Is a Two Piece Ball a Step Back?

[Tanner25]

Most DSG balls are on sale many times during the year. Plus Nov-Dec you they have holiday skills. The new DSG balls are now 3 for 30, $10 a piece (2 piece new 15 ball packs) and you have plenty of ammo. Hammer Control brand new release seems to be the winner out of this new group of balls.

[Girevik]

Sorry, not sure what you mean by "DSG" ball. Is that a Dick's house ball? I used to play the Slazenger Soft Feel when I first started.

[LukeDonaldsTiger]

I agree with the Q-Star Tour recommendations. It’s much better than the 2-piece Surlyn cover options for me, and you can get it for cheap.

If you’re in Europe, check out Decathlon. Their Inesis Tour 900 ball is very good and a steal.

[Girevik]

Ok, I found the ball you're referring to; Top Flite Hammer Control, and right now they are crazy cheap at 45 balls for $30. Any reason not to give that a try? Honestly, I'm not sure at my level I could tell the different between a Pro V1 and a rock wrapped in rubber bands.

[bluedot]

The answer to this question, like most golf ball questions, is really about what you want out of the game. There are lots of guys who play whatever they find or are given, and play well. There are lots of guys who play something cheap, and play pretty well that way, too. In any given round, there is no way to quantify the difference that one golf ball vs. another would have made; you know only what you did shoot, never what you would have shot. And a lot of guys don't find the difference between shooting 85 and 84 very compelling anyway. They don't carry a handicap, they don't play competitively, they don't pay much attention to things like club fitting, and they're fine with the way they approach the game, including what golf ball they play. So realbly, all golf ball questions start with the question, "What do you want out of this?"

And IF the answer to that question is, "I want to play as well as I possibly can, every time I play.", then yes, a two piece ball IS a step back. The biggest requirement to play as well as you can is that you play the SAME ball all the time, but beyond that basic fact, it is harder to control a two piece ball off irons; it just is. Ironically, most get the meaning of that backwards and say that a lesser player doesn't need a three or four piece ball, that only good players do, but if anything, it's the other way around. A good player can adjust; a lesser player can't.

The simplest way to put this is that a two piece ball slides up the face of an iron, while a three or four piece ball rolls up the face, with the difference meaning less spin off an iron off the two piece ball. That makes roll out less controllable and less predictable, and the game is already hard enough without adding that.

Cost is a valid reason to play a two piece ball, but beyond that there just aren't any good reasons to use a ball that performs at a lower level. And two piece balls DO perform at a lower level; there's just no way around that.

 

[Girevik]

Well, I want to play as well as I can. I take lessons, and while you won't see me playing in tournaments I take it seriously and want to keep improving. However there are financial considerations. I've joined a club this year so am playing WAY WAY more than I have in the past, plus the course if fairly challenging with a lot of trouble so if I'm playing poorly I can go through balls quickly (plus I'm a cheapskate and hate throwing away money). If a ball performed comparably, or close to it, I'd like to save some money.

But, I guess the bottom line is that I won't know how much a ball affects my game until I give it a try. Too bad I don't have access to a Track Man I could use to put different ball through the paces and see how they compare. I guess if I'm not hitting a lot of greens from 120+ yards out, spin doesn't really matter anyway. I'm not going to get much spin with ANY ball if I'm using short chips and pitches to get on the green.

[cristphoto]

A 2-piece ball is a step back from the standpoint you will have less shot selection available to you. If you are a beginner or a casual golfer they will suffice. The more skilled and serious you become about your game, you will probably prefer the multi-layer urethane ball.

[HyzerFlipDG]

For those who don't know already....

The Hammer Control is a great ball. From what we've gathered its an,updated version of the D2+Feel. Most people are uses to top flites feeling like rocks, but the cover is really nice on these. I picked up 8 boxes during the BOGO and it's my main ball right now.

They make a similar ball in a 3 piece called the Gamer, but i honestly haven't tested it enough to see if its worth the price difference. The covers feel almost identical though as I cant accurately pick one out by feel in my hands(and finger nail scratch test).

If I am playing a course where i absolutely have to use a urethane ball i use the Q-star Tour.

[bluedot]

You don't need access to a Trackman; the testing is being done at all swing speeds, and it's being done independently from the manufacturers so that marketing hype gets filtered out. I'm not sure what's allowed here in terms of posting links to other competing websites, but Today's Golfer did an incredibly extensive test a year or so ago that's easy to find, and there is a similar site to this one that does extensive testing on golf balls every year. Those tests are NOT hard to find, and they'll give you more info that you can digest in one sitting, I promise you.

I feel your pain about the finances; I'm a retired high school teacher/coach, and money matters to me now just like it always did. Not as much as when I had to take care of young kids, but it still matters. Again, the biggest thing to remember about the ball you pick is that you need to play the same ball all the time. But there ARE three and four piece urethane cover balls available at prices that are comparable to two piece balls, and durability isn't much of an issue anymore for premium balls like it used to be in the bad old days of balata.

FWIW, I could not disagree more with the idea that a higher handicap needs LESS performance out of a golf ball than a better player. The higher handicap player needs predictable results from a ball just as much, but hits MORE shots inside 150 than the better player does. A two piece ball that slides up the face of an iron and comes off with less spin introduces MORE variation to the player than needs LESS variation. Good players dread "fliers"; with a two piece ball, pretty much every shot off an iron is a flier to some extent.

My biggest worry in your particular situation would be whether or not you have any sort of an obligation to support the club pro at you club by buying balls in the pro shop. If he doesn't make his money that way, then I'd feel like a free agent to buy whatever I wanted, wherever I wanted. There are ways now to play a three or four piece ball affordably; Snell MTB and MTB-X are the best examples. There isn't a better ball on the market than Snell, and I'm including ProV1's and TPX's in that. Vice balls aren't bad; not nearly as good as Snell, but not bad, and there are other options as well.

[Girevik]

It's never been implied that I'm under any obligation to buy balls at the club. They're a Titleist account so that would be pricey. Two of my kids and I take lessons there, hopefully that's enough support. Side note, though, the pro I take lessons from told me that because of the difficulty and trouble around the course they have the largest Titleist ball account of any club in the state.

The ball I'm playing now, Kirkland, clocks it at $12.50 a dozen, so I don't think I'm going to find a cheaper 3 piece ball, and not a whole lot of cheaper 2 piece balls. But right now the Top Flights are at $8 a dozen so I guess the question is the Kirkland 3 piece is worth 50% more than the new Top Flite

[Tanner25]

I haven't played the Hammer Control. But, if others are right, it is similar to a D2 Feel. Solid feeling ball and cheap! I find these balls firmer than a supersoft or duo. Keep that in mind as well.

[munichop]

I played the HC is a three club wind yesterday. This is a REALLY good ball. I would say it is a meshing of the d2 + feel and the old gamer soft. It is easier to shape than the tru feel. It feels like a mid compression ball to me - again similar to the gamer soft.

[HyzerFlipDG]

I had never played the gamer soft so thats good to know. I definitely like the improved cover for this years lineup(not sure if they will all have the same cover material, but wouldnt be surprised). Crazy that its easy to feel the difference between the two balls just from a fingernail scratch test. The HC cover makes the D2+F cover feel like an old XL distance!

Im almost through my first of 8 boxes of HC and super happy with them. I'm only taking out the D2+F on water holes right now.

I have 2 boxes of the new 2020 Gamer, but havent used them on a full size course. Used them for a round at my local pitch and putt, but didnt notice much difference between it and the HC so far.

[Girevik]

I picked up 3 of the 15 packs of the HC today so I'll give them a try tomorrow. Decided to give the yellow ball a try to see if it's easier to track and find.

[wross702]

no, not a step back, okay to mix it up sometimes. i still feel that the 2 pieces have less side spin and are more forgiving off the tee when driver misbehaves. my favorite are the titleist trufeel yellows

[Tanner25]

Dicks Sporting Good. When I didn't care much or pay attention to balls. Back in the day, I said, a Slazenger Ball was ok.

[Tanner25]

Hmm, a 2 piece Gamersoft, that sounds interesting. I am down to my last single GS ball. Farewell old friend!

Does the HC have some greenside spin like the GS or very little like the D2 Feel?

[brew4eagle]

Bridgestone e6 used to be a 3 piece ball, just realized they changed to a 2 piece construction, interesting.

I'd go Q Star Tour, I get them for $10 to $15/dozen when the old versions go on sale and stock up. They spin the same as the Z Star for me but feel softer, such a great ball.

[Girevik]

I asked about them here back at the time and the consensus was that most Slaxy balls were mediocre at best, but the soft feel was a pretty decent ball for the money. But it's been several years since I've played them.

[bluedot]

I could be 100% wrong, but I thought the E6 was a two piece ball with a urethane cover, maybe the only one of that type on the market at the time.

[brew4eagle]

e6 used to be 3 piece with surlyn cover and e5 was 2 piece with urethane

[Phireside]

If I didn't hoard "tour" level balls when I come across a sale, I would gladly be playing the Wilson 50 Elite. When I find one on the course I generally put it in play for fun until I lose it. Great ball.

[HyzerFlipDG]

My normal playing partner games the wilson 50 elite and I can't get over how much greenside spin that ball gets for having a surlyn/ionomer cover.

[bluedot]

You're correct; good catch.

[monks66]

it truly is a sleeper golf ball

[munichop]

@Tanner25
spin wise the HC is between the d2 and the GS for me. The 20-30 yard pitch you can expect some good run out. Again as with all surlyn covers height is your friend when stopping these shots.

[Girevik]

How often does Dick's run the 3 for 30 on the HC?

[jasonTeI3]

So I played the new 2020 Gamer this past weekend and here’s what I think. I have been playing mostly Srixon XV’s and TP5X’s for the last 2 years so this was a big jump for me I thought. I didn’t notice any distance gains or losses. Irons seemed identical as did the driver. They definitely don’t have quite as much spin from green side out to about a 50% wedge shot. Anything though that I hit 3/4 to full felt like it spun just as much as anything I’ve played lately. I didn’t get any funny looking flights from irons or woods either. The ball feels good too. I think if I had some of the guys I play with use one and didn’t tell them what it was they would be pleased with it. For $13/dz I’m in. I will have to try one on some firmer faster greens to really know but I like what I see so far.

[Tanner25]

Thanks, munichop!

[Tanner25]

Hard to say. It's a new ball. I suspect you will see it come up again more so as a 2 for 25 ball, a few times per year and the holidays. Still a great price. Did you play with them yet?