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Ball Performance vs Swing Speed


mvhoffman

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I switched from Tour level balls (Pro Vx, CS x, etc.) to Callaway Supersoft/Superhot golf balls. I actually shot my first and only under par round using a Supersoft. I am a high enough spin player that I can generate enough spin needed with the SuperSoft balls. Besides spin, am I losing anything by sticking with the cheaper 2 piece ball as opposed to going back to the tour level balls? Distance has been different(shorter) by 5-7 yards maybe.

Driver:    2021 Cobra Rad Speed Peacote 9* w Kuro Kage 60g Silver TiNi Dual-Core Shaft 

Fairway Woods: 2014 Adams Tight Lies 14° 3 Wood w Kuro Kage 65g Shaft tipped 1 inch

                           2015 Adams Tight Lies 22° 7 Wood w Kuro Kage 65g Shaft tipped 1 inch

Irons:  2016 Nike Vapor Fly 4-AW   

 Wedges:  2017 Cleveland CBX 56°& 60°wedge              
Shafts:  Matrix Ozik Program F15 85S Graphite Shafts 4i - 60°

Grips:   Superstroke S-Tech + 2 Wraps
Putter:  Gamer -  2020 Odyssey Stroke Lab 7s Black w Superstroke Claw 1.0 grip at 35in.

             Backup - Custom Built Bastain Milled Prototype w Px 6.0 shaft and Lamkin Deep Etched Cord Grip at 33in.

                           Ball:  Taylor Made 21' Rocketballz            Bag:  Ogio Fuse Whiskey            Glove: MG Dyna-Grip Elite             Current Shoes: True Linkswear Motion phx

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Driver distance or distance with every club? I'd say play a few rounds with the 2 piece ball and see if your scores are consistently better. If so then stick with the Supersoft/Superhot. Play what works for you. The scorecard certainly doesn't care if you're playing a premium ball or not. I also thought I just HAD to play a premium ball, and on a whim bought some 2 piece balls just to see for myself and found that it made no difference in my scoring.

Cobra King LTDxDriver 10.5

Cobra Aerojet 5 Wood

Cobra King Utility 3 Hybrid

Cobra King Speedzone Irons (5-GW)

Titleist SM7 50, 54 Wedges

Yes Callie Putter

Srixon Soft Feel

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An example of why players tinker every once on a while. Never really know 'till we try. Although, it could be partially due to, "new toy" syndrome. Always feels good when something new seems like a fit. As, stated in a post above, play it for a while & see if it continues to measure up.

...And congrats on the great round!

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Soft is slow. It's been proven scientifically by a bunch of independent testers... And as your CHS goes up, in general you should use a higher compression ball. If your driver CHS is 80... then a supersoft might be fine. But if it's 115 then you're almost definitely losing ball speed and probably going to get worse dispersion, too.

A good player like you can compensate around the greens just due to pure skill but I personally would never want to use a low spin ball because I want as much spin around the greens as I can get.

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First and foremost, I'd urge you not to get too enchanted by the relationship between that score (and, btw, congrats!) and that ball. You say that the ball is 5-7 yards shorter off the tee, and NOBODY shoots consistently lower scores from farther back. 5-7 yards matters more on some holes than others, but it matters. You might be long enough so that it doesn't matter much, and, if so, good on you!

As to the spin, etc., I think the key point is that it matters more that you play the same ball all the time than it does which ball that is, at least in terms of spin. As long as you know how the ball is going to behave off of a wedge or a putter, low spin balls are fine if that's your preference.

But go back and reread your original post as if somebody else had written it. You say that you are giving up both spin and distance in going from the premium balls to the cheaper ball. If somebody else had written that, what would YOU tell THEM? All that's left is dispersion, and I can pretty much guarantee you that the cheaper ball doesn't beat the premium balls on that, either.

So really, it comes down to which is more important; price or performance. Both are good answers, but you have to figure out for yourself which one matters more.

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Go with what works for you, if you like, and apparently play just as well if not better with a 2 piece, then go with that. You might test for a few more rounds, but over thinking your ball choice leads to all kinds of potential internal head games.

2021 Bag Update:

 

Epic Max LS - MMT 60S

Epic Flash 5 Wood

Epic 3/4 Hybrids

Apex '21 Irons 5-7  MMT95 TT

Apex Pro '21 Irons 8-A  MMT95 TT

PM Grind Slate Wedges 58/64

Odyssey Exo Mini 7s

B330 XS Yellow

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I'd beg to differ, while the OP seems like he can hit the ball straight and in the fairway, I would take 5-7 yards less if it meant being in the fairway vs looking for it in a fairway bunker or the rough or worse off OB.

5 yards isnt much, heck typically not even a different iron for me, just might have to swing a little less or choke up if I'm five yards closer to the green.

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If you look carefully at the available ball testing data, there are plenty of balls available that don't require a trade-off of accuracy for distance. Some of them, like the two ProV's and the TM TP5-x are among the more expensive balls on the market; some like the Snell MTB-x can be had for much lower prices.

I also think, with all due respect, that being in the fairway vs being 5-7 yards longer off the tee is a false choice, at least when it comes to the golf ball you're using; drives that aren't in the fairway are a swing issue, not a golf ball issue. But the OP didn't say that anyway; he said he was 5-7 yards shorter, but didn't say that hit more or fewer fairways or anything about that. He just said he played a great round with the cheaper ball. My point was that it was a small sample size, and that NOBODY consistently plays better from 5-7 yards shorter off the tee.

You may be right for your game about what 5-7 yards means, but I'd LOVE to play from 5-7 yards in front of my opponents on every par four and par five. Wouldn't you?

 

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Thanks Blue...

No issues with hitting less/more fairways with them, just noticing that a few yards shorter that's all. The courses here in NEPA that 7 yards really never means the difference between an iron vs hybrid/fairway wood. It's usually equates to 9i vs PW/GW/SW type thing. All scoring clubs so really no difference in that sense.

And yes, it is always nice to be hitting last because you were farther than everyone else. I want to be farther than them with a ball I payed 60% less for (because i'm cheap...lol)

Driver:    2021 Cobra Rad Speed Peacote 9* w Kuro Kage 60g Silver TiNi Dual-Core Shaft 

Fairway Woods: 2014 Adams Tight Lies 14° 3 Wood w Kuro Kage 65g Shaft tipped 1 inch

                           2015 Adams Tight Lies 22° 7 Wood w Kuro Kage 65g Shaft tipped 1 inch

Irons:  2016 Nike Vapor Fly 4-AW   

 Wedges:  2017 Cleveland CBX 56°& 60°wedge              
Shafts:  Matrix Ozik Program F15 85S Graphite Shafts 4i - 60°

Grips:   Superstroke S-Tech + 2 Wraps
Putter:  Gamer -  2020 Odyssey Stroke Lab 7s Black w Superstroke Claw 1.0 grip at 35in.

             Backup - Custom Built Bastain Milled Prototype w Px 6.0 shaft and Lamkin Deep Etched Cord Grip at 33in.

                           Ball:  Taylor Made 21' Rocketballz            Bag:  Ogio Fuse Whiskey            Glove: MG Dyna-Grip Elite             Current Shoes: True Linkswear Motion phx

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same day, same hole, 30 seconds apart from each other.

Driver:    2021 Cobra Rad Speed Peacote 9* w Kuro Kage 60g Silver TiNi Dual-Core Shaft 

Fairway Woods: 2014 Adams Tight Lies 14° 3 Wood w Kuro Kage 65g Shaft tipped 1 inch

                           2015 Adams Tight Lies 22° 7 Wood w Kuro Kage 65g Shaft tipped 1 inch

Irons:  2016 Nike Vapor Fly 4-AW   

 Wedges:  2017 Cleveland CBX 56°& 60°wedge              
Shafts:  Matrix Ozik Program F15 85S Graphite Shafts 4i - 60°

Grips:   Superstroke S-Tech + 2 Wraps
Putter:  Gamer -  2020 Odyssey Stroke Lab 7s Black w Superstroke Claw 1.0 grip at 35in.

             Backup - Custom Built Bastain Milled Prototype w Px 6.0 shaft and Lamkin Deep Etched Cord Grip at 33in.

                           Ball:  Taylor Made 21' Rocketballz            Bag:  Ogio Fuse Whiskey            Glove: MG Dyna-Grip Elite             Current Shoes: True Linkswear Motion phx

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Almost 7 yards is what robot testing shows as the difference between the longest and the shortest golf balls. And the general rule of thumb coming out of distance testing is that harder balls are longer and softer balls are shorter. There are some exceptions, but among "premium" golf balls, that's a pretty reliable rule.

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I think the current research leans toward softer balls becoming harder in the cold and behaving that way. It isn't that the harder premium balls are getting shorter. In other words, there may be good reason to use a cheaper ball (which may also mean softer) in the winter, but you aren't gaining distance, except in terms of what that ball does when it's firmer.

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All this conversation over me wanting a tour performance ball at the 2 piece price and posting my observations ...lol

Driver:    2021 Cobra Rad Speed Peacote 9* w Kuro Kage 60g Silver TiNi Dual-Core Shaft 

Fairway Woods: 2014 Adams Tight Lies 14° 3 Wood w Kuro Kage 65g Shaft tipped 1 inch

                           2015 Adams Tight Lies 22° 7 Wood w Kuro Kage 65g Shaft tipped 1 inch

Irons:  2016 Nike Vapor Fly 4-AW   

 Wedges:  2017 Cleveland CBX 56°& 60°wedge              
Shafts:  Matrix Ozik Program F15 85S Graphite Shafts 4i - 60°

Grips:   Superstroke S-Tech + 2 Wraps
Putter:  Gamer -  2020 Odyssey Stroke Lab 7s Black w Superstroke Claw 1.0 grip at 35in.

             Backup - Custom Built Bastain Milled Prototype w Px 6.0 shaft and Lamkin Deep Etched Cord Grip at 33in.

                           Ball:  Taylor Made 21' Rocketballz            Bag:  Ogio Fuse Whiskey            Glove: MG Dyna-Grip Elite             Current Shoes: True Linkswear Motion phx

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I"m quite content with the Callaway Super Soft. I have a bunch of premium balls if needed but for the most part SS is it for me

 

Driver:    2021 Cobra Rad Speed Peacote 9* w Kuro Kage 60g Silver TiNi Dual-Core Shaft 

Fairway Woods: 2014 Adams Tight Lies 14° 3 Wood w Kuro Kage 65g Shaft tipped 1 inch

                           2015 Adams Tight Lies 22° 7 Wood w Kuro Kage 65g Shaft tipped 1 inch

Irons:  2016 Nike Vapor Fly 4-AW   

 Wedges:  2017 Cleveland CBX 56°& 60°wedge              
Shafts:  Matrix Ozik Program F15 85S Graphite Shafts 4i - 60°

Grips:   Superstroke S-Tech + 2 Wraps
Putter:  Gamer -  2020 Odyssey Stroke Lab 7s Black w Superstroke Claw 1.0 grip at 35in.

             Backup - Custom Built Bastain Milled Prototype w Px 6.0 shaft and Lamkin Deep Etched Cord Grip at 33in.

                           Ball:  Taylor Made 21' Rocketballz            Bag:  Ogio Fuse Whiskey            Glove: MG Dyna-Grip Elite             Current Shoes: True Linkswear Motion phx

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I think a lot it depends upon the courses you play. My work league course and the other couple by my house that I frequent are all fairly slow and northern IL tends to be soft for much of the year. I don't really need urethane for those courses.

There are courses in the area that are substantially faster though. I wouldn't be able to play decent golf with a low spin ball on those courses when they firm up.

How fast/firm are the greens at the courses you play?

Dave

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