How much more distance do you get out of your golf ball vs. a range ball?

[Seniordude]

I am more curious about distances with iron shots. Are you getting 10 yards more, etc., with the ball you use on the course, vs. a regular range ball.

I'd like to see some examples between range balls and various brands used on the course.

 

Also, what is the difference in accuracy with your ball, vs. range balls?

[RainShadow]

I'm thinking 5-7yrds carry through the bag, just comparing lasered yardages on the range and course. For instance, I hit my PW 115-120 during rounds, but I'm unable to put it on a target at 115 on the range, just comes up a couple of yards short.
Our range has alot of good, new TM rangeballs.

[Guest]

Where I practice all the balls are crap. Mostly old top flight range balls or old water balls. Unfortunately that's all I have to choose from close by. On wedge and 9 iron shots it seems to be fairly close. I play my 6 iron constantly at 185-190 on the course. But I'm lucky to hit it 170 at the range. Same goes for the driver. I hit a lot of 300+ balls on the course. I'll hit some solid and they won't fly 250... When I practice I pay attention to my trajectory and flight path don't get too concerned with distance. Go to the course on a weekday evening and hit multiple shots with your preferred ball. Even when I switched from a Pro V1 to a B'stone B330 it changed my distances on my iron shots, so its not always just range balls either.

[Windycitygolfer]

My local range has relatively new Callaway and Top Flite range balls. They have a little paper hand out with the pin ranges on it and at the bottom of that they say "Range balls fly 10-15% shorter than regular balls".

It sems about right to me compared to the course.

[GVo55]

[quote name='Windycitygolfer' timestamp='1279888541' post='2594250']
My local range has relatively new Callaway and Top Flite range balls. They have a little paper hand out with the pin ranges on it and at the bottom of that they say "Range balls fly 10-15% shorter than regular balls".

It sems about right to me compared to the course.
[/quote]

I have to agree with that. We've got relatively new range balls and I find that range distances are about 10% less through the bag.

[cantill2]

Who cares? You don't go to the driving range to determine your iron distances (or at least I don't). Most driving ranges have crappy golf balls. I go to warm up and then I take my real golf balls and go practice chipping, putting, and bunker play.

[yoshiod9]

[quote name='cantill2' timestamp='1279893354' post='2594360']
Who cares? You don't go to the driving range to determine your iron distances (or at least I don't). Most driving ranges have crappy golf balls. I go to warm up and then I take my real golf balls and go practice chipping, putting, and bunker play.
[/quote]

A lot of players care. New players that are trying to figure out their yardages use the range. How did you figure out your ranges when you first started golfing? I went to the range.

[vaca22]

My range uses actual used balls, ALL TYPES, so it's actually pretty hard for me to get exact yardages out of them...plus it doesn't help that I have no real way of checking them without a rangefinder.

I do know then when I pull a ball out of my bag and hit that in comparison they seem to fly forever.

[leftisdead]

A lot of range balls are simple solid one-peice jobs - as a result they're often made relatively soft so that they don't feel harsh... Means they compress more and don't fly as far. I generally count on at least 10% less, but more often its like 15-20% less distance.

And, if the balls are a little old and dimples are worn, you get that "duck shot out of the sky" ball flight even when you flush a shot.

As someone else posted, I use the range to check trajectory and shape, but I don't worry when they land 20 yards short of my normal distances...

[finalist]

For me I guess about 2-7 yards per iron.

[GolfinVan]

So thats why I was having trouble with distance at the range - I thought it was me......learn something new every day.....

[IIdiceII]

i have two ranges close to me. One range uses top flite range balls the other uses recycled balls. your average large bucket there has a bunch of pro v1's, b330's crap ton of nikes and a bunch of random maxfli's etc...

theres at least a 10 yard difference between these two ranges and even more with the driver.

[clc55]

I have two ranges near me. One uses limited flight balls (the dimples are 1/2 as deep as a ProV) that fly true to distance up to 150yds. With longer irons / driver they drop out of the sky past the 185 mark.

The other range near me uses Nxt Tours on the range that fly pretty much true to distance.

When I am at the limited range (which has a much nicer short game practice area) I am focused more on ball flight and trajectory than anything else.

[mrfitz]

The range at my course uses srixon and top flite range balls. I figure them to be about 20% less than "real" balls. I just work on accuracy with them. I try to hit them solid and have them go where I want. I don't have any problem with that at all.

The range has a back fence at 200 yards that's about 40 feet tall. If they used real balls there wouldn't be a ball left after a week, and there would probably be a few deaths from people getting hit on the 4th green (separated from the range by the fence and a couple rows of tall pines.

[enduro]

The range where i used to go had Pinnacle range balls that flew close to as long as real ball but were hard as a rock and barely spun at all.
The range switched to shorter flight Srixon balls because a few douchebag LDers would hit the Pinnacle balls straight over the road (only about a 260 carry) instead of hitting from one corner to the other (probbably 350 yds). The range was losing lots of balls and it was dangerous to drivers and people walking.

The new Srixon balls are horrible . They're so soft its pointless to hit drives and they have a weird flight with irons . My guess is they're at least 20% shorter than the ol range balls. With the old balls I used to be able to carry a green 240 yds out, the new balls I'm lucky to even roll the ball on the green.

[Buddyjay]

Range balls, absolutley go shorter distances. My range uses Srixon also and I can hit a 7 iron 155 - 160 yards (with regular balls). WIth the range balls it only goes about 135-140 yards max. If on the range, I hit a 150 yard 7 iron then I know I really nailed it.

For that reason, I don't work on distances anymore and just work on control and tempo. I wish they did fly true distances since I recently changed my swing and am getting more yardage. NOw I have to experiment during my normal rounds to dial-in distances.

[Cornbread]

[quote name='Windycitygolfer' timestamp='1279888541' post='2594250']
My local range has relatively new Callaway and Top Flite range balls. They have a little paper hand out with the pin ranges on it and at the bottom of that they say "Range balls fly 10-15% shorter than regular balls".

It sems about right to me compared to the course.
[/quote]

15% of 260 yards = is what 39 yards. Somebody needs to get real! .
New range balls are the same construction as most mid to low cost 2 piece balls. Therefore their performance is the same. HOWEVER: worn, scuffed and abused range falls would fly much shorter, but not 39 yards.

[Midnightexpress]

[quote name='Cornbread' timestamp='1279973777' post='2596060']
[quote name='Windycitygolfer' timestamp='1279888541' post='2594250']
My local range has relatively new Callaway and Top Flite range balls. They have a little paper hand out with the pin ranges on it and at the bottom of that they say "Range balls fly 10-15% shorter than regular balls".

It sems about right to me compared to the course.
[/quote]

15% of 260 yards = is what 39 yards. Somebody needs to get real! .
New range balls are the same construction as most mid to low cost 2 piece balls. Therefore their performance is the same. HOWEVER: worn, scuffed and abused range falls would fly much shorter, but not 39 yards.
[/quote]

I think it is safe to say that there are a lot of different range ball typs at various ranges. my range uses used every day gamer balls ( some look to be as old as 10 years old.) So that that ball has had a long life as it is. now you make it bake in the hot sun for hours and days then they get rained on, then re heated by the sun, well that old core gets hard. dimples get worn off, and some of them even feel lighter than they would if they were new balls. Not to mention its been bashed maybe a thousand times, im sure none of you will hit any one of your gammer balls 5% as much as a range ball. I think its safe to say that the performance of a ball will deteriorate pretty badly under these curcumstancses and i would strongly agree that off of a driver i see roughly 40 yards distance loss, if we didnt see performance decreases in crappy old used balls, why would we ever buy new balls?

[Phireside]

I hit from the second deck at the range. I find that hitting from higher up equals out the range vs regular ball distances.

[Spanish Bull]

The Srixon Range Balls at the local range fly much shorter, especially with clubs that manage to compress the core of the ball i.e. driver, fwy woods. Assuming their distance are marked correctly from the edge, i'm losing about 5 yards or so with the range balls with irons but I'd say close to 20-25 with my driver. Wedges seem to be rather close to my 'normal' distance.

[Relaxxx]

I generally see between 15-25 yards of distance loss with irons, probably 30 with the driver

[#1Ballin]

[quote name='Buddyjay' timestamp='1279964783' post='2595984']
Range balls, absolutley go shorter distances. My range uses Srixon also and I can hit a 7 iron 155 - 160 yards (with regular balls). WIth the range balls it only goes about 135-140 yards max. If on the range, I hit a 150 yard 7 iron then I know I really nailed it.

For that reason, I don't work on distances anymore and just work on control and tempo. I wish they did fly true distances since I recently changed my swing and am getting more yardage. NOw I have to experiment during my normal rounds to dial-in distances.
[/quote]

sounds like you have flight limited balls.

[#1Ballin]

most range balls fly about the same distance, unless they are flight limited....then they just plain suck. I avoid practicing at those ranges and with those brand balls.

What I notice is the ball flight with normal range balls. For me, they fly a little higher for the irons. Pinnacle range balls are pretty normal and Callaway are too. Top Flight are pretty hard, and strangely get eaten quickly too.

[drewski24]

interesting point... i was kinda freaking out today when my 6 iron was going about 6 yards short