At what handicap does the ball become a significant variable?

[jjfcpa]

Curious what everyone thinks about this.  I'm 75 years old and only been playing golf for 7 years and have a handicap of 12, and I can honestly say that the ball is very important; perhaps even more important than the clubs.  I've played at least a dozen different balls over the last couple years.  Many of the tour quality balls feel pretty good.  Even some of the 2 piece ionomer balls feel ok.  

 

I've settled on the Callaway Chrome Soft as the one that suits me best and I've yet to find a ball that provides me with the same feel and performance.  Some may have more spin but then lack feel.  Some may have a similar feel, but then lack spin.  Some might have similar distance with the driver, but no feel when putting and pitching.

 

Do you have to get to a certain skill level before the ball becomes a crucial part of your game?  If so, I must be there, but I'm not sure if I'm just very particular about my equipment including the ball.

[JAM01]

Yes, for sure. Not sure of the specific handicap number, but maybe it’s really based more on a relatively repeatable swing. I too used various two piece cheaper balls, especially distance offerings. The past few years I settled on the ProV1 yellow as it does for me the things I need in the various phases of my game. I think it’s mostly that if I execute a good shot, the ball gives me what I expect. 

Edited May 25, 2023 by JAM01

[Roejye]

I've been an avid golfer for 3 years or so and I've found that a ball doesn't make a huge difference to me  in regards to scoring, but I have started to find some more preferences for feel. I really like the overall feel of the Noodle easy straight, but I've noticed it can launch a little high and there are will probably be some times coming up where I could use some greenside spin.

 

I'm a big fan of the cut golf balls but the red doesn't feel as good as the blue, but the blue lacks in durability. The Grey may click all the boxes, but I need to get rid of a lot of balls.

 

So to answer your question, it's probably a handicap lower than 20.4, but I think after a few years of golfing at a regular frequency you cam start to form preferences. 

[phizzy30]

I think it has more to do with the golfer's level of ball striking more so than their handicap IMO.  The better your ball striking, the more the ball matters IMO.  Factors such as spin, trajectory, and distance become more predictable/consistent with better ball ball strikers therefore playing the right ball becomes even more critical IMO. 

Edited May 25, 2023 by phizzy30

[GoGoErky]

15 minutes ago, phizzy30 said:

I think it has more to do with the golfer's level of ball striking more so than their handicap IMO.  The better your ball striking, the more the ball matters IMO.  Factors such as spin, trajectory, and distance become more predictable/consistent with better ball ball strikers therefore playing the right ball becomes even more critical IMO. 

I agree. 

 

9 hours ago, Roejye said:

I've been an avid golfer for 3 years or so and I've found that a ball doesn't make a huge difference to me  in regards to scoring, but I have started to find some more preferences for feel. I really like the overall feel of the Noodle easy straight, but I've noticed it can launch a little high and there are will probably be some times coming up where I could use some greenside spin.

 

I'm a big fan of the cut golf balls but the red doesn't feel as good as the blue, but the blue lacks in durability. The Grey may click all the boxes, but I need to get rid of a lot of balls.

 

So to answer your question, it's probably a handicap lower than 20.4, but I think after a few years of golfing at a regular frequency you cam start to form preferences. 

I would agree it might not make a huge difference in scoring because one still has to execute whatever shot they are trying to hit, but I think even for high handicaps finding a ball that helps them be more consistent shot to shot does matter.

[naval2006]

I don't know if handicap is a marker, but when you start developing a decent short game you'll notice the difference between a premium ball and an middle of the pack one.  With top balls control happens on its own when you hit it flush.  

[GolfinDave]

I think once you have an expectation of what the ball will do in various situations, including short game and against the wind, the ball becomes important. I'd hate to have an 8 iron into a 15mph wind and not know if I'm spinning 6500 or 8000 rpms as they'll do very different things in the air. 

[WisconsinGolfer12]

I believe that managing expectations is a very important also. If you only want to play cheaper two piece balls and you have fun there is nothing wrong with that. Just be aware that iron into greens and chips/pitches will not have the spin of a tour urethane ball. As long as you don't expect crazy spin play what you like or fits your budget regardless of handicap. I would also add though that when you are a low enough handicap that losing balls is pretty uncommon it is a lot easier to buy premium balls because they will last a while and half of them won't be gone after the first round

[IndyArcher]

I've found that the ball doesn't make a huge difference for me in scoring, though I definitely do better around the green with a more softer ball. What really matters to me is that the game is much more enjoyable with a ball that has what for me is the 'right' feel. Pro V1 and Vice Pro are my 2 favorites. Vice Pro+ is right up there as well. 

[the_Danimal]

2 hours ago, GolfinDave said:

I think once you have an expectation of what the ball will do in various situations, including short game and against the wind, the ball becomes important. I'd hate to have an 8 iron into a 15mph wind and not know if I'm spinning 6500 or 8000 rpms as they'll do very different things in the air. 

this... plus shaping shots

[North Butte]

If you pick a type of ball, stick to it for 6-12 months at a time and never hit a shot except with that ball you will develop good touch and a good idea of your full swing distances. That is 90% of the benefit you can get from what ball you play.

 

As to the specific type or model of ball you play, at most, that might help or hurt a tiny bit for a double digit handicapper. You can gain a little distance with a lower spin ball or maybe hold greens a bit better with a high spin one but really it comes down to whatever seems to work well and you feel comfortable with. It isn’t like you’re going to save yourself three or four shots around by playing a certain ball versus some different one. Could be one shot a round I guess, at best.

 

The real payoff for a lot of the discussion you see about specific ball characteristics comes from people trying to hit certain trajectory windows with their irons or playing little Spinny shots around the green with their wedges. 

[darkhelmet]

It does help to at least have a ball with a compression that works with your swing speed.

 

From there, the most important thing is to play the same ball all the time.  Even if it spins too much or too little for you, you will know what to expect on every shot, from driver down through putter.  You may not be able to make a Pinnacle stop on a dime on a short pitch shot, but if you know how much it will run out you can plan for that.

[kintap]

I read a study (done by Titleist FWIW) where they put a variety of golfers with different handicaps on a 9 hole par 3 course.  There was a clear trend where the higher the handicap, the more their score improved when using a premium vs 2-piece distance ball.  The rationale was that the higher the handicap, the more greens were missed, thus the additional short game control mattered more.

[RoyalMustang]

I dunno: I am a 5 cap and sometimes play crappy balls, sometimes nice balls. Last week I was goofing around and crushed a beat-up range ball that rolled out to 325 yards (albeit on a rock-hard fairway). I hit my 90-yard wedge well and had an easy par (I almost never par that hole). A good ball would have had better spin and stopped shorter and probably gone further off the tee, but only if I could put together 2 really solid swings like that. On that hole, I am lucky to get 300 as I have to hit it just perfect to catch the downslope on the other side. The ball didn't do that: it was just a really, really good swing with a lot of carry. It isn't like I can go out there and repeat those swings one after the other like a pro can.  

 

It's tough; with any individual player that isn't a really, really good player, you don't have a solid control test group. The data isn't really data; it's all anecdotal. I do know that I played with a guy last weekend that shot a 95 and was super frustrated because he was trying a new ball (TP5 I think) instead of his normal Bridgestone B whatever. Trust me: the issue wasn't the ball. 

 

Having a great swing is about 1000x as important as what ball you are playing. 

 

I say play whatever you can afford until you get consistent enough that you feel/notice a difference. One guy I know (ex-D1 golfer, still a +2) says that he has to be practicing/playing 20 hours a week before he can really feel the differences between balls. Even in competitive rounds, he often plays a cheaper 2-piece, if that tells you anything. Another person may have a mental issue looking down at anything but a Pro V1. Who knows. 

 

A question you could ask yourself: where is your golf $ best spent? If you can afford dozens of Pro V1s, do it. If you have a limited budget and go through, say 150 balls a year, you could save yourself $300 on a cheaper ball. I'd bet that 3 lessons with a good coach would be a much better ROI than using a Pro V1 vs. cheaper 2-piece ball (heck, even more if you get a decent Vice ball). 

Edited May 25, 2023 by RoyalMustang

[ucmike11]

Kirkland Sigs work really well for my game and budget.  When I find a ProV1 in the woods and decide to play it...I honestly cant notice a performance difference.

[ac6]

To me the biggest difference between a cheap ball and tour-level ball is the short game feel and performance. If you're not at the level where you have consistent control of spin and trajectory with wedge in hand, then the ball doesn't make that much of a difference. To me that's probably once you hit single-digit cap but that might vary for folks. 

[ChaosTheory]

I am a short hitter and hover around 9 or 10.  The ball makes a big difference to me.  Off the driver, maybe not so much.  But the closer I get to the greens, the more the ball matters to me.  I am by no means a short game wizard, but I'm pretty consistent on my approach distances.  I get short iron flyers with the soft 2 piece balls, and also some of the very soft urethane balls.   If I have 130 yards and hit my 130 yard club and swing, I don't want it to fly 145.   That issue and having some spin in the short game are where the ball matters for me.

 

I know guys who say the ball makes no difference to them.  But I'm not sure they've ever committed to a good ball for enough time to see the differences.  I used to be that guy.  I would hit a tour ball once in a while and saw no benefit.  Somewhere along the line I got tired of seeing the cheap balls skamper over the green and decided to buy a good ball to see if it helped.  It did, and now I'm a ball snob.  🙂

[Ereim]

According to the marketing machine that is golf ball companies, a new player will greatly benefit from a premium ball. 🙄

[jvincent]

15 hours ago, jjfcpa said:

Do you have to get to a certain skill level before the ball becomes a crucial part of your game?  If so, I must be there, but I'm not sure if I'm just very particular about my equipment including the ball.

 

Strictly speaking there is no skill requirement for playing a given ball.

 

However as others have pointed out it's really important to play the same type of ball. Knowing how a ball reacts in the air, on chips, etc. is very important. Switching between a two piece low spin ball and a urethane covered high spin ball will mess you up because they react so differently.

[A.Princey]

I think if you can hit the ball high, a lower spinning ball can be played just as effectively as a premium urethane option. The only real spot of practice and acclimation is chips and pitches. Just need to play rollout, no landing it “on” the hole from 50y in. After you account for that, the full swing advantages really begin to shine. 

[RobS]

Playing the 'right' ball is really beneficial if you hit the ball with a decent degree of consistency.  The best thing that any player can do is to always play the same (or at least very similar) make and model of ball.  On shots that require precision and predictability knowing what to expect will definitely help your scores.  Standing over a pitch and not being sure if the ball will check, roll out a little or roll out a lot, for example, presents a challenge at any handicap.  If you always play the same ball, you know what to expect if you properly execute.

[jjfcpa]

I think the differences in ball characteristics is observed mostly from 100 yards and in and especially when putting.  Anything with a slightly slower swing or more controlled swing makes the feel of the ball more prominent.  

 

This could be just me, but I can seldom tell the difference when hitting different balls with the driver other than maybe small differences in distance.  But put a 56* wedge in my hand and the feel of the ball is much easier to detect.

[black bnr32]

I only really care about balls when it comes to iron distances, because the spin varies significantly across different balls.  Spin change=distance change.

[forrester_fire]

It makes a big difference to me.  I might not score much better with different balls, but I definitely put myself in position to score better with different balls.  I was playing the the Kirdland v2 and I noticed a definite distance decrease off the tee.  I was shorter and when I would fight push fades, they definitely seems to fade further right.  I also found them more prone to ballooning into a head wind.

 

Switching back to the Maxfli Tour, I found that I'm a good 10 - 15 yards longer off the tee and a half club longer with irons. 

[Flip4000]

I even think at a somewhat newer golfer level, just having ball consistency is important for feels. Whether that's a nitro, a topflite, or a super soft, playing the same ball as a beginner can be helpful with putting and starting to get feels for better strikes. 

[LeepYear]

3 hours ago, North Butte said:

If you pick a type of ball, stick to it for 6-12 months at a time and never hit a shot except with that ball you will develop good touch and a good idea of your full swing distances. That is 90% of the benefit you can get from what ball you play.

 

As to the specific type or model of ball you play, at most, that might help or hurt a tiny bit for a double digit handicapper. You can gain a little distance with a lower spin ball or maybe hold greens a bit better with a high spin one but really it comes down to whatever seems to work well and you feel comfortable with. It isn’t like you’re going to save yourself three or four shots around by playing a certain ball versus some different one. Could be one shot a round I guess, at best.

 

The real payoff for a lot of the discussion you see about specific ball characteristics comes from people trying to hit certain trajectory windows with their irons or playing little Spinny shots around the green with their wedges. 

Second this

[EKB]

4 hours ago, North Butte said:

If you pick a type of ball, stick to it for 6-12 months at a time and never hit a shot except with that ball you will develop good touch and a good idea of your full swing distances. That is 90% of the benefit you can get from what ball you play.

 

As to the specific type or model of ball you play, at most, that might help or hurt a tiny bit for a double digit handicapper. You can gain a little distance with a lower spin ball or maybe hold greens a bit better with a high spin one but really it comes down to whatever seems to work well and you feel comfortable with. It isn’t like you’re going to save yourself three or four shots around by playing a certain ball versus some different one. Could be one shot a round I guess, at best.

 

The real payoff for a lot of the discussion you see about specific ball characteristics comes from people trying to hit certain trajectory windows with their irons or playing little Spinny shots around the green with their wedges. 

Third this.  For a lot of us, we already have enough variables.  Getting to know the flight, carry, spin characteristic of a single ball/brand can be extremely helpful.  Low HCs can often hit anything well and consistently

[Pepperturbo]

I am 70+, started playing Balata soon after I took up golf, a few years later when high single index, switched to Professional 100.  Since, been playing versions of Titleist ProV1 or -ProV1x.  Balls to me are like irons, I do NOT like changing just to change, especially if a piece of equipment works. 

 

Recently been testing Callaway Chrome Soft and CSX.   What I find odd, when asked, a great many people don't know why they play a certain ball.  Most say they find balls but don't play one ball long enough to know how it performs under diverse conditions, including competition.

 

IMO - the ball is crucial part of one's game, if the person has ball control; otherwise it's a preference without particular reasons.  Like all the people that find balls, put them in play till they lose them, and find another.  They know they don't have ball control, so not significant.

Edited May 25, 2023 by Pepperturbo

[cgasucks]

3 hours ago, RoyalMustang said:

I dunno: I am a 5 cap and sometimes play crappy balls, sometimes nice balls. Last week I was goofing around and crushed a beat-up range ball that rolled out to 325 yards (albeit on a rock-hard fairway). I hit my 90-yard wedge well and had an easy par (I almost never par that hole). A good ball would have had better spin and stopped shorter and probably gone further off the tee, but only if I could put together 2 really solid swings like that. On that hole, I am lucky to get 300 as I have to hit it just perfect to catch the downslope on the other side. The ball didn't do that: it was just a really, really good swing with a lot of carry. It isn't like I can go out there and repeat those swings one after the other like a pro can.  

 

It's tough; with any individual player that isn't a really, really good player, you don't have a solid control test group. The data isn't really data; it's all anecdotal. I do know that I played with a guy last weekend that shot a 95 and was super frustrated because he was trying a new ball (TP5 I think) instead of his normal Bridgestone B whatever. Trust me: the issue wasn't the ball. 

 

Having a great swing is about 1000x as important as what ball you are playing. 

 

I say play whatever you can afford until you get consistent enough that you feel/notice a difference. One guy I know (ex-D1 golfer, still a +2) says that he has to be practicing/playing 20 hours a week before he can really feel the differences between balls. Even in competitive rounds, he often plays a cheaper 2-piece, if that tells you anything. Another person may have a mental issue looking down at anything but a Pro V1. Who knows. 

 

A question you could ask yourself: where is your golf $ best spent? If you can afford dozens of Pro V1s, do it. If you have a limited budget and go through, say 150 balls a year, you could save yourself $300 on a cheaper ball. I'd bet that 3 lessons with a good coach would be a much better ROI than using a Pro V1 vs. cheaper 2-piece ball (heck, even more if you get a decent Vice ball). 

 

I agree.  I'm probably a 5 since playing for almost 23 years and my scores dropped like a rock thanks to the lockdowns at the beginning of the pandemic.  I prefer to play tour level balls (3+ Layers) but can get around the course with a 2 Layer ball.  I don't notice a difference in performance on full swings but can see a difference when making short chips off the green.  I want that extra stopping power when hit crisply.  Unlike most Golfwrxers, I don't spend my money on the latest model clubs from a major OEM but spend mostly on driving range tokens, rounds, and balls.  Last black Friday I bought 300 used Kirkland balls for about $193 CDN which give me the most bang for my buck. 

 

Paying $70+ CAD for a dozen Pro V1s at my local Golftown and $50 CAD+ for a Titleist Hat is borderline criminal these days.

[mudmarlin]

I think it matters at any handicap.  I understand golfers who aren’t very good don’t want to spend the money on a better ball because they lose a lot of them, but I have seen so many people playing two piece rocks, and have seen so many shots just not stop on the green because they don’t spin.  If these golfers who aren’t very good played balls that spin they would be putting a whole lot more, instead of duffing chips from the high rough around the greens and would definitely save strokes.  I think a ball that spins is well worth the money, for a better score, and because constantly watching your ball roll through the green is infuriating when you hit a good shot.