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Trialing golf balls at the range - dumb idea?


Bruiser419

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So I'm looking to try out a couple new balls, but I can't really try them on the course since I'm actually trying to play. I thought about trying them at the range, but that seems expensive since you can only hit each ball once and then it's gone forever, so at best you can hit 12-15 and hopefully you hit them well enough to get an idea.

Is this a dumb idea? Does anyone else do this? I'm at a loss to think of any other ways.

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Go to an indoor golf studio or range. Another option is to go to a golf store like PGATSS or Golf Galaxy (Dick’s) and use their indoor nets.

 

Basically a place where your balls come back to you and can give you launch monitor info. Anything else is pretty silly.

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> @Bruiser419 said:

> So I'm looking to try out a couple new balls, but I can't really try them on the course since I'm actually trying to play. I thought about trying them at the range, but that seems expensive since you can only hit each ball once and then it's gone forever, so at best you can hit 12-15 and hopefully you hit them well enough to get an idea.

> Is this a dumb idea? Does anyone else do this? I'm at a loss to think of any other ways.

 

Since you asked, yes this is a dumb idea. Is your next round of golf your last on earth? If not, play the new ball for a round, or at least 9 holes. See how you like it. Play the back 9 with another ball. See how you like that one. Don't you want an idea of how the ball plays from the tee to the cup? Enjoy the experience.

 

Remember:

 

Don't blow it.

Keep it simple.

Count your money.

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Nah. This is how I made my decisions. Excluded pro v and bridgestones thusly: Bought a dozen v1, v1x, b, bx, rx... you get the picture... hit them all out into the range, couple sleeves of TP5 while I was at it ... hit em all out into the range... and then I was out of money. Plunked down $5 for the bucket of range balls and now that's all I can afford. Ymmv.

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Seems like a dumb idea. Surely you can hit a cheap course at Twilight and use your time out on the course to try balls? This most likely your cheapest option that going to give the best feedback.

 

Or you should be able to find an empty field to go hit if you can't make twilight work.

 

As I am at a club, so heading out at twilight is the perfect time to tinker with new things, but even before I joined a club I had not trouble finding a cheap course that you could get out on for next to nothing 1hour before dark and tinker.

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Yes, dumb. Although your fellow golfers will thank you when they get a few nice surprises on their next range bucket. Consider it paying it forward, lol. Your best bet is find a course or golf shop that sells sleeves of balls. It ends up being about a 1-3 dollars more per dozen. But, it's a good way of sampling balls. Also, Golf Galaxy always has a fish bowl with single balls. Finally go to your local high school during off hours and hit balls in a football or soccer field.

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> @Bruiser419 said:

> and I appreciate all the comments about Twilight golf. However with two kids that are in a lot of sports, it doesn't leave a lot of time to go golfing. And when I do golf I only golf 9 holes at a time. I usually try to give a ball at least three holes.

 

You can’t get in 9 holes while your kids are at practice?

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> @thejuice said:

> > @Bruiser419 said:

> > and I appreciate all the comments about Twilight golf. However with two kids that are in a lot of sports, it doesn't leave a lot of time to go golfing. And when I do golf I only golf 9 holes at a time. I usually try to give a ball at least three holes.

>

> You can’t get in 9 holes while your kids are at practice?

Nope, no golf courses close enough.

 

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> @Fade said:

> I still don't understand what the objection is to trying out balls at the course. Seems ideal, this will test not just full shots, but short-game, and putting as well: All important, in my mind.

 

I’m struggling with the comment “since I’m actually trying to play”

 

Not sure how using a new ball each round or every couple holes prevents that

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> @GoGoErky said:

> > @Fade said:

> > I still don't understand what the objection is to trying out balls at the course. Seems ideal, this will test not just full shots, but short-game, and putting as well: All important, in my mind.

>

> I’m struggling with the comment “since I’m actually trying to play”

>

> Not sure how using a new ball each round or every couple holes prevents that

 

I'm still trying to shoot a good score, so if the ball isn't good for me, I'm likely to shoot a poor score, which I'm trying to avoid if possible.

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Driving range near me, one of the pro's has a trackman and a netting that comes out. You can hit and test balls for an hour.....figure out what performes for you.

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> @Bruiser419 said:

> > @Nard_S said:

> > You don't have plain old field anywhere near you?

>

> Nope, they're all full of corn and soybeans right now.

Where there's farms, there's schools. Schools have fields, no? I can go to a local middle school in my congested town and have 175 x 175 yards of open space to duff around.

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> @Bruiser419 said:

> > @GoGoErky said:

> > > @Fade said:

> > > I still don't understand what the objection is to trying out balls at the course. Seems ideal, this will test not just full shots, but short-game, and putting as well: All important, in my mind.

> >

> > I’m struggling with the comment “since I’m actually trying to play”

> >

> > Not sure how using a new ball each round or every couple holes prevents that

>

> I'm still trying to shoot a good score, so if the ball isn't good for me, I'm likely to shoot a poor score, which I'm trying to avoid if possible.

 

It’s ok to not keep score when playing. It’s not going to be the end of the world to not keep a score for a few rounds.

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All that matters is how a golf ball works for your game when you're actually playing. Hitting balls at a driving range, what exactly would you be looking for? You won't know how far they flew or how they reacted when they hit the green. You'll literally just confirm that yes, they actually fly through the air like a normal golf ball. I think you can take that for granted with any modern, name-brand ball. The rest you have to figure out on the course anyway so why throw away a box of balls on the driving range.

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