Golf balls for beginners/very high handicappers

HomerJSimpson

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Cheers,
Half the reason I dont lose that many balls is by trying to get my score down to an acceptable level ive slowed my swing down and trying to keep the ball in play as much as i can. Basically sacrificing distance to try and get more accurate...although im only 28 years old i'm watching the old boys at my course who dont hit it further than 180 off the tee but still finish with great scores

If i can cut out the blow out holes and stupid duffs/fats id be under 100 in no problem. Heading out tonight so will see how i get on!

It isn't bad starting point. A lot of the old boys have a very good short game from 80 yards out and putt well so that could well be an area to focus on to improve. A goo short game will definitely help improve scores. If you are going to do this (and I would suggest subject to budget also continue to get lessons on the longer game) then perhaps a ball that feels soft off the putter and wedges (e.g. Srixon soft feel) may be a way forward
 

Oldham92

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Kirkland signature from Costco, not much more than £1 a ball
Only tried one but for me played the same as a Pro V. Much better then a Vice.

I've just bought a box of these, and some prov pearl grade, interested to see which I prefer
 

Robster59

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I've just bought a box of these, and some prov pearl grade, interested to see which I prefer
I bought the Kirklands and whilst I found them nice overall balls, on the driver I definitely found them shorter than my other balls (preferred Chrome Soft). I was losing yards on where I would be against my playing partners.
 

shun_naka

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Well I had a look on eBay and I seen the slazenger v300s mentioned above. 24 pack new and unopened I managed to snag for 6quid...couldn't say no to that. Will do for the next while until I notice scores coming down
 

Orikoru

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Everyone playing off about 5 or higher and is sensible about is really in luck on the golf ball front. The 'premium' balls only harm their game, but the promotion, and pricing, make them seem attractive to those who dont really know what they are buying. The key for most amateur golfers it to minimise spin. Slicing and hooking the ball as little as possible is helped by playing the hardest, least spinny ball they can get. They dont have the power to get the distance, nor the skill to get the benefit of spin to control distance, green stopping, and working deliberate curves on the ball. So the Prov1 and its equivalents are, quite apart from being a waste of money, though to each his own on that front, are detrimental to their game.
So Smartcores, Pinnacles, Warbirds, etc are the only sensible choice, and even better by bulk as used balls.
I agree with a lot of this. I think a lot of golfers are wasting money on ProVs because "they're the best" without considering the fact that they don't have the swing speed to hit them any distance, and the extra spin is just putting them further left or right off the tee.
 

Oldham92

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I bought the Kirklands and whilst I found them nice overall balls, on the driver I definitely found them shorter than my other balls (preferred Chrome Soft). I was losing yards on where I would be against my playing partners.

I've stopped losing as many so started spending a little more on balls than I used to. Always found prov seemed to last me longer and were around the right compression for me on/around the green.

I hope I love the Kirkland because of their price for new, but I get prov1 pearl for a little over £1 a ball pearl grade so not the end of the world if I don't
 

Oldham92

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I agree with a lot of this. I think a lot of golfers are wasting money on ProVs because "they're the best" without considering the fact that they don't have the swing speed to hit them any distance, and the extra spin is just putting them further left or right off the tee.

I tried a lot of balls when I first started and really wanted cheaper ones to be better. Found a few ProV1 on the course and they worked for me. Really wanted to dislike them so I wouldn't be spending as much but couldn't do it haha

I'd never pay £40 a dozen though
 

Orikoru

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thats strange then, arn't all the OEM marketing soft ball to that section of golfers?
I think @Rlburnside is misquoting them slightly. Stand corrected if I'm wrong, but I read it as them saying that very soft golf balls only benefit those with EXTREMELY slow swings, such as senior citizens. But doesn't really benefit those with just fairly slow swings, such as beginners. Unless you happen to like the feel of a very soft ball.
 

patricks148

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I think @Rlburnside is misquoting them slightly. Stand corrected if I'm wrong, but I read it as them saying that very soft golf balls only benefit those with EXTREMELY slow swings, such as senior citizens. But doesn't really benefit those with just fairly slow swings, such as beginners. Unless you happen to like the feel of a very soft ball.
OK, but i would disagree with what they are saying, i'm not megga slow 96 with the driver now, but i find the softer ball goes further, in winter i lose no distance unlike a prem ball and they are nice to putt with. used the supasoft all though the winter and now on Qstar, spins and stops as well as a Prov on firm greens and i would say i'm def longer off the tee with the softer ball
 

Orikoru

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OK, but i would disagree with what they are saying, i'm not megga slow 96 with the driver now, but i find the softer ball goes further, in winter i lose no distance unlike a prem ball and they are nice to putt with. used the supasoft all though the winter and now on Qstar, spins and stops as well as a Prov on firm greens and i would say i'm def longer off the tee with the softer ball
I don't know really. I used to use DX2s ages back because, like you, I heard they go further for slower swings. But nowadays I find Titleist Velocity goes the further for me (I mean that's what it's designed for I guess). They're not the hardest out there but they're not soft obviously. Every single ball claims to have the longest distance to the point that it's a meaningless statement. I figure MGS did a decent amount of testing before stating that soft balls don't really help for distance. But who really knows. You're comparing soft balls to premium balls, but maybe you'd be longer still with a non-premium distance ball - but you'd probably hate the feel of it if the ball feels hard.
 

Rlburnside

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I think @Rlburnside is misquoting them slightly. Stand corrected if I'm wrong, but I read it as them saying that very soft golf balls only benefit those with EXTREMELY slow swings, such as senior citizens. But doesn't really benefit those with just fairly slow swings, such as beginners. Unless you happen to like the feel of a very soft ball.


They do state that a soft ball cost you distance off the tee unless you swing under 85 mph I read that to mean if you swing that slow your a right duffer it didn't matter what ball you used ? but they go on to say firmer balls are genrerally longer and spin more around the greens, they go on to say the only golfers to benifit from a soft ball are players who have a fast swing.
 

Orikoru

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They do state that a soft ball cost you distance off the tee unless you swing under 85 mph I read that to mean if you swing that slow your a right duffer it didn't matter what ball you used ? but they go on to say firmer balls are genrerally longer and spin more around the greens, they go on to say the only golfers to benifit from a soft ball are players who have a fast swing.
Oh really? I didn't spot that bit either. That's directly contrary to what popular belief was. The ball market is a bloody minefield these days. :LOL: Even when someone like MGS tests them, they never test them all.
 

Rlburnside

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Oh really? I didn't spot that bit either. That's directly contrary to what popular belief was. The ball market is a bloody minefield these days. :LOL: Even when someone like MGS tests them, they never test them all.


I won our senior open at the weekend and part of the prize was a box of Srixon soft feel ?

I found over the years not to take any notice of marketing, on the box of soft feel it stats longer distance as does any ball you buy, perhaps it would be better to have on the box what swing speed a particular ball would suit.
 

Oldham92

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I won our senior open at the weekend and part of the prize was a box of Srixon soft feel ?

I found over the years not to take any notice of marketing, on the box of soft feel it stats longer distance as does any ball you buy, perhaps it would be better to have on the box what swing speed a particular ball would suit.


Bridgestone did this on b330
 
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