Golf Ball Opinions...waste of time?

Buddyjay · August 12, 2010

When it comes to choosing golf balls, you get some great opinions, on this forum. But I am pretty much convinced that after reading as many as I have and doing my own simulator tests, that golfers should really NOT base their selection due to the opinions of others. I have even seen where golfers will NOT even try a ball due to opinions of others.

Like club irons, the golf ball has a certain feel and what feels bad to one, is great for another.

i.e. - there was a recent thread on an OP wanting to know if he should try the Bridgestone E7/E7+. All that responded gave good opinions of their experiences with that ball (and others). But, some said it had a hard feel and others said it wasn't hard. Some said it rolled too much after hitting the green, others said they could stop it. Others actually said they could spin it back.

Me personally, with the E7, I don't find it hard at all and I can hit it high and stop it after one bounce. BUT I can do that also with the Srixon AD333, SR, Titleist Pro V1 and some others.

Now we all know that everyone's swing is different and spin rate,launch angle, club head speed has a lot to do with how a ball reacts, but that is my point. I don't think we should put too much emphasis on trying a golf ball based on others experiences. Some say they like the Gamer ball and it doesn't feel hard to them. Others, like me, feel it is a brick.

My SS is averaging 95mph and with my current driver, I consistently get spin #'s of 3000 - 3200K hitting drives from 250 - 260 yards (Doppler Radar). With those #'s a Bridgestone B330 RX would be good for me. I tried it and I can't hit that ball any further than 230 yards, max! So here again, a certain ball is recommended for me (by the mfg) and to me, it is the worst ball I have ever used. Others love it and bomb it long. One thing that is fairly consistent is on 2 piece balls for longer drives. Most will give you long off the tee and obviously one golfer will get more/less distance than another, but that's where the similarity ends. Some can stop that distance ball (fairly well) on the green where others get too much roll.

I was trying different balls at the simulator the other day. I tried the Srixon AD333, Bridgestone E7, Titliest Pro V1 and Pro V1X. The #'s were pretty much the same. The only real difference was, off the driver, the E7 gave more off center right hits whereas the Srixon gave more off center left hits. Other than that, they were all pretty much the same. They all produced low spin, when hit well. But spin #'s changed when I tried a different DRIVER.

So, like irons, golf ball selection is purely a matter of opinion. You could take the #'s from Iron Byron and get a good starting point for choosing a ball, but in the end, you must choose a sleeve for yourself and see how it reacts for YOUR game.

storm319 · August 12, 2010

I agree, absolutely nothing is better than going out and trying it for yourself. However, the info on this forum is good for narrowing down your possible choices as trying out every golf ball for yourself can get expensive (unless you are like me and just try them as you find them)

Solutions Etcetera · August 12, 2010

Golf is a silly thing. Those that feel they are playing well have confidence in their gear. They have to... for if they did not they would not feel this way. That confidence often results in glowing endorsements for products that may not be right for other folks... so no one opinion is worth following blindly.

But when a number of folks ring in and converge about certain qualities of a product, and those are qualities I am looking for, it piques my curiosity. Folks in these forums got me to try the new Top Flite balls and they are great. NEVER would have given them a second thought before.

turnbowm · August 12, 2010

It's good to get opinions, but they can vary considerably which makes for confusion. Must admit that I'm a "numbers" guy and put a lot of stock in the golfballtest.org test data (compression & cover hardness) as well as the spin (driver-short iron) category info in the USGA Conforming Ball List. Lots of ball offerings out there and the "numbers" help minimize the search.

wrmiller · August 12, 2010

I view this website for entertainment purposes only. While I enjoy reading opinions on which driver/iron/putter/ball is better or worse than others, when it's all said and done, it's just an opinion.

And we all know what opinions are, mine included...

I am fully capable of making my own choices, as I suspect everyone else here is.

I would never ask a complete stranger, who's swing/game/ability may not even be close to mine, to make a decision for me about what equipment to play.

Doesn't mean I won't read what other think though. Never hurts to gather as much info as possible.

PennsyltuckyMike · August 12, 2010

I agree for the most part, but if you have virtually everyone responding negatively to an item I think it is reasonable to give it a miss. There are tons of great balls out there, skipping one that has overwhelmingly negative feedback isn't going to hurt. There is also a "sleeve swap" thread that I used in the Pay it forward forum that worked out really well for trying a few different balls.

OzzDOA · August 13, 2010

Heya John!

I agree with you. I've tried a ton of balls (TP Red LPD, TP Black LDP, ProV1 ProV1x, Nike Tour, Cally i(s), Bridgestone B330-RX, B330-S etc.) on the simulator and launch monitors and find that almost all premium balls preform fairly the same on full shots. Some may launch 1* higher or lower and spin maybe 200 RPMs more or less, but nothing that really makes one ball stand out over another. What it comes down to is play the ball that FEELS best to you. People say the TM TP Black LDP feels hard but for me it really isn't hard, just more "clicky", which I like when putting and around the greens.