Is the cost of a ball making you play badly?

[clubchamp98]

Well, I thought about it, but it is such a regular occurence now that it has an almost religious quality to it. Would feel almost like a sacriledge to miss that pond :fore:

cant you change your course management ?
Lay up or go around.
Or is it just a shot you MUST take on?

 

[Capella]

cant you change your course management ?
Lay up or go around.
Or is it just a shot you MUST take on?

It is a pretty big pond. Depending on how the two shots before worked out, I can either go straight over it, or I have to play around it anyway, but the landing zone on either side of the pond is quite small as well. It is pretty much impossible to take the water completely out of play. I normally try to keep left of it (which is the side with more room) and plan my layup shots accordingly, but it is golf ... it does not always work as planned. If you go too far left you have overhanging trees to content with. Right is oob all the way ... it is a very tricky starting hole. I am not the only one who puts balls into that pond quite regularly

 

[adasko]

I like to play Taylormade TP5 for competition rounds and Callaway chrome soft or supersoft for social golf. I don't like loosing balls same as everybody but I never assuming that the next shot will go wayward. I can't really understand why some people taking up sport and then complaining about the costs. Recently some one wrote that don't want to use his wedge from bunkers because it will scratch. Now expensive balls making people hit bad shots. When you are on your day and strike the ball well it doesn't really matter what ball you play I've play great rounds with pinnacle balls I found and some horrendous with brand new Prov1 and TP5.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I'm trying to imagine the Pro's on the 17th tee at Sawgrass, or the 12th at Augusta, asking their caddies to reach in the bag and pull out a couple of Lake balls because they are worried about losing a nice new premium ball.

I don't think the sports psychologist would approve!

 

[srixon 1]

It’s just a ball. The secret is to think positive. Ie think, where do I want the ball to go and commit to the shot. Don’t look at the water/hazard/rough thinking don’t hit it there as that is thinking negative. There are worse things in life than losing a golf ball.

 

[Marshy77]

Hahaha the cost of a ball has no impact on how badly I hit the little thing.

 

[ExRabbit]

Oy, stop it. I need a good source of lake balls and if people stop hitting into them the prices will go up .

Richie Benaud was well known for telling a story about swapping golf balls for dangerous shots. The shortened version is, a person he was playing with was about to hit a shot over water / a ravine etc. They put their newish ball back in the bag and picked out an old ball and put it on the tee. Benaud walked over to the tee, picked up the ball and put a new one down, can't remember if it was one of his own or his pp. His comment was that if you plan for failure then you will. Use your new ball, expect to make the shot. Sports psychology before it was invented.

The person in question was Ian Wooldridge, my favourite sports writer of all time - I remember reading the article he wrote and often tell the story to playing partners when they switch a ball because of a hazard. I googled a bit and found an article about it.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/a-marvellous-man-and-a-true-gent-rip-richie-benaud-20150410-1mi854.html

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I'm trying to imagine the Pro's on the 17th tee at Sawgrass, or the 12th at Augusta, asking their caddies to reach in the bag and pull out a couple of Lake balls because they are worried about losing a nice new premium ball.

I don't think the sports psychologist would approve!

I wouldn't worry if I got them for free either! To be fair it would be sacrilege to pull out an old ball for those holes.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

The person in question was Ian Wooldridge, my favourite sports writer of all time - I remember reading the article he wrote and often tell the story to playing partners when they switch a ball because of a hazard. I googled a bit and found an article about it.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/a-marvellous-man-and-a-true-gent-rip-richie-benaud-20150410-1mi854.html

Thanks for that :thup:. I got it slightly wrong, you corrected me quite rightly, in that Benaud did not tell the story, Wooldridge did in order to emphasise the psychology of a top sportsman. Benaud was too modest to mention it unless asked, which he often was in later interviews.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

My simple answer to the question in the title of the thread is No. It is always my head that makes me play badly.

 

[hovis]

I only use premium balls ,pro v1x being my first choice more of a confidence thing or feel good factor.I buy them in bulk on in pearl condition so they’re as good as new and half the price as soon as you question losing balls you will start losing them because it’s in your head then .I tried cheaper distance rocks they just don’t check the same around the green again confidence in what your using .

i wish i had that money. from your user name i bet you only use mainline cell too!!! 😀

 

[Dasit]

I am going through a rough patch atm reworking my swing.

Been really wild off the tee trying to gain more distance meaning losing several balls a round. Have shelved the tpx5 and chromesofts for when it starts getting better

 

[rksquire]

Sports psychology depends on the personality surely... Faced with water, a new ball introduces a fear, a fear that is diminished/ removed when the new ball is not in the equation. The type ball doesn't change the desired result (good shot, hit green), but the type of ball introduces another unnecessary element (fear). If that's your personality, change the ball, remove the fear / tension and play your shot. If it's not, keep the new expensive ball, prepare to succeed and hit it in the water (or not as the case may be).

 

[Orikoru]

Sports psychology depends on the personality surely... Faced with water, a new ball introduces a fear, a fear that is diminished/ removed when the new ball is not in the equation. The type ball doesn't change the desired result (good shot, hit green), but the type of ball introduces another unnecessary element (fear). If that's your personality, change the ball, remove the fear / tension and play your shot. If it's not, keep the new expensive ball, prepare to succeed and hit it in the water (or not as the case may be).

Seems more like a confidence thing. Keep using the same ball, you're confident you can clear the water. If you're changing the ball you lack confidence in yourself to make it.

 

[hovis]

Seems more like a confidence thing. Keep using the same ball, you're confident you can clear the water. If you're changing the ball you lack confidence in yourself to make it.

I'm the opposite. if i use a crap ball dont care and swing freely.

brand new pro v1 and its "dont hook it into the water, don't hook it into the water, dont hook it into the water"

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I'm the opposite. if i use a crap ball dont care and swing freely.

brand new pro v1 and its "dont hook it into the water, don't hook it into the water, dont hook it into the water"

Let me guess, do you hook it into the water? :rofl:

I love the way the pro's say "ignore the hazard". It's a bloomin big lake, how can I ignore that? Great mental strength if they really can do it.

 

[Orikoru]

Let me guess, do you hook it into the water? :rofl:

I love the way the pro's say "ignore the hazard". It's a bloomin big lake, how can I ignore that? Great mental strength if they really can do it.

Always great to give your pals a motivational pep talk, on that note. "Whatever you do, don't think about that enormous expanse of water between you and the green. Don't focus on that at all and you'll be fine."

 

[jim8flog]

I only ever play with premium brand relatively high cost balls so the answer to the question has to be no.

Mind you I probably only lose a ball once in every three rounds normally.

 

[hovis]

Always great to give your pals a motivational pep talk, on that note. "Whatever you do, don't think about that enormous expanse of water between you and the green. Don't focus on that at all and you'll be fine."

they do exactly that. "what ever you do dont hit it left into the lake will you... oh and i wouldn't shank it oob either,"

i have good friends

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I always think I'm looking at the green via a tv screen. You cant see the water or trouble .....mind rests then