Just A Reminder About How Much The Golf Ball Matters

[NoTalentLefty]

For me not a big deal what is played but my preference is a Titleist or Bridgestone but not he top of the line stuff.  Just seems to me the quality control is better on the cheaper balls.

[caniac6]

I've been playing over 50 years, and there used to be some real garbage balls out there. That is not the case anymore. I really think most balls are pretty good. I play ProV1x, but I'm pretty sure my scores wouldn't be much different if I played any ball in the Titleist line.

[Nessism]

16 minutes ago, North Butte said:

No that is exactly what I thought. So the next question…
 

Do people show up in your threads on the tech forum to point out how useless and a waste of time all your efforts are? 
 

Not sure what it is about golf ball discussion that turns you so snarky and unpleasant. 

 

 

George Plimpton wrote "Putting is where the mind leaves the body."

 

Replace "putting" with "golf ball selection" and you would describe a sizeable % of guys that buy balls based on emotional reasons, not logical ones.  Where do you fall?

 

 

 

[North Butte]

Replace “golf ball” with “shaft” and we’re full circle. 

[Kentendo]

One of my old golf buddies came to vacation/play golf earlier this month.  We did a huge ball test over 4 days using the Titleist Pro V1's, V1x, AVX and all 4 Bridgestone Tour B's (black, blue, red and green boxes).  Since we wanted another Titleist ball to use to make it 4, we added in the Titleist TruFeel.  He normally plays Pro V1 and I play Tour B RXS.  Our driver speeds are both right around the "magic" 105 mph cut line.  My handicap is 5.4 and he is 7.2.

 

We basically each did a 4 man scramble by ourselves for 2 of the days.  He tested Titleist and I did Bridgestone on Day 1.  We flipped for day 2.  We used GPS to track our distances and kept some basic notes.

 

What were our findings?  

 

1.  All the balls were really really good.  We could play with any of them and be happy.

2.  All the balls were within 5 yards of each other off the tee on normal strikes.

3. All the balls were within 5 yards of each other on approaches.

4.  Some felt hard and some were soft.  We really preferred the softer balls.

5.  The trajectory differences were surprising.  Some flew much higher.

6.  That cheap TruFeel held its own against everything else for basically half the price.

7.  The quality of strike mattered a whole lot more than the ball.

 

I think I'm going to save some cash and switch to the TruFeel when my stock of Tour B's run out.

[GBBM]

The other day I found a nitro ultimate distance in the rough on 12 and pocketed it to put in my “hit into the field” collection. 
 

13 is a 196y par three. I teed up my TP5x and toed a 5 iron into the right green side bunker.
 

Distressed, I reached into my pocket, fished out the nitro, and tried again. Flushed it and it sailed the green. 

 

As such, my ball search continues. 

Edited August 1, 2021 by GBBM

[lefthack]

I play a cheap a** ball, a middle of the road ball, and a "premium" ball and for my game, it doesn't seem to matter much. I keep thinking one day it might, but I doubt it.

 

Right now my 2 current favorites are the Nitro Pulsar matte orange and the Inesis 500 Soft also matte orange. $15/dozen and $20/dozen. Solid, and cheaper than the Srixon Q Star Tour (also not available in orange).

[Pepperturbo]

On 7/30/2021 at 2:42 PM, sevenfourate said:

Agree. Look at my sig (I may take this to a slight extreme)…..knowing exactly how you and your equipment  perform under pressure when it matters is way more important than: 5 yards extra, slightly more forgiveness, 200rpm of extra spin etc. Because money cannot buy complete belief in what you’re using: in this already difficult game….

In golf extreme = smart. 

 

Yesterday I started with AVX, hit some good shots but later put DASH in play.  Boy does that ball perform.   The tees were back and good breeze into us, on a BLIND Par 5 over a wide and deep ravine with creek at the bottom, filled with thick trees and shrubs blocking the view to the perpendicular fairway.  I teed it high and let it fly dead straight to dead center of the fairway, next to my much younger buddy's ball.  Three of the four guys in front of us lost balls in the ravine.  On long Par 4, #18, I hit bad drive, and a marginal 3 iron that came up short in some thick rough, ugly lie next to a pond, using SW, punched down on the ball nicely, ball hit bounced once and stuck pin high 4', putt to save par.  After two not so good shots, making use of the ball technology and proper wedge technique can save Par.  Damn, I love DASH and this game.

[Pepperturbo]

On 7/30/2021 at 5:02 PM, Nessism said:

Differences in balls from a performance standpoint is one of the biggest misconceptions in all of golf.  Yeah, soft balls feel...softer.  And if you play on the PGA Tour what ball you use can matter.  But for Joe Q Public, it don't mean squat, and that includes single digit cappers.

Hit a solid shot and the ball will fly where you expect. 

I disagree with your broad belief, here. 

 

Because it doesn't matter to you, that doesn't mean it shouldn't matter to others with different golf goals.  I play to a 4, now.  I can hit pretty much any 4i, any shaft and ball, fly it 180, and stop it, still, even at my age.  That doesn't mean I should make golf equipment decisions based on that ability.

 

I can hit a solid 4i shot into a green and the "Ball" will do what it's designed to do, how much I can influence it to behave how I want, varies.  Then there's this, Joe Q Public seldom hits the ball solid, plus doesn't know how to impact the ball to get max performance.  Every choice we make and piece of equipment we play matters to the score.  That's my 2cents.

Edited August 21, 2021 by Pepperturbo

[tsecor]

On 7/30/2021 at 3:03 PM, North Butte said:

I was playing a solo practice round, working on various swing "issues", and hit a tee shot into a fairway bunker on a long (for me) Par 5. When I got to the bunker there were two balls, my Callaway and one with a Bridgestone logo. Just for the heck of it I went ahead and knocked both of them down the fairway with a hybrid. 

 

My third shot with my ball flew right over the flag to the back of the green and rolled into the rough. The Bridgestone ball I hit a big pull onto the green but miles from the hole. Chipped and two-putted for bogey with my ball then decided to try the long, double-breaking putt with the Bridgestone.

 

When I marked and cleaned the ball I saw two things. It was an e6 Soft (not a ball I'd normally play) and it had a gash in the side about an inch and half long. Pretty sure when they were mowing the rough that morning the mower hit the ball and knocked it into the bunker. 

 

So what the heck, I putted with it cut and all. Ran it a couple feet past the hole, made the par putt. Nothing to it. 

 

I think this a good reminder of just how important it is to play only top-quality golf balls and stick to the brand and model that we've determined suits our game. Terribly important isn't it?🤨

you hit a hybrid out of the trap????

[North Butte]

5 minutes ago, tsecor said:

you hit a hybrid out of the trap????

You bet!

 

There was no lip to speak of (maybe a 12" lip about 20 feet in front of me) and I was nearly 300 yards to the green so what the heck. I played my 23-degree Tour Edge Trilogy a little back in my stance and it hit a low bullet.

 

I'm not really a big fan of hybrids but I've always found as long as they've got some loft on them they're great out of fairway bunkers or off hardpan (which is practically what our bunkers are like right now but that's another story).

[tsecor]

Just now, North Butte said:

You bet!

 

There was no lip to speak of (maybe a 12" lip about 20 feet in front of me) and I was nearly 300 yards to the green so what the heck. I played my 23-degree Tour Edge Trilogy a little back in my stance and it hit a low bullet.

 

I'm not really a big fan of hybrids but I've always found as long as they've got some loft on them they're great out of fairway bunkers or off hardpan (which is practically what our bunkers are like right now but that's another story).

wow....i see you always downplay your game, but i have to say that sounds like an impressive shot. 

 

i have grown to love my hybrid and have attempted to hit it out of traps, but unless its a real low lip, i end up hitting the ball 30 yards because it hit the lip and went straight up in the air....

[North Butte]

23 minutes ago, tsecor said:

wow....i see you always downplay your game, but i have to say that sounds like an impressive shot. 

 

i have grown to love my hybrid and have attempted to hit it out of traps, but unless its a real low lip, i end up hitting the ball 30 yards because it hit the lip and went straight up in the air....

To be honest, it was also a solo practice round, playing two balls on most holes. 

 

Amazing how much tougher that shot would be if I had a scorecard in my pocket and a few dollars on the line!

[tsecor]

40 minutes ago, North Butte said:

To be honest, it was also a solo practice round, playing two balls on most holes. 

 

Amazing how much tougher that shot would be if I had a scorecard in my pocket and a few dollars on the line!

yea....the best shots come when nobody is there to see them......i almost had a hole in one, got 6" from going in and i was the only one there......10 years ive been telling the story and nobody believes it.

[PhilsFanDrew]

On 7/31/2021 at 3:15 PM, Nessism said:

I've got no issue with someone playing whatever ball they prefer.  It just strikes me as delusional when someone claims they "need" to play a pro level ball when they miss more greens than hit during a round.

 

That's pretty much my feelings as well.  For every short game shot that I may have benefited from having a ball with slightly more spin I equally benefited when I came up short of the green on a longer iron approach that bounced/released to the middle of the green.  

[North Butte]

15 minutes ago, tsecor said:

yea....the best shots come when nobody is there to see them......i almost had a hole in one, got 6" from going in and i was the only one there......10 years ive been telling the story and nobody believes it.

There was a pretty stupid superhero-spoof movie maybe 20 years ago called Mystery Men. One of the characters was the Invisible Boy and his superpower was that he could turn invisible.

 

When it came time that they needed him to turn invisible he just stands there and says, "I can't do it if anybody's WATCHING ME!". That's my golf game. 

[Nessism]

6 hours ago, Pepperturbo said:

Because it doesn't matter to you, that doesn't mean it shouldn't matter to others with different golf goals.  I play to a 4, now.  I can hit pretty much hit any 4i, any shaft and ball, fly it 180, and stop it, still, even at my age.  That doesn't mean I should make golf equipment decisions based on that ability.

 

I can hit a solid 4i shot into a green and the "Ball" will do what it's designed to do, how much I can influence it to behave how I want, varies.  Then there's this, Joe Q Public seldom hits the ball solid, plus doesn't know how to impact the ball to get max performance.  Every choice we make and piece of equipment we play matters to the score.  That's my 2cents.

 

Do you realize how arrogant this makes you seem?  

 

 

Edited August 3, 2021 by Nessism

[betarhoalphadelta]

22 minutes ago, Nessism said:

 

Do you realize how arrogant this makes you seem?  

 

 

He plays to a 4. On GolfWRX, that qualifies as a high cap 😂

[Stanks]

9 hours ago, Pepperturbo said:

I disagree with your broad belief, here. 

 

Because it doesn't matter to you, that doesn't mean it shouldn't matter to others with different golf goals.  I play to a 4, now.  I can hit pretty much hit any 4i, any shaft and ball, fly it 180, and stop it, still, even at my age.  That doesn't mean I should make golf equipment decisions based on that ability.

 

I can hit a solid 4i shot into a green and the "Ball" will do what it's designed to do, how much I can influence it to behave how I want, varies.  Then there's this, Joe Q Public seldom hits the ball solid, plus doesn't know how to impact the ball to get max performance.  Every choice we make and piece of equipment we play matters to the score.  That's my 2cents.

Equipment matters. Balls matter. We don't refute this. Your swing matters most. Whether your 4 iron shot comes in steep or low, rolls out or stops, cuts through the wind or balloon is a result of the player. Get a consistent swing and understand it's effects on one consistent ball then experiment from there. 

I love talking with the 4 caps and scratch players. They're either the most fun people to play with or I am trying to split my group up. Which one are you?

[rooski]

Honestly I think "Chrome Soft" is the coolest named golf ball so I play that one.

 

Plus $23 for a mint used dozen is as cheap as anything else so why not play the best. You'd never catch me paying $50 a dozen though, anybody that pays that much is either rich or a crackhead

Edited August 3, 2021 by rooski

[Justsomeguy]

On 7/30/2021 at 6:06 PM, miamistomp said:

 I don't see how a comparison with a damaged ball is a valid  test ??

NB has taken a stab at sarcasm and come up.... Dry? Wry? One of those...

😉

[JJFWebster]

I play Pro V's because they hold fast greens and you don't sacrifice distance or durability. Certainly not the only ball that has solid spin with the irons/wedges but they feel great off the putter as well. My course has a Titleist promotion every year where you can buy 1 dozen and get 5 free. I stock the locker up when they run it. 😋

[elwhippy]

The ball has changed so much over the past 20 years. Go back to 2001....Premium balls offered control but weren't as durable and spun too much. If you wanted distance the immediate choice was the Wilson Ultra. It trumped everything. OK for putting but devoid of grip unless the course was damp. Move to 2021 and the longest balls are the premium models. Cheaper, harder balls are shorter but have far more control. 

[Wormkiller]

On 7/31/2021 at 3:03 AM, North Butte said:

I was playing a solo practice round, working on various swing "issues", and hit a tee shot into a fairway bunker on a long (for me) Par 5. When I got to the bunker there were two balls, my Callaway and one with a Bridgestone logo. Just for the heck of it I went ahead and knocked both of them down the fairway with a hybrid. 

 

My third shot with my ball flew right over the flag to the back of the green and rolled into the rough. The Bridgestone ball I hit a big pull onto the green but miles from the hole. Chipped and two-putted for bogey with my ball then decided to try the long, double-breaking putt with the Bridgestone.

 

When I marked and cleaned the ball I saw two things. It was an e6 Soft (not a ball I'd normally play) and it had a gash in the side about an inch and half long. Pretty sure when they were mowing the rough that morning the mower hit the ball and knocked it into the bunker. 

 

So what the heck, I putted with it cut and all. Ran it a couple feet past the hole, made the par putt. Nothing to it. 

 

I think this a good reminder of just how important it is to play only top-quality golf balls and stick to the brand and model that we've determined suits our game. Terribly important isn't it?🤨

Overwhelming, very objective evidence there, with definitely a credible sample size....😜

[trapsmv15]

Not saying I’m good to always take advantage of it, but my little muni course has TINY greens. Stopping power on wedges matters even with the normally slow green speed since I don’t hit the ball far. Give me ionomer or it’s similar urethane (high launch really low spin like Q star tour, B RX etc) and I get a certain amount of rollout. V1X, B XS, etc cut that in half. If I were on normal sized greens I’d be in full agreement here. So I guess I agree and disagree

 

(PS: DASH is freaking awesome. The height keeps it really close to the V1X on that stopping power and it’s a bomber)

Edited August 3, 2021 by trapsmv15

[Pepperturbo]

14 hours ago, Stanks said:

Equipment matters. Balls matter. We don't refute this. Your swing matters most. Whether your 4 iron shot comes in steep or low, rolls out or stops, cuts through the wind or balloon is a result of the player. Get a consistent swing and understand it's effects on one consistent ball then experiment from there. 

I love talking with the 4 caps and scratch players. They're either the most fun people to play with or I am trying to split my group up. Which one are you?

I can't answer that question for you. 

 

Fact of my life, I have friendships that have lasted 50+ years, some from HS, and many of them are sports driven.  That doesn't happen from social media.  You have a good day.

[Pepperturbo]

18 hours ago, Nessism said:

 

Do you realize how arrogant this makes you seem?  

 

 

That remark is not surprising. 

[Justsomeguy]

15 hours ago, JJFWebster said:

I play Pro V's because they hold fast greens and you don't sacrifice distance or durability. Certainly not the only ball that has solid spin with the irons/wedges but they feel great off the putter as well. My course has a Titleist promotion every year where you can buy 1 dozen and get 5 free. I stock the locker up when they run it. 😋

5 BALLs free? Or 5 DOZEN free with purchase of a dozen?

Where is this magical course?

[dlygrisse]

From my experience the real difference is from about 50 yards and in.  I know a good urethane covered ball will behave a certain way, a 2 piece soft core ionomer ball is very unpredictable.  One shot will go next to the hole the next will jump and roll 12 feet past.  I tried to adapt one year, because I like the cheaper balls better on some iron, hybrid and wood shots.  but it was just more difficult to get the ball in the hole several times a round.  Then it got in my head and I lost confidence in the strongest part of my game which is wedge play.  

[Nessism]

On 8/3/2021 at 12:20 PM, dlygrisse said:

...a 2 piece soft core ionomer ball is very unpredictable.  One shot will go next to the hole the next will jump and roll 12 feet past.  

 

This is completely different from my experience.  

 

Yeah, the ionomer cover ball won't have quite as much spin, but the difference isn't enough to cause 12' of roll out.  At most a few feet extra, maybe.