At what level do you start playing a specific ball?

[golferdude]

I'm sure this will horify most of you, but I play whatever ball I happen t pull out of my bag. And to make things worse, what's in the bag are balls I find on the course. So it could be top flite one day, titleist nxt another, etc....

 

My playing partners suggest I start playing just one ball.

So I have sone questions

 

1. At what level should one start playing a specific ball

 

2. If I switch, do you think it will save me any strokes?

 

Hcp 11

My strength is my short game

My weakness is not hitting as many GIRs as I should

[Socrates]

[quote name='golferdude' timestamp='1284775619' post='2702575']
I'm sure this will horify most of you, but I play whatever ball I happen t pull out of my bag. And to make things worse, what's in the bag are balls I find on the course. So it could be top flite one day, titleist nxt another, etc....

My playing partners suggest I start playing just one ball.
So I have sone questions

1. At what level should one start playing a specific ball

2. If I switch, do you think it will save me any strokes?

Hcp 11
My strength is my short game
My weakness is not hitting as many GIRs as I should
[/quote]



I think you should already be playing one type of ball. Find one you like and stick with it for a while and you will find that you will be more consistent with both your shorter irons and your chipping and putting. There is too enough difference in distance off the short irons to make a difference (whether it be a factor of spin or trajectory). I normally will play ProV1x's and if I am just hacking around, I will use other brands and I notice that I am quite often long on approach shots. Not just carry distance, but how far the ball takes to stop after landing.

As for what level one should use a specific ball, it likely could be a variable on how consistent the player is from day to day or swing to swing. A higher hcp could benefit from playing one type of ball if they have the same swing and shot all the time. They likely waste a lot of shots on poor course management but hit the ball decently enough. On the other hand, they might not care in the least and will still play whatever they find and just be as happy.

[Man In The Miura]

I think you should play a specific ball when you can recognize you specific strengths and weaknesses. A lot of good players like the high end balls for spin because they're good around the greens with the check and roll approach. Some like to bump and run everything, and they're able to go with a distance ball with low spin for an advantage off the tee. I either play a spinny ball in the summer, or, get this, a Lady Srixon Soft Feel in the winter when the greens are really soft. I think it's important to have confidence in how your ball will react on the green, regardless of what ball you decide on. I don't know of too many good players who don't care about their ball.

[golferdude]

Thanks teamyonex. Great advice

I'm going to explore a few different balls and see how that affects my game
Now I just got t figure out which ones

[golferdude]

Thanks Socrates

[Medicaptain]

Pick one..any one...

Consistency is what we all are asking/looking/begging and practicing for......then why not play a consistent ball? From Rocks to Marshmellows...it doesnt matter as long as you KNOW what the ball will do

[swbyps]

As soon as your wallet can afford the rate at which you lose them.

[golferdude]

Hahahhaha. Good one
You know how I know that I have actually gotten
Better? I find more balls than I lose.

I have not purchased any new balls in over 2 years

Being cheap that I am, I hate to waste all of those perfectly good balls that I have found
But on the other hand, I feel that to take my game to the next level. I do need to stick with a specific ball.

In your experience, how many strokes does using a specific ball save you?

[justhittheshot]

[quote name='golferdude' timestamp='1284782455' post='2702719']
Hahahhaha. Good one
You know how I know that I have actually gotten
Better? I find more balls than I lose.

I have not purchased any new balls in over 2 years

Being cheap that I am, I hate to waste all of those perfectly good balls that I have found
But on the other hand, I feel that to take my game to the next level. I do need to stick with a specific ball.

In your experience, how many strokes does using a specific ball save you?
[/quote]

It's hard to quantify the number of strokes that it saves you. But, when you have a new ball you know that you aren't going to hit it and suddenly find out that it's been hibernating in that leave pile for two years. Golf balls struggle when they have been out in the elements for too long. It's essential (to me atleast) to have a ball that I know isn't water logged, won't drop out of the sky on me, and will perform the same way each time. Even if they are inexpensive balls, it will help you out.

[danielh]

I used to have balls I'd find on the course not suitable for play in my shag. I would always practice chipping and pitching well, but would leave the same exact shot well short on the course. It took me far longer than it should have to realize that even practicing short game with one specific ball helps a great deal.

In terms of numbers, it saves me 3-4 strokes a round when 8 footers become tap-ins. That's the difference between an 13 over to 10 over.

[Socrates]

As you get better, the strokes that can be lost by using varied balls becomes more apparent. For me, I know that a NXT will go further on most iron shots and if I were to use an NXT instead of a ProV1x on a back pin placement with trouble over the back, I might be in trouble if I don't correctly guess at how much further it will go. That's the difference in having an attempt at birdie or making bogey or worse. A mental lapse like that can kill a round.

I'm not afraid to use balls that I find, especially at this time of the year when there are lots of leaves on the ground and the light is flat. You can hit a great tee shot and unless you know exactly where it is, you can lose it right even though you are standing a few feet away from it but you can't find it because it is under a leaf. I will substitute it for any approach shots though so I don't handicap myself by hitting a good shot but not know how it is going to react.

Before anyone goes crazy about me fracturing the rules, this is just casual play and nothing on the line and I really don't take it too seriously. A money game or anything else is strictly by the rules.

[aliikane]

I think in order to tell the difference in the different types of balls you have to either be a good ball striker or have a good short game and be able to put spin on the ball. It sounds like if you have a good short game, you will notice the difference between a urethane cover ball and surlyn cover ball. You probably will like playing with a urethane ball if you have a good short game. Softer cover and you can put more spin on the ball around the greens.

[williamo]

[quote name='golferdude' timestamp='1284782455' post='2702719']
Hahahhaha. Good one
You know how I know that I have actually gotten
Better? I find more balls than I lose.

I have not purchased any new balls in over 2 years
[/quote]

Hahah! I do not find any balls in the middle of the fairway where I am at.

I think that you should start playing the ProV1's when you aren't losing more than one ball per round maximum. The ProV1 will help you with your short game a little but will spin more off the driver so a small fade with a topflight may be a heavy fade with a ProV1.

Try a ½ a dozen and I am sure you would like it.

[golferdude]

Thanks all for the advice! I am playing on Monday. So here's what I'm gonna do. I'm taking out all of my "found" balls from my bag and replacing them all
with new sleeves of either:

Nike NDX
Nike Distance
or Wilson Titianium

(I have dozens of these that were new that were gifts to me)

I'll try sticking with just one ball of a few rounds and let's see what happens....

Any opinions as to which one of those I should use?

Thanks!

[SpinMill75]

You should be playing a ball that works for you and your swing.

I rotate a few different balls depending on course, weather, elevation, greens, etc.

I personally go buy a sleeve of every high end ball ( every brand ) beginning of every season and try them out with an open mind. The ones I like the best stay in my bag.

Its that simple.

[smiling_bob]

My handicap is higher than yours, but some of the best advice I got when starting to take golf seriously was to find a ball I liked that fit my game, and then stick with it rather than ball-hop.

Hard enough to try and get better without having to figure out if your shots are acting differently on a particular day because of your swing, or the ball you happen to be using that day.

Bob

[marrigo]

I really don't think it's a matter of playing one version of a ball (Pro V1 etc). But more like playing one type of ball; urethane tour type vs suryln distance types. I'm a 5 index and in my bag right now there are Zstar, Zstar-X, ProV1, ProV1-X, B330, and Cally Tour i(s). Mostly Zstars but at least one of the others. Although there are some slight differences in spin and feel the difference is not enough to affect my score or how I play. As an 11 you should be striking the ball well enough to benefit from playing either Tour level (Pro V1, Zstars...) or near tour (NXT Tour.....) balls.

[divot46]

My thinking is if you are getting off the tee without losing many balls it would be a good time to try to find that one ball you like the best. I've heard several say to find one that you like best for approach shots to the green first.If you are still losing a bunch during a round, at least go with something inexpensive like the Laddie X. There is no point in spending the money on Pro V's if you can't be sure you are going to find them most of the time. But I think you will find you'll save a few strokes by finding that one ball you like.

[taskerc]

A few years ago I was doing what you are doing and finding one day was great and another day was bad etc etc. But then I started to notice, first in putting, that I was getting more consistent results when I was using the same ball. When I found the Bridgestone E5, that is. And then I found that consistency move to irons as well. I never really found it on driver to be honest. So I had largely stuck to it. This year I wavered a bit and found again inconsistency in putting and shopping so I moved back again and consistency improved again. So with knetgolf.com etc, I can stock up on E5s to my hearts content at a good price and have some consistency.

SO I say the answer to your question is when you find one you like and suits what you are trying to achieve. For me short game consistency is my main goal and I found the E5 to be a great all around ball for that FOR ME. But you kinda have to do the work to find what you like. The new trend toward ball fitting is good but I also found that a fitting exercise produced "good numbers" (I was told) but the feel was not so good.

So do the work, find one you like, and hope it stays around for a while.

[retexan599]

For me, playing just one brand and type of ball (as opposed to the used ball grab bag I used to play) has definitely removed one variable from the golfing equation. I have been playing only the Nike PD Long ball (red box) for some months and don't plan to change anytime soon. Eventually I may change to another type, but would not be changing balls every round, not to say every hole.

[joekelli]

If you already don't mind playing a Topflite I think you should try the Topflite GamerV2. You can get them for about a buck a ball and they perform very well for the price!

[Grapehunter]

+1 for the Gamer V2

If you are ready to move to a tour like ball without paying a ton then that's the ball for you. I've played with NXT tours and the Gamer V2 check easier and carry further off drives. Can't wait to start seeing them show up on used golf ball websites.