Best Ball for Amateur Long Drive

[stlcardinals08]

Does anyone have good recommendations for a long drive golf ball? I know Slazenger Raw Distance and Pinnacle Gold used to be the standard picks, but both have been discontinued.

 

I just played in a scrabble tournament and lost the long drive hole by only a couple of yards, but I was an idiot because I just grabbed the ball that was handy (Titleist Tour Soft) instead of having a good distance ball to use. Next time, I want to make sure I’m ready with the best ball possible for the long drive hole.

 

 Looking forward to hearing the recommendations!

[Obee]

I believe that the longest balls with driver are the hardest (highest compression) golf balls. Check out Not allowed because of spam's stuff. Great stuff on golf ball distance.

[Greenskeeper13]

Taylormade TP5X given me about 6-7 yards more average from my old balls..  

[milesgiles]

You don’t think you’re taking this a tad too seriously? 

[phizzy30]

I actually have a couple longest drive trophies somewhere in my closet, lol.  Hey if you can't win the titleist trophy then why not longest drive, right?  I've hit some of my longest drives with the MTB-X.  However, in the past when my ball speed was higher and before Snell was around, if I wanted to hit a long ball, I would grab a Pinnacle.  Most of their balls are geared toward distance anyways. 

[milesgiles]

I’m fairly sure we’ve slaughtered people at golf days for popping out a pinnacle on the long drive hole only.

 

poor form imo 

[SNIPERBBB]

Biggest thing on long drives is just getting the ball in the fairway. Ive lost more of those to not hitting the fairway, or sometimes going through the fairway..., than someone blowing one past me.

[stlcardinals08]

1 hour ago, milesgiles said:

I’m fairly sure we’ve slaughtered people at golf days for popping out a pinnacle on the long drive hole only.

 

poor form imo 

Hey Miles,

At the scrambles I play in changing out a ball is very common. I lost probably 7 or 8 balls going for “hero” shots when our team had a safe one in play. Some of those were drives and others were shots where hazards came into play.

 

 If I was better and didn’t lose so many balls then playing the same ball throughout the round would work. But I lose a decent amount of balls and switch in and out with different ones I’ve found or bought as do most of the people playing so I don’t think it is poor form. In fact, I used probably about the worst the ball in my bag for driving distance on accident this past time! I’d like to give myself a fair shot against the other guys who have long distance balls they are using. Now, if someone pulled out a non-conforming long drive ball, that would be poor form, but switching between usga approved balls is so common that I personally do not see it as an issue.

 

 

[Honixx]

It's not a long drive competition in my mind unless you're crushing Pinnacle Golds!!

[VNutz]

5 hours ago, milesgiles said:

You don’t think you’re taking this a tad too seriously? 

This is GolfWRX, there is no such thing. 🙂

[milesgiles]

3 minutes ago, stlcardinals08 said:

Hey Miles,

At the scrambles I play in changing out a ball is very common. I lost probably 7 or 8 balls going for “hero” shots when our team had a safe one in play. Some of those were drives and others were shots where hazards came into play.

 

 If I was better and didn’t lose so many balls then playing the same ball throughout the round would work. But I lose a decent amount of balls and switch in and out with different ones I’ve found or bought as do most of the people playing so I don’t think it is poor form. In fact, I used probably about the worst the ball in my bag for driving distance on accident this past time! I’d like to give myself a fair shot against the other guys who have long distance balls they are using. Now, if someone pulled out a non-conforming long drive ball, that would be poor form, but switching between usga approved balls is so common that I personally do not see it as an issue.

 

 

 

Yes under the rules I ‘think’ (unless the rules have changed) you don’t have to use the same make/model of golf ball for the round (But it’s usually a local rule for a decent level of competition)

 

I’m not sure you can swap a ball if it’s not damaged or lost (rule isn’t very clear to me)

 

regardless, I think it’s generally regarded as poor form. I’ve seen players swap to higher compressions for longer holes. 

 

If you you really want the long drive prize, the pinnacle (or whatever) is what you should use all day. Then you can hold your head high at the presentation..

[SNIPERBBB]

Scrambles are notorious for people changing out balls. It normal RoG, you can switch balls anytime you take relief, take S&D, or between holes. Or your caddy had a heart attack and the ball went on the ambulance with the caddy.

 

Except for when the One Ball rule is in effect, you can always switch types of balls where legal to do so as mentioned above.

Edited November 30, 2020 by SNIPERBBB

[Hawkeye77]

Can we get a definitive answer here so we can move on and I can figure out the best irons to use to win the closest to the pin holes in the one or two scrambles I will play next year?

[stryper]

Volvik, since they’ve been a staple on the WLD Tour lately.  💪🏌️

[milesgiles]

30 minutes ago, SNIPERBBB said:

Scrambles are notorious for people changing out balls. It normal RoG, you can switch balls anytime you take relief, take S&D, or between holes. Or your caddy had a heart attack and the ball went on the ambulance with the caddy.

 

Except for when the One Ball rule is in effect, you can always switch types of balls where legal to do so as mentioned above.

 

If it’s not damaged??

[SNIPERBBB]

3 minutes ago, milesgiles said:

 

If it’s not damaged??

Ball does not need to be damaged for the rules i mentioned.

[PureStrikes54]

Volvik vivid xt is the ball used be long drive. Honestly without seeing your trackman numbers it's hard to say what ball would be best. Some guys need more spin and carry and some guys need to take spin off. If you need more spin a tour ball would probably be better. The Taylormade TP5X that someone mentioned is the longest tour ball with the Srixon z-star xv a close second imo. If you are a really high club head speed guy that needs absolute minimal spin the Volvik is probably best. 

[hammersia]

I thought it was pretty clear from the linked video by a guy who knows that the type of modern ball used makes little difference with the driver distance. If you look up some of the TXG videos they back that up as well. Certainly not the ten or fifteen yard boost required for winning the long drive prize. 

[milesgiles]

2 hours ago, SNIPERBBB said:

Ball does not need to be damaged for the rules i mentioned.

 

Are we sure about that?

[SNIPERBBB]

(1) When Player Is Allowed and Not Allowed to Substitute Another Ball. Certain Rules allow a player to change the ball he or she is using to play a hole by substituting another ball as the ball in play, and others do not:

• When taking relief under a Rule, including when either dropping a ball or placing a ball (such as when a ball will not stay in the relief area or when taking relief on the putting green), the player may use either the original ball or another ball (Rule 14.3a),

• When playing again from where a previous stroke was made, the player may use either the original ball or another ball (Rule 14.6), and

• When replacing a ball on a spot, the player is not allowed to substitute a ball and must use the original ball, with certain exceptions (Rule 14.2a).

a. Original Ball Must Be Used

The original ball must be used when replacing a ball.

Exception – Another Ball May Be Used When:

• The original ball cannot be recovered with reasonable effort and in a few seconds, so long as the player did not deliberately cause the ball to become unrecoverable,

• The original ball is cut or cracked (see Rule 4.2c),

• Play resumes after it had been stopped (see Rule 5.7d), or

• The original ball was played by another player as a wrong ball (see Rule 6.3c(2)).

[Krt22]

3 hours ago, milesgiles said:

 

Yes under the rules I ‘think’ (unless the rules have changed) you don’t have to use the same make/model of golf ball for the round (But it’s usually a local rule for a decent level of competition)

 

I’m not sure you can swap a ball if it’s not damaged or lost (rule isn’t very clear to me)

 

regardless, I think it’s generally regarded as poor form. I’ve seen players swap to higher compressions for longer holes. 

 

If you you really want the long drive prize, the pinnacle (or whatever) is what you should use all day. Then you can hold your head high at the presentation..

LOL! You take yourself and golf WAY too seriously if you are going to look down your nose at someone switching balls for a long drive hole at a scramble. Unless you are playing high level tournament golf, no one gives a crap about what ball you are playing

[milesgiles]

34 minutes ago, SNIPERBBB said:

(1) When Player Is Allowed and Not Allowed to Substitute Another Ball. Certain Rules allow a player to change the ball he or she is using to play a hole by substituting another ball as the ball in play, and others do not:

• When taking relief under a Rule, including when either dropping a ball or placing a ball (such as when a ball will not stay in the relief area or when taking relief on the putting green), the player may use either the original ball or another ball (Rule 14.3a),

• When playing again from where a previous stroke was made, the player may use either the original ball or another ball (Rule 14.6), and

• When replacing a ball on a spot, the player is not allowed to substitute a ball and must use the original ball, with certain exceptions (Rule 14.2a).

a. Original Ball Must Be Used

The original ball must be used when replacing a ball.

Exception – Another Ball May Be Used When:

• The original ball cannot be recovered with reasonable effort and in a few seconds, so long as the player did not deliberately cause the ball to become unrecoverable,

• The original ball is cut or cracked (see Rule 4.2c),

• Play resumes after it had been stopped (see Rule 5.7d), or

• The original ball was played by another player as a wrong ball (see Rule 6.3c(2)).

 

That would seem to say that no, you can’t swap an undamaged ball just because you started a new hole?

[milesgiles]

32 minutes ago, Krt22 said:

LOL! You take yourself and golf WAY too seriously if you are going to look down your nose at someone switching balls for a long drive hole at a scramble. Unless you are playing high level tournament golf, no one gives a crap about what ball you are playing

 

What if you’re the guy that lost by 5 yards to someone who swapped out for a pinnacle for one shot?

 

thin end of the wedge..

[PureStrikes54]

4 minutes ago, milesgiles said:

 

What if you’re the guy that lost by 5 yards to someone who swapped out for a pinnacle for one shot?

 

thin end of the wedge..

 

Unless a one ball rule is stipulated in the tournament rules it isn't an issue. The one ball rule is for real deal tournament golf, not cow pasture scrambles. 

[Krt22]

6 minutes ago, milesgiles said:

 

What if you’re the guy that lost by 5 yards to someone who swapped out for a pinnacle for one shot?

 

thin end of the wedge..

You would have to be extremely petty or perhaps have an undiagnosed mental disorder to be bothered by such trivial matters. Any player that is intentionally swapping balls during a scramble (or even a money game for that matter) is the least of my concern.

[Krt22]

Just now, PureStrikes54 said:

 

Unless a one ball rule is stipulated in the tournament rules it isn't an issue. The one ball rule is for real deal tournament golf, not cow pasture scrambles. 

You mean the ones where  the ROG don't remotely apply,  gimmes and mulligans can be purchased with cash, and are non-postable rounds where a team may have more beers than strokes over a 5hr period?

 

Oh yeah, super important if a guy hits a pinnacle vs his normal cally super soft on one hole

[stlcardinals08]

39 minutes ago, milesgiles said:

 

What if you’re the guy that lost by 5 yards to someone who swapped out for a pinnacle for one shot?

 

thin end of the wedge..

 

I literally lost by about a yard or maybe two. You can see the fairway easily from the next hole and the guy behind me barely moved the long drive marker. He got me by the thinnest of margins. I don't know if he switched out to a "long drive" ball or not, but to me it does not matter. What matters is that his ball traveled the furthest in the fairway, so he wins.

 

31 minutes ago, PureStrikes54 said:

 

Unless a one ball rule is stipulated in the tournament rules it isn't an issue. The one ball rule is for real deal tournament golf, not cow pasture scrambles. 

Exactly. This was a wet, cold scramble round (and I personally haven't played any scrambles that would be anywhere close to being serious enough to employ the one ball rule). Switching balls is within the rules and I'd expect other competitors to be switching to a good distance ball if they felt they had a chance to win. As you mentioned, it is totally legal, so why wouldn't they be doing it if they wanted to win. I knew I let an opportunity slip away so I want to be prepared for next time.

[milesgiles]

1 hour ago, Krt22 said:

You mean the ones where  the ROG don't remotely apply,  gimmes and mulligans can be purchased with cash, and are non-postable rounds where a team may have more beers than strokes over a 5hr period?

 

Oh yeah, super important if a guy hits a pinnacle vs his normal cally super soft on one hole

 

But everything else you posted are agreed stipulations where everyone is doing the same thing.

 

breaking the letter or spirit of whichever RoG you don’t think important at the time is totally different 

[milesgiles]

31 minutes ago, stlcardinals08 said:

 

I literally lost by about a yard or maybe two. You can see the fairway easily from the next hole and the guy behind me barely moved the long drive marker. He got me by the thinnest of margins. I don't know if he switched out to a "long drive" ball or not, but to me it does not matter. What matters is that his ball traveled the furthest in the fairway, so he wins.

 

Exactly. This was a wet, cold scramble round (and I personally haven't played any scrambles that would be anywhere close to being serious enough to employ the one ball rule). Switching balls is within the rules and I'd expect other competitors to be switching to a good distance ball if they felt they had a chance to win. As you mentioned, it is totally legal, so why wouldn't they be doing it if they wanted to win. I knew I let an opportunity slip away so I want to be prepared for next time.

 

1. I’m not yet convinced you can swap an undamaged ball at all to play a certain hole

 

2. It’s certainly against the spirit  of the rules

 

3. What if you had won that long drive with a different ball and it turns out he hadn’t swapped his? What satisfaction could you possibly take from that?

[SNIPERBBB]

1 hour ago, milesgiles said:

 

That would seem to say that no, you can’t swap an undamaged ball just because you started a new hole?

. Holing Out with Same Ball Played from Teeing Area

A player may play any conforming ball when starting a hole from the teeing area and may change balls between two holes.

The player must hole out with the same ball played from the teeing area, except when:

• That ball is lost or comes to rest out of bounds, or

• The player substitutes another ball (whether or not allowed to do so).

The player should put an identifying mark on the ball to be played (see Rule 7.2).