>> "Blades" bear some comparison with pole vaulting poles -
>> where the change from stiff poles to glass transformed 
>> the
>> records.

> It is interesting the way that technology interacts with 
> training.
> Having been a gymnast, I notice it most in gymnastics, of 
> course.
> Things that used to be hard, stiff, and wildly variable 
> are now
> very consistent, padded, and spring-loaded.  Some of that 
> has enabled
> new feats, and other bits have cut down on injuries as the 
> new feats
> became common anyway.

Gold avoids this "hazard".
You can introduce almost anything you wish.
BUT, if it is found to significantly improve scores it is 
banned. The object is to keep the scoring on given holes the 
same regardless of technology. Certain golf ball innovations 
have been genuine improvements, and have been in due course 
banned. Similarly the between the legs symmetrical swinging 
putter, favoured by one top professional at one stage, was 
found to convey a genuine advantage and was also banned.

Some will want to stop about here :-):
A similar effect occurs in modern (and also not so modern) 
science, except, if you can manage an end run around the 
rules system and achieve a bull run you win and get to 
propose the next set of rules. These may then, in turn, be 
bent as much as possible and quite a bit more to try to stop 
the next challengers gazumping you. Even when faced with 
manifest defeat of the old rule system skilful protagonists 
can sometimes hold out for decades by subtly accommodating 
the new as a temporary aberration which will pass in a 
decade or two. By the time the emperor is found to truly 
have no clothes the old guard are mostly dead and beyond 
caring.



        Russell 

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