Do golf balls expire?

[pickles1107]

Ran a search but couldn't find anything...

 

Do golf balls "go bad" after a long time of just sitting? Do they eventually begin to lose distance after sitting in your house for a while? Will they lose spin? If so how long until their characteristics become affected?

 

Obviously, I have my hunch, but would like to see other opinions.

 

Thanks

[BEND OF THE RIVER GC]

If stored properly, NOT TOO HOT, NOT EXTREMELY COLD, they should last for a very LONG time....

[Solutions Etcetera]

Yeah... they lose their resiliency over time. But like the post above said, it takes quite a few years.

[BPG24]

I think the correct answer would depend on whether or not the ball is wound, solid, or liquid core.

 

My experience is that the wound or liquid center balls lose distance faster than solid cored balls.

[ApexGrind]

I think the correct answer would depend on whether or not the ball is wound, solid, or liquid core.

 

My experience is that the wound or liquid center balls lose distance faster than solid cored balls.

 

Wound, liquid center balata balls lose distance a lot faster. But I can't find them any more...

The first thing that came to mind reading the thread title was "Most all my balls expire right after hittng sharp rocks or deep water" :)

[Boba]

Balls expire the instant you purchase them.

[oregongolf]

I have two new sleeves of TM Inergel balls...

 

They used to advertise that those wouldn't expire or whatever :)

 

We'll see this spring, haha.

[Bob Dole]

I have a couple boxes of old Hogan Balata balls which I got from the factory and they were white 12 years ago.

 

I ran across them the other day and they had turned a dirtish yellow cover.

Is this the liquid core seeping through?

 

I also have a Hogan balata logo ball from St Andrews that has done the same thing.

[divot46]

I just think those old balata covers yellowed over time anyway. It's whatever the covers are made of. I've never noticed any problems with balls I've had for a few years.

[belote]

The question is not do they expire, it is do you have this feeling that they were better than they really were. Innergels are nothing compared to the new balls that are out

[BPG24]

I think the correct answer would depend on whether or not the ball is wound, solid, or liquid core.

 

My experience is that the wound or liquid center balls lose distance faster than solid cored balls.

 

Wound, liquid center balata balls lose distance a lot faster. But I can't find them any more...

The first thing that came to mind reading the thread title was "Most all my balls expire right after hittng sharp rocks or deep water" :)

\

 

The liquid filled Maxfli balata's are fun to use. No ball spins more than they do. :D

[Samsquanch]

Balls expire the instant you purchase them.

 

 

True enough.

[TraumaKing]

I stopped playing about 12 years and this year I have returned and have been playing in full force. I was a devout player of Titleist Tour balata's and Maxfli HT Balata's but as I have found out they are an extinct animal other than what yuo could find out and about on the internet. The Pro V1 is a descent ball but hard by the ballata standards. So off I went on my quest to obtain Balata's from days gone by but before I spent the money I had the same haunting questions, do they deteriorate in any way. The Titleist "Tour" was the first Balata followed by the Titleist"Tour Balata" then on to the Professional ( elastomer cover / thinner than the balata and more durable). I contacted Titliest and was put through the channels to the "Ball development and quality control sector" ( very personable people and were VERY accomadating) They advised that there has never shown any type of deterioration of a Golf ball ( wound / ballata covered / solid or liquid filled) in any test every conducted on a ball EXCEPT for sustained submersion in water / salt water the later being the worst. So that was my green light! I have to date stock piled. 13 dozen Titleist "Tour" and "Tour Balata" golf balls and counting ( these are 1989 to 1994 vintage) I have yet to pay over 20 dollars per dozen and most considerably less.

So in a nut shell NO THEY DO NOT LOSE THERE "ZIP" or "SPIN" and this year have been playing the Balata once again most of my drives are consitant with the Pro V1 and Newer Maxfli HT Tour.

They are indeed fun to play with again and there is nothing like the feel off a fine milled putter!






[quote name='Samsquanch' timestamp='1202516383' post='907207']
[quote name='Boba' post='906068' date='Feb 7 2008, 11:09 PM']Balls expire the instant you purchase them.[/quote]


True enough.
[/quote]

[MixedBag]

[quote name='Boba' timestamp='1202454592' post='906068']
Balls expire the instant you purchase them.
[/quote]

I lol'ed.... then became a little sad because it's so true

[Angman]

I thought they expire the moment one gets married.

[Hoos Foos]

EVERYTHING expires

[TM_HOYER]

My golf balls expire about every third hole. I just cannot understand why they hide from me.

[Shambles]

They don't have time to expire. They get lost or damaged long before expiration.


Shambles

[ntagger]

One interesting part in the WITB interview here in WRX with Luke Donald was that only part of his equipment a "normal" golfer wouldn't be able to get was the ball he played - the 2005 version of the Pro V1. Then I guess Titleist would know how to store a ball to make sure it performs that way it's intended to....

[MerliSYD]

[quote name='Boba' timestamp='1202454592' post='906068']
Balls expire the instant you purchase them.
[/quote]

Dammit, how do I upvote this?

[PZero]

[quote name='ntagger' timestamp='1321487797' post='3810021']
One interesting part in the WITB interview here in WRX with Luke Donald was that only part of his equipment a "normal" golfer wouldn't be able to get was the ball he played - the 2005 version of the Pro V1. Then I guess Titleist would know how to store a ball to make sure it performs that way it's intended to....
[/quote]

Or they make it to the specs from the 2005 ball.

[storm319]

[quote name='Hoos Foos' timestamp='1321399686' post='3805025']
EVERYTHING expires
[/quote]

So did this thread almost 4 years ago.

[SpeedyPro]

Golf balls expire the moment new model comes out.

[cruiser16]

Found some older balls the other day and decided to use them for the heck of it... Seemed to have a little less on my drives with them, probably 6 or 7 years old.

[dunn]

3-5 rounds and buy, buy.... New ball

[BackNine29]

Good grief. I hope golf balls don't expire. I've got 8 dozen Z-Stars sitting in the den. I play 2 x a month during an 8-month season.

[OSKARJONES]

I don't think performance will change if they are stored in a reasonable manner. I do remember reading an article about balls that have been in water. Once they've been submerged for a month or two they begin to lose distance...can't recall exactly how much but it was in the 5-6% range.