range ball wear and flight

[gibsonsg4]

My golf course range is using relatively premium range balls (titleist tour practice) however the covers are relatively worn out. They aren’t bald, but they dont have that sticky “plasticky” feeling that a fresh ball has and the covers feel a little rough.

 

I have been noticing these balls tend to fly very knuckly, short irons launch relatively normal but don’t climb at all and tend to fall out of the sky and fly a couple yards further than normal, long irons (especially 3-4 irons) tend to launch low and be very knuckly and don’t carry as far as normal (i guess since they aren’t staying in the air very long). Drives tend to be relatively normal looking, maybe slightly knuckly.

 

Has anyone noticed a difference in using a relatively premium range ball thats slightly worn out? Not entirely sure how a worn out cover on a decent ball affects ballflight. I know your standard range rocks feel terrible and launch like stones, but wondering if this is normal for a relatively premium range ball.

[Kale_m]

Lots of ranges have worn out balls. You know when you have a work one when you get a cut and a draw on the same ballflight

[Tasals]

Unless their covers are worn enough to have significant wear on the dimples that will have an impact on the balls spin. Depending on your range, the balls could be the flight limited version - shorter ranges use these and they perform nothing like a real ball. They perform ok on wedges to mid irons, but you start seeing massive knuckle balls on drivers, woods and long irons. Ive used some where a 7 iron and my 4 iron were going basically the same distance on a range.

[cgasucks]

My local driving range's balls are really worn out. They're almost smooth and drop dead from the sky.

[Fade]

OP, maybe the covers (dimples) only look slightly worn, but from your description of their flight behavior they are clearly worn sufficiently to negatively affect aerodynamics.

[Hack Daddy]

Thata why I stopped going to the range. I'll stop by and work in the short game area. Just play more golf.

[zebra2955]

I use the range for warming up and working on tempo. Don't pay much attention to distance. The difference from one range ball to another sometimes amazes me.

[herbert7890]

about 50% of the range balls at my local range are flat without dimples, have significant cuts all the way to the core (make that fade then draw in same shot or viceversa), and fly around 20-25 yards shorter than my real balls. I just got used to it and add the yardage to get to my real shot. But its not convenient nor good for the clubs I believe. What I do is to leave the better ones for the driver (since they have the most delicate faces which can be damaged by a cut ball)

[Filipposhka]

Scuffs on the ball play a big role in the game.

[Hanlpa01]

> @Kale_m said:

> Lots of ranges have worn out balls. You know when you have a work one when you get a cut and a draw on the same

 

I agree completely. Place I go to after work has a course and they use the found balls on the range. Some come off like rocks. I think it’s due to age of the balls and repeated use. Balls are hit hundreds of times. I try not to focus on the results as much as my swing and how it feels