mode is there, play between bunkers and use, for example, ondulations to avoid knocking over bunkers in particular, which are difficult to master, since a hickory-shanked club often lacks a wide sole with bounce.

Playing hickory golf is basically a lifestyle, based on old values with fast play, fair play, community, club feeling, and match play – to play, have fun and socialize for real.

Unless it is competition, we do not care about the "sacred" scorecard in Sweden, but instead we play exciting, fun and pleasurable golf in its original form, i.e. match play, preferably foursome. Nice company, match play and community – it means something.

Since hickory is a walnut wood and a less torsional material than today's graphite and steel shafts, you get the greatest precision when swinging softly and "waiting in" the club head. You swing the club head instead of hitting the ball.

Hickory shafts thus require calming down the swing and learning to master more types of strokes – with the same club.

When it comes to ball selection, hickory golf is played with soft low compression balls.

As you swing calmer and hit a little shorter, the obstacles also come into play in a different way and you usually play the older courses that they according to the architect were meant to be played.

It's about searching – and finding! The soul of the game. A lifestyle. Playing golf for real.

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