So, I hit a balata for the first time today....

I was at the range this afternoon, and in the sea of Srixon rocks, I noticed an older looking ball. I picked it up and it was a Titleist Tour 100 Balata. It was in pretty rough shape, the cover had a brownish tint to it, and the dimples were nearly all smoothed over, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that there were no cuts in it. I tossed it back on the ground, and luckily got a pretty good swing on it with my 5i.

My God. I had heard the term "feels like hitting a marshmallow" plenty of times before, but I never really understood it until today. It was like nothing was there, like I had just made a practice swing. It was about ten or fifteen yards shorter than my average strike, but I chalked it up to the fact that the ball had next to no dimples left. I have to say, it was a strangely satisfying feel, swinging away and feeling nothing, and then looking up and seeing the ball soar through the air.

I got in to the game well after the balata had been dead and buried, so I'm glad that I got a chance to hit one. I've hit nearly all of the "soft" balls on the market today (Staff Duo, Supersoft, etc.), and they aren't even in the same universe.

Is there anything on the market that can compare? Was my experience today typical of what balatas felt like in the past?

I love the new Chrome soft, amazing ball!! Give it a try. Find a sweet Persimmon driver too, you kids have no idea what you missed Balata and real woods you needed to hit on the screws.LOL

Ahhhhhhhhhh the memories!

I just finished my last dozen of Titleist 100 Professionals. I may have two left for the par three course. Three Holes in One with balata balls.

I'm surprised it felt soft! 100 tour balata should be a ton firmer feeling than almost anything out there today, pinnacle golds included!

Find a sweet Persimmon driver too, you kids have no idea what you missed Balata and real woods you needed to hit on the screws.

Nothing beats the sensation of balata hit pure with a persimmon driver.

I'm surprised it felt soft! 100 tour balata should be a ton firmer feeling than almost anything out there today, pinnacle golds included!

nah...all of them were wayy softer than anything today...maybe the softest wilson ball..maybe... not sure how they measure compression now and then..but any of the balata i grew up with were marshmallow soft... like hitting a rubber bouncy ball from the kids vending machine... i find one here and there at home in my feild ( been hitting balls here for years) and they are still soft..burried for 15 years plus at times... i have to stop myself from practicing with them with a wedge... it literally makes me homesick

Never a better feeling (well, in golf) than a pure shot with a balata ball. Unfortunately, overall, a crappy ball. Zero durability, frequently came or went out of round, who today carries a roundness gauge? But you could do anything you wanted around the green, particularly with the square groove Pings. We have a lot of wind, and it was not uncommon the back one completely off the green into the wind.

I'm surprised it felt soft! 100 tour balata should be a ton firmer feeling than almost anything out there today, pinnacle golds included!

Ummmm no...that's all I have

I miss persimmon and Maxfli liquid filled balata HT's !!!!

I've just gone back 25 years in my mental time machine

The feel, the ability to work the ball, the low riser shot, the happy smiles when shots are bladed, the 30 feet of backspin on full bore wedges, etc etc

The HTs were great balls, but I think the softest and spinniest I recall was the Royal Maxfli, esp the 90 compression (red font/dot).

Balata balls were pure butter... Even the 100's... Problem was they lasted three to 6 holes. Pure a full wedge shot... Look close at the wedge at you would see little white shards in the grooves. I think I may still have a few in the basement lol

I used to buy balata's used AAAA condition because I would go through 2-3 per round while never losing one. Like the OP - a well-struck iron felt like a practice swing. They are the reason the term "smile" is appropriate when describing a golf ball. Most younger players today have no idea what it means.

It's hard to get a feel for balata from those balls that have survived to 2016. The wound construction and cover were prone to aging even when fairly new. In those days you had a real trade-off in choosing a ball. You gave up distance for spin when you picked balata. Now you get both in one ball.

The ball would sizzle of the face of irons with low trajectory with what would these days be called excessive spin. Durability was an issue, but the balls would last a round with v-grooves. Box grooves just shredded them.

Nothing was softer or cut as easily as Maxfli HT Balatas.

I actually enjoyed the Wilson 500 Balata and Top Flite Z-balatas. Some of the first solid balls with the soft covers. Predecessors to the urethane covered Strata and ProV1

I remember playing stratas back in the day but I was also like 14 and had no money, I remember the titleist professional balls but too expensive for me to buy back then. Strata was very soft and spinny.

I found these last weekend. I don't think I'm going to use any of them, though.

^what an awesome find man. I would absolutely LOVE to have a dozen Titleist Tour Balata 100's. I'm young(ish), 29, but I remember hitting some of my dads Titleist balata balls when I was growing up. I treated them like gold. I also remember him getting mad when he hit one thin because the ball was pretty much toast.

Balata balls were pure butter... Even the 100's... Problem was they lasted three to 6 holes. Pure a full wedge shot... Look close at the wedge at you would see little white shards in the grooves. I think I may still have a few in the basement lol

I have 2 shag bags full of balata balls....when I go out to practice, I love hitting them with 8-iron down thru the wedges. I don't need to gauge distance with them, only get feedback on contact and flight.

What is a good price for a dozen tour 100 balatas? There are some for sale near me.

Wow, no one has mentioned how they felt off of the putter. Talk about soft. Balatas were awesome on the greens.

I used to play professional 90's ... What an awesome ball.

The balata's were nice, but I cut them up too much :(

In my area, guys would find the most perfect ball in a dozen, and that would become their "putting ball". Completely against the rules, but so widely done that it was accepted even in tournament play. The young members here who have no experience with balata really have no idea of how easy they were to ruin. I've seen many, many ruined by hitting a cart path, a tree, and a bad mishit could literally cut them down to the windings. They did feel good and sound good off a wooden club or an old school forging.

What is a good price for a dozen tour 100 balatas? There are some for sale near me.

not sure of the price, but I figure they stopped being made in the early 2000's. Maybe the sleeve has a trademark *c date on it.

I'd probably go .50-.75 a ball. Go get em'!

used to love hitting wedge shot and then having to brush the white "hair" off the ball... Wedges would get that while cover in the grooves, but man would they spin! I loved the strata and tour 90.

Nothing was softer or cut as easily as Maxfli HT Balatas.

 

I actually enjoyed the Wilson 500 Balata and Top Flite Z-balatas. Some of the first solid balls with the soft covers. Predecessors to the urethane covered Strata and ProV1

I remember the course I grew up on had Top-Flite Z-balatas for range balls. I played almost exclusively the Maxfli HT Balata ball.

Then the Greg Norman Tour Edition something or other came out. They actually held up better than the HT, and spun like a top. They were awesome.

I am lucky enough to have quite a few holes in one. All came during the balata hey day. 3 with the HT balata, 2 with Tour Editions, and one with a Professional.

We used the Titleist Tour Balata in college, just as the Professional was making it obsolete. The Maxfli A10, now that was a marshmallow!!!

We used the Titleist Tour Balata in college, just as the Professional was making it obsolete. That dozen brings back memories... The Maxfli A10, now that was a marshmallow!!!

Those are all soft, but I never, ever found a ball softer than the Rextar. If I remember correctly, it was graphite windings and balata covered. If you caught it just a little high on the driver, it would cut!

I remember the Rextar... Very very soft indeed. I remember those "smiley faces" we'd put on balls back then too..

In my area, guys would find the most perfect ball in a dozen, and that would become their "putting ball". Completely against the rules, but so widely done that it was accepted even in tournament play. The young members here who have no experience with balata really have no idea of how easy they were to ruin. I've seen many, many ruined by hitting a cart path, a tree, and a bad mishit could literally cut them down to the windings. They did feel good and sound good off a wooden club or an old school forging.

Nothing was worse than getting an impression on a balata that looked like someone tried to cut an orange with a butter knife.