As time has progressed and technology has improved, golf clubs have followed suit to offer the players using them the best advantages possible on the golf course. From humble pieces of wood carved in the shape of a stick with a head, to the most technologically advanced clubs ever invented, virtually every aspect of the golf club technology has been altered to offer advantages in swing speed, durability, power, forgiveness, and so much more.

Today, one technology in particular is changing the way we all act and work on a daily basis - artificial intelligence (AI). In a nutshell, AI refers to technology that allows computers to mimic the thought processes of people in their decision-making or to analyse sets of data to “learn” new information and apply it for the betterment of a product, project, or company.

It might sound like something out of a Sci-Fi movie, but today, there’s barely a golf club brand that isn’t using AI in some form or another to produce the best possible golf clubs. It's being used across the board, too, to produce virtually every type of club - from golf drivers and fairway woods to game improvement irons and even putters. 

It doesn't matter what level of the golf game you play, either. AI clubs are being used to help everyone improve - from beginner golfers and mid handicap golfers, all the way through to professional golfers and tour legends, like Tiger Woods.

With this in mind, here’s how some of your favourite golf brands are using AI to their advantage.

Which golf club brands use artificial intelligence in their club designs?

Callaway

Callaway golf clubs have always been considered the cream of the crop. But now that the golf brand has introduced AI technology into its manufacturing processes, players everywhere stand to reap the benefits, with multiple clubs utilising the tech.

The Callaway Paradigm Ai Smoke Collection is a great example. Crafted using real-life player data and AI analysis techniques, Callaway has created a whole new line of golf clubs and an AI Smart Face using information from:

• 250,000 unique golfer swings
• 1,004,000 data points forged from machine learning
• 80,000 lines of custom code
• 50,000 tested face simulations

By monitoring precisely where on the clubface players catch golf balls, and gathering and contrasting the results of each shot, Callaway has been able to produce a new family of clubs - each of which offers different advantages in different areas of the game, giving players of all types and experience levels something to enjoy.

Cobra

Cobra is another fine example of a company injecting their clubs with AI-powered tech, with numerous Cobra golf clubs featuring AI enhancements of some sort in recent years.

Appropriately naming the new innovation H.O.T (Highly Optimised Topology) Face, Cobra has onboarded:

• artificial intelligence 
• Machine learning 
• CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machining 

to produce clubfaces that feature varying levels of thickness across the face, to maximise ball speed and the “sweetness” of impact with the golf ball. This technology is present in numerous recent releases from Cobra, including the highly-touted Cobra Darkspeed X Golf Driver.

Once again, much like Callaway, Cobra used analyses from thousands of players and swings to craft a clubface that offered the advantages players need, based on the viewed data. Without AI and machine learning, such data may have taken years to fathom, but the technology has allowed Cobra and other brands to boil it down to the essential information, so they can make educated decisions in the crafting of their clubs.

But these are just two examples of club brands that are using AI technology and similar to their full advantage. Most major club brands are dipping their toes into the new revelation in some way, in an attempt to offer the best clubs possible and to stay ahead of the competition.

Though, given the rate at which AI technology is improving, and how often golf club brands seek to change up their offerings, expect to see even more AI-enhanced clubs dominate the market in the years to come - especially if they offer players the benefits they claim.

How can AI improve player performance?

Beyond golf clubs, artificial intelligence technology can also be used in player analyses, to help identify traits in less-than-stellar swings that need to be altered, to offer the most effective swings possible.

High-speed and high-resolution cameras hooked up to AI-powered programs can analyse a player’s swing to a crazily specific degree and pick up on minute alterations that would make a huge difference in the way the ball is struck and the way the ball travels. 

Add to this the fact that many of the same programs can also analyse such factors as ball flight, bounce, and spin, and we may be looking at the future of athlete progression across not just golf but all sports in the coming months and years.

Pick up the best golf clubs built using AI at Clarkes Golf

Want to get on board the AI bandwagon and see what all the fuss is about? 

At Clarkes Golf, we’re home to a massive range of golf clubs, golf equipment, accessories, and more, from the world’s best golf club brands. This includes all of the above, so you can try AI-created clubs for yourself and replace your outdated set in no time. 

We also stock clubs from all other major brands, including Taylormade golf clubs, Ping golf clubs, Cleveland golf clubs, Mizuno golf clubs, and many more. So we'll always have something from the best golf club brand for you.

Take a look at our collection of golf clubs from the best golf brands here, or get in touch with the Clarkes team if you need a hand in making a decision - we’re always happy to help!