Does the ball matter. (test)

[PINGWRXforeme]

I have tried to do my best to figure out what is the best ball for my game. I thought that ball (a) was the one till a round where I was lost till I swapped to ball (b). I think I'm going to put all my different sleeves in a big bucket and just grab and go. Enjoy the game and take a few notes on good and bad rounds and see if the ball matters.

[golfingchuck]

Test it out! Of course all balls are different and each will perform a little different but not much. i would try to group them into catagories by soft cover ball, prov, b330, etc... and your harder balls, nxt, etc... I would be really interested in what you find

[minhjn]

i think the difference between tour level balls is fairly insignificant, a few yards here or there, slightly more/less check around the greens but that's it.

[barkydog1]

I heard somewhere that most of the R&D and technological advances in golf equipment are put into the golf ball, and I believe it. A lot of people think like you, that the ball doesn't matter. But there is such a HUGE difference in the performance of golf balls in every aspect of the game that you are really cheating yourself if you don't try to find the best performing ball for you. I really think that a place like Golf Galaxy should have a Ball Fitting Day, where you can come out and get tested on a launch monitor with 20 different balls to see which is right for you. They would sell a TON of balls and really benefit golfers at the same time...

[Tee Time!]

I wish they would do this ^

[TheBerk]

[quote name='barkydog1' timestamp='1342447295' post='5284604']
. I really think that a place like Golf Galaxy should have a Ball Fitting Day, where you can come out and get tested on a launch monitor with 20 different balls to see which is right for you. They would sell a TON of balls and really benefit golfers at the same time...
[/quote]


Yeah nice idea!

I find consistency with the same kind of ball to be of importance - ie. don't swap out a pro v with a rock in the same round - it will mess up your putting.

[PINGWRXforeme]

I did a wedge test a while back on flightscope and I'm not buying the numbers. The on course playing isn't matching the monitor numbers.
I guess what I'm saying is I'm taking a sleeve of each ball I have and putting it on a bucket, grabbing two each round and taking notes on the pros and cons for that day. The only monitor I would trust is a track man OUTSIDE

[bigmoneyp]

[quote name='TheBerk' timestamp='1342456474' post='5285718']
[quote name='barkydog1' timestamp='1342447295' post='5284604']
. I really think that a place like Golf Galaxy should have a Ball Fitting Day, where you can come out and get tested on a launch monitor with 20 different balls to see which is right for you. They would sell a TON of balls and really benefit golfers at the same time...
[/quote]


Yeah nice idea!

I find consistency with the same kind of ball to be of importance - ie. don't swap out a pro v with a rock in the same round - it will mess up your putting.
[/quote]

They already do this.

www.golfgalaxy

[MadGolfer76]

With golf shafts, it matters less about the selection unless you have a later release. I think golf ball selection probably follows a similar path - only really matters if your ball striking is at a certain level, or something like that. Apart from that, I think people can talk about feel and basic things like urethane vs "not" urethane, but I don't think it really moves beyond that for most, whether they think so or not.

[storm319]

[quote name='bigmoneyp' timestamp='1342489397' post='5289300']
[quote name='TheBerk' timestamp='1342456474' post='5285718']
[quote name='barkydog1' timestamp='1342447295' post='5284604']
. I really think that a place like Golf Galaxy should have a Ball Fitting Day, where you can come out and get tested on a launch monitor with 20 different balls to see which is right for you. They would sell a TON of balls and really benefit golfers at the same time...
[/quote]


Yeah nice idea!

I find consistency with the same kind of ball to be of importance - ie. don't swap out a pro v with a rock in the same round - it will mess up your putting.
[/quote]

They already do this.


[/quote]

They actually only have you hit one control ball model and then the rest is calculated. You don't actually have the opportunity to hit and compare different balls (Bridgestone fitting is the closest thing but that is only comparing two balls one of which is a Bridgestone).

[storm319]

[quote name='MadGolfer76' timestamp='1342490520' post='5289462']
I think people can talk about feel and basic things like [b]urethane vs "not" urethane[/b], but I don't think it really moves beyond that for most, whether they think so or not.
[/quote]

Agreed. Keep in mind that nearly all golf balls produced today have the same basic construction:

-Solid polybutadiene core
-0 to 3 mantle layers made of some kind of ionomer
-Cover made from some kind of ionomer or urethane

That along with the USGA's size, weight, initial velocity restrictions make it very unlikely that you will see big difference in performance between two similarly constructed balls. There is plenty of information on GolfWRX that will help you narrow down to a few choices on the course testing.

[inthefairway]

I feel there is a mental link with the ball you choose to use. That is when you have good success with a particular brand of ball and in your mind, this is the ball!!!! It's the brand one goes with!!!

[bmellisen]

[quote name='MadGolfer76' timestamp='1342490520' post='5289462']
With golf shafts, it matters less about the selection unless you have a later release. I think golf ball selection probably follows a similar path - only really matters if your ball striking is at a certain level, or something like that. Apart from that, I think people can talk about feel and basic things like urethane vs "not" urethane, but I don't think it really moves beyond that for most, whether they think so or not.
[/quote]

Are you saying cant tell the difference between the same type of ball(like premium balls), or cant tell a difference between any ball? I would say that i can see a difference(maybe not "feel") in results between higher spin premium, lower spin premium, and non-premium balls. I would say there is a negligable difference between balls within those categories, but the difference between the categories is pretty big for me.

[Myherobobhope]

I can tell a difference if I actively look for it... but if I'm just playing golf and focusing on my swing, I don't notice a difference.

I can see a difference when chipping, but it hasn't been that huge of a difference recently.

[fireguyfrank58]

The ball matters a lot for me. For a long time I used the highest spin ball I could for green side performance. It hurt me off the tee a little on hooks and things but nothing bad in distance. The main thing that hurt me was around the green. With the modern game thinking that every shot you need to fly it to the pin and stop the ball on a dime, I had a hard time getting my distances. I switched to the Q star and am getting amazing results. I now play pitches and chips a few yards short of the stick and am putting the ball closer then ever. Instead of spinning the ball back a yard or so I get 2-3 yards roll forward on my full iron shots. So to me yes the ball made a huge difference.

[marcv68]

[quote name='golfingchuck' timestamp='1342409399' post='5283086']
Test it out! Of course all balls are different and each will perform a little different but not much. i would try to group them into catagories by soft cover ball, prov, b330, etc... and your harder balls, nxt, etc... I would be really interested in what you find
[/quote]

" Different. but not much" ! Are you ludicrous, there is a vast difference. Try playing a ProV1 vs. a Pinnacle and tell me what diff you have

[Jimdangles]

I am the only guy in my group that invests in some high end balls. Whenever one of my friends hits a good shot and I watch it come in with back spin and not check at all and run past the hole 10 feet I remind them, "that extra couple bucks puts you shorter instead of longer. The roll out can be accounted for and you can aim lower but not with a red flag. Its just something thats worth it I think.

[RacineBoxer]

There can be a huge difference from ball to ball. The difference in greenside spin between a ProV1 and a Top Flight distance ball really is night and day.


That said, I find many balls from similar categories to be extremely close in performance. For example, I have a few dozen Z-Star yellows, ProV1 and ProV1x right now sitting in the garage. Just within the past month I started taking a sleeve of each to my local course short game practice area/green. The difference between these 3 balls, IMO, is quite small. Whether we are talking a 5 yard mini flop/pitch, a 30 yard pitch, or chips of varying distances, we're typically talking, IMO, inches. And I personally can't even control a 20 or 30 yard shot within 6 inches with any sort of consistency.

[MadGolfer76]

[quote name='bmellisen' timestamp='1342525834' post='5291124']
[quote name='MadGolfer76' timestamp='1342490520' post='5289462']
With golf shafts, it matters less about the selection unless you have a later release. I think golf ball selection probably follows a similar path - only really matters if your ball striking is at a certain level, or something like that. Apart from that, I think people can talk about feel and basic things like urethane vs "not" urethane, but I don't think it really moves beyond that for most, whether they think so or not.
[/quote]

Are you saying cant tell the difference between the same type of ball(like premium balls), or cant tell a difference between any ball? I would say that i can see a difference(maybe not "feel") in results between higher spin premium, lower spin premium, and non-premium balls. I would say there is a negligable difference between balls within those categories, but the difference between the categories is pretty big for me.
[/quote]

I don't know who you are talking about from the first sentence, as it lacks a person of reference. Anyway, you need to read deeper in the post. I said better players (in my opinion) are more able to discern the differences in golf ball performance. Yeah, I think most players can tell the difference between balls in terms of feel, and seeing basic performance differences (like between a ProV and a Q-Star, for example). I don't think if they were handed unmarked balls and given a description of each, that they would be able to tell which is which with any consistent results.

To clarify further, I think lots of higher caps could tell the difference between a ball they usually play and any other new ball. I don't think they could tell (if the new ball was a Gamer V2, for example) what the ballpark compression would be, what the trajectory would usually be on a well struck hit, how much the ball will consistently curve left/right or right/left, how much spin around the greens they could expect, etc. IF they didn't read the performance description on the side of the box first.

Poor ball striking usually has two results: high slice (non-urethane) and BIG high slice (urethane). Folks who can only manage one of these two results will only ever get to say urethane (y/no), soft (y/no), and little else. Just my opinion.

[M910]

[quote name='MadGolfer76' timestamp='1342572405' post='5296080']
[quote name='bmellisen' timestamp='1342525834' post='5291124']
[quote name='MadGolfer76' timestamp='1342490520' post='5289462']
With golf shafts, it matters less about the selection unless you have a later release. I think golf ball selection probably follows a similar path - only really matters if your ball striking is at a certain level, or something like that. Apart from that, I think people can talk about feel and basic things like urethane vs "not" urethane, but I don't think it really moves beyond that for most, whether they think so or not.
[/quote]

Are you saying cant tell the difference between the same type of ball(like premium balls), or cant tell a difference between any ball? I would say that i can see a difference(maybe not "feel") in results between higher spin premium, lower spin premium, and non-premium balls. I would say there is a negligable difference between balls within those categories, but the difference between the categories is pretty big for me.
[/quote]

I don't know who you are talking about from the first sentence, as it lacks a person of reference. Anyway, you need to read deeper in the post. I said better players (in my opinion) are more able to discern the differences in golf ball performance. Yeah, I think most players can tell the difference between balls in terms of feel, and seeing basic performance differences (like between a ProV and a Q-Star, for example). I don't think if they were handed unmarked balls and given a description of each, that they would be able to tell which is which with any consistent results.

[i][b]To clarify further, I think lots of higher caps could tell the difference between a ball they usually play and any other new ball. I don't think they could tell (if the new ball was a Gamer V2, for example) what the ballpark compression would be, what the trajectory would usually be on a well struck hit, how much the ball will consistently curve left/right or right/left, how much spin around the greens they could expect, etc. IF they didn't read the performance description on the side of the box first.[/b][/i]

Poor ball striking usually has two results: high slice (non-urethane) and BIG high slice (urethane). Folks who can only manage one of these two results will only ever get to say urethane (y/no), soft (y/no), and little else. Just my opinion.
[/quote]

I am a high handicapper (20) and I would say that I cannot tell the difference between most golf ball performances that are in the same price range. I can tell you right after a shot what feels like a rock and what feels soft but other than that nope. If you give me two sleeves of $40 and $30 golf balls I'd probably think they are the same. $40 and $10 is a different story. I have been fitted for the B330-RX (less side spin) over the ProV1 but that's as far as the comparison went.

[slodsm]

Judging by your avatar and user name, I'd say there is a good possibility we know each other mugen910.

For me, I can tell a huge difference in cheap balls and quality balls but I lack to skill to play mid range balls and tour balls to their strengths so I am simply trying to find the ball I can "live with" at this skill level and stick with it. Seems as I'm playing a different ball every month. If I could get the DT SoLo or Nike Vapor to stick to the green like a Pro V1 OR the Pro V1 to leave the tee like the previous two, I'd be set but alas.....

The main differences I see between the balls I play are stopping on the green vs distance off the tee. I have 2 collapsed disc in my back, a bad shoulder, and worn out knees (at the tender age of 34) so although I have plenty of strength, I'm limited on club head speed due to decreased mobility and inexperience makes me slice a Pro V1 as well. Maybe one day I'll get this game figured out.

[Redhill]

It seems that the quality of the contact, for all shots other than putting, is more a determinent of the outcome than name on the ball.

Putting is different as we all seem to make fairly good contact on the ball with the putter, so feel and the audio will dominate on the ball choice for putting.

[PINGWRXforeme]

Putt very well with a v1x today but the rest of the game didn't notice drastic differences of other tour balls.

[greasepin]

If you take a $20 vs. $40 per dozen ball around the green chipping you will probly notice a difference. Above a 20 hcp maybe not so much. It comes down to contact time after time. Feel is relative compared to spin and trajectory.

[rvs0002]

[quote name='jpetrulli' timestamp='1344562938' post='5441228']
Why not just try out a variety of balls and test them out? I use xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and they deliver a dozen straight to my door every other month.
[/quote]

We get it already...this is your website!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please stop spamming the forums and try and contribute something of value!

\*** We now return you to your regularly scheduled discussion. ***/

[AdammabA]

Its all about softness for me.

[twgolf]

I have been playing a couple different balls this year and not playing my usual Prov1x mainly due to cost. Well I broke down and bought some about two weeks ago and put them in play. Needless to say, I'm hitting it further off the tee, I can flight the ball better, and my short game is spot on again. Say what you will but the right ball for you does make a difference in your game.

[Arpeggi]

[quote name='jpetrulli' timestamp='1344562938' post='5441228']
Why not just try out a variety of balls and test them out? I use xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and they deliver a dozen straight to my door every other month.
[/quote]

What a nightmare of a spam post

[Redhill]

I played yesterday and started out horrible but pulled it out later for a 73 with an average day with the putter. I played two balls a ZStar XV and a Slazenger Raw Distance - which would cover the extremes of the golf ball world in my world. The greens I played on were unbelievable smooth and perfect and it was a true joy. I was able to hit short and middle irons into those greens with both balls fairly well and of course the XV performed as expected.

What was not expected was that I was able to hit the Slazenger with the short irons and some middle irons and see the ball on the green 1-4 feet away from the ball mark. Almost a shame to put a ball mark on those greens but fun to have to bend over, like the PGA lads, and repair one. I actually backed up one of those Slazengers about 2 feet on one hole with a PW. I do hit all iron shots very high and this does help.

I putt with a Ping Anser with no inserts just the metal face and could tell a little difference between those two balls with the putter.

Again for me it wasn't what the name on the ball was that affected the outcome of the shot it was much more how I hit the ball or how I rolled the putt that made a difference between a gem or a flop.

Current handy is 3.2

[Guia]

In truth the ball makes little difference. Most balls are of decent quality and the difference between lst and 2nd teer is negligible. Even the much maligned Top Flites are decent balls but can't seem to shake the rock hard monikor of yesteryear.

We all know those who play anything they find on the course and shoot consistently good scores. We are basically cows and follow the advertisements of the manufacturers. Everything is always New and Improved.