THe difference in golf balls

[Khamelion]

Saturday gone wasn't playing well, but not badly either, but I was striking the ball very well and my driving for a change was down the middle. We got to the 16th long up hill par 5, farmers filed OOB all the way up the left, normal shot is stick right, only the brave go left.

So I teed up a Srixon AD333 Tour and hugged the hedge up the field, playing partner says might have cleared the hedge at the top, best play a provisional, so I teed up a Titleist DT Solo and hammered it, best drive of the day, laser straight, down the middle, comment from playing partners were, "You'll not want that one back" and "I thought the skin was going to come off that one".

We walked up to the balls, first one we came to was my DT Solo and good 4yds behind the other two players, queue some very confused looks, saw another ball over left past the hedge and it was my first shot the AD333.

I'd hit the AD333 well but not as good as the DT Solo, yet the difference in distance between the two was a good 30yds+, we all had expected the DT Solo to be way down the fairway, not closest.

Never really thought much about the differences between ball makes and models, but this really highlighted it.

 

[Capella]

Don't know if that is really down to the ball model, though. I get that sometimes with shots that go left. They go way further than I think even though they don't feel and sound as good off the club face. I think to really prove that there is a difference in distance between the balls, you would have to test them with at least 10 shots each on a launch monitor, so that differences in ball striking are levelled out.

 

[patricks148]

not exactly a scientific test though is it. you may have thought it was a good, hit it might not have been, or was pro distance but landed in a soft patch or up slope which killed it.

TBH most balls are all about the same distance wise.

 

[guest100718]

Hmm, hiiting one shot better than the othre isnt really much of a test. As Patrick says, in general there is little difference distance wise in golf balls these days.

 

[Orikoru]

Yesterday I lost the Top-Flite I was using in the trees on the 9th but found a Titleist Pro V1 while looking for it, so I took my drop with that ball. Launched a sweet-as-you-like 7 iron up near the green, chipped on and holed out. Then hit my best drive of the day on the 10th, ended up with a par 5. Got another par on the par 3 11th. Then I miscued my 12th tee shot and lost the ball, went back to being crap again after that.

Did the Pro V1 make a difference in getting me two pars?? Probably not, but you could argue it did. But as with the two balls you hit, there are too many other variables. It could have been nothing more than coincidence.

 

[chrisd]

Yesterday I lost the Top-Flite I was using in the trees on the 9th but found a Titleist Pro V1 while looking for it, so I took my drop with that ball.

What "drop" would you have taken?

 

[Deleted member 15717]

What "drop" would you have taken?

Who cares if it is just a bounce game.

As for balls, Titleist reckon there is about 5 yards between it's shortest ball and it's longest ball, so getting a 30 yard difference is nonsense imo

 

[Orikoru]

What "drop" would you have taken?

Was only a friendly round with mates so I just took a drop near where it went in? Why do you ask?

 

[Foxholer]

Titleist state that, in robot testing, there is only a few yards difference between the distance all the balls in their range travel"

 

[delc]

Titleist state that, in robot testing, there is only a few yards difference between the distance all the balls in their range travel"

Conforming golf balls are limited in the speed and distance they will travel off a standard robotic test machine. Therefore golf ball manufacturers try to get as close to these limits as possible without exceeding them. You can buy non-confirming balls (not for competition use obviously) that will go a far bit further. Essentially if you play with conforming golf balls in good condition, the distance they will travel will not vary very much. 😀

 

[mikejohnchapman]

Saturday gone wasn't playing well, but not badly either, but I was striking the ball very well and my driving for a change was down the middle. We got to the 16th long up hill par 5, farmers filed OOB all the way up the left, normal shot is stick right, only the brave go left.

So I teed up a Srixon AD333 Tour and hugged the hedge up the field, playing partner says might have cleared the hedge at the top, best play a provisional, so I teed up a Titleist DT Solo and hammered it, best drive of the day, laser straight, down the middle, comment from playing partners were, "You'll not want that one back" and "I thought the skin was going to come off that one".

We walked up to the balls, first one we came to was my DT Solo and good 4yds behind the other two players, queue some very confused looks, saw another ball over left past the hedge and it was my first shot the AD333.

I'd hit the AD333 well but not as good as the DT Solo, yet the difference in distance between the two was a good 30yds+, we all had expected the DT Solo to be way down the fairway, not closest.

Never really thought much about the differences between ball makes and models, but this really highlighted it.

If the first ball was a straight pull left (vs a hook) then you probably hit it with a slightly closed face which would deloft the club. Hence the difference in lenght - ignoring factors like wind and bounce etc.

When you see golf on the TV and the pros pull a shot to the green it inevitably goes long.

Not sure there is much distance difference between the recognised brands anymore as they would end up being non-conforming. May want to get the loft on you driver checked.

 

[Khamelion]

I was aiming left up the hedge line and the shot went slightly more left than intended, but I wouldn't say it was a straight pull, I know my bad shot is over the top and closed/square face will generate a pull, but this first shot was marginal.

The second was aimed up the middle and the ball went where I was aiming, the second shot felt better off the face, but like has been mentioned there are too many variables. Either way though I'll stick to the AD333 Tours.

 

[palindromicbob]

Stick with what you are happy with but in truth like for like strikes will show very little difference between balls distance wise. Stopping power around the green is where the biggest difference would be seen like for like between a DT and an AD333 tour.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Check Mark Crossfields youtube. He's done a lot of ball tests lately and there's actually not as much distance in many cheaper ones vs the premium end especially off the tee. Some variances in spin and control as you'd expect but he made some interesting discoveries