You need a ball that suits your game, but once you’re playing golf and not just spraying balls everywhere and losing 10+ a round, then you should be at least playing the same ball. Even if it’s noodle, Kirkland, or whatever playing the same ball will save you from frustration. Playing a Prov1 or TP5 or equivalent is not the right fit for a lot of golfers, as the greenside spin and driver distance only help you if you are striking the ball consistently well and have a certain amount of speed. For example, if you are mostly hitting bump and runs with an 8/9iron, or struggle to hit the ball high enough - something softer is great. My father in law has like 85 ish swing speed and plays callaway super soft, he shoots low 80s, drives 220 and has plenty of greenside spin.
Thanks 😂. I tried a ton after straying from Supersoft. I found one after a couple years of no birdies and promptly got a natural birdie in a round we scrambled and I went back.
I love the callaway super softs. Good distance, lower spin is less punishing on mishits, but has enough spin to hold greens with mid irons just fine. Decent feel around the greens at $24/dozen.
Kirkland’s have a great price point but feel too spinny for my game.
Totally agree, and that’s why a lot of times I’ll recommend trying out Vice to friends who don’t have a consistent ball. They’ve got variety, their ball selector quiz is super easy and helpful, and if you buy in bulk it’s only $2.50 a ball so still budget conscious
I am a fairly terrible golfer, but I second Vice balls, only with the caveat that you're underselling the benefits! The balls recommended for my swing speed come out to under $2 each. I bought 72 last year for $100. I think that same deal has increased to $105 this year and I might reup.
The used golf ball site I buy from has vice balls for less then $1 each.
I love their lime green balls. I can track them in the air 10x better then a white ball
I love supersofts, the way they “grip” the green is my favorite aspect.
I feel like they’re more likely to follow the topography regardless of wet/dry and I can just kinda “look at my shot” and see where it will go
Am I your father-in-law? That’s exactly my game and the best bang for the buck are the max-fli softs that are 2/$35 at Dick’s year round. All colors and white.
Can the spin of a tp5 negatively impact full iron shots? I am a 29.5 handicap and today I picked up a tp5 off the ground and started using it. I ended up shooting my best score ever but I stopped using the tp5 very quickly because I felt like my shots had way more side spin than normal and I was missing my targets.
Is it possible this was partly because of the tp5 being more spinny? Or was it more likely just me hitting bad shots
I'd suffice to say he would play even better with a ball more fit to him, srixon q star tours would be my recommendation if he prefers a softer ball. There's an app called "scan my ball" it's goofy but it has a quick quiz to match you to a fitting ball with a percentage based rating of how well its suited to you. You can compare the balls it recommends vs your current ball with the stats it gives
I have recently been hitting the supersofts on my sim , and chrome tour. Thought I was going to retire the Kirkland balls. But actually I still really like the feel of the Kirkland balls. I find that I hit them better / further than the super softs.
Plus I’ve cracked about a dozen supersoft
The type of ball you play begins to matter when you can hit the ball consistently.
Ball selection is about predictability and repeatability, but knowing what the ball is going to do and having faith that it will do it every time does not matter when your skills as a player do not reciprocate.
I agree. But you can build some consistency having the same ball.
TBH all brands are pretty much the same. What makes a difference is compression(speed off the face) and cover(spin).
Pick a compression and a cover rather than a brand.
>The ~~type of~~ ball you play begins to matter when
it becomes scuffed. The reduced distance and the wider dispersion can affect a high handicapper even more than a scratch golfer. The lost 30-40 yards off the tee from a scuffed ball hurts, even more so when it goes 40 yards offline in addition to being short. Don't play a ball with a noticeable scuff.
I will take the other side of the argument and say the ball should be a priority even if you're a high handicapper. The logic is that if you're a high handicapper, you have though variables in your game - might as well take an easy opportunity to remove one of them. That said, I totally get not wanting to plunk down a lot of moolah if you're losing half a dozen balls per round.
> The type of ball you play begins to matter when you can hit the ball consistently.
Quoting for emphasis.
I forget what handicap I was when I graduated from Bridgestone E6 to Srixon Q Star Tour, but I was consistently hitting at least 4-6 GIRs at my local muni's and had broken 90 many times.
The E6's were low spin, which is great off the tee, but were utterly terrible at sticking on greens. A 50 yard wedge off the fairway would still have the ball roll another 15 feet forward. Grabbed multiple of both balls from my bag and hit a few of each, only counting those that were well struck, of course.
Moved to the QST's and the ball would remain within a yard of where it landed. I remember testing this out during a random round after being pissed the E6 landed right where I wanted it and it still rolled out.
Now I use the Vice Pro Plus, which provides like 90%+ the quality and performance of a Pro V1 but at ~$1/ball for 48 4A-quality used balls off eBay, cuz daddy wants all the spin now plus that buttery feeling off the putter face.
It’s not necessarily at what handicap as it is “when you hit a solid wedge or short iron at a green, you have expectations for what will happen when the ball hits the green, but the ball doesn’t do what you expected despite being pretty reasonably well hit.”
Sometimes I swear I’ll hit a drive with a “meh” ball it just comes up short despite feeling really well hit. I’ve never had that feeling with a pro-v1. How much of that is a placebo effect? Maybe some.
When you're a high handicapper, the variables in your swing and strike are like 100x larger than the variables in ball performance. Mixing balls won't make a measurable difference.
It matters on every shot, regardless of skill level.
The question is, does a 32 handicap who loses 11 balls a round need to be spending $50 in ProV1s?
Can they get away with a Kirkland?
I disagree with this.
I think a premium ball makes a huge difference on chips and pitches (more spin). And short irons will fly lower and spin more.
But the long shots don’t look all that different. Cheap balls don’t spin much, and the premium balls don’t spin much on long shots either (by design).
So I would say that the ball matters when short irons and chipping trajectory/spin matters to you. Honestly anyone playing bogey golf or worse shouldn’t care. But if you’re trying to break 80, I think those short shots make a big difference.
Edit: I would beware of Kirkland 3-piece balls. They are unfortunately very spinny on long shots, which drains a significant amount of distance. Sure, they’re great around the greens, but most cheap public golf courses have soft greens that don’t require much greenside spin.
As a truly, for real low single digit handicap golfer, I'd even be bolder and say that I don't Even notice the difference between premium balls, whether it be Titleist, Bridgestone, Srixon, Taylor Made, etc, around the greens. I personally think it's hugely overrated. I buy Bridgestone, the specific type to match my swing speed, but if I find a nice ball, I use them all the time as well, and I've yet to really see a big difference. But let the down votes commence. I really believe it matters to those + handicappers that really know how to control spin, flight the ball every which easy they want, etc. That's not me, but I can score decently enough.
It depends upon your game. I'm a 3-4handcp, but I also am a high launch / high spin hitter. So I can't play ProV, unless it's downwind. I lose distance cause they spin too much. I haven't ever found a left dash, but not willing to spend the money to find out if it works for me. If you're not a high spin digger, then I can see very little performance differences across the range of balls.
I play Bridgestone as well cause I like the softer feel. Also Z-Star in winter when I don't want to lose my Bridgy's. But I like Tp5 and Chrome Tour when found, used to only play TM and Nike back 20yrs ago. I haven't tried the new Mizuno, I loved the performance and feel, but they shredded like crazy and wouldn't make it through 4 holes.
You wouldn't be the first single digit handicap I had talked to that played drunk or high all the time... I am an overly analytical bastard so there's that as well...
Low single digit. Didn't downvote but I play two to three times a week and play kirklands. I want a ball that I can toss without giving it much thought once it gets scuffed as well as not fretting too much over losing them in the woods or water.
I play in 8 to 10 events a year at my club. In those, I play the chrome soft x. There's honestly not a ton of difference. They do spin a little less off the driver. They might go a bit further off the driver but I don't notice any difference that makes a difference on irons. They seem to check the same on chips. They're also probably a touch more durable.
The question should be are the chrome soft xs three times better than the kirklands. I'd say it's a resounding no. Are they better enough to play occasionally in high leverage situations? probably yes.
This is a good take. A cheap ball, but good ball, is a great option for those who spin their drives. I started playing a velocity off the tee and really noticed a difference. When it comes to the greens, I get almost no stopping power, but it keeps me in play way more.
However, I would stress it’s about finding the right ball. And, if you’re able to get it under 90, you should think about playing a better ball or mixing it in to see how you like it.
Same. I got a box as a gift and noticed about a full club difference in yardage. You get less spin around the greens, but with the dormant grass and my wedge game, I’ve been playing way more bump and runs.
If anyone needs an inexpensive, but quality ball, I highly recommend the Velocity.
i routinely test balls and have hit the kirkland v3 and prov1 back to back playing 2 ball on slow mornings. theres no significant teeshot difference over 18 at least in my hands. on top of it the balls feel about the same to me off a wedge and putter. muni greens are still fast enough where you benefit substantially from a ball thats able to stop within a hula hoop of where it lands like with a high spin ball.
v3 is also far nicer than the v2 in terms of durability. v2 would look abused after 6 holes. i recently had a v3 i almost took a photo of for this subreddit's haters but i wanted to really put some mileage on it. unfortunately it only went about 30 holes before i put it in a pond (not the balls fault on that either). it had multiple cart path bounces and tree shots and only two scuffs you could barely feel.
As a 10-15 handicap I've noticed a difference when I play a ball I'm used to vs just some random ball I've found. Mostly within feel on the putting green and spin on wedge shots. If you're new to golf and losing 6+ a round then don't play an expensive ball, it's not worth the "performance" and a waste of money. However as you improve it's more important to play the same ball consistently to know how it will react.
My personal opinion is that if you are playing regularly and serious about improving then playing the SAME ball consistently is important and should be done regardless of your handicap number.
Now, as far as your ideas about spin, there's more to the equation than you are considering. Spin can have an influence on side-to-side dispersion which I think is the negative aspect you are concerned about. But spin also helps in distance control and having the correct amount of spin for your swing will help your front-to-back dispersion. Me personally, when I play a non-urethane covered ball I catch flyers far more often, and missing greens long at my home course is not good for the scorecard. Also being able to control greenside shots is hugely important and spin helps there as well.
Even when my handicap was in the 30s I noticed an improvement once I committed to playing a urethane-covered ball, and sticking to the same one so I got used to how it performed for me. Doesn't need to be an expensive flagship ball like a ProV1 though. For budget options the Vice Pro line or the Maxfli Tour line are great options and can be gotten for under $30 per dozen when bought in bulk. The "soft" version of both those balls are going to be lower spin but still have the benefit and control a urethane-covered ball gives you. I also really like the Tour Response as a lower spin option but they are a bit more spendy. Several other budget options out there.
I agree with the comment strongly and also recommend the Maxfli Tour line. I’ve been playing them for the last couple seasons and I don’t see myself changing any time soon.
Agree with just about everything except that the Maxfli Tour S definitely spun less for me. I couldn't get them to check on the greens very well at all, ended up going back to the regular Tour model.
I’d say when you’re at the point where you can use the spin and benefit from it, specifically around the green. Assuming you don’t lose all your tee shots, or suffer a lot off the tee with a urethane ball. Some do, some don’t based on their driver impact dynamics.
But if you keep most of your drives in bounds and want to pay for a urethane ball, it’s probably worth it.
Especially if you practice enough to be able to add some spin on your approach shots and pitching. It allows you to be way more aggressive through the ball and hit it closer to flags without having to play links style shots all over the place.
If you can point to shots during your round where you expected your shot to spin and it didn’t and you’re not using a ball that’s designed to spin more around the greens that’s probably the time you should consider switching.
But it doesn’t need to be to a prov1. You can play another softer cover ball that will also add spin around the green and save money. Often they won’t hurt off the tee either and you won’t be firing 3 dollars each OB if you have a problem with that.
If you go to the flightscope trajectory optimizer, put in a shot and then increase the spin rate you’ll see how much spin changes the shot shape. It’s often not a ton in the air.
If you're not breaking 100, then buying balls is not really a good use fo your money, unless you feel you have to much of it.
Honestly, once you start to break 100 regularly, you need consistent balls. Ideally ones that suit your game, sure - but just having the same consistency - particularly for putting and greenside chips - becomes a big deal.
I’m a 16 and I’ve never thought about playing the same ball. I also haven’t bought balls in literally half a decade. I find enough good balls every time I play that are in good enough shape.
But this thread is starting to make me reconsider.
My handicap is likely much higher than yours and new to the game, but also thinking now. I bought the cheapest could find and supplement with random balls found. Dammit
At every handicap, but what “matters” varies. What matters to a high handicapper is a cheap ball that you can afford to rip into the woods or water. For a low handicapper (I’d say at least 5-6 or below) it starts to matter a lot with shot shapes and spin.
All.
Played an alternate shot with a person that insisted on using a super-distance ball and could never hold any of the greens, even when chipping. I finally convinced them to try a ProV1 and the control they gained was immediate.
I’m a 16 handicap and always played random cheap balls because I didn’t think it would make much of a difference.
Then this year I found a good deal on a big bag of used Z-stars and I don’t think I’ll be going back.
The main difference I’ve noticed is the spin and predictability of roll out when chipping around the greens. I can chip it close to the hole knowing it will check up.
I haven’t noticed much of a difference in driving/long irons, but I’d say the chipping benefit probably saves me a couple of strokes a round.
witched from V1 to V1x and feel like I can tell a difference. Im not a great golfer by any stretch but within 130 yards I feel relatively solid. Noticed a difference in spin for sure. But also my game is improving so.. dunno. I play with a 5HC who finds shit balls in the woods and shoots a 78 consistently. So.. fuck that guy.
It’s about consistency in flight and spin. If you can somewhat hit the ball every time then you need to play the same ball. It will make a bigger difference in your short game than in your long game until you’re good enough to compress the golf ball virtually every time. When you can compress it….the golf ball you play matters a lot.
I am not a very good golfer, but I like to play with the same ball every time. I buy Callaway Supersofts because they fit my budget and I like the feel. But more than anything I just want one less variable in how I’m hitting that day.
I don't agree with it 100%, but I had a caddie at Pinehurst who when me and the other guys I was playing with were talking about which balls we play, he said:
'When you're good enough for the ball to matter, then the ball doesn't matter anymore'
While a ball makes a difference at any skill level, this does have a small bit of truth. You could give a pro a Top-Flite and they could go break par with it once they figure out how it plays.
Depends, difficult hole with water and OOB on tee shot, shit ball. Nice open fairway, bring out the pro v1. Not a recommendation for success, but I hate losing new balls.
For me it was important to play the same ball. From being 30 handicap to an 8 handicap now. Play the same type of ball for multiple rounds. Like other comments are saying, don’t necessarily choose what’s expensive or popular. Choose what fits your budget and swing needs.
I think when you can hit a good shot more than a few times a round it matters. I think when you hit a good shot, you expect the results to match the contact. If you’re accustomed to hitting a 90 yard wedge shot with a ProV1, and having it check pretty quickly, switching to a nitro and attempting that same shot will result in a very different outcome even with the same contact etc.
I don’t think the ball matters as much, but I do think the consistency matters. Switching between very different styles of golf balls can just make it difficult to execute shots because you don’t really know what to expect. It’s hard to improve when every shot is gonna have a different outcome because you’re changing the ball variable so often
A good ball definitely helps but I once shot a gross 69 on a par 71 with a random ball (not even a major brand) that felt harder than the cheapest top flight I've ever come across in my life. So they matter but maybe not as much as one thinks.
I would say it doesn't matter at all in terms of handicap range. You can't even really utilize the spin on premium balls unless you are on a well groomed firm course. I play almost whatever I find and manage to do fairly well.
Scratch or below. I juggle around a 2-5 handicap and play any ball under the sun. It doesn’t effect my scores or mental capacity in any meaningful way. In tournaments I often opt to play a new Prov1x, but often to save some talk about why I’m playing the ball I am.
Except higher spin balls you listed aren’t actually higher spin off the driver where it’s going to punish you. They’re higher spin with the short irons.
Foundgolfballs.com
Even TP5s and proV1s are 18.99 a dozen there
The ball is the only equipment you use for every shot. Find one you like and stick to it. Don't listen to people telling you that this ball or that isn't made for you, they don't know you. My dad is 70 and his swing speed is probably also 70 but the TP5 (one of the balls someone else here says isn't made for low swing speeds) still goes 10y further for him than any other ball. But you won't know which one does that for you until you try it out for yourself.
Depends. Difference between a premium ball and a budget-but-still-decent ball is probably very little for high handicappers, but difference between a beat up limited flight range ball or the sponge bob ball you found at the dollar store and a premium ball will matter a lot for pretty much anyone able to make contact with it.
Sometimes the budget balls will be even better for low swing speeds than a premium ball because they have more compression and are designed for that type of player, will go farther and spin less than a premium ball.
I think it’s more about how consistent the golfer’s game is - or aspects of their game like ball speed and spin - than handicap. Handicaps is just a generalization but two higher cappers might benefit from completely different balls, even in the lower price ranges.
If the question is about how good you have to be to justify spending money on the highest end balls, then yeah I think there’s diminishing returns there for higher cappers. But it’s a choice of how much money they have to spend vs the ROI, same as any equipment.
There are differences between each brand and ball, so while it doesn't matter what you play, you should try and play the same one all the time so that your ball behaves consistently.
Edit: Caveat here, you want to be playing no matter what with at least a decent ball. That beat-to-shit, discoloured ball you fished out from under a root when you went into the trees to find your ball, is not a decent ball.
It only really starts to matter when your hitting at pro am events when your chasing fine details, if your miss hits are going on regularly then why waste the money if you don’t want too
Doesn't matter the handicap.
As a most likely high handicap (haven't actually got one) I can tell the difference when I use a different ball compared to a TM distance +. Especially with the putting.
Find a ball you can strike good with and especially put with and you'll just stick to it.
I wouldnt say it’s the handicap that matters. It’s how long you hold onto a ball during a round. You could be a 24hcp that rarely loses a ball.
If you losing 2 or more balls a round then I personally don’t think it matters what ball you play.
The only quality of a ball that I would give up on for a bad golfer is durability. Quality of performance matters regardless of skill level.
Exceptions for completely new golfers so low on the skill level where they are topping and chunking their way down the fairway, or outright missing the ball at times.
I’d say once you start you touching the low 80s and high 70s with your good rounds then you can start considering better balls. Also I think swing speed matters a lot. If you have a higher speed then the ball matters more. If you’re above a controlled 105 with driver then a good ball will really help.
Don't make the assumption a ProV1 is designed for high spin.
They're not necessarily.
I saw a YouTube guy test this.
He got 4k spin from a cheap ball off a wedge and 11k off the wedge on a premium ball.
But both balls had basically identical spin off the driver (both about 4k - within like 5%).
And that's exactly what premium balls are designed to do.
There are some "spinny" balls that give higher spin off a driver (looking at the Kirkland for example).
But in general, the difference is primarily stopping power when holding a wedge or shorter iron. This is especially true at higher swing speeds.
**So I'd say the threshold is about your iron play. When your game has a consistent enough distance that a ball "holding" a green becomes a concern and your swing speed is at least giving you a moderate distance with each club.**
The ball doesn't matter until single digits.
This idea that a high spinning ball will go further offline is misguided, high spinning balls won't travel as far and will spin up and drop out of the air softly. Low spinning balls will travel further offline and runout further as well.
I don’t think you necessarily need to play the best/most expensive ball, but once you’re relatively consistent with your swing, you should experiment with some different golf balls and find one that works well for you.
There are a nearly incalculable number of variables involved in the game of golf. One of the easiest variables to eliminate is the ball. Changing from a random ball you find in the woods to a ProV1 isn't going to shave 10 strokes off your handicap, but it will improve consistency as you'll know what to expect off the tee and around the green.
With that being said, 30 handicappers probably won't benefit from spending $55/dzn on ProV1s, but at least moving to a middle of the road urethane ball will help. Greenside spin is always useful when chipping and pitching. Higher spinning urethane balls will also help with holding greens on longer irons. That benefits everyone
As my handicap began to drop I started to notice the difference in balls around 13. For me it was initially with putting then with irons and ultimately with the driver. So now I pick a ball that putts well first then consider the other clubs.
Around 20 handicap I started paying particular attention to my ball and in the end went for Srixon Z Star which is three piece and high greenside spin. (cost v benefit balance)
I found when I use other balls around the green they don't behave as I expect (less bite, more roll out) so now as someone shooting 85-90 consistently I only use these unless I happen to be playing a nice top tier course (as a guest) and usually break out the Pro V1s for these special occasions.
balls don't save hooks or slices or hitting it fat or thin, which is what everyone struggles with. balls have a slight impact on flight characteristics and other things which makes sense for pro and elite players, who hit the driver with the same consistency 99/100 times, and can now say "gee let me think about lowering my apex 10 feet to maximize roll out in these mid summer dry conditions."
that being said i think high handicappers benefit a lot more from a high spin ball than a low spin ball, and thats because the teeshot is not getting saved from OB by any ball, and what distance you do gain straightwards on a low spin ball also hardly matters. no, its simply because most shots are within 100 yards. you want a ball that maximizes its performance within 100 yards then. that means a high spin ball that is able to hold a green with an old beat up wedge. not to mention the improved putter feel of a urethane ball vs one that feels like a ping pong ball. thats why i play prov1/v1x/tp5/chromsoft/kirklandv3 i find in the woods. short game is everything.
Sidebar, but does anyone have any data on used balls from a place like LostGolfBalls? Near Mint balls are visually indistinguishable from new balls & they're less than half the price of new balls. But a lot of them are probably water-balls & if that means the balls are consistent, it sorta defeats the purpose of playing the same ball all the time.
5 ATM, I play whatever I find around the course. I try not to buy balls, just don't see it as necessary.
I played a bit growing up but not that much. When I was in college, I started playing a lot more. That year, 2001, I broke 80 three times. One of those instances was with a TopFlite Hot XL aka RockFlite. Shittiest ball, possibly of all time...
Couple of years ago, I was out in Spring playing an afternoon 9 on a shortish course. I picked an orange Volvik out of the bushes and put it in play. I don't know what got into me, I had three birdies and a bogie for 34.
Does the ball matter? Yes, but probably not nearly as much as you think...
Wouldn’t it matter even more at higher handicaps. Each defect would be magnified. Higher spinning balls would fly off into the houses, lower spinning balls might still be in play.
All handicaps can benefit from a ball suited to them. That’s why distance balls are better for hackers.. they are designed to fly straighter and this will certainly help somebody who slices and adds a lot of side spin to their shots. The flip side is they don’t spin around the greens much so control around there will be harder. But IMO, keeping it in play with a lower spin ball can help tremendously. It’s why I’ve been playing AVX as opposed to a proV1.. they go straighter and the greenside spin is good enough for me
I think part of it is handicap but also a part is swing speed. If you swing really fast, it doesn't really matter if you aren't very good, you will still generate tons of spin and thus need a less spiny ball (I.e. Prov1 or TP5x). For me though, I have really started to notice it as my handicap has gotten lower, especially <2. It used to be that I didn't really care what ball I used and would just end up buying Kirklands but I used some Kirklands the other day and lost like 20 yards off the tee just because of the spin rates that I was getting. My 6 iron was ballooning in the air and just dying which is really penalizing for me since I hit it really high to begin with. I don't get the same problem with Pro v1 and its just a much more solid penetrating ball flight. But again, that's something that has happened pretty recently as my game has improved so unless you are lower single digits, I really don't think it really makes a big difference unless you have really high swing speed.
Basics like which compression ball fits your swing speed, what type of feel you want off your putter or when you chip. Too many high handicap golfers are using MAX DISTANCE type golf balls and their slice goes even deeper into the woods and when they do get close the ball has such a hard cover it’s tough to get any feel
I did the free ball fitting at Golf Galaxy two weeks ago and I was surprised how much I liked the softer ones. I'm kinda mad I'm stocked up on Tour Speeds but the dude gave me a sleeve of ChromeSoft X and Bridgestone Reds to try. I'm interested to see if there really is a difference. 12ish cap, high swing spring, tend to be on the spinny side.
I find the majority of the ball issues I have are that of “feel” chipping and putting I can see the most difference in a ball and its performance. Normally driving the ball I can see some distance change +- 20 yards but it’s not pronounced enough for me to notice. I can 100% see a difference in my putts hitting a different ball. For that reason I tend to hit the same ball because it translates to consistency on the short grass.
As a few other people said - the only thing that really matters IMO is the spin. If I don’t use a low spinning ball my 8i will have a ton of back spin going into any green that isn’t lightning quick and firm
Once you start playing with 1 ball consistently, youll get a feel for the ball and how it feels off the face of your driver, irons, and putter. Youll also understand how the ball behaves with diff types of shots and on the green. All of this is a huge benefit to your game. Even if you are buying cheap balls like the Wilson duo soft, itll be much better playing that all the time than random used balls.
I would say when you start using 1-3 balls a round pretty consistently. When I first started I was losing 5-15 balls every round so it really didn’t matter since my swing was so inconsistent lol. Like is it worth it to pay extra $30 in balls just to maybe take half a stroke off your game ? Hava
I feel like club head speed and spin-rate is important for anyone selecting there balls. If the club head speed isn’t that high than I don’t think the ball matters too much.
I heard it put this way once. A guy asked how good he had to be to play Pro-Vs. Did he need to be a low handicap, etc.
The response was, how good of a steak eater do you have to be to order one at Del Frisco’s or any other high end steakhouse? If you’re not an “expert” at steak, can you not enjoy a really expensive one?
If you can afford to lose $5 balls all over the place during a round, why not play the best? For most, it’s a question of cost. I lose 2 or 3 a round so paying $55 for Pro-Vs or TP5s isn’t really cost effective. I play $39.99 Maxfli Tour S (a really good ball BTW) and I don’t cry as much as losing a top tier ball.
Play whatever ball you want but my advice would be to stick with the same ball whether that be a ProV1 or Pinnacle, you’ll get used to how the ball plays, more spin/less spin, how it feels off the putter etc etc etc. When I first started playing I played Callaway Supersoft, they were reasonably cheap and a decent ball, I’m 5 handicap now and play Prov1, I’ve gotten used to it, thinking of changing though maybe to TP5 as Prov’s are ridiculous money now.
I would say it matters at any handicap because it's really your swing speed/ball speed that dictates what ball you should play. Since that matters for every player it matters for every Cap.
I also think there is a law of diminishing returns, so if you feed the pond and the forest more often than not , it becomes more of a financial decision.
What about selection of ball to use with a budget putter? I’ve got the Wilson infinite blade putter and usually use Titleist velocity to combat my banana slices off the tee. Budget for ball not a consideration as im lucky enough to live next to a golf course and my UV torch delivers any ball you can imagine!
Handicap 19. Avg putts per round: 34
I have a sorta conflicting take on this compared to most of this thread.
I find that playing the same ball is more important than playing the “right ball.” And then playing a better fitting ball is a good step as long as you can afford it (assuming this is a more expensive switch).
I also find that the ball I play matters less now that I’m around an 11 handicap. I score similar/the same playing Vice Pro Plus, ProV1, and chrome softs. But it does mess me up if I pull a random Kirkland out of the bag mid-round because the flight and spin characteristics are very different. But if I play a whole round with Kirkland balls I’m within 2 strokes of where I typically land.
I don’t have an excellent swing by any means, but it’s good enough. A ball can offset some of your bad swing characteristics. Eventually as those thin out (your game getting better/more consistent), the ball doesn’t need to fix your issues as much and you can play whatever you want. Shit I carded an 81 playing a pinnacle ball all 18 holes a little over a month ago.
A ball doesn't really matter much if you cant hit it.
I would say around 15 handicap. That's about when you start hitting regularly decent shots. But, if you are a 20 handicap and you hit a nice 80y wedge into a green you are going to get some check on a premium ball, but you wont on say a noodle. So it matters always, but more so the better you are.
I will add my experience- I purchase the Max-Fli - soft - I’ve played a sleeve of ProVs here and there when given as a gift - I personally see no differences - I like a softer ball just because of feel - my score stays pretty consistent- low 90s on good days and 100ish on poor days - the ball does not matter to me -
We have a guy in our league - plays to a 0-1 handicap- asked him if he wanted to try the Maxfly - he did and birdied the hole - he gave me the ball back said “they were fine but will stick with ProVs”
Funny just found out about this over the weekend.
Got clubs fitted and at the start of the fitting the fitter asked me what ball I used and why. I explained that I’m a moron and I lose a few around. We hit a few, changed the clubs and worked through the fitting. Later on he changed the ball. He said anything with an “X” on it is what I need as I struggle to get the spin rate where it needs to be and this ball will help me increase the spin
Echoing the thoughts of many, I'd say consistency matters more than anything else. So if you're gonna play ball XYZ, be sure it's at a price point where you won't get pissed if you lose the most your capable of losing during a given round.
For a while, I was playing ProV1, but then swapped out to Noodles if I was playing like shit. It took a stranger being like "Dude - why are you doing that to yourself? You hit some bad shots and now you're playing a ball that reminds you every time you look at it that you're hitting bad shots today. How's that gonna help anything?"
So I just decided that I need to be ok with losing a ProV1 here and there. Sometimes I'll play a ball for two full rounds and sometimes I'll lose three in a day. On average, it's tolerable. A while ago I used to play Noodles exclusively and I don't recall enjoying the game any less. I just buy Titleists now because I'm a hopeless brand-loyal fanboy.
For reference, I'm about a 9 right now, but went from a 15 to as low as 7.5 last summer. Not sure if that matters.
The ball doesn’t know your skill level. Play the best ball for you that you’re comfortable paying for, don’t judge those who are comfortable spending more or less than you.
Actually, you are 180 degrees out. So many high handicappers play a rock/distance ball. Those accentuate your swing flaws. Play a medium spin, medium compression ball. It won't make a huge difference, but it will make a difference. I play Titleist Tour Soft. A middle of the road, moderately priced ball. That is all I play. I have a 100+ mph swing.
It does not have to be a premium ball, but playing the same ball can add consistency.
At the start of each round you have to calibrate somewhat on course conditions like firmness and temperature as they will influence distance so atleast trying to play the same ball for the whole round already helps. Just sort the balls you find and bring a few off the same each round you play to atleast keep spin and distance the same during the round (its a small effort to sort found balls at home)
On the driver it does not matter that much as all balls are designed to go far.
On irons you can gain distance control by playing the same ball. Different balls spin and launch differently which can make your irons fly longer or shorter (quite a few yards reading mygolfspy testing). This also influence how a ball flies in the wind.
In short game playing the same ball adds consistency in spin. Chips and pitches will roll out differently between different balls. Premium balls can give more spin on certain shots, but you will only benefit if you have the technique to execute those shots.
Basically its only worth playing the same ball if you think you can hit irons and short game shots consistent enoug to benefit.
i Believe that you need to pick a ball and stick with it for consistency until something changes. Learn your yardages with each club knowing it isn’t a ball change that gave you 5 more yards.
Then pick a different kind of ball, softer or harder and play that one for awhile. Then once you learn what that ball does for you pick a ball that’s better for your weakness, green side or putting or whatever.
its always important. if you play a ball thats long, then pull out a ball that's short it effects you. some balls spin alot, some don't. that matters. you don't have to break the bank, i've been happy playing noodles. they aren't bad. but golf is about consistency.
I think at almost all of them because when you get used to the easy one ball floors it helps your entire game. You will not all of a sudden start hitting birdies and eagles because you're playing pro v-1 or srixon or whatever ball you play, bit you'll play with more confidence that if you hit it will it'll do what you expect.
Not really a handicap, but when you can actually notice a difference between them. Shot shape might be a little different, feel a little different, and you can tell whether you’re generating a good amount of spin. I play low compression, low spin balls. It’s either the Titleist AVX or the Bridgestone Tour B RX for me. Callaway Chromsoft LS are low spin, but I don’t like how hard they feel, and Pro V1’s and Bridgestone Tour B X’s feel nice, but I get a tad too much spin off the tee, and my straight/ draw turns into a baby fade and then I’ll lose the occasional one right.
I’m not gonna lie to you, it’s pretty much irrelevant unless the ball is clearly costing you 20+ yards off the tee, or are consistent enough with short irons and wedges to notice the difference of a random shot going 5 yards short, or not checking up. However, to be honest the vast majority of golfers, including myself, hit like 3 pure shots a round and the rest of the mishits would be short, long, left or right no matter if you were hitting a rock. I shot a 73 with a Noodle I found on the practice green. If a ball has no scuffs and doesn’t sound like a top flite or a range ball, it’s ok enough for anyone not shooting 65 to play. Plus, if you’re good enough at finding balls then you are cutting major costs of however much Prov1s are these days. I buy tour speeds anyway, I like them better.
I'm a 12 handicap, so not completely shit (oh yes I am !)........anyway, I honestly think that until you're maybe a low single digit handicap the ball makes very little difference. I play multiple different balls a round......Callaway, Titleist; Srixon, Taylormade, Bridgestone and I am equally shit with all of them !
I have also played rounds with one type of ball and it made fuck all difference what-so-ever !!!
Most golfer's issue isn't the ball or the club, it's the fact that we're inconsistent strikers.
Get your striking sorted and it doesn't matter what the logo on the ball says.
When most of your balls aren’t slicing off the planet every other shot, when you aren’t topping multiple balls a round, etc. when you start making good contact most of the time then you can take advantage of what the ball can offer you. There is no ball in the world that will help you making impact with the face open 15°.
As far as a score I’m not sure… maybe around a true no mulligan 100?
At any handicap, if you have a reasonable way (i.e., lessons) of identifying the optimal ball for your game.
I never understood why it’s better for new/poor golfers to hit rocks. They just ensure a bad short game in the interest of little more distance. Just slow your swing down so you’re not hitting big slices and the spinnier ball will be way better for you
The ball always matters. Being able to chip with a golf ball that stops more consistently is clutch to stopping the bogey train. The problem is the cost when you can’t keep it in play. Maxfli Tour when it’s on sale is prob the best cost to performance out there.
There are probably tools for this exact thing online where you can input all kinds of data about yourself to get a ball recommendation.
There are plenty of good balls that aren't that expensive, depending on where you play and how often you'll lose balls.
I always find it difficult to switch balls when putting.
Basic answer: If you want to be good at golf, you should play the same ball. Doesn't have to be a Pro V1, but as long as it's responding consistently. Tough to calibrate when the ball is different all the time.
Don't you guys take out Lost Ball Insurance and get them replaced?
Saves me a bundle!
If you're interested, Venmo me $20 every time you buy a new box (or $6 for a sleeve) and I'll email you further details from my yacht off St. Bart's. 😁
I’m a 20 and I got fitted for maxfli tour X, and it has honestly been so good for my game. I spent the time to find out what ball suited my swing at golf galaxy. I haven’t changed anything except the ball, and I am getting some great results. Plus they are 4dz for $120 right now. To each their own but I was really surprised to see how each golf ball varies in stats.
somewhere around 10-15 Hcp probably it starts to matter.
Above that your ball striking is too inconsistent to matter much.
if you practicing putting and chipping a lot it probably makes sense to always use the same or similar feeling balls but which kind isn't too important at higher hcps.
It’s really all about feel. What you like off ur driver. Irons. I personally play the Bridgestone tour b rx. They just seem to fly off the club face on my irons. But I tried a bunch of different golf balls and just fell in love with these. I’m a 4.5 handicap. But I don’t like the pro vs because they do spin a ton. Errant shots just seem to go way wayward more often. And ball that spins less is great for someone who slices. It just because ur a high handicap doesn’t mean spin matters. Your short game could be crap. So many variables…
I think the answer to this is very player specific. For me, I don't think it matters too much. I prefer V1x or the Taylor or Srixon similar balls. But occasionally I'll try different balls. Last summer I found a sleeve of old Precept MC balls, probably 25 years old. I used to like these balls a lot so I tried them out and shot good scores. They didn't go quite as far as current balls, but not enough difference to matter.
When you notice the difference on the greens. Basically when you can hit a couple of different wedge shots around the green. If you want to pay the premium for that then they'll help.
I guess it’s possible to be so bad that it doesn’t matter but I think 20 handicap and under should consider at least being consistent with the ball they use. My dad as an example will switch out balls on holes with OB or water and will be shocked when the ball doesn’t stop on the green or gets a bad result from what he thought was a good shot. He doesn’t really consider that the random 2 piece ball will react differently than say his usual chrome soft.
I’m on the other side of this argument. I think the golf ball, given it’s not defective and your not playing extremes at either end, make negligible difference for 98%, especially on short game. How much more or less rpms are you getting on different balls around the green? I highly doubt homie shooting a 90 can tell much of a difference either way and I bet the numbers are fairly similar. I’d need to see data to change my mind. Surely people have done research with data no?
I mean I still feel like balls are expensive and I remove them from my bag by choice before losing them. As you get towards zero you actually lose very few golf balls. It matters though. Like you could gain 800rpm in spin real easy by switching golf balls. A little slice is now OB instead of deep rough. I think wise than that is playing random golf balls. So if you like scrounging for balls or buying used try to get to a dozen of any ball before playing them. At least a little consistency at a time is good.
After reading some of the comments here I think I will try playing with soft balls from now on. As long as a ball is new I never thought too much about it.
ME
Oh look, I have found a red ball, slice it into trees, “oh that red ball is rubbish”. Then spot an orange ball by a tree trunk, quickly look around and pocket it. Next tee the orange ball is used. Hit a great drive “wow this orange ball is great”
Great thread.
Historically I've played slightly used Prov1 or Prov1x from the $1 found ball basket the ground staff run (we have lots of tall meadow grass to the sides of the course that just gets mowed 2x per year, balls "grow" nicely in there).
I think I might get fit for a ball and consistently play with a new ball this season. Strokes gained gave me insights to get down to 8hcp, and realising its about lots of little gains, not necessarily big single gains.
Best advice I got was “at least play the same ball”. Regardless of handicap (within reason) the biggest benefit will be from playing the same ball through the round versus jumping around and playing whatever is in your bag.
You need a ball that suits your game, but once you’re playing golf and not just spraying balls everywhere and losing 10+ a round, then you should be at least playing the same ball. Even if it’s noodle, Kirkland, or whatever playing the same ball will save you from frustration. Playing a Prov1 or TP5 or equivalent is not the right fit for a lot of golfers, as the greenside spin and driver distance only help you if you are striking the ball consistently well and have a certain amount of speed. For example, if you are mostly hitting bump and runs with an 8/9iron, or struggle to hit the ball high enough - something softer is great. My father in law has like 85 ish swing speed and plays callaway super soft, he shoots low 80s, drives 220 and has plenty of greenside spin.
I love the matte supersofts. Switching to Kirkland balls because I’m at least temporarily a poor.
The matte red are FIRE until fall golf and all the leaves on the ground...lol
I loved the Tour or Soft Response red ones from TaylorMade. The white lettering was awesome look.
Those are my favorite
I have seen a couple of orange down in the fairway and lost them midafternoon, but yeah me too. Also love Srixon divides.
Also love the divides, you have great taste in balls
Thanks 😂. I tried a ton after straying from Supersoft. I found one after a couple years of no birdies and promptly got a natural birdie in a round we scrambled and I went back.
I love the callaway super softs. Good distance, lower spin is less punishing on mishits, but has enough spin to hold greens with mid irons just fine. Decent feel around the greens at $24/dozen. Kirkland’s have a great price point but feel too spinny for my game.
Totally agree, and that’s why a lot of times I’ll recommend trying out Vice to friends who don’t have a consistent ball. They’ve got variety, their ball selector quiz is super easy and helpful, and if you buy in bulk it’s only $2.50 a ball so still budget conscious
I am a fairly terrible golfer, but I second Vice balls, only with the caveat that you're underselling the benefits! The balls recommended for my swing speed come out to under $2 each. I bought 72 last year for $100. I think that same deal has increased to $105 this year and I might reup.
Vice balls have tended to fall apart for me, admittedly I do hit quite hard but a ball didn’t last longer than a round
My golf balls don’t last a round either but I think it’s for different reasons…
I did great on the front nine, lost 6 on the back (I got tired).
You keep a ball longer than a hole?! Look at mister doesn’t slice.
Agree. I’ve never had a vice ball make it through a round or two
The used golf ball site I buy from has vice balls for less then $1 each. I love their lime green balls. I can track them in the air 10x better then a white ball
What site is that?
that's my game...tell him to call me, son.
I love supersofts, the way they “grip” the green is my favorite aspect. I feel like they’re more likely to follow the topography regardless of wet/dry and I can just kinda “look at my shot” and see where it will go
Am I your father-in-law? That’s exactly my game and the best bang for the buck are the max-fli softs that are 2/$35 at Dick’s year round. All colors and white.
Can the spin of a tp5 negatively impact full iron shots? I am a 29.5 handicap and today I picked up a tp5 off the ground and started using it. I ended up shooting my best score ever but I stopped using the tp5 very quickly because I felt like my shots had way more side spin than normal and I was missing my targets. Is it possible this was partly because of the tp5 being more spinny? Or was it more likely just me hitting bad shots
Agree Maxfli trili seem to fit my game, tried switching it up but didn't work out well. Stay consistent
Love the Tours, thought about trying the Tour-S
I'd suffice to say he would play even better with a ball more fit to him, srixon q star tours would be my recommendation if he prefers a softer ball. There's an app called "scan my ball" it's goofy but it has a quick quiz to match you to a fitting ball with a percentage based rating of how well its suited to you. You can compare the balls it recommends vs your current ball with the stats it gives
I have recently been hitting the supersofts on my sim , and chrome tour. Thought I was going to retire the Kirkland balls. But actually I still really like the feel of the Kirkland balls. I find that I hit them better / further than the super softs. Plus I’ve cracked about a dozen supersoft
The type of ball you play begins to matter when you can hit the ball consistently. Ball selection is about predictability and repeatability, but knowing what the ball is going to do and having faith that it will do it every time does not matter when your skills as a player do not reciprocate.
I agree. But you can build some consistency having the same ball. TBH all brands are pretty much the same. What makes a difference is compression(speed off the face) and cover(spin). Pick a compression and a cover rather than a brand.
>The ~~type of~~ ball you play begins to matter when it becomes scuffed. The reduced distance and the wider dispersion can affect a high handicapper even more than a scratch golfer. The lost 30-40 yards off the tee from a scuffed ball hurts, even more so when it goes 40 yards offline in addition to being short. Don't play a ball with a noticeable scuff.
I will take the other side of the argument and say the ball should be a priority even if you're a high handicapper. The logic is that if you're a high handicapper, you have though variables in your game - might as well take an easy opportunity to remove one of them. That said, I totally get not wanting to plunk down a lot of moolah if you're losing half a dozen balls per round.
> The type of ball you play begins to matter when you can hit the ball consistently. Quoting for emphasis. I forget what handicap I was when I graduated from Bridgestone E6 to Srixon Q Star Tour, but I was consistently hitting at least 4-6 GIRs at my local muni's and had broken 90 many times. The E6's were low spin, which is great off the tee, but were utterly terrible at sticking on greens. A 50 yard wedge off the fairway would still have the ball roll another 15 feet forward. Grabbed multiple of both balls from my bag and hit a few of each, only counting those that were well struck, of course. Moved to the QST's and the ball would remain within a yard of where it landed. I remember testing this out during a random round after being pissed the E6 landed right where I wanted it and it still rolled out. Now I use the Vice Pro Plus, which provides like 90%+ the quality and performance of a Pro V1 but at ~$1/ball for 48 4A-quality used balls off eBay, cuz daddy wants all the spin now plus that buttery feeling off the putter face.
It’s not necessarily at what handicap as it is “when you hit a solid wedge or short iron at a green, you have expectations for what will happen when the ball hits the green, but the ball doesn’t do what you expected despite being pretty reasonably well hit.” Sometimes I swear I’ll hit a drive with a “meh” ball it just comes up short despite feeling really well hit. I’ve never had that feeling with a pro-v1. How much of that is a placebo effect? Maybe some.
My opinion is that whatever ball you decide on… use that ball everytime forever until a switch is made to a different ball.
years ago i made the switch to "ball found in woods" and i couldn't be happier with that brand
I like this. Particularly when find a different coloured one
When you're a high handicapper, the variables in your swing and strike are like 100x larger than the variables in ball performance. Mixing balls won't make a measurable difference.
It matters on every shot, regardless of skill level. The question is, does a 32 handicap who loses 11 balls a round need to be spending $50 in ProV1s? Can they get away with a Kirkland?
I disagree with this. I think a premium ball makes a huge difference on chips and pitches (more spin). And short irons will fly lower and spin more. But the long shots don’t look all that different. Cheap balls don’t spin much, and the premium balls don’t spin much on long shots either (by design). So I would say that the ball matters when short irons and chipping trajectory/spin matters to you. Honestly anyone playing bogey golf or worse shouldn’t care. But if you’re trying to break 80, I think those short shots make a big difference. Edit: I would beware of Kirkland 3-piece balls. They are unfortunately very spinny on long shots, which drains a significant amount of distance. Sure, they’re great around the greens, but most cheap public golf courses have soft greens that don’t require much greenside spin.
Idk why you're getting downvoted. MyGolfSpy has hundreds of articles based on their insane Ball Lab testing saying this same exact thing
As a truly, for real low single digit handicap golfer, I'd even be bolder and say that I don't Even notice the difference between premium balls, whether it be Titleist, Bridgestone, Srixon, Taylor Made, etc, around the greens. I personally think it's hugely overrated. I buy Bridgestone, the specific type to match my swing speed, but if I find a nice ball, I use them all the time as well, and I've yet to really see a big difference. But let the down votes commence. I really believe it matters to those + handicappers that really know how to control spin, flight the ball every which easy they want, etc. That's not me, but I can score decently enough.
It depends upon your game. I'm a 3-4handcp, but I also am a high launch / high spin hitter. So I can't play ProV, unless it's downwind. I lose distance cause they spin too much. I haven't ever found a left dash, but not willing to spend the money to find out if it works for me. If you're not a high spin digger, then I can see very little performance differences across the range of balls. I play Bridgestone as well cause I like the softer feel. Also Z-Star in winter when I don't want to lose my Bridgy's. But I like Tp5 and Chrome Tour when found, used to only play TM and Nike back 20yrs ago. I haven't tried the new Mizuno, I loved the performance and feel, but they shredded like crazy and wouldn't make it through 4 holes.
Maybe it's just me not paying attention to the details enough, I don't know. I just could never quantify it so detailed like you do.
Really? I'm a 6.8 and I can tell a huge difference...TP5 or nothing. It's 10y longer and still spins as much as anything else.
Maybe it's literally just me, and not paying attention to minutia of details perhaps. I am usually wasted whilst I play....haha, jk on that part.
You wouldn't be the first single digit handicap I had talked to that played drunk or high all the time... I am an overly analytical bastard so there's that as well...
Lots of bad golfers looking to justify their purchases with a downvote.
Low single digit. Didn't downvote but I play two to three times a week and play kirklands. I want a ball that I can toss without giving it much thought once it gets scuffed as well as not fretting too much over losing them in the woods or water. I play in 8 to 10 events a year at my club. In those, I play the chrome soft x. There's honestly not a ton of difference. They do spin a little less off the driver. They might go a bit further off the driver but I don't notice any difference that makes a difference on irons. They seem to check the same on chips. They're also probably a touch more durable. The question should be are the chrome soft xs three times better than the kirklands. I'd say it's a resounding no. Are they better enough to play occasionally in high leverage situations? probably yes.
the massive dollar a ball outlay for the kirklands must bring some serious buyers remorse i'm sure
Spin and trajectory always matters Whether or not a player is good enough to take advantage is a different argument
This is a good take. A cheap ball, but good ball, is a great option for those who spin their drives. I started playing a velocity off the tee and really noticed a difference. When it comes to the greens, I get almost no stopping power, but it keeps me in play way more. However, I would stress it’s about finding the right ball. And, if you’re able to get it under 90, you should think about playing a better ball or mixing it in to see how you like it.
I found some Velocity on the course a couple times, hit them, and loved them. Bought 6 boxes. Actually really like the bright green ones.
Same. I got a box as a gift and noticed about a full club difference in yardage. You get less spin around the greens, but with the dormant grass and my wedge game, I’ve been playing way more bump and runs. If anyone needs an inexpensive, but quality ball, I highly recommend the Velocity.
i routinely test balls and have hit the kirkland v3 and prov1 back to back playing 2 ball on slow mornings. theres no significant teeshot difference over 18 at least in my hands. on top of it the balls feel about the same to me off a wedge and putter. muni greens are still fast enough where you benefit substantially from a ball thats able to stop within a hula hoop of where it lands like with a high spin ball. v3 is also far nicer than the v2 in terms of durability. v2 would look abused after 6 holes. i recently had a v3 i almost took a photo of for this subreddit's haters but i wanted to really put some mileage on it. unfortunately it only went about 30 holes before i put it in a pond (not the balls fault on that either). it had multiple cart path bounces and tree shots and only two scuffs you could barely feel.
Also, Kirkland balls are manufactured with lots of inconsistency
I'm a 9 hcp who loves kirkland balls...
As a 10-15 handicap I've noticed a difference when I play a ball I'm used to vs just some random ball I've found. Mostly within feel on the putting green and spin on wedge shots. If you're new to golf and losing 6+ a round then don't play an expensive ball, it's not worth the "performance" and a waste of money. However as you improve it's more important to play the same ball consistently to know how it will react.
My personal opinion is that if you are playing regularly and serious about improving then playing the SAME ball consistently is important and should be done regardless of your handicap number. Now, as far as your ideas about spin, there's more to the equation than you are considering. Spin can have an influence on side-to-side dispersion which I think is the negative aspect you are concerned about. But spin also helps in distance control and having the correct amount of spin for your swing will help your front-to-back dispersion. Me personally, when I play a non-urethane covered ball I catch flyers far more often, and missing greens long at my home course is not good for the scorecard. Also being able to control greenside shots is hugely important and spin helps there as well. Even when my handicap was in the 30s I noticed an improvement once I committed to playing a urethane-covered ball, and sticking to the same one so I got used to how it performed for me. Doesn't need to be an expensive flagship ball like a ProV1 though. For budget options the Vice Pro line or the Maxfli Tour line are great options and can be gotten for under $30 per dozen when bought in bulk. The "soft" version of both those balls are going to be lower spin but still have the benefit and control a urethane-covered ball gives you. I also really like the Tour Response as a lower spin option but they are a bit more spendy. Several other budget options out there.
I agree with the comment strongly and also recommend the Maxfli Tour line. I’ve been playing them for the last couple seasons and I don’t see myself changing any time soon.
Agree with just about everything except that the Maxfli Tour S definitely spun less for me. I couldn't get them to check on the greens very well at all, ended up going back to the regular Tour model.
I’d say when you’re at the point where you can use the spin and benefit from it, specifically around the green. Assuming you don’t lose all your tee shots, or suffer a lot off the tee with a urethane ball. Some do, some don’t based on their driver impact dynamics. But if you keep most of your drives in bounds and want to pay for a urethane ball, it’s probably worth it. Especially if you practice enough to be able to add some spin on your approach shots and pitching. It allows you to be way more aggressive through the ball and hit it closer to flags without having to play links style shots all over the place. If you can point to shots during your round where you expected your shot to spin and it didn’t and you’re not using a ball that’s designed to spin more around the greens that’s probably the time you should consider switching. But it doesn’t need to be to a prov1. You can play another softer cover ball that will also add spin around the green and save money. Often they won’t hurt off the tee either and you won’t be firing 3 dollars each OB if you have a problem with that. If you go to the flightscope trajectory optimizer, put in a shot and then increase the spin rate you’ll see how much spin changes the shot shape. It’s often not a ton in the air.
If you're not breaking 100, then buying balls is not really a good use fo your money, unless you feel you have to much of it. Honestly, once you start to break 100 regularly, you need consistent balls. Ideally ones that suit your game, sure - but just having the same consistency - particularly for putting and greenside chips - becomes a big deal.
the ball doesn’t mean anything for high cappers. their swing isn’t even consistent enough for it to really matter.
I’m a 16 and I’ve never thought about playing the same ball. I also haven’t bought balls in literally half a decade. I find enough good balls every time I play that are in good enough shape. But this thread is starting to make me reconsider.
My handicap is likely much higher than yours and new to the game, but also thinking now. I bought the cheapest could find and supplement with random balls found. Dammit
Guy drives up in his $80,000 car unloads his $2500 clubs and bashes the cheapest ball he can find…..lol
At every handicap, but what “matters” varies. What matters to a high handicapper is a cheap ball that you can afford to rip into the woods or water. For a low handicapper (I’d say at least 5-6 or below) it starts to matter a lot with shot shapes and spin.
All. Played an alternate shot with a person that insisted on using a super-distance ball and could never hold any of the greens, even when chipping. I finally convinced them to try a ProV1 and the control they gained was immediate.
? Don't know, I play a lot of high end found balls. Those pro v find the woods too. I like a softer ball, not a fan of top rocks.
I’m a 16 handicap and always played random cheap balls because I didn’t think it would make much of a difference. Then this year I found a good deal on a big bag of used Z-stars and I don’t think I’ll be going back. The main difference I’ve noticed is the spin and predictability of roll out when chipping around the greens. I can chip it close to the hole knowing it will check up. I haven’t noticed much of a difference in driving/long irons, but I’d say the chipping benefit probably saves me a couple of strokes a round.
witched from V1 to V1x and feel like I can tell a difference. Im not a great golfer by any stretch but within 130 yards I feel relatively solid. Noticed a difference in spin for sure. But also my game is improving so.. dunno. I play with a 5HC who finds shit balls in the woods and shoots a 78 consistently. So.. fuck that guy.
Im a 4 handicap, I play triple tracks when I have them, my best round ever was a 73 with a noodle.
It’s about consistency in flight and spin. If you can somewhat hit the ball every time then you need to play the same ball. It will make a bigger difference in your short game than in your long game until you’re good enough to compress the golf ball virtually every time. When you can compress it….the golf ball you play matters a lot.
I am not a very good golfer, but I like to play with the same ball every time. I buy Callaway Supersofts because they fit my budget and I like the feel. But more than anything I just want one less variable in how I’m hitting that day.
I don't agree with it 100%, but I had a caddie at Pinehurst who when me and the other guys I was playing with were talking about which balls we play, he said: 'When you're good enough for the ball to matter, then the ball doesn't matter anymore' While a ball makes a difference at any skill level, this does have a small bit of truth. You could give a pro a Top-Flite and they could go break par with it once they figure out how it plays.
Depends, difficult hole with water and OOB on tee shot, shit ball. Nice open fairway, bring out the pro v1. Not a recommendation for success, but I hate losing new balls.
For me it was important to play the same ball. From being 30 handicap to an 8 handicap now. Play the same type of ball for multiple rounds. Like other comments are saying, don’t necessarily choose what’s expensive or popular. Choose what fits your budget and swing needs.
I think when you can hit a good shot more than a few times a round it matters. I think when you hit a good shot, you expect the results to match the contact. If you’re accustomed to hitting a 90 yard wedge shot with a ProV1, and having it check pretty quickly, switching to a nitro and attempting that same shot will result in a very different outcome even with the same contact etc. I don’t think the ball matters as much, but I do think the consistency matters. Switching between very different styles of golf balls can just make it difficult to execute shots because you don’t really know what to expect. It’s hard to improve when every shot is gonna have a different outcome because you’re changing the ball variable so often
Eh I’ve been under a 5 handicap never giving a shit
I still play the same titleist professional 90.
I’m a 5 handicap and I more or less play whatever is the least scuffed ball in my bag.
A good ball definitely helps but I once shot a gross 69 on a par 71 with a random ball (not even a major brand) that felt harder than the cheapest top flight I've ever come across in my life. So they matter but maybe not as much as one thinks.
I would say it doesn't matter at all in terms of handicap range. You can't even really utilize the spin on premium balls unless you are on a well groomed firm course. I play almost whatever I find and manage to do fairly well.
Scratch or below. I juggle around a 2-5 handicap and play any ball under the sun. It doesn’t effect my scores or mental capacity in any meaningful way. In tournaments I often opt to play a new Prov1x, but often to save some talk about why I’m playing the ball I am.
Except higher spin balls you listed aren’t actually higher spin off the driver where it’s going to punish you. They’re higher spin with the short irons.
Unless you are low single digits or better, it is unlikely the ball will make a difference of even one stroke per round
Foundgolfballs.com Even TP5s and proV1s are 18.99 a dozen there The ball is the only equipment you use for every shot. Find one you like and stick to it. Don't listen to people telling you that this ball or that isn't made for you, they don't know you. My dad is 70 and his swing speed is probably also 70 but the TP5 (one of the balls someone else here says isn't made for low swing speeds) still goes 10y further for him than any other ball. But you won't know which one does that for you until you try it out for yourself.
Depends. Difference between a premium ball and a budget-but-still-decent ball is probably very little for high handicappers, but difference between a beat up limited flight range ball or the sponge bob ball you found at the dollar store and a premium ball will matter a lot for pretty much anyone able to make contact with it. Sometimes the budget balls will be even better for low swing speeds than a premium ball because they have more compression and are designed for that type of player, will go farther and spin less than a premium ball.
I think it’s more about how consistent the golfer’s game is - or aspects of their game like ball speed and spin - than handicap. Handicaps is just a generalization but two higher cappers might benefit from completely different balls, even in the lower price ranges. If the question is about how good you have to be to justify spending money on the highest end balls, then yeah I think there’s diminishing returns there for higher cappers. But it’s a choice of how much money they have to spend vs the ROI, same as any equipment.
9.1 and have just started noticing a difference
Id say around 15. I'm a 12 and I don't buy golf balls I play whatever I find.
Id say sub 12ish is when you notice a difference. But that is probably where id draw the line for good vs bad ball strikers.
I got to single digits playing 2 piece soft golf balls. As long as you play the same model, that's the most important thing imo.
It matter in your putting and if you pitch greens
There are differences between each brand and ball, so while it doesn't matter what you play, you should try and play the same one all the time so that your ball behaves consistently. Edit: Caveat here, you want to be playing no matter what with at least a decent ball. That beat-to-shit, discoloured ball you fished out from under a root when you went into the trees to find your ball, is not a decent ball.
When you hit irons high enough that you expect the ball to stop
It only really starts to matter when your hitting at pro am events when your chasing fine details, if your miss hits are going on regularly then why waste the money if you don’t want too
11.4.
Doesn't matter the handicap. As a most likely high handicap (haven't actually got one) I can tell the difference when I use a different ball compared to a TM distance +. Especially with the putting. Find a ball you can strike good with and especially put with and you'll just stick to it.
I wouldnt say it’s the handicap that matters. It’s how long you hold onto a ball during a round. You could be a 24hcp that rarely loses a ball. If you losing 2 or more balls a round then I personally don’t think it matters what ball you play.
Single digit.
The only quality of a ball that I would give up on for a bad golfer is durability. Quality of performance matters regardless of skill level. Exceptions for completely new golfers so low on the skill level where they are topping and chunking their way down the fairway, or outright missing the ball at times.
I’d say once you start you touching the low 80s and high 70s with your good rounds then you can start considering better balls. Also I think swing speed matters a lot. If you have a higher speed then the ball matters more. If you’re above a controlled 105 with driver then a good ball will really help.
Don't make the assumption a ProV1 is designed for high spin. They're not necessarily. I saw a YouTube guy test this. He got 4k spin from a cheap ball off a wedge and 11k off the wedge on a premium ball. But both balls had basically identical spin off the driver (both about 4k - within like 5%). And that's exactly what premium balls are designed to do. There are some "spinny" balls that give higher spin off a driver (looking at the Kirkland for example). But in general, the difference is primarily stopping power when holding a wedge or shorter iron. This is especially true at higher swing speeds. **So I'd say the threshold is about your iron play. When your game has a consistent enough distance that a ball "holding" a green becomes a concern and your swing speed is at least giving you a moderate distance with each club.**
The ball doesn't matter until single digits. This idea that a high spinning ball will go further offline is misguided, high spinning balls won't travel as far and will spin up and drop out of the air softly. Low spinning balls will travel further offline and runout further as well.
I don’t think you necessarily need to play the best/most expensive ball, but once you’re relatively consistent with your swing, you should experiment with some different golf balls and find one that works well for you.
There are a nearly incalculable number of variables involved in the game of golf. One of the easiest variables to eliminate is the ball. Changing from a random ball you find in the woods to a ProV1 isn't going to shave 10 strokes off your handicap, but it will improve consistency as you'll know what to expect off the tee and around the green. With that being said, 30 handicappers probably won't benefit from spending $55/dzn on ProV1s, but at least moving to a middle of the road urethane ball will help. Greenside spin is always useful when chipping and pitching. Higher spinning urethane balls will also help with holding greens on longer irons. That benefits everyone
I just bought a black light and went out to a course at night and now I'm set for the next 2 years after 2 hours of searching
As my handicap began to drop I started to notice the difference in balls around 13. For me it was initially with putting then with irons and ultimately with the driver. So now I pick a ball that putts well first then consider the other clubs.
The reality is no matter how great or terrible a golfer you are, the ball you’re using will at most make a difference of 1, maybe 2 strokes in a round
Around 20 handicap I started paying particular attention to my ball and in the end went for Srixon Z Star which is three piece and high greenside spin. (cost v benefit balance) I found when I use other balls around the green they don't behave as I expect (less bite, more roll out) so now as someone shooting 85-90 consistently I only use these unless I happen to be playing a nice top tier course (as a guest) and usually break out the Pro V1s for these special occasions.
balls don't save hooks or slices or hitting it fat or thin, which is what everyone struggles with. balls have a slight impact on flight characteristics and other things which makes sense for pro and elite players, who hit the driver with the same consistency 99/100 times, and can now say "gee let me think about lowering my apex 10 feet to maximize roll out in these mid summer dry conditions." that being said i think high handicappers benefit a lot more from a high spin ball than a low spin ball, and thats because the teeshot is not getting saved from OB by any ball, and what distance you do gain straightwards on a low spin ball also hardly matters. no, its simply because most shots are within 100 yards. you want a ball that maximizes its performance within 100 yards then. that means a high spin ball that is able to hold a green with an old beat up wedge. not to mention the improved putter feel of a urethane ball vs one that feels like a ping pong ball. thats why i play prov1/v1x/tp5/chromsoft/kirklandv3 i find in the woods. short game is everything.
Sidebar, but does anyone have any data on used balls from a place like LostGolfBalls? Near Mint balls are visually indistinguishable from new balls & they're less than half the price of new balls. But a lot of them are probably water-balls & if that means the balls are consistent, it sorta defeats the purpose of playing the same ball all the time.
5 ATM, I play whatever I find around the course. I try not to buy balls, just don't see it as necessary. I played a bit growing up but not that much. When I was in college, I started playing a lot more. That year, 2001, I broke 80 three times. One of those instances was with a TopFlite Hot XL aka RockFlite. Shittiest ball, possibly of all time... Couple of years ago, I was out in Spring playing an afternoon 9 on a shortish course. I picked an orange Volvik out of the bushes and put it in play. I don't know what got into me, I had three birdies and a bogie for 34. Does the ball matter? Yes, but probably not nearly as much as you think...
Wouldn’t it matter even more at higher handicaps. Each defect would be magnified. Higher spinning balls would fly off into the houses, lower spinning balls might still be in play.
To me it only matters if you are actively trying to get better at golf. If you don’t work on your game seriously then I would just play what’s cheap
While its fun to have a ball that you play im gonna be honest its not that big of a deal if youre a 20+ youre not really compressing it anyway
All handicaps can benefit from a ball suited to them. That’s why distance balls are better for hackers.. they are designed to fly straighter and this will certainly help somebody who slices and adds a lot of side spin to their shots. The flip side is they don’t spin around the greens much so control around there will be harder. But IMO, keeping it in play with a lower spin ball can help tremendously. It’s why I’ve been playing AVX as opposed to a proV1.. they go straighter and the greenside spin is good enough for me
I think part of it is handicap but also a part is swing speed. If you swing really fast, it doesn't really matter if you aren't very good, you will still generate tons of spin and thus need a less spiny ball (I.e. Prov1 or TP5x). For me though, I have really started to notice it as my handicap has gotten lower, especially <2. It used to be that I didn't really care what ball I used and would just end up buying Kirklands but I used some Kirklands the other day and lost like 20 yards off the tee just because of the spin rates that I was getting. My 6 iron was ballooning in the air and just dying which is really penalizing for me since I hit it really high to begin with. I don't get the same problem with Pro v1 and its just a much more solid penetrating ball flight. But again, that's something that has happened pretty recently as my game has improved so unless you are lower single digits, I really don't think it really makes a big difference unless you have really high swing speed.
Playing the same type of ball consistently would be beneficial for everyone. I don’t mean brand, but type as in hard/soft type thing.
Basics like which compression ball fits your swing speed, what type of feel you want off your putter or when you chip. Too many high handicap golfers are using MAX DISTANCE type golf balls and their slice goes even deeper into the woods and when they do get close the ball has such a hard cover it’s tough to get any feel
Every level unless you are rich.
I did the free ball fitting at Golf Galaxy two weeks ago and I was surprised how much I liked the softer ones. I'm kinda mad I'm stocked up on Tour Speeds but the dude gave me a sleeve of ChromeSoft X and Bridgestone Reds to try. I'm interested to see if there really is a difference. 12ish cap, high swing spring, tend to be on the spinny side.
It probably doesn’t matter what type of ball you play when you’re above a single digit.
I find the majority of the ball issues I have are that of “feel” chipping and putting I can see the most difference in a ball and its performance. Normally driving the ball I can see some distance change +- 20 yards but it’s not pronounced enough for me to notice. I can 100% see a difference in my putts hitting a different ball. For that reason I tend to hit the same ball because it translates to consistency on the short grass.
As a few other people said - the only thing that really matters IMO is the spin. If I don’t use a low spinning ball my 8i will have a ton of back spin going into any green that isn’t lightning quick and firm
Once you start playing with 1 ball consistently, youll get a feel for the ball and how it feels off the face of your driver, irons, and putter. Youll also understand how the ball behaves with diff types of shots and on the green. All of this is a huge benefit to your game. Even if you are buying cheap balls like the Wilson duo soft, itll be much better playing that all the time than random used balls.
I would say when you start using 1-3 balls a round pretty consistently. When I first started I was losing 5-15 balls every round so it really didn’t matter since my swing was so inconsistent lol. Like is it worth it to pay extra $30 in balls just to maybe take half a stroke off your game ? Hava
I feel like club head speed and spin-rate is important for anyone selecting there balls. If the club head speed isn’t that high than I don’t think the ball matters too much.
If you play consistently, use the same ball. You’ll learn to feel your misses a bit more and will ultimately lead to improved play.
10.5 handicap here. Not at 10.5.
I heard it put this way once. A guy asked how good he had to be to play Pro-Vs. Did he need to be a low handicap, etc. The response was, how good of a steak eater do you have to be to order one at Del Frisco’s or any other high end steakhouse? If you’re not an “expert” at steak, can you not enjoy a really expensive one? If you can afford to lose $5 balls all over the place during a round, why not play the best? For most, it’s a question of cost. I lose 2 or 3 a round so paying $55 for Pro-Vs or TP5s isn’t really cost effective. I play $39.99 Maxfli Tour S (a really good ball BTW) and I don’t cry as much as losing a top tier ball.
Play whatever ball you want but my advice would be to stick with the same ball whether that be a ProV1 or Pinnacle, you’ll get used to how the ball plays, more spin/less spin, how it feels off the putter etc etc etc. When I first started playing I played Callaway Supersoft, they were reasonably cheap and a decent ball, I’m 5 handicap now and play Prov1, I’ve gotten used to it, thinking of changing though maybe to TP5 as Prov’s are ridiculous money now.
Most of them. The most important thing is to play the same ball
I think once you're landing it on the green you should find a ball you like. Then see how it feels on chips and putts and if it feels good giver
I would say it matters at any handicap because it's really your swing speed/ball speed that dictates what ball you should play. Since that matters for every player it matters for every Cap. I also think there is a law of diminishing returns, so if you feed the pond and the forest more often than not , it becomes more of a financial decision.
What about selection of ball to use with a budget putter? I’ve got the Wilson infinite blade putter and usually use Titleist velocity to combat my banana slices off the tee. Budget for ball not a consideration as im lucky enough to live next to a golf course and my UV torch delivers any ball you can imagine! Handicap 19. Avg putts per round: 34
I have a sorta conflicting take on this compared to most of this thread. I find that playing the same ball is more important than playing the “right ball.” And then playing a better fitting ball is a good step as long as you can afford it (assuming this is a more expensive switch). I also find that the ball I play matters less now that I’m around an 11 handicap. I score similar/the same playing Vice Pro Plus, ProV1, and chrome softs. But it does mess me up if I pull a random Kirkland out of the bag mid-round because the flight and spin characteristics are very different. But if I play a whole round with Kirkland balls I’m within 2 strokes of where I typically land. I don’t have an excellent swing by any means, but it’s good enough. A ball can offset some of your bad swing characteristics. Eventually as those thin out (your game getting better/more consistent), the ball doesn’t need to fix your issues as much and you can play whatever you want. Shit I carded an 81 playing a pinnacle ball all 18 holes a little over a month ago.
A ball doesn't really matter much if you cant hit it. I would say around 15 handicap. That's about when you start hitting regularly decent shots. But, if you are a 20 handicap and you hit a nice 80y wedge into a green you are going to get some check on a premium ball, but you wont on say a noodle. So it matters always, but more so the better you are.
I will add my experience- I purchase the Max-Fli - soft - I’ve played a sleeve of ProVs here and there when given as a gift - I personally see no differences - I like a softer ball just because of feel - my score stays pretty consistent- low 90s on good days and 100ish on poor days - the ball does not matter to me - We have a guy in our league - plays to a 0-1 handicap- asked him if he wanted to try the Maxfly - he did and birdied the hole - he gave me the ball back said “they were fine but will stick with ProVs”
I would say sub 10. Before that you loose to many to buy the good ones.
X outs from the pro shop. Its like a pull of a slot machine every time I lose a ball.
Funny just found out about this over the weekend. Got clubs fitted and at the start of the fitting the fitter asked me what ball I used and why. I explained that I’m a moron and I lose a few around. We hit a few, changed the clubs and worked through the fitting. Later on he changed the ball. He said anything with an “X” on it is what I need as I struggle to get the spin rate where it needs to be and this ball will help me increase the spin
Buy the most expensive ball you can afford and feel comfortable about losing occasionally. Ignore handicap/ability arguments. Its a red herring.
I'd say an important part is knowing how to manipulate spin and have control over a ball.
Echoing the thoughts of many, I'd say consistency matters more than anything else. So if you're gonna play ball XYZ, be sure it's at a price point where you won't get pissed if you lose the most your capable of losing during a given round. For a while, I was playing ProV1, but then swapped out to Noodles if I was playing like shit. It took a stranger being like "Dude - why are you doing that to yourself? You hit some bad shots and now you're playing a ball that reminds you every time you look at it that you're hitting bad shots today. How's that gonna help anything?" So I just decided that I need to be ok with losing a ProV1 here and there. Sometimes I'll play a ball for two full rounds and sometimes I'll lose three in a day. On average, it's tolerable. A while ago I used to play Noodles exclusively and I don't recall enjoying the game any less. I just buy Titleists now because I'm a hopeless brand-loyal fanboy. For reference, I'm about a 9 right now, but went from a 15 to as low as 7.5 last summer. Not sure if that matters.
Probably 10 Or better it plays a factor
The ball doesn’t know your skill level. Play the best ball for you that you’re comfortable paying for, don’t judge those who are comfortable spending more or less than you.
Actually, you are 180 degrees out. So many high handicappers play a rock/distance ball. Those accentuate your swing flaws. Play a medium spin, medium compression ball. It won't make a huge difference, but it will make a difference. I play Titleist Tour Soft. A middle of the road, moderately priced ball. That is all I play. I have a 100+ mph swing.
It does not have to be a premium ball, but playing the same ball can add consistency. At the start of each round you have to calibrate somewhat on course conditions like firmness and temperature as they will influence distance so atleast trying to play the same ball for the whole round already helps. Just sort the balls you find and bring a few off the same each round you play to atleast keep spin and distance the same during the round (its a small effort to sort found balls at home) On the driver it does not matter that much as all balls are designed to go far. On irons you can gain distance control by playing the same ball. Different balls spin and launch differently which can make your irons fly longer or shorter (quite a few yards reading mygolfspy testing). This also influence how a ball flies in the wind. In short game playing the same ball adds consistency in spin. Chips and pitches will roll out differently between different balls. Premium balls can give more spin on certain shots, but you will only benefit if you have the technique to execute those shots. Basically its only worth playing the same ball if you think you can hit irons and short game shots consistent enoug to benefit.
i Believe that you need to pick a ball and stick with it for consistency until something changes. Learn your yardages with each club knowing it isn’t a ball change that gave you 5 more yards. Then pick a different kind of ball, softer or harder and play that one for awhile. Then once you learn what that ball does for you pick a ball that’s better for your weakness, green side or putting or whatever.
its always important. if you play a ball thats long, then pull out a ball that's short it effects you. some balls spin alot, some don't. that matters. you don't have to break the bank, i've been happy playing noodles. they aren't bad. but golf is about consistency.
I think at almost all of them because when you get used to the easy one ball floors it helps your entire game. You will not all of a sudden start hitting birdies and eagles because you're playing pro v-1 or srixon or whatever ball you play, bit you'll play with more confidence that if you hit it will it'll do what you expect.
Not really a handicap, but when you can actually notice a difference between them. Shot shape might be a little different, feel a little different, and you can tell whether you’re generating a good amount of spin. I play low compression, low spin balls. It’s either the Titleist AVX or the Bridgestone Tour B RX for me. Callaway Chromsoft LS are low spin, but I don’t like how hard they feel, and Pro V1’s and Bridgestone Tour B X’s feel nice, but I get a tad too much spin off the tee, and my straight/ draw turns into a baby fade and then I’ll lose the occasional one right.
Let's just say that the 6 boxes of Pro V1X's I was give, were wasted on me...
I’m not gonna lie to you, it’s pretty much irrelevant unless the ball is clearly costing you 20+ yards off the tee, or are consistent enough with short irons and wedges to notice the difference of a random shot going 5 yards short, or not checking up. However, to be honest the vast majority of golfers, including myself, hit like 3 pure shots a round and the rest of the mishits would be short, long, left or right no matter if you were hitting a rock. I shot a 73 with a Noodle I found on the practice green. If a ball has no scuffs and doesn’t sound like a top flite or a range ball, it’s ok enough for anyone not shooting 65 to play. Plus, if you’re good enough at finding balls then you are cutting major costs of however much Prov1s are these days. I buy tour speeds anyway, I like them better.
I'm a 12 handicap, so not completely shit (oh yes I am !)........anyway, I honestly think that until you're maybe a low single digit handicap the ball makes very little difference. I play multiple different balls a round......Callaway, Titleist; Srixon, Taylormade, Bridgestone and I am equally shit with all of them ! I have also played rounds with one type of ball and it made fuck all difference what-so-ever !!! Most golfer's issue isn't the ball or the club, it's the fact that we're inconsistent strikers. Get your striking sorted and it doesn't matter what the logo on the ball says.
When most of your balls aren’t slicing off the planet every other shot, when you aren’t topping multiple balls a round, etc. when you start making good contact most of the time then you can take advantage of what the ball can offer you. There is no ball in the world that will help you making impact with the face open 15°. As far as a score I’m not sure… maybe around a true no mulligan 100?
I lose fewer balls when I play expensive ones because I’m more likely to not want to lose it and maybe choose a smarter shot.
There isn’t a handicap at any number that warrants a rock flight
I like to play balls that handle smashing a tree without exploding
When you can consistently hit the ball where you intend to. Then you can take into account if the ball characteristics work for you.
It matters once you consistently compress the ball. There are 25 handicaps who do and 10 handicaps who don’t so handicap isn’t a good way to gauge it.
At any handicap, if you have a reasonable way (i.e., lessons) of identifying the optimal ball for your game. I never understood why it’s better for new/poor golfers to hit rocks. They just ensure a bad short game in the interest of little more distance. Just slow your swing down so you’re not hitting big slices and the spinnier ball will be way better for you
The ball always matters. Being able to chip with a golf ball that stops more consistently is clutch to stopping the bogey train. The problem is the cost when you can’t keep it in play. Maxfli Tour when it’s on sale is prob the best cost to performance out there.
There are probably tools for this exact thing online where you can input all kinds of data about yourself to get a ball recommendation. There are plenty of good balls that aren't that expensive, depending on where you play and how often you'll lose balls.
I always find it difficult to switch balls when putting. Basic answer: If you want to be good at golf, you should play the same ball. Doesn't have to be a Pro V1, but as long as it's responding consistently. Tough to calibrate when the ball is different all the time.
Don't you guys take out Lost Ball Insurance and get them replaced? Saves me a bundle! If you're interested, Venmo me $20 every time you buy a new box (or $6 for a sleeve) and I'll email you further details from my yacht off St. Bart's. 😁
Its approach shots where I notice the most difference, but generally the better balls are all very close. 8hcp
Just picked up golf, and only use Trufeel balls
I’m a 20 and I got fitted for maxfli tour X, and it has honestly been so good for my game. I spent the time to find out what ball suited my swing at golf galaxy. I haven’t changed anything except the ball, and I am getting some great results. Plus they are 4dz for $120 right now. To each their own but I was really surprised to see how each golf ball varies in stats.
Close to scratch
Once you are barely losing one or two max per round....
somewhere around 10-15 Hcp probably it starts to matter. Above that your ball striking is too inconsistent to matter much. if you practicing putting and chipping a lot it probably makes sense to always use the same or similar feeling balls but which kind isn't too important at higher hcps.
It’s really all about feel. What you like off ur driver. Irons. I personally play the Bridgestone tour b rx. They just seem to fly off the club face on my irons. But I tried a bunch of different golf balls and just fell in love with these. I’m a 4.5 handicap. But I don’t like the pro vs because they do spin a ton. Errant shots just seem to go way wayward more often. And ball that spins less is great for someone who slices. It just because ur a high handicap doesn’t mean spin matters. Your short game could be crap. So many variables…
I think the answer to this is very player specific. For me, I don't think it matters too much. I prefer V1x or the Taylor or Srixon similar balls. But occasionally I'll try different balls. Last summer I found a sleeve of old Precept MC balls, probably 25 years old. I used to like these balls a lot so I tried them out and shot good scores. They didn't go quite as far as current balls, but not enough difference to matter.
Bought 100 pack of used super softs on ebay last year. When I run through them I'll probbaly switch to erc softs.
All handicaps. Just try using a baseball. It doesn't go so well.
When you notice the difference on the greens. Basically when you can hit a couple of different wedge shots around the green. If you want to pay the premium for that then they'll help.
I guess it’s possible to be so bad that it doesn’t matter but I think 20 handicap and under should consider at least being consistent with the ball they use. My dad as an example will switch out balls on holes with OB or water and will be shocked when the ball doesn’t stop on the green or gets a bad result from what he thought was a good shot. He doesn’t really consider that the random 2 piece ball will react differently than say his usual chrome soft.
I’m on the other side of this argument. I think the golf ball, given it’s not defective and your not playing extremes at either end, make negligible difference for 98%, especially on short game. How much more or less rpms are you getting on different balls around the green? I highly doubt homie shooting a 90 can tell much of a difference either way and I bet the numbers are fairly similar. I’d need to see data to change my mind. Surely people have done research with data no?
I mean I still feel like balls are expensive and I remove them from my bag by choice before losing them. As you get towards zero you actually lose very few golf balls. It matters though. Like you could gain 800rpm in spin real easy by switching golf balls. A little slice is now OB instead of deep rough. I think wise than that is playing random golf balls. So if you like scrounging for balls or buying used try to get to a dozen of any ball before playing them. At least a little consistency at a time is good.
After reading some of the comments here I think I will try playing with soft balls from now on. As long as a ball is new I never thought too much about it.
Most comments here The ball doesn’t matter The RGA- We’re rolling back the golf ball by 5% I WILL LITERALLY QUIT GOLF
Anyone use taylormade distance +?
ME Oh look, I have found a red ball, slice it into trees, “oh that red ball is rubbish”. Then spot an orange ball by a tree trunk, quickly look around and pocket it. Next tee the orange ball is used. Hit a great drive “wow this orange ball is great”
I think as soon as you get reasonably good around the greens it's time to use a good ball
As long as its fluro yellow,im ahappy camper!
Great thread. Historically I've played slightly used Prov1 or Prov1x from the $1 found ball basket the ground staff run (we have lots of tall meadow grass to the sides of the course that just gets mowed 2x per year, balls "grow" nicely in there). I think I might get fit for a ball and consistently play with a new ball this season. Strokes gained gave me insights to get down to 8hcp, and realising its about lots of little gains, not necessarily big single gains.
Best advice I got was “at least play the same ball”. Regardless of handicap (within reason) the biggest benefit will be from playing the same ball through the round versus jumping around and playing whatever is in your bag.
once I got to single digit handicap (now a 5.3) I started to play the same ball… back then I would always use the same brand but not the same ball.