Balls

MKDave

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I've mostly used Dunlop Balls as there about £8 for 2 dozen at sports direct. I feel like I hit them pretty well and seem to have decent control over them.

I won 3 Titliest NXT balls at work and played them for 2 rounds. Struglled when striking the ball full whack but noticed the balls stopped so quick around the green with weighted wedge shots. The overall performance of the ball was detrimentle to my game.

Not so long back I hit a iron shot into a green and went slightly long into some bushes. I rustled in my bad to drop another ball and pulled out a pinncale. I hit the pinnacle with the same club, a little bit lower down the grip to play shorter, and it carried the bushes. I easily went another 15 yards.

A few months later I decided to buy 2 dozen pinnacle balls and I've been playing with them ever since. I hit them as well as my Dunlop balls but have been a bit dodgy from 150 yards in. Although my comp on sunday I was approaching really well which is usually the best part of my game.

My question really is, how can you tell which balls are the best for your game or are they much of a muchness? I know players who hit a ball and say, oh that's a bit soft for me, or I need a harder ball today but I can't 'feel' any difference in a call. Apart from not striking some of them as sweetly but that surely isn't the ball, that's my swing??

Any advice guys?
 

Aztecs27

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Buy a sleeve of 3 balls for each of the brands you're interested in and give them all a go and find out which one's are best for you.

I got 2 dozen Dunlop balls for Christmas and they're terrible for me. Fine in the winter but now the course has started to dry out, I'm back to using tour balls (Srixon Z-Star, ProV, TM Penta)...As they offer much more control around the greens.

I've got just over a dozen of the dunlops left and have no idea what to do with them.
 

DelB

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I've recently started playing with yellow Pinnacle Gold Precision balls and I really like them. They go well off the driver without too much sidespin, they seem to stay fairly straight in a side wind and they stop ok on soft greens at this time of year. I suspect that they might not be so good around the greens in drier summer conditions, but we'll see. Also, at £11.00 for 15, it's not too sore when you lose the odd one either!
 

MKDave

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Buy a sleeve of 3 balls for each of the brands you're interested in and give them all a go and find out which one's are best for you.

Makes Sense althought 3 balls often cost about a tenner a pop. Can you really gain alot from a different ball at different times of the year? Do we think that approach shots, chips and putting would all have to be adjusted dependant on which ball we're hitting?

I've got just over a dozen of the dunlops left and have no idea what to do with them.

Stick them in a bag for the range with all the other balls you find on the course. Or give them to me :)
 

MKDave

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I've recently started playing with yellow Pinnacle Gold Precision balls and I really like them. They go well off the driver without too much sidespin, they seem to stay fairly straight in a side wind and they stop ok on soft greens at this time of year. I suspect that they might not be so good around the greens in drier summer conditions, but we'll see. Also, at £11.00 for 15, it's not too sore when you lose the odd one either!

Good to see pinnacle in someone elses bag.

Looking back at my approach shots and seeing my pitch marks I think they stop as quick as the Dunlops for me.
 

Aztecs27

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Buy a sleeve of 3 balls for each of the brands you're interested in and give them all a go and find out which one's are best for you.

Makes Sense althought 3 balls often cost about a tenner a pop. Can you really gain alot from a different ball at different times of the year? Do we think that approach shots, chips and putting would all have to be adjusted dependant on which ball we're hitting?

I've got just over a dozen of the dunlops left and have no idea what to do with them.

Stick them in a bag for the range with all the other balls you find on the course. Or give them to me :)

Failing getting the new sleeves of balls, buy some "second hand" ones that you can buy off the internet for cheap. I forget the name of the website but there's one that sells balls of different grades, but they're cheaper than buying brand new and will give you a definite feel of which ones are best for you.

EDIT: You're welcome to the dunlops, don't know how much they'd cost to post though!
 

MKDave

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EDIT: You're welcome to the dunlops, don't know how much they'd cost to post though!

Thanks for the offer mate, I've still got plenty of balls to last me until I fly off to Aus so they'd get no use to be honest.

I pick up plenty of 'lost' balls on the course and we've got a box of lake balls in the garage of diffent makes. Might take them to the range soon and see how I get on.

Should I be feeling differnt with different balls or just notice the difference in the shot?
 

Oddsocks

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MKDave, personally id have a pop at the srixon AD333. very popular amungst the mid to high h/c players. I normally use DX3 wilsons but during the winter grabbed a sleave of these, i.ve dropped teh DX3 now until the course really firms up.

you can nomrally get 2 doz for around £25.00 or 3 dz for £30, check ebay.
 

USER1999

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Have used Srixon trispeed tour during the winter. A bit firmer, and go well in the cold, and any thing stops on the greens as they are soft. Am swapping back to ProV1s now the comp season is coming up.

Tour balls (proV1, Z star, etc) are defo not for every one. Yes, they offer more control on the greens, but they also slice more too. If you can't control this sort of ball then a mid range ball is a good bet.

I also don't lose many balls. Have not lost a ball this year, and have played approx 20 rounds.

In terms of finding a ball you like, you have to try a few out. You can pretty much get used to anything, so providing you aren't slicing it all over the place, almost anything will do. Length isn't every thing though. Consistency of performance is top.
 

Aztecs27

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MKDave, personally id have a pop at the srixon AD333. very popular amungst the mid to high h/c players. I normally use DX3 wilsons but during the winter grabbed a sleave of these, i.ve dropped teh DX3 now until the course really firms up.

you can nomrally get 2 doz for around £25.00 or 3 dz for £30, check ebay.

I would recommend this ball as well. Used them at the end of last season. Very good all rounder.
 

HomerJSimpson

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Horses for courses and best to try a few out. The Wilson DX range get good reviews on here. This winter I've used NXT and AD333 as they are firmer than the Z Star, Prov V etc I usually use and to be honest on the sodden winter greens pretty much anything stops.
 
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