Ball snobs

[User 105]

OK probably about to open a big can of worms.

I used to be a self confessed ball snob. Would pretty much only use Prov's, Z-stars or equivalent.

Over the past year I brought 100 lake balls to practice with. I'd play my normal ball, if I didn't pull off the shot I grab a lake ball from my bag and try again not worrying if i loose it or not. Obviously only do this when the course is quiet and I'm practising by myself.

But over the past few months I've started to just use the lake balls when I'm playing normally. Yes, I can feel the difference. Especially with the harder covered budget balls. And yes I prefer the feel of a top end ball, especially when chipping and putting.

But in my honest opinion it's made not a jot to my scoring.

I can understand if you're a low digit handicapper it might make a difference, but for the majority of us can anyone really claim it improves their game by any real margin ? or is it all really just a preference thing ?

Steps back and lights blue touch paper

 

[shortgame]

Self confesssed ball snob here! 🙋

I'm sure different balls make virtually no difference to my long game but I'm confident the spin from a premium ball makes a difference to my pitching and chipping!

 

[shortgame]

* Does that reflect in my scoring? Maybe but probably not!

 

[User 105]

I'm sure different balls make virtually no difference to my long game but I'm confident the spin from a premium ball makes a difference to my pitching and chipping!

I honestly thought the same, but I'm really not seeing it in my game and chipping and pitching is one of my stronger parts of my game. I can definitely feel the difference, but the results aren't noticeably different.

As I say, not in any meaningful way.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

I'm no ball snob, play with any all ball I find, as lose them to quickly

When looking at spin numbers I generate, my strike is so all over the place, the ball basically is making no difference.

 

[jim8flog]

I'll go the other way round a little bit.

One of my mates, now approaching his 80s, was once a low single figure handicap. Over the years his club distance become shorter and shorter but will not move away from Prov1 to a ball which will give him more length.

Some players are just obsessed with playing one ball.

 

[drdel]

I use a few ProV1 and a load of other mid-range balls, but in all honesty the variability in my swing means I'd be hard pushed to justify using them all the time. IMO for most mid/high handicappers like me the choice of ball makes little difference to the score.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Confidence is such a major factor in golf. I take comfort that Pro V1x's and TP5x's listen to what I shout at them more than budget balls

#GO!
#SIT!
#SPINFORGOD'SSAKE!!!!!
#CUT!!

 

[HamiltonGuy]

I would previously have used anything whatever I found on the course went into my bag and I played it. Over the last few years I started to use callaway as I enjoy the super soft or chrome soft and I don’t think I could go back to any old ball. Probably hasn’t changed my scoring but nothing feels worse when you hit one that vibrates up your arm like you’ve just hit a boulder

 

[jim8flog]

On a personal basis I try anything a couple of times but my regular ball is always some sort of 3 or 4 piece ball because I can see the benefits and I am not obsessed with distance.

 

[Coffey]

During the winter I basically use any mid level ball such as the AD333 etc. I do noticed a difference in the feel when putting but once again, not noticing any difference in scoring between that and my summer ball which moves between Prov1 and Chromesofts.

Although it is hard to tell the spin numbers as the greens are really soft at the moment and you could stop a stone on them.

 

[Pin-seeker]

I could tell you what ball I’ve hit as soon as it leaves the club face.

 

[Pin-seeker]

I’m a 16HC 🤷‍♂️

 

[Wolf]

I've got to admit I'm not a ball snob at all.. Though I'll also admit when I was a junior I was. When the first Titleist Professional came out the marketing was so good it was the must have ball it's all I'd play until I realised I had to start buying them myself when I turned 16 and started earning money...

I switched to the NXT tour then and found absolutely no difference to my game, I was actually scoring better as I wasn't worried about the cost of losing one. I went from a 6 handicap at 16 years old down to a 3 handicap withing all with the cheaper ball yesI got better but the ball being cheaper didn't hinder me.

Now I'm perfectly happy with a decent mid range ball, I don't mind if that's a Srixon, Titleist, Callaway, Taylor Made whatever. As long as I can swing at it and make it go in the hole I really don't find the more expensive premium makes such a difference to me. But there will be some that believe no matter their handicap they have to pay premium only.

 

[Coffey]

I could tell you what ball I’ve hit as soon as it leaves the club face.

But does it impact your score? Probably not. Feel and confidence are a big thing but i doubt they make any difference to scoring

 

[User 105]

So it does seem for most it's a feel rather than a performance thing and that's OK.

When I do buy balls now, it does tend to be a mid range ball as I can't really 'feel' the difference between that and a top end ball.

 

[pendodave]

I like a decent ball, more for the feel off the putter than anything else.

My snobbishness is such that in the winter I buy posh pearl lakeballs (yellow zstars this year) so that I still get that nice feel without paying full whack to lose it under leaves or plugged in the mud.

 

[Wolf]

So it does seem for most it's a feel rather than a performance thing and that's OK.

When I do buy balls now, it does tend to be a mid range ball as I can't really 'feel' the difference between that and a top end ball.

Youre right for most of it probably is feel, but heres a thought, if instead of swapping and changing people used a mid range ball for say a dozen rounds that feel with that ball would then become normal as it's what they'd be used to..

 

[Orikoru]

Don't think I'm a snob but I prefer to use balls that I've bought, and I buy ones that I've selected that I think will suit me. It may be true that it makes no difference, but I'd still rather take one potential variable out of the equation by using the same or similar ball consistently. I don't get the expensive ones, I pay about £20 a dozen. WilsonStaff DX3 at the moment, I'm thinking about going to Titleist DT Trusoft though, as I've used one or two that I found and they seem slightly better.

 

[patricks148]

I only use a Prov 1 or the last but one X for comp play, don't mind anything else for a bounce game. You know what you are getting short game wise from this ball.

However, me and a couple of guys at the club are experimenting with softer compression balls, which on the face of it go further in colder conditions without the usual drop of in performance under 30 deg like the Prov 1 has. so far we haven't found one that will actually stop like a prem ball on a harder green from a chip, or full shot with a wedge.