Do you carry a provisional ball in your pocket?

[Birchy]

That's the problem with threads like this. Now I'm going to be thinking about the ball in my pocket when I tee off tomorrow. It's in my head and it will have an effect .. It's the same reason why I don't read some of the threads about things like club face position during the backswing, and exact angle of left foot flaring during the set up..... Brain Worms.....

Can you fit a full box in your pocket?

 

[wookie]

Always have done since having to do a long walk bag to my bag on the first tee at our place a couple of times and now it makes sense to always have it there.

As with a few above I've never really thought about it being negative until now.....

 

[bluewolf]

Can you fit a full box in your pocket?

Nope, but I reckon your gob could fit a dozen Pinnacle Gold.

 

[Allanxyz]

Don't carry one normally, not because I think I'm never going to lose one (I've been known to have been 11 off the tee in a comp) but for two main reasons.

Firstly it makes an unsightly bulge in the old trousers... Not a good look in my opinion.

Secondly I don't like the thought of going to look for a lost ball with a ball in my pocket. Golf's a game of trust obviously, I just feel uncomfortable that someone could be thinking...how did he find that ball, I was sure it was lost... Then on the next holes them seeing a ball in my pocket and thinking 'I wonder'. i don't think this about FCs so it's a bit of strange one but that's how it is.

if I have to leave my bag up the fairway I take one, but then it's straight back in the bag if not required.

 

[surdoux]

I do carry a provisional, but of a different make to my 'primary' ball, and always say on the first tee, 'I'm playing a Titleist 3 - or whatever- and I've got a Srixon 4 - or whatever just in case.' That way, I can be sure I don't get them mixed up in normal play, and it also takes away the 'I've found it' scenario in the rough. (Not that I'm in the rough very often 'cough')

 

[NorfolkShaun]

Never carry one, it is always the one on the tee as someone told me to always hit the provisional first

 

[el marko]

Remind me to cancel my car insurance because its defeatist :smirk:

 

[Rumpokid]

Does it really matter if you do or don't.....Bit like wife asking me if i have changed my socks eh??..

 

[ColchesterFC]

Always have two differently numbered balls in my pocket especially during winter rounds. One will be marked with a red sharpie and the other with a blue sharpie. That way I can play a hole with the red marked ball and if I need to hit a provisional I can hit the blue marked ball or vice versa. I'm sure I read somewhere that a warm golf ball flies further than a cold one so I can keep one warm in my pocket while I use the other one and then swap on alternate holes.

 

[Farneyman]

Don't carry one in my pocket, but there are a couple of holes where you leave your bag and walk back to the tee at my place, on one hole the best part of 100 yards. So I'll usually take an extra ball back with me then, and chuck it down behind me out of sight on the tee, to 'kid' myself that I do trust myself really!

Good job the tide was out and you found your ball at the first at Machrihanish that day so you could play from the beach and not need your provisional. :whoo:

 

[Deleted member 17920]

Yep all the time, I think it's disrespectful to your playing partner to walk bag and mess about having to get another ball out but that my opinion

 

[ColchesterFC]

I do carry a provisional, but of a different make to my 'primary' ball, and always say on the first tee, 'I'm playing a Titleist 3 - or whatever- and I've got a Srixon 4 - or whatever just in case.' That way, I can be sure I don't get them mixed up in normal play, and it also takes away the 'I've found it' scenario in the rough. (Not that I'm in the rough very often 'cough')

This (EDIT - my answer not your post) could probably have gone in the nobody knows the rules thread but I thought that you weren't allowed to change your ball during a round. Obviously if you lose one you can take another ball of the same make/model out and play that but I was told that if I start a round with a Srixon AD333 that was the only type of ball I could play for the round. I couldn't for instance use a Pinnacle Gold distance ball on the Par 5's and then swap to a Pro V to gain a bit of extra spin on the Par 3's

 

[rosecott]

This (EDIT - my answer not your post) could probably have gone in the nobody knows the rules thread but I thought that you weren't allowed to change your ball during a round. Obviously if you lose one you can take another ball of the same make/model out and play that but I was told that if I start a round with a Srixon AD333 that was the only type of ball I could play for the round. I couldn't for instance use a Pinnacle Gold distance ball on the Par 5's and then swap to a Pro V to gain a bit of extra spin on the Par 3's

There are people you shouldn't listen to. That is a load of codswallop. At the start of each hole, you can play any ball you like for the duration of that hole - unless you lose it.

 

[Allanxyz]

There are people you shouldn't listen to. That is a load of codswallop. At the start of each hole, you can play any ball you like for the duration of that hole - unless you lose it.

bit harsh... The pros have the one ball rule... Think it's down to the tournament rules, obviously a bit silly to have this rule for the monthly medal but for the tour events this is a rule... Unless I'm talking cods wallop as well.

 

[rosecott]

bit harsh... The pros have the one ball rule... Think it's down to the tournament rules, obviously a bit silly to have this rule for the monthly medal but for the tour events this is a rule... Unless I'm talking cods wallop as well.

We are not pros. I think you could count on the fingers of one hand the number of forummers playing in comps with a one ball rule.

 

[Allanxyz]

Yep all the time, I think it's disrespectful to your playing partner to walk bag and mess about having to get another ball out but that my opinion

How does it show a lack of respect? Most of the time you don't have to make a long trip back to the bag, it's a metre or two and as your playing partner is taking a few practice swings it's not exactly messing about simply grab a ball from a pocket.

 

[3565]

This is a severe no no, all it's doing is putting negative thoughts in your mind before you hit it.

Always thought about bout making a ball called Provisional, cos every time you hit a provisional it goes better then your original.......!!
often wondered about announcing provisional ball on every tee...........

 

[Allanxyz]

We are not pros. I think you could count on the fingers of one hand the number of forummers playing in comps with a one ball rule.

Agreed but on the Codswollop scale I would say it wasn't quite deserving of the "total codswollop".

 

[rosecott]

Agreed but on the Codswollop scale I would say it wasn't quite deserving of the "total codswollop".

Still stick with "total". I suspect that the overwhelming majority of forummers are ordinary club golfers playing mostly in club competitions where the "one ball rule" does not feature. Maybe I'm unique in that in 58 years of playing I have never been required to stick to the same kind of ball for 18 holes.

 

[rosecott]

Agreed but on the Codswollop scale I would say it wasn't quite deserving of the "total codswollop".

If you don't believe an old-stager, here is what the R&A say on the subject:


The "One Ball" Condition

The Committee may introduce a condition of competition stating that a player must use balls of the same brand and type, and accordingly, a player may not change the brand name and cannot change from a brand type to another type of the same brand. Again, this condition is recommended for elite events only. The R&A does not currently introduce this condition at any of its Amateur events, but it is introduced at The Open Championship. The suggested wording for such a condition is contained in Appendix I, Part C of the Rules of Golf.

How many of us play in "elite events"?