BURLINGTON

Problems of Choosing the Right Golf Club

By Madison Hawley
  Everyone understands the basic concept of golf: to hit a little ball with a stick into a hole in the least amount of hits possible. However, golf is often sidelined as a sport. For those wanting a more in-depth look, here is a breakdown of the clubs a golfer keeps in their bag.
   Clubs are made of three parts: the head, the shaft, and the grip. A golfer’s club bag is filled with woods, hybrids, irons, wedges, and putters. All of these clubs have different designs that affect that ball in different ways. 
   The first are woods. These clubs are used typically at the beginning of a hole and bolster really long drives. Sophomore Golfer Ty Stephens’ favorite club is a wood—the “driver, [be]cause I can go all smack daddy on the thing.” He explains that the driver can make the ball travel the most distance because of its low loft and the power one can put behind the head of the club. 
    Irons are used closer to the hole. They are characterized by high loft and short distance. The higher the number on the club the higher the loft and the shorter the ball will fly. Wedges are specialized irons with very high loft.
  Hybrids are a mix between woods and irons. They are easier to hit than a one iron, which makes them the preferred club style to a low iron or a high wood. They have the head design of a wood and the shaft length of an iron, giving it long distance and mid loft. 
   Lastly, putters are used on the green to tap the ball into the hole. They keep the ball firmly on the ground, with no loft at all. All in all, choosing the right club can seem daunting, but with this breakdown, hopefully one can understand the intricacy of golf a bit more.  

The Downsides of Having Turf Feids

By Madison Hawley
  Because the school will be having brand new turf fields for this upcoming baseball and softball season, the school is taking precautions to ensure that the fields will stay nice for many seasons to come. This includes not allowing athletes to wear metal cleats. How will this effect the students, and what is the purpose behind the decision?
   The differences between metal cleats and plastic ones are apparent. Plastic cleats are often much less expensive and normally have a longer lifespan. Their downside, though, is that they do not offer as much traction. 
   Metal cleats are designed to cut into the grass or turf, giving excellent grip to athletes. This can help a baseball player plant their feet when at bat, accelerate off a base faster and change directions quickly. Because they have such intense grip, though, metal cleats are less forgiving on joints and are more prone to causing injury than their plastic counterparts. 
   Because the metal cleats dig into the ground, they would cause damage to the field. Because of this, administration has made the decision to not allow metal cleats on the field. This goes for both baseball and softball and includes visiting teams. 
   This change has caused a bit of headache among the players. Senior Hayden Sides explains, “In my opinion, metal cleats are just so much more comfortable and look better.” Hayden, along with most of his teammates, are having to forgo their preferred metal cleats. 
   Burlington is the only field in our league that has this rule, forcing others in the league to adhere to it as well. Teams who visit Burlington fields will have a few options: wear tennis shoes, shoes specifically made for turf, or plastic cleats. It is a bit of a hassle, but it is important to keep the field in good condition.