I've seen the ball selection/advice threads, but what about...

evilelf · August 23, 2016

asking what does ball performance tell me about my ball striking?

I have recently gone from someone hoping to play sub-85 golf, to someone playing golf in the lower 80's consistently and throwing up half my round in the 37-39 range. Part of this growth was finally listening to friend of mine who has been pleading with me over the last two season to start playing a better ball to stick more greens.

I made a big breakthrough this year when I started to play Nike 20xi spin or ProV1 balls. I was shocked at how often I repairing my ball marks within a foot or two of my ball's resting position.

So, I have tried playing the Q-star a lot as I love the way it feels off the driver but I noticed my ball releases quite a bit, a good 10 feet or even more depending on the green conditions. Each time I have played the NXT Tour S, I am amazed at how the ball spins and sticks for me.

Is there knowledge I should take away from my ball performance, or should I just focus on finding a ball I am happy with and leaving it at that? One thing I am scared of at times, is with a ProV1, it can check up too much unexpectedly on me on a firm low running chip.

The Pearl · August 23, 2016

If you are gun shy regarding too much spin on chips, which is a legit concern until you are super consistent with your short-game, the NXT Tour or an equivalent level ball that provides moderate spin between the tour ball and the distance ball is a solid choice. There is tons of info in the golf ball forum. Every ball company makes something that is 3 piece that may or may not have a urethane cover. Urethane gives you spin and usually a 3 piece ball spins more than a 2 piece ball.

In general, most balls within each class will act accordingly, but there may be some variation depending on your swing characteristics. Once you start scoring consistently in the low 80s you should be able to play anything and adjust accordingly.

tjumper78 · August 23, 2016

q star and nxt tour s should play pretty similar. the inner construction may be different but both are surlyn cover balls. one rolling out 10 feet or more and the other sticking to green should not really happen.

Need2golfalot · August 23, 2016

I say play with what you practice with. The Q Stars will run forever on firm greens. Not so much if greens are soft.

What club do you chip with? I'll use a 56 or 60 degree wedge if I want the ball to stop. Prefer to use 49 or 45 degree wedge to let the ball roll out like a putt when possible.

evilelf · August 24, 2016

q star and nxt tour s should play pretty similar. the inner construction may be different but both are surlyn cover balls. one rolling out 10 feet or more and the other sticking to green should not really happen.

This is what I am wondering about. My strikes could be that different, even when I feel they are pretty consistent at this point? Or are the conditions of the greens THAT different allowing this to happen? I guess I need to very aware of the green conditions when I play to be able to compare apples to oranges, or I could play each nine with a different ball.

ob18 · August 24, 2016

no matter how the greens are playing on whatever course I am play at the time, I stick with the same ball.......I'll adjust my swing or my potential landing zones as needed.

Golf64 · August 25, 2016

I play better with 2 piece soft balls for some reason?! Although, liking my 3 piece HX Bites right now. Still non-urethane. Plus, I don't like spending $60+/dz for pro balls here in the Great White North.

trapsmv15 · August 29, 2016

q star and nxt tour s should play pretty similar. the inner construction may be different but both are surlyn cover balls. one rolling out 10 feet or more and the other sticking to green should not really happen.

This. That's strange, unless the S is launching higher than the Q-Star and the extra height is doing it.

thomz0_ · August 29, 2016

q star and nxt tour s should play pretty similar. the inner construction may be different but both are surlyn cover balls. one rolling out 10 feet or more and the other sticking to green should not really happen.
This. That's strange, unless the S is launching higher than the Q-Star and the extra height is doing it.

He was saying they play the same. 2 piece surlyn pretty much all play the same. Most people don't realize this but the added spin from urethane helps keep the ball in the air for more carry. It's no coincidence my top 5 longest drives have all been from a pro v1 lol too bad they're so fragile

evilelf · August 29, 2016

I'll see how much the two balls stick as the greens soften up this fall. Right now, it seems the NXT's are spinning a lot more for me.

WidespreadPanic · August 29, 2016

I'm not quite sure I understand your question, but if a ball like the ProV1 is constantly checking up too short on pitches that you want to run out, then it is a technique issue that can be easily worked out with some practice.