Golf Ball balancing question ?

[rocker40]

I heard someone mention that they check the balance of their golfballs if they buy used or new balls.

What are they checking for and is this something that everyone does? How is it done?

 

 

[bwrichmond]

They are checking for the "heaviest side" of the golf ball. It definitely is not something that everyone does. In fact, I'd say it rarely gets done...

There are a couple ways to do it. A system like "Check go" which is a ball spinning and marking machine advertises they can find the correct balance in a golf ball.

Another method is to create a salt water solution in a bucket or mixing bowl that is dense enough the golf balls will float. When you put the ball into the solution, the same point will float to the top each time.

Perhaps others will disagree, but with manufacturing the way it is today, I can't imagine balls are that "unbalanced".

[TheHomez]

I don't buy into the balancing a ball thing either. Don't know much about it but I think with the new technology and manufacturing this is probably an irrelevant concern

[Shambles]

[quote name='rocker40' timestamp='1396615927' post='9017905']
I heard someone mention that they check the balance of their golfballs if they buy used or new balls.
What are they checking for and is this something that everyone does? How is it done?
[/quote]


That's a leftover from the days of Balata when the balls sometimes went out of center from bouncing off a rock, a wall or whatever very hard object it hit. Back then you didn't trust a ball to fly true beyond 3 or 4 fairways in an important match. Balls these days are built very much better and so much more durable that you can play a ball for a couple or more rounds unless you lose it..

BWRICHMOND mentioned a couple of balance tests. I used to use the salt thing, but no longer do so.



Shambles

[Socrates]

If it makes you feel good, go right ahead. I've tried to balance my balls many times, but one is always slightly heavier than the other.

[Shambles]

[quote name='Socrates' timestamp='1396750460' post='9029411']
If it makes you feel good, go right ahead. I've tried to balance my balls many times, but one is always slightly heavier than the other.
[/quote]





Shambles

[Hidalgo]

Balancing a golf ball was first made popular and brought to the golfing public's attention on a large scale by Dave Pelz. And to his credit, there are very few golf balls that are perfectly balanced. This includes Titleist, Bridgestone, and all of the others. If you don't believe that just try it for yourself. That being said, when you consider the fact that a ball only weighs a maximum of 1.62 ounces ..... how much out of balance can it get? According to Pelz's tests an unbalanced golf ball will indeed seek a direction towards the heaviest side. But those tests were conducted on concrete-hard surfaces that would allow even a minute weight difference to be seen. In the real world on a putting green I'd say it would be almost impossible to see any difference.

[Socrates]

You also have to take into account that when Pelz was doing his testing, it was all liquid cores balls with elastic windings. The only thing that made the ball round was the balata cover which was moulded around a less than perfect core and windings. A perfect ball might have been a rarity rather than the norm. Balls now are extremely accurate in their construction and you might only find one dud in a 1000.

I'll stand by my earlier quote.

[Hidalgo]

[quote name='Socrates' timestamp='1396817457' post='9033169']
You also have to take into account that when Pelz was doing his testing, it was all liquid cores balls with elastic windings. The only thing that made the ball round was the balata cover which was moulded around a less than perfect core and windings. A perfect ball might have been a rarity rather than the norm. Balls now are extremely accurate in their construction and you might only find one dud in a 1000.

I'll stand by my earlier quote.
[/quote]

One in 1000? All I can say is that you need to TRY some balls to see if they are out of balance. I have, and 10 out of every dozen has some type of heavy spot. Been there, done that. That included ProV1s and Bridgestones.

[Socrates]

[quote name='Hidalgo' timestamp='1396831580' post='9034907']
One in 1000? All I can say is that you need to TRY some balls to see if they are out of balance. I have, and 10 out of every dozen has some type of heavy spot. Been there, done that. That included ProV1s and Bridgestones.
[/quote]
You might be finding a heavy spot, but you have no real idea whether it is significant enough to make any difference. Unless you have done the type of tests that Pelz did in the 80's I guess we are both spitting into the wind. The anomalies in my game (maybe even yours) or the green conditions are going to have a greater effect on my game than a minutely off balance ball.

[Hidalgo]

[quote name='Socrates' timestamp='1396838158' post='9035705']
[quote name='Hidalgo' timestamp='1396831580' post='9034907']
One in 1000? All I can say is that you need to TRY some balls to see if they are out of balance. I have, and 10 out of every dozen has some type of heavy spot. Been there, done that. That included ProV1s and Bridgestones.
[/quote]
You might be finding a heavy spot, but you have no real idea whether it is significant enough to make any difference. Unless you have done the type of tests that Pelz did in the 80's I guess we are both spitting into the wind. The anomalies in my game (maybe even yours) or the green conditions are going to have a greater effect on my game than a minutely off balance ball.
[/quote]

Go back and READ what I said. In the last sentence I said.....

[i]"But those tests were conducted on concrete-hard surfaces that would allow even a minute weight difference to be seen. In the real world on a putting green I'd say it would be almost impossible to see any difference."[/i]

[u]Nowhere[/u] did I say that it made any difference. But I do KNOW that the vast majority of balls are out of balance, and that was the original question. Now ... what did I say that you are disagreeing with?

[Shambles]

I did the salt float thing about 5 years ago to a hundred or so experienced balls and found only one ball out of whack. When I more closely examined it, that ball was already much abused and overused and should have been set free on the range. All the balls were fairway finds and of assorted brands. The kind I use in practice, friendlies and inconsequential no ambition matches.

Balls these days are really built so much better.



Shambles

[Hidalgo]

[quote name='Shambles' timestamp='1397046822' post='9053023']
I did the salt float thing about 5 years ago to a hundred or so experienced balls and found only one ball out of whack. When I more closely examined it, that ball was already much abused and overused and should have been set free on the range. All the balls were fairway finds and of assorted brands. The kind I use in practice, friendlies and inconsequential no ambition matches.

Balls these days are really built so much better.



Shambles
[/quote]

The salt floating method isn't as "accurate" as spinning a ball. The centrifugal force will make the heavy spot more obvious. But like has already been said .... this isn't a factor on the greens we play.

And to throw another wrench into the equation, has anyone got a ball gauge? It's a piece of plastic that shows if the ball is round or not. If the ball isn't perfectly round it won't pass through the gauge. Try this with your ball after 18 holes. You'll be really surprised what happens to the ball after 18 holes ........

[sheppy335]

The Gauge or Ring as the players of old used was very important.

[farmer]

Back in the day, balata balls frequently came out of the sleeve out of round. I was given one of the spinning things, it worked fine, but the line would run awkwardly across the dimples and stamps, which I found distracting. Gave it up, could never tell a difference.

[Another80]

[quote name='sheppy335' timestamp='1397064201' post='9055051']
The Gauge or Ring as the players of old used was very important.
[/quote]

I came across my old ring/compression tested when I was cleaning out my garage the other day...before my HS matches in the early 90s you'd have to throw out about a ball a sleeve due to low compression or lopsidedness. Times have certainly changed...

[ProStryker]

If you put any new ball in a spinner like a Check Go, almost every ball will return to spinning on the same line once you mark it. I think that shows there is some tiny imbalance in all balls. Whether or not that makes any difference whatsoever ever I have no idea. Probably not