How Gear Changed the Game

Pole Vault - Fiberglass & World Record Pace

How a new material shook up pole vaulting at unprecedented pace, and changed the sport into what it is today. As of August 2024, the world record height is 20ft 6in. It took 40 years for that record to grow by a foot (19ft 5 3/4"in record set in 1984). But from 1960-1963 the world record also grew by a foot. Why did the record grow so high so fast during that time? You gotta hear why! We cover it all on this episode. Get ready to learn more about the science of pole vaulting and how an alteration of gear really changed the game.

Quartz Bunkers at The Masters

What do golf and microchips fueling the AI revolution have in common? The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club….well ok their common ground is a place even more unique than Augusta.   This episode talks about sand that is more than just sand. That pure white sand is mostly quartz and comes from a mine that produces the purest quartz in the world. So pure that microchip makers can’t produce their products without what comes from this mine in Spruce Pine, NC. Hear about why Augusta National switched to this special sand. The hiccups in implementing it. The science of purity. And how this sand behaves differently and changes the way players play when hitting out of the bunkers at Augusta National. A ton of interesting facts and stories are revealed in this episode and is the perfect bit of new information to keep in mind while you watch The Masters.

Tom Dempsey's Boot

The boot of Tom Dempsey changed football. In more than one way. Hear how a boot and a big boy named Tom changed the record books, the rulebooks, and the playbooks of the NFL in this episode of How Gear Changed the Game. You can find this boot in the pro football hall of fame and boy is it a sight to behold. Imagine if a golf driver was made of plastic and lace and then put into a microwave for a minute. Following in the footsteps of Ben Agajanian, another toeless kicker who championed the specialty kicker position, Dempsey entered the league in 1968. He was born without toes but was always encouraged to play sports, and loved football. Not just kicking! His large frame made tackling a thing of joy for Tom. But he could crush the football. That’s what gained him the nickname “Tom the Bomb”. His strange boot shape got him a little bit of attention, but he caught the spotlight of the entire NFL when his record-breaking field goal helped the New Orleans Saints beat the Detroit Lions. Then came the controversy….and a whole lot of changes. Download and subscribe now!

Bootin’ Ben’s Special Boot

Kicking would be NOTHING like it is today without this special shoe made for a mutilated foot. Ben Agajanian made kicking a specialized role instead of it being an extra duty for players who had other things to do. Thus he completely reimagined how kicking was utilized in football. By the 1960s, thanks to Bootin’ Ben, kicking was no longer a hardly-used afterthought. Ben didn’t stop there. As a coach he mastered the introduction of soccer-style kickers, developed protocol for the line of scrimmage, the way the ball is snapped, the way it’s held, and the exact timing it all takes. He’s also the reason the quote “LACES OUT!” is synonymous with kickers. There’s a lot more to kicking than you realize. And today, kickers are just expected to be great! That’s because of all of the perfection applied to the position over the years. It all started with Ben Agajanian. BUT HERE’S THE BIG THING: he lost his toes in a work accident, and it should’ve ended his career! Luckily he had a special shoe made just for his mangled foot, and it powered him into a position to change football forever.

Belly Putters

Placebo Effect or True Unfair Advantage? Belly putters met their official demise in 2016 with the rollout of USGA Rule 14.1b (now rule 10.1b). The putters themselves aren’t banned but the way they’re used, anchoring, is. And rule changes aren’t the only effect belly putters have had in the game of golf. From the PGA TOUR, to the Senior PGA, to the amateur ranks, it has left a ripple effect throughout the game. This is a very complicated story. As we explore the effect on belly putters on the game of golf as a whole, it brings up this big question: what kind of effect did the belly putter have on its users anyway. The stats are inconclusive. And if you ask those who’ve used it what it helped the most, the might tell you that it mostly helped the yips. So were the benefits physical or were they all in your mind. This story spans decades. Involves hall of famers, and genius scientists who was simultaneously innovating golf while making space travel a reality. Belly putters have a much more complex story than you realize, and we learn all about it on this episode.