Do Golf Balls Have a Shelf Life?

[cliveb]

I've seen this debate many times. Multiple people went out and tested the same, some even went as far as marking the ball and placing such a mark in a specific place on the tee peg to reduce side spin. Has to be said most that experimented with it thought it was nonsense. I sure hope it is. This game is tough enough without having to wonder whether that ball that moved unintended of to the right/left was down to a poorly balanced ball!

I've seen a video demonstrating that cheap balls are typically less well balanced than premium ones and are therefore more likely to produce unwanted side spin and/or fail to roll properly when putting.

Float a ball in a bowl of salt water. Put a little dot on the top with a Sharpie. Spin the ball around. If when it comes to rest the dot returns back to the top, the ball is unbalanced. You want it to return to rest in a random position.

All that said, I don't consider myself a good enough golfer to pay for the likes of ProV1s and TP5s. Happy to use any that I find, though ?

 

[Imurg]

Mygolfspy are doing some extensive ball tests at the moment
Taking very accurate measurements they are finding that some balls are not even round, let alone having their cores centred.
They are also finding compression hotspots - areas of a ball that vary in compression - and some that are too small.
Tests are ongoing so no firm results yet but they could be very interesting when they do present the findings.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Generally speaking, no considering they’re stored in a room-temperature location. Unless you leave your golf balls exposed to high heat or extremely cold temperatures they should last forever.
Whether you are an avid golfer or just picking up the sport, the golf ball is the most important tool in your bag. For this reason, it is important for you to know when to switch for an old ball for a new one.

Golf balls in 2020 consist of a three-piece solid core. These balls are typically geared towards intermediate/advanced golfers. This is reflected in the price as well as the technical aspect.
Unless you know how the control a golf ball while playing, it will never matter which one you buy. After you find the right ball, you are happy to spend the money knowing you’ll obtain your desired results (i.e. lowering your handicap).
The golf ball is made up of a solid rubber center (sometimes liquid-center) that is intertwined by elastic bands. Most avid golfers claim a golf ball (when they’re not on tour) can last a few weeks.

Unless they appear to be nicked, scratched, or waterlogged than you should be okay. If you think your golf ball has gone bad, try juggling it on an iron (like Tiger) a few times. You should get a good sense of its quality from the noise and bounces.

I had to check the date on your post, I thought it said 1980

 

[Neilds]

What’s the point having a ball that is perfectly round, core is perfectly centred , etc when none of us have perfectly repeatable swings, hitting a ball of less than perfect lies most of the time. A bit of imperfection won’t make a Jot of difference - imo

 

[cliveb]

What’s the point having a ball that is perfectly round, core is perfectly centred , etc when none of us have perfectly repeatable swings, hitting a ball of less than perfect lies most of the time. A bit of imperfection won’t make a Jot of difference - imo

I'm pretty much with you on this.
I certainly agree that it makes no difference tee-to-green, but for those who pride themselves on being good putters (I don't include myself in that group), an unbalanced ball can move a putt slightly off line.

 

[Crazyface]

I'm pretty much with you on this.
I certainly agree that it makes no difference tee-to-green, but for those who pride themselves on being good putters (I don't include myself in that group), an unbalanced ball can move a putt slightly off line.

Damn (surely and exclamation mark could be used here). My golf balls must all me unbalanced. That explains a lot.

 

[Neilds]

No difference tee to green????????? ? ?

So you think we should start using balls that just fly and curve in random directions?

How unbalanced do you think these balls are? They haven’t got a 3lb weight on one side !!

 

[cliveb]

No difference tee to green????????? ? ?

So you think we should start using balls that just fly and curve in random directions?

For me, it makes no difference. I'm a lowly 15 handicapper. Every time I hit the ball it's a crapshoot where it might go.

For better players such as yourself, I'm sure it could make a big difference.
If I ever achieve those lofty heights, I'll take out a second mortgage and be sure to only play ProV1s.

 

[Imurg]

During robot testing for their Golf Ball test, Mygolfspy found that some balls flew in random directions when compared to others.
They looked at the data and, bearing in mind that it was a robot hitting the ball, concluded that the ball flight could not be down to anything but the ball.
They retrieved the wayward balls and cut them open.
The core was several mm away from centre - google "off centre callaway ball" and you'll see it.
Given that a ball is around 43mm in diameter, being more than a couple out makes a significant difference
In this instance the ball was flying 15 to 20 yards further off line than was normal.
That turns your gentle fade into a TurboSlice and you're 50 yards off line.
It will also make a difference on the green
A ball that is heavier on one side is going to react like a Bowls wood with bias.
From more than couple of feet its pot luck if it goes in.
Not all balls are bad....but do you know which are?

 

[Neilds]

During robot testing for their Golf Ball test, Mygolfspy found that some balls flew in random directions when compared to others.
They looked at the data and, bearing in mind that it was a robot hitting the ball, concluded that the ball flight could not be down to anything but the ball.
They retrieved the wayward balls and cut them open.
The core was several mm away from centre - google "off centre callaway ball" and you'll see it.
Given that a ball is around 43mm in diameter, being more than a couple out makes a significant difference
In this instance the ball was flying 15 to 20 yards further off line than was normal.
That turns your gentle fade into a TurboSlice and you're 50 yards off line.
It will also make a difference on the green
A ball that is heavier on one side is going to react like a Bowls wood with bias.
From more than couple of feet its pot luck if it goes in.
Not all balls are bad....but do you know which are?

Traminator must be robot if he can notice ?

 

[The Autumn Wind]

To answer the original question, no I'm fairly sure that an unused golf ball stored in it's box in normal, dry indoor conditions wouldn't deteriorate in performance just by remaining unused for a few years.

On the other issue raised about whether a few degrees of imperfection in a ball would make much difference on a course. Yes, absolutely I think it would make a big difference. Any increased/unwanted lateral spin is the tiny difference between missing fairways, missing greens, and missing putts.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Damn (surely and exclamation mark could be used here). My golf balls must all me unbalanced. That explains a lot.

Have you been Fraggered or is this a self imposed exclamation mark ban? Are you running a fines system on yourself?

I find emojis are an effective alternative to exclamation marks ????

Note from Fragger “nuffin to do with me “ ?

 

[jim8flog]

The golf ball is made up of a solid rubber center (sometimes liquid-center) that is intertwined by elastic bands.

U.

I think your construction info is a bit out of date. Golf balls that had windings and liquid centres are very much a thing of the past.

Now balls made that way did have a shelf life of about 3 years from new.

 

[Dando]

Just found a box of new Pro V1s which must be at least 5 years old.

Any idea if they go off over time?

Only 5 years old. That’s nothing compared to what @Crow has got

 

[jim8flog]

I've seen a video demonstrating that cheap balls are typically less well balanced than premium ones and are therefore more likely to produce unwanted side spin and/or fail to roll properly when putting.

Float a ball in a bowl of salt water. Put a little dot on the top with a Sharpie. Spin the ball around. If when it comes to rest the dot returns back to the top, the ball is unbalanced. You want it to return to rest in a random position.

All that said, I don't consider myself a good enough golfer to pay for the likes of ProV1s and TP5s. Happy to use any that I find, though ?

I do it the easy way I have a Technomatic ball spinner, I have been using it for over 10 years and never really noticed much difference between makes. It has the added advantage of putting a line up line on at the same time.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I have loads of old Pro V and similar that must be 5-10 years old. I am working through all my old stock and either giving it away or leaving them out on the course in random spots to be found by other golfers (known as slicing and hooking). I have seen some of the data about off-centre cores and defective balls which you could argue would harm consumer confidence. That said, based on an average swing speed, how much extra deviation will it really add to the handicap golfer and what difference will they really see around he green

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

The old ones with the natural rubber windings and covers deteriorated much more noticeably than the modern ones do.
Understandable. If one tries to use an old, dried out rubber band, it breaks immediately.

The modern ball is a chemistry lab creation and thus seems to hold up better.

 

[Crazyface]

I was told never to pick up balls on the course. They will have absorbed water. All balls absorb water, apparently. Even whilst sat in the box in the pro shop. So don't buy old balls either. Don't know if this is true.

 

[Robster59]

I was told never to pick up balls on the course. They will have absorbed water. All balls absorb water, apparently. Even whilst sat in the box in the pro shop. So don't buy old balls either. Don't know if this is true.

So don't clean them in your mouth then?

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I was told never to pick up balls on the course. They will have absorbed water. All balls absorb water, apparently. Even whilst sat in the box in the pro shop. So don't buy old balls either. Don't know if this is true.

This advice was clearly given by a golf ball salesman ?