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From Sticks and Stones
Frank Thomas' latest book
By ED TRAVIS
Frank Thomas' latest book
By ED TRAVIS
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Frank Thomas is not afraid to tell it like it is. His
approach has from time to time ruffled golf
establishment feathers and though Thomas could
not be characterized as vituperative in the least,
there is still a strong tendency among those whose
feathers are out of place to “shoot the messenger.”
He points out truths, inconvenient and otherwise,
citing evidence and labeling opinion for what it is. This
of course upsets people who have made the
decisions in question or who choose to not
acknowledge there even is a problem, a list that
includes people in the club manufacturing business,
golf course design and operations and at the rules
making level.
His golf career is varied and interesting and includes
his work with club manufacturers (and invention of the
graphite shaft) prior to moving on to serve as
Technical Director of the United States Golf
Association. Since leaving the USGA he has written
and spoken extensively about the state of the game
with the goal of informing golfers about the good, the
bad and the ugly.
Thomas’ latest book, written with Valerie Melvin his
partner in the consulting company Frankly Golf, is
entitled “From Sticks and Stones – The evolution of
golf equipment rules.”
approach has from time to time ruffled golf
establishment feathers and though Thomas could
not be characterized as vituperative in the least,
there is still a strong tendency among those whose
feathers are out of place to “shoot the messenger.”
He points out truths, inconvenient and otherwise,
citing evidence and labeling opinion for what it is. This
of course upsets people who have made the
decisions in question or who choose to not
acknowledge there even is a problem, a list that
includes people in the club manufacturing business,
golf course design and operations and at the rules
making level.
His golf career is varied and interesting and includes
his work with club manufacturers (and invention of the
graphite shaft) prior to moving on to serve as
Technical Director of the United States Golf
Association. Since leaving the USGA he has written
and spoken extensively about the state of the game
with the goal of informing golfers about the good, the
bad and the ugly.
Thomas’ latest book, written with Valerie Melvin his
partner in the consulting company Frankly Golf, is
entitled “From Sticks and Stones – The evolution of
golf equipment rules.”
"From Sticks and Stones" co-authors Frank Thomas and Valerie
Melvin in the offices of Frankly Golf.
Melvin in the offices of Frankly Golf.
It offers his unique perspective on how the Rules of
Golf came about, interesting both as a history and
because it effects how we play the game today.
All golfers will enjoy “From Sticks and Stones” but
most will likely get a little upset finding out how rules
come about and sometimes changed, often after the
application of what could only be call foggy-headed
thinking. A good example are the recent limitations
placed on the grooves of irons with more than 25
degrees of loft in an effort to curb the length of drives
by elite players such as those on the PGA Tour.
Golf came about, interesting both as a history and
because it effects how we play the game today.
All golfers will enjoy “From Sticks and Stones” but
most will likely get a little upset finding out how rules
come about and sometimes changed, often after the
application of what could only be call foggy-headed
thinking. A good example are the recent limitations
placed on the grooves of irons with more than 25
degrees of loft in an effort to curb the length of drives
by elite players such as those on the PGA Tour.
(The background behind these groove rules changes
is almost comical. The USGA missed the boat to be
able to control driving distance sometime ago
primarily out of fear of a legal action by club and ball
companies. The effect of the new grooves has been to
create two sets of rules which the Associations policy
says they are opposed to doing.)
Thomas points out the groove revisions haven’t hurt
Tour players. They are good enough to compensate
with their technique and by using different equipment
such as a softer covered ball. The average player
however has seen been “penalized” by the groove roll-
back because it is more difficult to stop a ball on the
green from medium length rough with the new
grooves.
Put another way the USGA made a rule to penalize the
elite of the elite to control a situation their actions were
a primary cause of and wound up making the game
more difficult for the other 99.99%.
This isn’t the only example in Thomas’ book of how
the process sometimes gets out of sync with how golf
is played by the millions not on the PGA Tour. So, if
you play golf this is a good, lively read and well worth it
if you love our game.
“From Sticks and Stones” by Frank Thomas and
Valerie Melvin, 228 pages, $24.95, available on
FranklyGolf.com
is almost comical. The USGA missed the boat to be
able to control driving distance sometime ago
primarily out of fear of a legal action by club and ball
companies. The effect of the new grooves has been to
create two sets of rules which the Associations policy
says they are opposed to doing.)
Thomas points out the groove revisions haven’t hurt
Tour players. They are good enough to compensate
with their technique and by using different equipment
such as a softer covered ball. The average player
however has seen been “penalized” by the groove roll-
back because it is more difficult to stop a ball on the
green from medium length rough with the new
grooves.
Put another way the USGA made a rule to penalize the
elite of the elite to control a situation their actions were
a primary cause of and wound up making the game
more difficult for the other 99.99%.
This isn’t the only example in Thomas’ book of how
the process sometimes gets out of sync with how golf
is played by the millions not on the PGA Tour. So, if
you play golf this is a good, lively read and well worth it
if you love our game.
“From Sticks and Stones” by Frank Thomas and
Valerie Melvin, 228 pages, $24.95, available on
FranklyGolf.com