Best balls for persimmons.. opinions/experiences?

[FloggingOkie]

Just curious what others have found good or bad when playing persimmons. I've started playing with some of my older woods, also been carrying non colored tee's to avoid paint skids on my persimmons.

[HoganApexBlades]

33 minutes ago, FloggingOkie said:

Just curious what others have found good or bad when playing persimmons. I've started playing with some of my older woods, also been carrying non colored tee's to avoid paint skids on my persimmons.

A balata covered ball if you can find any online.

[Hickory4ever]

I prefer using a soft golf ball like a Calloway Supersoft or the like. The problem with old balata balls are the windings lose their elasticity over time. I wish they were still making them but that is not going to happen.

 

The softer balls are easier to get airborne and are cheaper, what’s not to love. I play them with my hickory and classic clubs.

[cold_war_era_golfer]

I had been using the Wilson Duo Soft and mid season I switched over to Titleist Tru Feels.  I discovered the Wilsons were made in China.  Tru Feels have been great!  I also like they way they putt.

Edited February 16, 2023 by cold_war_era_golfer

[30ffthetee]

I have tested quite a few different golf balls with my wooden clubs and the best performing golf balls I have found with my persimmons are pro v1 and pro v1x. I think higher spinning golf balls help offset the low spinning wooden clubheads very well. 

 

Kirkland signature golf balls also work well in this regard (although the price for them has gone up considerably as of late, unfortunately.) I have not noticed any damage on my persimmons using these higher compression balls. 

 

To me the lower compression balls feel like dead marshmallows and I doubt that despite their lower compression the ionomer covers make them any better for persimmon clubs. Ymmv. 

[RobotDoctor]

These…..

[OnTheBag]

I will 2nd the Cally Supersoft or Titleist TruFeels.  When I drag out my classics, I prefer something soft and low compression.  Plus both of these are cheap........like me.  Hahaha.

[SnowbirdTom]

My fav from past playing days.  They’re occasionally available on the flea for reasonable cost.  
 

[Wham49]

On 2/16/2023 at 8:11 AM, Hickory4ever said:

I prefer using a soft golf ball like a Calloway Supersoft or the like. The problem with old balata balls are the windings lose their elasticity over time. I wish they were still making them but that is not going to happen.

 

The softer balls are easier to get airborne and are cheaper, what’s not to love. I play them with my hickory and classic clubs.

but try getting them to stop

[Wham49]

You can probably fidns some iwounds for cheap on line somewhere

 

but I use chrome soft of one of the other lower comp urothane covers Maxfli has some pretty descent cheap ones TBH

 

the softer just stick to the clubhead more IMO, but have used pro v1 with no issues, steel shaft you can se whatever

[Hickory4ever]

58 minutes ago, Wham49 said:

but try getting them to stop

I don’t find them difficult to play with. I play in a hickory style and can hit the ball high when I have to. Most of our hickory guys do the same. 

[Is Golf Fun or Work]

26 minutes ago, Hickory4ever said:

I don’t find them difficult to play with. I play in a hickory style and can hit the ball high when I have to. Most of our hickory guys do the same. 

I can stop a Cally SuperSoft with a hybrid, I wouldn't hit any 'firm' modern ball with a persimmon, thinking might crack the insert or worse.

[HoganApexBlades]

13 minutes ago, Is Golf Fun or Work said:

I can stop a Cally SuperSoft with a hybrid, I wouldn't hit any 'firm' modern ball with a persimmon, thinking might crack the insert or worse.

Like hitting an old Top-Flite ball!

[SnowbirdTom]

1 hour ago, HoganApexBlades said:

Like hitting an old Top-Flite ball!

I did that ONCE.  Every other found TF went deep into the woods.  Far as I could toss them.

[Wham49]

4 hours ago, Hickory4ever said:

I don’t find them difficult to play with. I play in a hickory style and can hit the ball high when I have to. Most of our hickory guys do the same. 

I have played Wilson 50 for about ten years in cold weather, along with the supersoft the last 5, and they are great especially now that I use them with hickory, just have to know that they roll out much more 

 

was more of a joke to your comment “ what’s not to like”

[Hickory4ever]

1 hour ago, Wham49 said:

I have played Wilson 50 for about ten years in cold weather, along with the supersoft the last 5, and they are great especially now that I use them with hickory, just have to know that they roll out much more 

 

was more of a joke to your comment “ what’s not to like”

I was not bothered at all. The softer balls are a lot easier on the old equipment(classic or hickory) and this old body. The fact that they are cheaper is a bonus. 
 

Since I play most of my hickory games with original clubs which vary a lot in grooves or dot punches, my style of play has changed, adjusting trajectory rather than relying on spin. It has worked well and I have become more consistent despite rarely playing the same set of clubs each day. 
 

 

[LeftyMac]

The only issue with the low compression balls is they just don't spin.  A balata was soft but it also spun.  If you use a low compression ball the ball flight with the driver is different to what it would be with a balata.  Yes you can use old balata balls but I have had mixed results, some last about 9 holes before losing their shape and some turn into interesting forms after one shot.  No issue hitting modern balls with persimmon, plenty of people whacked away with Pinnacles back in the day.  I've found the second version of the Kirkland ball isn't bad with persimmons, spins a bit more than most of the better current balls.

 

What would be nice is if one of the companies came out with a low compression ball that spun off the driver like a balata. Come on Wilson make one and call it the Duo Retro.  Aside from all the hickory and persimmon tragics buying them, you'd have to think that people with low club head speed would actually be helped by getting more spin.

[elwhippy]

Awesome selection of ammo and a great Onkyo amp. My fave old Titleist was the 384LT. Brilliant in the wind and stopped on a dime. 

With regard to new ammo with old woods I would be happy to hit a Q-Star Tour or standard Chrome Soft without fear. Remember persimmons were around when people used Molitors, Maxfli Sliver Max and other stone hard ammo. 

[LeftyMac]

17 hours ago, elwhippy said:

Awesome selection of ammo and a great Onkyo amp. My fave old Titleist was the 384LT. Brilliant in the wind and stopped on a dime. 

With regard to new ammo with old woods I would be happy to hit a Q-Star Tour or standard Chrome Soft without fear. Remember persimmons were around when people used Molitors, Maxfli Sliver Max and other stone hard ammo. 

Molitors, the hardest substance known to man.  Named after the guy who invented them!

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

I like to play wound balls with persimmon. 

 

When I was a Junior, I couldn't afford to play balata except in big competitions (like the city Juniors' event), but I did play wound surlyns such as Titleists and Slazenger. With balatas, I actually preferred the Slazenger balata over the Titleist.

Anyway, now I'm happy playing wound surlyns with my persimmons, and don't find that much difference between them and modern balls in terms of distance, but I think the newer balls have better spin around the greens.

 

Here's my collection. I quite enjoy trying all sorts of balls that weren't around when I was younger. The Bridgestone Rextars are pretty good. The TMS has a solid centre, the TML a liquid one. Haven't tried the later model Tiitleists yet, like the WLS and Tour Distances (these ones are wound; later ones were two-piece). The Pebble Beach box contains a dozen Titleist DT wound surlyns.

[NRJyzr]

You can use any of the modern premium balls with persimmon.  They're softer than the rocks of yore.  (per Louisville Golf)

 

Personally, I use the lower compression urethane cover balls.  Was a big fan of the Wilson Staff Duo Professional, will use the Chrome Soft, or maybe the Vice Pro Soft, and have also used the Bridgestone B RXS (also liked, just a bit pricey for my taste).  Have a box of the slightly firmer Wilson Triad that will get a workout this year.

 

I want a ball that will spin in the short game, hence, the urethane covers.  Generally speaking, surlyn covered balls won't spin on chips.  As the saying goes, you can always do something to take spin off the ball, but you can't add it.

 

If you want spin...   For those with a Costco available, the Kirkland Signature 3 piece ball spins more than anything else out there.  I believe the Mizuno RB Tour was also a higher spin ball, though the update to it may have reduced some of that (haven't seen any comparison).

 

Edited February 20, 2023 by NRJyzr

[cold_war_era_golfer]

4 hours ago, NRJyzr said:

You can use any of the modern premium balls with persimmon.  They're softer than the rocks of yore.  (per Louisville Golf)

 

Personally, I use the lower compression urethane cover balls.  Was a big fan of the Wilson Staff Duo Professional, will use the Chrome Soft, or maybe the Vice Pro Soft, and have also used the Bridgestone B RXS (also liked, just a bit pricey for my taste).  Have a box of the slightly firmer Wilson Triad that will get a workout this year.

 

I want a ball that will spin in the short game, hence, the urethane covers.  Generally speaking, surlyn covered balls won't spin on chips.  As the saying goes, you can always do something to take spin off the ball, but you can't add it.

 

If you want spin...   For those with a Costco available, the Kirkland Signature 3 piece ball spins more than anything else out there.  I believe the Mizuno RB Tour was also a higher spin ball, though the update to it may have reduced some of that (haven't seen any comparison).

 

I don't have a Costco card but I see them listed on eBay AAAAA grade balls for less then a dollar a piece.  I may get some to go along with my Wilson Tour Softs.

Everytime I find a Kirkland ball in the wild I enjoy playing it.

[NRJyzr]

1 hour ago, cold_war_era_golfer said:

I don't have a Costco card but I see them listed on eBay AAAAA grade balls for less then a dollar a piece.  I may get some to go along with my Wilson Tour Softs.

Everytime I find a Kirkland ball in the wild I enjoy playing it.

 

I think you can order them online from Costco without a membership.  New, they're not much more than a dollar per ball, and they won't come with the performance uncertainty of used/found balls.

 

[RobotDoctor]

On 2/20/2023 at 8:04 AM, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

I like to play wound balls with persimmon. 

 

When I was a Junior, I couldn't afford to play balata except in big competitions (like the city Juniors' event), but I did play wound surlyns such as Titleists and Slazenger. With balatas, I actually preferred the Slazenger balata over the Titleist.

Anyway, now I'm happy playing wound surlyns with my persimmons, and don't find that much difference between them and modern balls in terms of distance, but I think the newer balls have better spin around the greens.

 

Here's my collection. I quite enjoy trying all sorts of balls that weren't around when I was younger. The Bridgestone Rextars are pretty good. The TMS has a solid centre, the TML a liquid one. Haven't tried the later model Tiitleists yet, like the WLS and Tour Distances (these ones are wound; later ones were two-piece). The Pebble Beach box contains a dozen Titleist DT wound surlyns.

OOOOOHHHHHHHHH !!!!!!!!!!  Royal Maxfli !

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

1 hour ago, RobotDoctor said:

OOOOOHHHHHHHHH !!!!!!!!!!  Royal Maxfli !

 

I picked those up pretty cheaply; I've seen them on sale on auction sites starting for eye-watering prices sometimes (over 20,000 yen a dozen).