How to find your golf ball?

[ltom]

Ok I decided to test various golf balls recently.  Used a driver, 7 iron, SW (80/60/40 yards) and putter feel.  I guess I could feel some difference while putting.  They all felt the same on driver and 7 iron, except soft balls like supersoft did feel pretty soft w driver.  The Xs seemed shorter on wedges, but they all pretty much checked up the same amount. 

 

Just wondering what other golfers are doing to find "their" ball.  Starting to think I should just use whatever ball I find.

[bluedot]

It matters far, far less which ball you pick than that you play the same ball all the time.  Your last sentence is the one you need to avoid IF you want to play your best golf and especially if you are going to play in any sort of competition. 

 

You're dead on, and testing confirms it, that the differences are small off the driver, growing larger as you get closer to the green.  A lot of guys on this board attribute all sorts of magical properties to golf balls; this is one great in the wind, this one is great in the cold, this one is great on this type of course, and on and on. 

 

But the choice, really, is pretty much what it has ALWAYS been; you have to decide how much spin around the greens you want to pay for.  You can spend a little for a ball that spins a little, and you can spend a lot for a ball that spins a lot, with a lot of choices in between.  (The big exception to this "rule", at least right now, is the Kirkland ball, which spins like a top AND is cheap.  But most players, myself included, believe that ball is significantly shorter off the tee, so that's another discussion for another thread, of which there are plenty here.)

 

Find something you like at a price you can manage, and then play that golf ball.  ALL THE TIME.

[North Butte]

Spin around the greens and spin on approach shots. 

[wantacigar]

21 minutes ago, bluedot said:

But the choice, really, is pretty much what it has ALWAYS been; you have to decide how much spin around the greens you want to pay for.  You can spend a little for a ball that spins a little, and you can spend a lot for a ball that spins a lot, with a lot of choices in between.  (The big exception to this "rule", at least right now, is the Kirkland ball, which spins like a top AND is cheap.  But most players, myself included, believe that ball is significantly shorter off the tee, so that's another discussion for another thread, of which there are plenty here.)

 

Find something you like at a price you can manage, and then play that golf ball.  ALL THE TIME.

The Kirkland 3.2 (red graphic) fixed the over spin on the driver.  I've hit some of my longest drives of the year with that ball.  Fantastic spin around the green.  It's a phenomenal "tour level" ball for about $1.00 / ball. 

 

That being said there are a ton of balls out there that may suite your game.  Example: Titleist Tour Soft is a 2 pc ball that has really good performance if you're looking for soft feel, distance and SOME greenside spin.   

[ltom]

I guess I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong with wedge testing.  Any idea why i'm seeing the same check with Xs, Velocities, SS, Pro vs, etc??  Hit tons of balls from 80/60/40 and getting pretty much same dispersion.

Maybe the greens where I play suck. 🙂

Edited July 1, 2021 by ltom

[ode]

I'm a rebel in the way I approach it.  Ball must perform to my standards off the tee (flight/spin/distance) and then whittle it down from there to what works around the green.  I see no point to spending time with a ball around the green and less than full wedges if it does not perform with the big stick!

[Jeff58]

First, your testing method is generally good. Stick to a few repeatable clubs and distances. However, you can’t just throw down a bunch of balls and expect a clear result, the reason being that the variability of your swing will often/normally/always overwhelm the variation of the ball.

What you’re doing is an experiment, and what you need is a standard by which the others are judged. This seems troublesome, as you’re being asked to make a conclusion before you start, but without a means of comparison, you get what you’re currently getting. I use V1’s, as I consider them the standard by which all others are judged. They also fit a wide variety of players. You also need to hit enough shots that the results are significant. 7 is a good minimum. I am extremely lucky in that my practice facility has two parallel 150 yard practice holes, so I can hit progressive wedges, exactly as you’re doing, and 9 irons. If this wasn’t available, my results would be pretty much worthless. For putting, take a single candidate ball and two V1’s. While they may feel very different, the actual results are generally close to identical, which can be illuminating.

If this seems too time consuming or unnecessary, you’d generally be correct. If your goals in golf are to “just play”, then buy Kirkland balls and be happy. For most players, the difference between Kirkland and the optimal ball for them is about 1 stroke per round. For the better player who is looking to reduce their score, the difference within a category, e.g. X balls, is also about 1 stroke. The biggest gains are to be within the correct category,  which generally requires no exertion at all on your part, and as others have said, keep playing it. The variation is there, you just don’t have enough ability to discriminate to realize it.

Also consider a new wedge, your balls should be stopping dead with a quality ball between 40-60 yards.

[monkeyboy]

Weighted formula with emphasis given to:

1.  Putting and feel

2. Chipping and spin

3. Pitching

4. Short irons

5. Long iron+fairway woods+driver

 

Most balls are long enough - I want most emphasis on putting and working my way backwards from the green.

[cardia10]

46 minutes ago, ltom said:

I guess I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong with wedge testing.  Any idea why i'm seeing the same check with Xs, Velocities, SS, Pro vs, etc??  Hit tons of balls from 80/60/40 and getting pretty much same dispersion.

Maybe the greens where I play suck. 🙂

You may be doing nothing wrong, but proving to yourself that a lower level ball fits your game at the moment. The game may change and you may find you need a change, but I'd play the cheapest ball that works for you. I've been a fan of the Maxfli's lately. Comparing them to every tour level ball and watching every you tube review I can find, there is little to no difference in it and a pro v. At least not $30 per dozen difference. 

[jholz]

When I choose a ball, I look at cover (urethane for me), compression (something softer than "tour level"), and price (always looking for deals).

 

There are a number of options every year. I choose the best available at the moment, buy three dozen (or whatever), and then commit to that ball for the rest of the year. 

 

If you get something of reasonable quality that roughly fits your player profile, after that its just a matter of becoming familiar with them.

 

My choice this year was last year's Q-Star Tours. Been playing and practicing with them since February and haven't had any complaints. 

 

 

[Jeremy876]

Always try the new. As for now, Prov1 is the main ball for me. I am curious about what TM did with the new TP5/5x and curious to see what BXS is like so these balls will get some testing 

[tsecor]

I do it differently than most people.

 

I start with the driver and not the putter.  For me, I need to know the tee shot is going to work for me. if the ball passes the tee shot test, I move on to the wedges and short game testing.  Obviously this is where you find the "meat and potatoes" of the selection process. If it doesnt pass the short game test I move on.....for example, I love the Titleist Left Dash off the tee....no better ball right now......but when i tested sand shots and 50 yards and in, i found the ball didnt work well for me....so I moved to prov1.....i found the prov1 feels great off the tee...when i moved to short game.....it felt and performed even better.....so then i moved to 150 yards......felt good, performed well, so right now its the leader in the club house.....

 

so far, ive tested AVX (too soft and not playable all around), left dash (great off the tee, too firm elsewhere and not enough spin for me), V1 (leader so far) BXS (too much spin and ball tends to balloon for me)

 

Will be testing 2021 TP5x (hated the 2019 version), BX, BRX, Chromesoft and TP5

 

im going broke on testing but this will be my ball for the next few years.....so why not.....

 

im excited to try the new TP5x......

 

Ill be honest, sometime I equate feel with performance and im actively trying to rid myself of these evil thoughts

Edited July 1, 2021 by tsecor

[ltom]

40 minutes ago, jholz said:

When I choose a ball, I look at cover (urethane for me), compression (something softer than "tour level"), and price (always looking for deals).

 

There are a number of options every year. I choose the best available at the moment, buy three dozen (or whatever), and then commit to that ball for the rest of the year. 

 

If you get something of reasonable quality that roughly fits your player profile, after that its just a matter of becoming familiar with them.

 

My choice this year was last year's Q-Star Tours. Been playing and practicing with them since February and haven't had any complaints. 

 

 

Yeah i've been mainly using QSTs and really like them too.

[nlinneman20]

1 hour ago, ode said:

I'm a rebel in the way I approach it.  Ball must perform to my standards off the tee (flight/spin/distance) and then whittle it down from there to what works around the green.  I see no point to spending time with a ball around the green and less than full wedges if it does not perform with the big stick!

 

I'm the same way, IF someone plays the right way...lost balls off the tee will absolutely kill your score.  I don't care if you can put every iron/wedge shot within a foot of the hole, the penalties will kill you.

 

I also don't care what all of the 'pros' on here say, 90% of us don't know how to control spin, etc. so if you don't know how to do that, odds are if you are 100 or less from the green and you hit a decent shot, the ball will stick on the green somewhere.  Now maybe not if you blade it or chunk it but I've had Maxfli 2 piece balls from dicks stop a foot from a divot and I've had prov's stop a foot from my divot.

[ltom]

19 minutes ago, nlinneman20 said:

 

I'm the same way, IF someone plays the right way...lost balls off the tee will absolutely kill your score.  I don't care if you can put every iron/wedge shot within a foot of the hole, the penalties will kill you.

 

I also don't care what all of the 'pros' on here say, 90% of us don't know how to control spin, etc. so if you don't know how to do that, odds are if you are 100 or less from the green and you hit a decent shot, the ball will stick on the green somewhere.  Now maybe not if you blade it or chunk it but I've had Maxfli 2 piece balls from dicks stop a foot from a divot and I've had prov's stop a foot from my divot.

Exactly, that's what i'm finding too about wedge shots stopping.  Maybe it's a diff story if you play really good courses with perfect greens.

Great point about tee shots. 

[wantacigar]

The backspin on the wedge shot is all about contact and speed

[scott406]

I went through several balls in the past few months to find a ball that fit my game

I tested the BridgeStone RX , OnCor, Z-Star, Snell Black and X, Spaulding, Q-Star, Pro V1, Vice, and others.

 

I played a full18 holes with a certain Brand, then when I played again, same course, I would play a Different  ball and see where I ended up in the fairway, on the green , around the green.  I didn't care what I shot, I just would try to see what ball gave me the best response to my game over 18 holes.

What ball felt best off the putter, what ball would check up on chip, pitches and full shots, what ball would give me the distance on Drivers and par 3's, also durability is a big one.  Playing a full round of golf with one brand you will have a variety of shots to play and you can see how a ball responds to different shots and how it holds up under a full round.

 

This is just my way of testing and it worked for me

Everyone is different and you have to find what works for you

I took a little bit of what everyone said on this site and found a way to apply to me

Sounds like you are well on your way 

 

Good luck

 

PS:

I ended up in this order

1. Snell Black

2. Srixon Z- Star

3. BridgeStone RX

 

 

 

[OhYeahPlayer]

I found simulator testing to be huge, if you have access to that sort of thing. Understanding nuances in ball speed and spin rates on different clubs helped narrow down what worked and what doesn't. And then, once you've found something, stick to it! If you don't have sim access, great suggestions above - find what works for you/your game, and stick to it. 

 

I play Z Star XVs consistently. On off days, scrambles, etc I'll play Kirklands and from sim testing, know they're about 5 yards shorter on irons due to the spin. 

[JJgolfwrx]

From a feel perspective best to go based off putter and partial wedge shots inside 80 to 50 yds. Per Eric Loper, Taylormade's former and now Callaway's Lead in golf ball design, most players will chose a golf ball based on feel off the putter and wedges as well as the performance on partial wedge shots. 

 

From a performance perspective, that's a whole other conversation. I could write a whole article on that. However to keep it simple...for irons and driver, golf ball can effect the intial launch and spin without changing loft of an iron or driver as well as the downrange ballflight (apex height & decent angle). You change this trajectory of your golf ball just by going from a prov1 (lower initial launch, lower apex, lower decent) to prov1x (higher initial launch, higher apex, higher decent) for example. 

 

-JJ

[nlinneman20]

2 hours ago, ltom said:

Exactly, that's what i'm finding too about wedge shots stopping.  Maybe it's a diff story if you play really good courses with perfect greens.

Great point about tee shots. 

 

Forgot to mention, I've shot 79 and 78 in my life, every other round in the 80s or 90s.  What was the one common theme in each round?  I had exactly 1 penalty off the tee and I think I went on to either double or triple those holes.  Now imagine you have 2 or 3 lost balls off the tee and I think you can figure out the math and where your score might end up even if you shoot say 5-7 over on the rest of the holes.

 

A lot of people tho just go where the ball was lost, drop the ball and call it one stroke so they are hitting 3 from where the ball was lost.

 

I am not a rules stickler by any means as I dont play in tournaments or for money. I play with plenty of guys who do what I mentioned above however at the end of the round when they go 'i shot 86' but I know for a fact they lost 3-4 balls off the tee, its kind of funny lol.

[ltom]

4 hours ago, Jeff58 said:

First, your testing method is generally good. Stick to a few repeatable clubs and distances. However, you can’t just throw down a bunch of balls and expect a clear result, the reason being that the variability of your swing will often/normally/always overwhelm the variation of the ball.

What you’re doing is an experiment, and what you need is a standard by which the others are judged. This seems troublesome, as you’re being asked to make a conclusion before you start, but without a means of comparison, you get what you’re currently getting. I use V1’s, as I consider them the standard by which all others are judged. They also fit a wide variety of players. You also need to hit enough shots that the results are significant. 7 is a good minimum. I am extremely lucky in that my practice facility has two parallel 150 yard practice holes, so I can hit progressive wedges, exactly as you’re doing, and 9 irons. If this wasn’t available, my results would be pretty much worthless. For putting, take a single candidate ball and two V1’s. While they may feel very different, the actual results are generally close to identical, which can be illuminating.

If this seems too time consuming or unnecessary, you’d generally be correct. If your goals in golf are to “just play”, then buy Kirkland balls and be happy. For most players, the difference between Kirkland and the optimal ball for them is about 1 stroke per round. For the better player who is looking to reduce their score, the difference within a category, e.g. X balls, is also about 1 stroke. The biggest gains are to be within the correct category,  which generally requires no exertion at all on your part, and as others have said, keep playing it. The variation is there, you just don’t have enough ability to discriminate to realize it.

Also consider a new wedge, your balls should be stopping dead with a quality ball between 40-60 yards.

Just got a cobra snake bite and its money dude.

[Pepperturbo]

Golf is about "attention to details" and choosing a golf ball is no different.  I want to see what the ball does under all sorts of green and weather conditions, as well as from different lies.  Key to improving one's golf is understanding ALL the nuisances of your game/skill, then picking equipment that works nicely with your skill.

 

I don't need a ball to spin, I create plenty of that because I still hit the ball hard.  I want a ball that hits, checks then dribbles forward or maybe spins backward a few yards at most.  When I use 7 iron, I want to rely on the ball hitting, checking and bounce/roll forward, but not very far.  With PW, I expect the ball to hit and stop, close to its ball mark, maybe spin back a bit cause I hit it really hard and pure. 

 

I knew as soon as I hit the new ProV1x it was no longer my ball, they changed it.  I tripped over DASH and found it to be the ball for me most of the summer, when temps cool I switch to AVX or new ProV1.  I can rely on each of them.

[ltom]

27 minutes ago, Pepperturbo said:

Golf is about "attention to details" and choosing a golf ball is no different.  I want to see what the ball does under all sorts of green and weather conditions, as well as from different lies.  Key to improving one's golf is understanding ALL the nuisances of your game/skill, then picking equipment that works nicely with your skill.

 

I don't need a ball to spin, I create plenty of that because I still hit the ball hard.  I want a ball that hits, checks then dribbles forward or maybe spins backward a few yards at most.  When I use 7 iron, I want to rely on the ball hitting, checking and bounce/roll forward, but not very far.  With PW, I expect the ball to hit and stop, close to its ball mark, maybe spin back a bit cause I hit it really hard and pure. 

 

I knew as soon as I hit the new ProV1x it was no longer my ball, they changed it.  I tripped over DASH and found it to be the ball for me most of the summer, when temps cool I switch to AVX or new ProV1.  I can rely on each of them.

I'm moving towards single digit which it looks like where your game is already.  I appreciate the advice.  Sounds like you're recommending sticking with Titleist balls and finding the one which suits my game.  Correct?

[hammergolf]

7 hours ago, ltom said:

Ok I decided to test various golf balls recently.  Used a driver, 7 iron, SW (80/60/40 yards) and putter feel.  I guess I could feel some difference while putting.  They all felt the same on driver and 7 iron, except soft balls like supersoft did feel pretty soft w driver.  The Xs seemed shorter on wedges, but they all pretty much checked up the same amount. 

 

Just wondering what other golfers are doing to find "their" ball.  Starting to think I should just use whatever ball I find.

The longer the shot, the less difference you will find. I spend the majority of my time inside 100 yds when I’m testing.  From there I test shorts irons, then mid, then longer clubs. 

[Pepperturbo]

1 minute ago, ltom said:

I'm moving towards single digit which it looks like where your game is already.  I appreciate the advice.  Sounds like you're recommending sticking with Titleist balls and finding the one which suits my game.  Correct?

Yes, my low was 2, now 3-4ish...

 

Sorry, my intention was not to suggest Titleist balls.  The ones I mention work for my game.   My advice is give each ball you try (whatever that may be) the time to tell you how it behaves with your game under all conditions. 

 

One of my buddies plays what ever he can find, which usually turns out to be Callaway, Titleist or Bridgestone.  He does not bother with ball behavior, cause he doesn't trust his ball striking.  He can lose them as fast as he finds them... LOL 

 

I, however, want to know if I smack a ball with the intended purpose of covering a big hazard and turning into a little fade, I don't want to think twice whether it will do what it's told.

[jdvela55]

13 hours ago, monkeyboy said:

Weighted formula with emphasis given to:

1.  Putting and feel

2. Chipping and spin

3. Pitching

4. Short irons

5. Long iron+fairway woods+driver

 

Most balls are long enough - I want most emphasis on putting and working my way backwards from the green.

 

 

This is exactly how I test a new ball.  Bridgestone Tour B XS is the ball I will play for a minute.  I have tried all the high end balls and the Bridgestone flat out performs for me.  I am going to give the Snell MTB a shot bc it has me curious.  

[AngryGilmore]

I just unzip one of the pockets in my golf bag and there it is!  It's like magic.

[AngryGilmore]

8 hours ago, jdvela55 said:

 

 

This is exactly how I test a new ball.  Bridgestone Tour B XS is the ball I will play for a minute.  I have tried all the high end balls and the Bridgestone flat out performs for me.  I am going to give the Snell MTB a shot bc it has me curious.  

The Bridgestone Tour B XS is a great ball.  The problem I had is that it is so soft that it feels like I am trying to putt a marshmallow and I was blowing putts past the hole from hitting them too hard.  But...it was also one of the longer balls I've played.  We have a lot of wind where I play and sometimes upshooters are a problem.

 

I'm sticking with my MTB-X.

[HyzerFlipDG]

I play a ton of golf (I get to the course 2-3 times a week and play 27-36 holes each time) so price is a huge deal for me.    

I mainly have 4 balls I will play: 2 surlyn covers and 2 urethane covers. For surlyn I'll play a topflite hammer control or a Srixon Soft Feel both in yellow.  For urethane I'll play a Ksig 3pc or a Srixon Q-star tour(in yellow).  

For me it depends on how ive been hitting and whether I need more stopping power on the green.  

If I am hitting well I go to a higher compression ball and if the greens are firm I switch to the higher compression urethane ball.  

If I'm not playing as well or I'm just really in the mood to hit marshmallows all day I will play the lower compression ball. For some reason a lower compression ball makes me feel more comfortable when striking the ball.  

  

 

Edited July 2, 2021 by HyzerFlipDG
A word

[wantacigar]

1 hour ago, HyzerFlipDG said:

I play a ton of golf (I get to the course 2-3 times a week and play 27-36 holes each time) so price is a huge deal for me.    

I mainly have 4 balls I will play: 2 surlyn covers and 2 urethane covers. For surlyn I'll play a topflite hammer control or a Srixon Soft Feel both in yellow.  For urethane I'll play a Ksig 3pc or a Srixon Q-star tour(in yellow).  

For me it depends on how ive been hitting and whether I need more stopping power on the green.  

If I am hitting well I go to a higher compression ball and if the greens are firm I switch to the higher compression urethane ball.  

If I'm not playing as well or I'm just really in the mood to hit marshmallows all day I will play the lower compression ball. For some reason a lower compression ball makes me feel more comfortable when striking the ball.  

  

 

Funny, I have similar tendencies with surlyn or urethane.

However, I'm a bit different.  I have a 16 hcp currently.  My swing isn't consistent enough to tell any small performance differences.  I'm not married to any particular brand, tho I have my favorites.  Love the way the Ksig 3.2 feels off the clubhead, get as good if not better distance than I get from TP5x and would be my gamer.  Love the TM Tour Response.  Have a stupid amount of new 2019 TP5 and TP5x (over 16 dozen) due to a ridiculously cheap price for the lot.  I randomly use urethane balls depending upon my mood.  If I'm not striking particularly well or if the course conditions call for surlyn covered ball I would use what ever I've bought on sale or got a sleeve or two at outings.  Currently working through TF D2 Feels, Titleist Tour Soft, Callaway Diablo Tour.  I actually like surlyn covered balls because I get better roll out.  I'm not nearly consistent enough to know I should have gotten 4 more yards out of a particular shot.  My drives are consistently 220-270 yards with the same ball on the same round.  For me it comes down to price and feel.  I love the way ProV1's feel but unless I get them at a ridiculously cheap price or as a gift, I don't play them no matter the performance.  I'm just not good enough to appreciate the performance nuances of any particular ball.