Taylormade view of 'Choosing your ball'

[Imurg]

Pick the ball that works best for you from 150 yards in - Titleist have been saying that for a couple of years now..

 

[Bikky73]

In that case all balls work well, they all go less than 150yds LOL.

Nah, thats gonna take some practice. But on the plus side, there is a driving range with a 9hole par3 course near me.... Which will be the perfect place to do 18 holes, 2 different balls for first 9, and 2 different again for 2nd 9.

What a grand idea.
problem is, i seem to have better luck with the unbranded range balls than with any branded ones I own :s

 

[StrangelyBrown]

That's not the way that I read it.

After re-reading it, neither do I.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

But you see, on the holes where people are likely to loose a ball, they'll use their cheap ones, and their finders etc. I do... which means i'm always playing cheap LOL.

You actually stand on the tee and think "I might lose a ball here, I'll play a naff one"?

No wonder some people lose so many balls

 

[PIng]

You actually stand on the tee and think "I might lose a ball here, I'll play a naff one"?

No wonder some people lose so many balls

That's easy for a single figure handicapper to say, but if from experience you know that there's a good chance of losing the ball why waste an expensive one?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

what i would like to see is more indenpendent ball fitting facilities where you could go through all the main brands and models to find whats right for you, not just brand specifc ones.

Does anyone know of anywhere down south that offers such a facility.,

You can get tested for the ideal Srixon ball for you at their fitting centre in Maidenhead. I hate the Penta despite my father in law buying tow dozen for Chrimbo. They are definitely shorter off the tee and feel very pudding like off wedges and the putter.

The best ball TM ever made were the TP black or red and to be honest they have a decent enough 3 piece in the Burner TP. I'm not convinced the new RBZ offering isn't going to be the Burner line rebranded and nothing revolutionary. SImilarly I wonder how close to the original TP black the Penta 3 piece will be.

I'm not sure I'll be too convinced. If I get some freebies to try I'll give them a whirl but I'm fortunaate to have about 15 dozen top quality balls like Pro V and B330RXS to get through before I even think about getting anything else

 

[HawkeyeMS]

That's easy for a single figure handicapper to say, but if from experience you know that there's a good chance of losing the ball why waste an expensive one?

There's two points you're missing here.

First, if you're standing on the tee thinking about all the places you might lose a ball, then the chances are you're gonna get tight and most likely, you will lose a ball in one of those places. Positive thinking breeds positive results.

Second, if you lose a lot of balls, don't buy expensive ones in the first place

 

[Bikky73]

That's easy for a single figure handicapper to say, but if from experience you know that there's a good chance of losing the ball why waste an expensive one?

Actually yes. As a complete novice. I can play but not great. A course me and my 2 brothers regularly visit where they live (Filey Academy course) The first hole is 108yds and about 95 of those are pond, worse still the green slopes back to the water, and just off the green you've got 2yards of steep slope to the water . I NEVER use an expensive ball. Incase I get no lift and sink it. I case out of fear I give the ball the smacking of its life, and slice to the train track, or hook it into the reed bed, or overshoot into the trees. I think you get the picture of how that holes lined up.

Then there's hole 9 at about 150 yards, over 2 ponds with a narrow walkway in between them and trees/bushes all around the right side from about 100yards down the narrow fairway then retreating hug around the green, which is partially hidden from the tee box view due to afore said green. Not nice for 25 over par players (when the course is only par 60) and 30 over par on 70's

You can get tested for the ideal Srixon ball for you at their fitting centre in Maidenhead. I hate the Penta despite my father in law buying tow dozen for Chrimbo. They are definitely shorter off the tee and feel very pudding like off wedges and the putter.

The best ball TM ever made were the TP black or red and to be honest they have a decent enough 3 piece in the Burner TP. I'm not convinced the new RBZ offering isn't going to be the Burner line rebranded and nothing revolutionary. SImilarly I wonder how close to the original TP black the Penta 3 piece will be.

I'm not sure I'll be too convinced. If I get some freebies to try I'll give them a whirl but I'm fortunaate to have about 15 dozen top quality balls like Pro V and B330RXS to get through before I even think about getting anything else

I know the perfect Srixon ball their tester will come up with. What's currently the most expensive? or will be the most expensive when and IF I was ever to be tested?

 

[PIng]

There's two points you're missing here.

First, if you're standing on the tee thinking about all the places you might lose a ball, then the chances are you're gonna get tight and most likely, you will lose a ball in one of those places. Positive thinking breeds positive results.

Second, if you lose a lot of balls, don't buy expensive ones in the first place

You're right Hawkeye, I usually end up losing balls in the same place every time, it's as if I'm "thinking" them into the water! But I don't buy expensive balls, I find them when I'm looking for my cheap ones! Doesn't mean I want to lose them though.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I know the perfect Srixon ball their tester will come up with. What's currently the most expensive? or will be the most expensive when and IF I was ever to be tested?

Actually thats not true. MikeH has been to the Srixon centre and did a piece for the mag/website and they actually recommended the Trispeed for him

 

[Bikky73]

Sounds familiar. But having said that. A cheap course in Bishop Aukland... Eleven Arches. Hole 10 is a dogleg left around a big pond. Everyone either plays short to the edge then over, or all the way round.

I've started, with damaged balls that the dogs have chewed or split skin ones or crappy found ones, to use one or two of NON play just trying to drive over.

I managed it once, bit of slice into the rough, but hey, next to the green in 1 shot. Rather than 2 or 3, or sometimes more.

 

[slicer79]

Actually thats not true. MikeH has been to the Srixon centre and did a piece for the mag/website and they actually recommended the Trispeed for him

Would you have a link to the article about ball fitting? I'd be interested to read that.

 

[PPE]

Really interesting article this and enjoyed reading it.

The one item that nobody has really commented on is the fact that more people spend time getting fitting and changing their clubs instead of getting properly fitted and testing different balls out on the course. This just re-opens the debate about which technology in recent years has had more influence on us hitting the ball further.

BTW The Srixon centre charge £25 for ball fitting, but you get a dozen free balls too.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

You're right Hawkeye, I usually end up losing balls in the same place every time, it's as if I'm "thinking" them into the water! But I don't buy expensive balls, I find them when I'm looking for my cheap ones! Doesn't mean I want to lose them though.

That's the point though. You probably are thinking them into the water.

You probably think I'm talking nonsense but the mind does funny things to the body. I almost guarantee if you can learn to think more positively, you'll play better golf.

 

[Oddsocks]

Really interesting article this and enjoyed reading it.

The one item that nobody has really commented on is the fact that more people spend time getting fitting and changing their clubs instead of getting properly fitted and testing different balls out on the course. This just re-opens the debate about which technology in recent years has had more influence on us hitting the ball further.

BTW The Srixon centre charge £25 for ball fitting, but you get a dozen free balls too.

In they case they best fit me for the most expensive ones

 

[Jaymosafehands]

When I was in Florida last year I went into a PGA shop in Naples, which was basically like a Toys R Us size store. As well as the usual club fitting they offered a free ball fitting service which I took up. They asked a few questions about your game, distances, price happy to pay, handicap, general spin round greens etc. They then get a list of balls off the computer that are generated from the questions (you don't see the list at first) and then they give you balls to hit on a flight scope.

Once you've hit around 10 balls with each they show you the results, and it suggests a couple of options that suit your swing.

At the time I was using Nike One Vapors, and it suggested the Bridgestone 330RXS and the Topflite V2 ball. I laughed at the Topflites, however I bought a couple of dozen and I was actually surprised how good they were - I wish I could get them in the UK.

I think there is a gap in the market for a company to do this.

 

[BTatHome]

I used ome of the original top flite gamers, they were great ball, but the cover was awful and would scuff badly very quickly.

You can pick up gamer v2 on eBay usually.

 

[Oddsocks]

Jaymo, surely any decent AG, DG or good size range with a track man could offer this service, theyd make a mint

 

[TobieC]

You can get tested for the ideal Srixon ball for you at their fitting centre in Maidenhead. I hate the Penta despite my father in law buying tow dozen for Chrimbo. They are definitely shorter off the tee and feel very pudding like off wedges and the putter.

The best ball TM ever made were the TP black or red and to be honest they have a decent enough 3 piece in the Burner TP. I'm not convinced the new RBZ offering isn't going to be the Burner line rebranded and nothing revolutionary. SImilarly I wonder how close to the original TP black the Penta 3 piece will be.

I'm not sure I'll be too convinced. If I get some freebies to try I'll give them a whirl but I'm fortunaate to have about 15 dozen top quality balls like Pro V and B330RXS to get through before I even think about getting anything else

There is some talk that the Penta TP3 is just the Tp Black rebranded...

 

[HomerJSimpson]

There is some talk that the Penta TP3 is just the Tp Black rebranded...

My point entirely. The TP black was a very good top end ball (especially in the wind) and cheaper than Pro V at the time. Wouldn't surprise me if this is nothing more than a rebranding exercise and the ball is not different