Does the ball really matter?

I played today and found a Top Flite Gamer on the edge of the fairway and decided to try it out in comparison to my B330S.

With my irons I have a very high ball flight and usually can stop most balls hit onto the greens. The greens today were a wee bit soft but not too much. It was another round of hit it ugly and score good, but that's another story. The quality of my contact with the ball seemed to be more important for scoring on the holes than either of the two balls I was playing. Granted the Gamer would release 2-5 feet more than the B330S but not enough to make a huge difference.

Actually on a couple of approach shots I hit both balls (played as a single today) and trying to compare the two was difficult because the contact I put on the ball wasn't consistent and I'm a 4 handicap. Some of the best shots I hit today, all three of them, where with the Gamer.

I know that when the greens get dried out in the middle of the summer that ball choice does make a difference but then again a high ball flight makes me wonder if the ball is all that critical. I put with an older Ping Pal 2 BeCu and both balls don't feel all that much different off that putter face although you can tell which ball you are playing with.

One of my older golfing buddies plays with the balls he finds and the course ranger find on the course. Many are ProV1's but many aren't. I was talking to him about his golfing season, we both kind of shut it down in November due to cold windy weather and snow, and he told me that he had 16 rounds under par this past season playing with an assortment of balls. Granted he is solid all the way through his game.

I know it makes some difference on the ball you tee up but.................................................

The only thing that I've really noticed on balls is compression (I hate a clicky feeling golf ball) and cover (I need a urethane cover). Other than that, it doesn't really matter which ball to me. I need something that I can spin with wedges as I like to play a low pitch into the green and have it hop and stop or if I want I can go with a hop, check, release. But I've found I can't do that with surlyn and ionomer covers. I'm going to be testing out the Bridgestone E5 this weekend to see how it fairs as I haven't played it in a couple years. Would be nice to have a cheaper urethane ball.

i personally have shot my two best rounds ( both even par) with balls such as the noodle and this year with the Wilson duo... I may be wrong in my thinking but if you already hit the ball crooked.. why would you want a ball that spins more ? wont that increase the crookedness ? best advice is to do what you are doing.. test bealls side by side....

As a high HCP (18) golfer I believe the ball can make a difference, but of course the swing is the most important factor. I have tried tour balls such as the ProV1x and Lethal and they are a bit too unforgiving for slight mis-hits off the tee resulting in balls sliced or hooked into deep rough or a hazard. I play a lower spin urethene covered ball that works well for my SS (@90) and often eratic play. I believe I save a couple of strokes by avoiding balls that I tend to get in trouble with but have a urethene cover to help keep me on the green. I also agree that the best way to select a ball is to experiment with balls since there is no exact formula.

[url="http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/user/291709-riehlg/"][color="#353535"]riehlg[/color][/url] - I have played the Top-Flite Gamer Tour and Maxfli U/3 which are both 3 piece urethene covered balls at a reasonable price. The only problem is they are Dick's Sporting Goods products and only sold by DSG and Golf Galaxy (owned by DSG) so you either have to be near one of their stores or order on-line. I played the U/3 most of 2014 which is easy for me working near both stores.

I would think it's difficult to judge the difference in balls without consistent contact. I picked up a noodle on the course earlier in the week and hit it really well but made good contact with it. That being said I have noticed certain balls that seem to die quickly on well struck 3 wood shots off the tee and probably has to do with my swing speed and the type of ball not matching up. Unfortunately I don't know enough about the types of balls yet to know what's what. I have a bag full of assorted balls and will probably just pick up some more of the Noodle+ until swing speed and contact consistency improve.

I didn't realize the Gamer was a urethane ball. I used to work right near a DSG store but I recently switched jobs and now instead of driving 72 miles one way it's only 30! The closest DSG is about 30 min from me and GG is about an hour and 15 min. I usually grab my golf balls from Lost Golf Balls and am currently playing some TM Lethals that I snagged 50 for 45 bucks. Tough deal to beat there.

The only downside of LGB is that you get blasted on shipping if you don't have $100 bucks in the order. Usually I solve that though by having my brother order something as well as a couple other friends who will chip in to get some cheaper balls.

To me balls make a huge difference. A ball that rolls out over my existing ball can mean the difference between a makeable putt to a two putt strategy or even getting up and down.

I have to say this is personal preference. Lots of factors you have to ask yourself and see what is important to you. I do believe balls can make a difference more in a mental sense. Is cost more important? Distance more important? Sticking approach shots on the green more important? etc etc

For me the ball is important for my confidence. Living in CO, our greens tend to dry out (this year we had enough rain it kept things wet) so they become glass. So stopping my approach shots on the green became very important to me. There is nothing worse seeing your ball mark near the pin but your ball is in the rough on the back edge of the green.

When I am playing a round, I play tour balls (Nike RZN Black) but when I am out twilighting it, playing 2-3-4 balls to practice shots, I use whatever balls I have found throughout the season. I think they all have purposes.

I don't think it makes that much of a difference but since 95% of golf is mental I think knowing and being confident in your ball goes a long way in that sense. So if you're comfortable with a two piece suryln ball go with that ball or a 5 piece urethane go with the one you think you'll play the best with .

I find the ball matters to the extent that you like how it feels and that it performs the way that works for your game. Might be high spin, more distance, etc but the key is for it to do what you want it to do.

To me the ball makes a huge difference. If I'm teeing up an expensive, brand new Pro V1 the chances of hooking it OB and losing it are dramatically increased. If I'm teeing up a beat up old Maxfl Noodle the odds of hooking it OB are much lower.

[quote name='riehlg' timestamp='1414765506' post='10378165']
I didn't realize the Gamer was a urethane ball. I used to work right near a DSG store but I recently switched jobs and now instead of driving 72 miles one way it's only 30! The closest DSG is about 30 min from me and GG is about an hour and 15 min. I usually grab my golf balls from Lost Golf Balls and am currently playing some TM Lethals that I snagged 50 for 45 bucks. Tough deal to beat there.

The only downside of LGB is that you get blasted on shipping if you don't have $100 bucks in the order. Usually I solve that though by having my brother order something as well as a couple other friends who will chip in to get some cheaper balls.
[/quote]

Just to clarify - the Gamer Tour is urethene.

[quote name='kiwihacker' timestamp='1414772872' post='10378783']To me the ball makes a huge difference. If I'm teeing up an expensive, brand new Pro V1 the chances of hooking it OB and losing it are dramatically increased. If I'm teeing up a beat up old Maxfl Noodle the odds of hooking it OB are much lower.[/quote]

Lmao - I have the same exact tendency

With today's quality and consistent ball lineups from many brands, I think being comfortable and confident with the balls performance, and liking the feel are the main things that should matter to the average amateur golfer.

I shot even par or better 5 times in 2014, each time with a different ball. TM TP, X2Hot+, XV, V1x, and a NXT Tour. I just don't see a ton of difference in performance save for greenside spin. We had a wet cool summer with soft greens mostly so I played some Surlyn balls and got along great with them.

I've played a tour ball for a long time. I used to hit low checking wedges and shorter pitches and if you hit those I think you need that kind of ball. I am going more toward using loft instead of spin on pitches so it makes less difference these days. Since I am older, eventually I will need to think of balls that get me more distance and adapt my short game to that ball.

It does make a difference to me, especially on the green. The urethane balls tend to check up much better than surlyn balls for my game.

Dimple patterns, ball construction, materials, reaction to slower/faster swing speeds, and sensitivity to temperatures all make golf balls behave differently for different types of shots. Performance of the ball is central to the game.

I played a round earlier this summer with some E7's that I forgot that I had. It was one of those days when I really didn't care about the score but was feeling adventuresome and decided to load up the bag with the E7's. I do hit my irons high and that worked on the greens and the balls were great off the tee. However on the short chips and putts I did notice a difference in spin and runout.

I did what most of you lads would do in a situation like that. I adjusted my putting and approach shots after goofing up a couple and after about 4-5 holes we were off together. Distances off the tee were longer as I mentioned and with shorter approach shots I was able to come into the green with more height. At the end of the round the score was right in there with some of my other rounds with the B330S and the B330. Now granted if I could have eliminated the "learning curve" on the first few holes my score would have been outstanding.

Many would say...."Why adjust your game?" just play the ball that you normally do? Good question but with some of the negatives of the harder ball come some positives of lower spin and longer distances and shorter approaches. I just found the "experiment" interesting.

The most important part of a golf ball is consistency. I've found you need to pick a ball and just play that one. You need to know how it reacts on all shots so you know how to play the ball. Too many of us just bounce around between balls and never stick with anything. I do this too...in my garage sit probably 10 different balls, about 2-3 dozen of each. I've just recently decided to make myself play a ball for 10 rounds before changing.

I would say the ball matter up to a point. On soft greens, most balls will stop without too much roll. If you have a 20 ft chip over a bunker to a tight pin, then a high spin ball is necessary to get it close. On drives, an e6 will fly a bit straighter than a Zstar if you have inconsistent accuracy issues. Also, if you hit irons too low, a ball that flies higher will stop on greens better.
But all of the differences are only moderate. For example if you have a 50 yard slice a different ball won't help much.

I've played the top flight gamer the past 3-4 rounds and have no complaints about its performance. I hit the ball high so spin is really not necessary for holding greens.

As soon as I run out of the rest of them, I'll probably try the gamer soft to see if there's any noticeable difference. I've tried all the tour balls and can't justify playing something that expensive when there's little affect on my score.

It's all about preference. I will play some kinds of non tour balls, but clicky covers annoy me.

I use a pro V1 I have a 90 mph club head speed but i play on greens that don't hold and are small I may not get as much out of the Pro V1 as some but it does stop for me. If anyone knows a ball that checks up like a Pro V 1 but is better for a slow swing speed please let me know.

I've played many good rounds using multiple kinds of balls but recently purchased large amounts of both pro v1's and callaway supersofts. I prefer the pro v1's for holes with tight greens where spin can mean the difference between reaching a tight pin location or knocking it in a back bunker or hazard. The supersofts are best for holes with tight fairways where you have to keep your tee shots straight.

The most important thing I've noticed is that I've played my best rounds ever over the last couple months. I can attribute some of that to the fact that using the same ball over and over aids in consistency. I know exactly how both balls perform under any given circumstance and that knowledge has helped shave strokes.

If you wonder if the ball matters, just ask yourself one question:

"What is the one piece of equipment that is used on every shot in golf?"

Answer:

the [size=5][b]ball[/b][/size]

Absolutely they make a difference - When they fit your game, AND when they don't.

I think a ball can be a great asset or the biggest mistake in someone's game. If you get the right ball, it will compliment your game. If you choose the wrong ball, for whatever reason, you can cause yourself stress. If you hit a lot of balls offline, the last thing you probably need is a really high spinning ball. If you play a lot of really soft courses there isn't much need for a ton of spin but you might want longer distances. If you play on "concrete" courses, you probably want something that flies higher and spins more.

Yes, the ball makes a difference! And no, up to a certain degree it does not matter too much!

With increased SS the properties of the ball begin to take effect gradually and progressively and the differences in ball design show up in form of differences in spin, not that much for distance.

For lower / average SS there might be a difference among balls in the amount of spin with short irons and wedge as higher lofted clubs do generate more spin. Not much though.

BUT: despite ads tell us the contrary the difference among balls is minor these days and all the balls are close to each other in their potential for ball speed that there really is not much measurable or visible difference.
Personally I think there are just two crucial questions when selecting a ball:[list]
[*]Q1: Do I prefer a harder or a softer ball?
[*]Q2: Do I want (or need) a ball that spins more or less?
[/list]
Q1 is related to hardness: mainly a feel thing. Which ball feels best?
Q2 is related to spin: mainly given by the compression -> 2-piece or 3-or-more-piecce?

A simplified portfolio might look like the one below here. As long as one plays a ball within the matching quadrant it doesn't really matter which ball in the quadrant one is playing.

So does the ball really matter? Yes and no: At the end of the day I think that for most golfers I think the really most important factor is feel: one shall play the ball that offers GREAT AND DECENT FEEL on different shots.

Depends on the person. If you think it makes a difference it will. If you think you can play whatever comes out of your bag and it won't make any difference, it won't. I really think it is that simple.

The ball only matters to me when I'm putting..

The solution is to try to use the same brand / model during 18 holes.

I used a Slazenger Raw Distance for 17 holes once..
On the last hole, I decided to use the Pro V1 in my bag..
Got to the green and putted. The putt was short!
The same putt with the Slazenger would've been in the hole.

Needless to say, I don't switch up anymore.