To What Extent Does the Ball I Play Have On The Outcome Of My Game/Shots

[Alex1975]

Hi All,

We spend lots of time talking about shafts and how they may effect our game and there have been posts in the past about ball fittings but to what extent does this make a difference to our game?

I have been using a Pro V1 this year as I am a tart and I like the feel around the green. Today I have had a play with Bridgestone and Titleist online ball fitting and its interesting to see that Bridgestone only offer me a more budget ball if I put one in as my current ball. If I tell them I have been using a Pro V then no matter what I put in there after about my swing/shots they offer me a Tour priced ball.

Can/does the ball make a lot of difference. I am not interested in peoples opinion around the green, it is very clear to me that it is nicer to chip, pitch and putt with a softer ball and it would be hard to argue against this but.... is it possible that the Pro V is hearting me off the tee and fairway(we all know I am never in the fairway but you know what I mean)?


Does the likes of the AD333, Burner, NXT and so on spin less so is a safer option until one is greenside or is it just a cheaper option?


Thanks

Al

 

[Monty_Brown]

Yes the premium, high-spin balls can hurt you off the tee as they will produce more side spin as well as backspin. So hit a slice and it's going wider than with a low-spin ball.

If I use top end balls - mainly only for comps - I go for the Pro VIx, which is the lower spin version and so theoretically a bit easier to keep straight.

Most of the time though, I'm happy with mid range balls like NXT Tour. Decent balance between spin, feel and distance that is perfectly good enough for my level, I think.

 

[Aztecs27]

Cheaper balls that are designed for distance are usually less spinny than a ProV/Other tour ball so should, in theory, stay straighter off the tee, but I find them really hard to chip/putt with (in both senses of the word). I'd rather work on my swing to control the ball a bit better off the tee than use rocks to keep it straighter. As above, the like of the ProV1x and other less-spinny versions of tour balls are good, but you need the swing speed to get the most ouf of them.

Played with an NXT tour that I found the other day. that and other mid-rangers are a pretty good compromise. Just personal preference though.

 

[Alex1975]

Ye I will compress most balls on a good swing so that not a problem but I think I may go back to a more mid range ball for a bit and see how it goes. I am guessing the difference will not be major but it may be interesting.

 

[bobmac]

Soggy fairways and greens, mid range ball.
Hard running fairways and firm greens...Pro V1

 

[patricks148]

I can only go by personal experience. I used pretty much any old ball until I got down to 10 as I just don’t think I ever got the best out of the Pro V1 when I was a higher handicapper, plus I hated losing them even though I had hundreds of the things and didn’t pay for any of them.

It wasn’t until I started to get more consistent and noticed I couldn’t get any of my shots to stop on a green, then started using a premium ball.

The reg pro v1 is a high spinning ball and if there is any sort of fault in the swing it just exaggerates it even more. I’m currently using the Pro v1X even though I don’t have the club head speed to get the best out of it ( Titleist say 110mph) but I take the fact that I lose distance with this ball but it spins less that the reg ball and as I tend to play in the wind more often than not and the pro’s out weight the cons. I generate a lot spin as I have a very steep swing and this can balloon the ball in the wind but I still get lots of feel on the greens. When it’s not so windy I go back to using the reg Pro v1 or even the srixon z star.

Over the winter I tend to use any old ball, soft greens cold wind, to be fair I don’t lose many but why risk losing a decent ball just for the sake of it.

 

[Evesdad]

I do find balls such as the srixon distance do spineless and go straighter off the tee etc. This suited my game earlier in the year and was happy with them and not too expensive when you lose them! I have drifted into the slightly softer ball as a) my course dried out so much over the summer nothing was sticking to the greens and b) I started playing a bit better and wanted a bit more around the greens. I tried a few I did like the Nxt tour but still a bit pricey for me, the ad333 I just don't get on with I just can't put a finger on it. Srixon soft feel I did like, also liked the callaway warbird plus but felt a bit firm around the greens. my winner so far though is the Wilson dx2. I only bought these a few weeks ago but I really like them although the only negative I have is that they scuff up a bit quick. I've played 3 rounds with these and only lost 2 which is a miracle for me, I've also notched up my 2 lowest scores to date so they can't be that bad!

 

[SocketRocket]

I have played the Srixon Soft-Feel this Summer. I was a little concerned whether it would compromise distance but have been pleased with the results, I am a good driver of the ball and have not seen any loss of distance, it is also is good in the mid and short game for me.

I do like balls like PV1, PV1x, Srixon Z Star but I tend to cut up the covers quickly with my wedges so they wear out quickly which is a bit expensive. I am not sure how the 'Soft Feel' will perform in the Winter but expect it will be OK.

 

[Oddsocks]

Soggy fairways and greens, mid range ball.
Hard running fairways and firm greens...Pro V1

pretty much the same,

Soft fairways/greens - AD333 Srixon
Hard fairways and greens - DX3 Wilson Staff

I find the dx3 a nice mid point between non spinny AD333's and super spinny Prov1/Penta's.

 

[Alex1975]

pretty much the same,

Soft fairways/greens - AD333 Srixon
Hard fairways and greens - DX3 Wilson Staff

I find the dx3 a nice mid point between non spinny AD333's and super spinny Prov1/Penta's.

I totally get this but I am not interested in spin around the green, I get how it works, its clearly nicer with a soft ball. My questions are about the long game and spin so weather is not a factor.

 

[Imurg]

Some premium balls spin more than others off the driver. If you check out the link you can compare spin rates - ok only low, medium or high but the ProV1 and X are both medium driver spin, as are both Z-Stars. B-330's and Cally Tours are both low driver spin, with similar driver spin rates to NXT's and NXT Tours. Spin rates around the greens will still be high with any of these premium balls - although the USGA rate the ProV's and Z-stars higher, I bet most of us can't really tell the difference. Spin rates for NXT Tour come out at Low driver and medium greenside - similar to the B-330's and Callys.........
So you can have your cake (low driver spin) and eat it (high greenside spin). Buy Bridgestones or Callaways instead of Srixons and Titleists - or buy NXT Tours.....

http://www.usga.org/ConformingGolfBall/gball_list.pdf

 

[Evesdad]

I've got some callaway tours may have to give them another outing!!

 

[Alex1975]

Some premium balls spin more than others off the driver. If you check out the link you can compare spin rates - ok only low, medium or high but the ProV1 and X are both medium driver spin, as are both Z-Stars. B-330's and Cally Tours are both low driver spin, with similar driver spin rates to NXT's and NXT Tours. Spin rates around the greens will still be high with any of these premium balls - although the USGA rate the ProV's and Z-stars higher, I bet most of us can't really tell the difference. Spin rates for NXT Tour come out at Low driver and medium greenside - similar to the B-330's and Callys.........
So you can have your cake (low driver spin) and eat it (high greenside spin). Buy Bridgestones or Callaways instead of Srixons and Titleists - or buy NXT Tours.....

http://www.usga.org/ConformingGolfBall/gball_list.pdf

You sir are a superstar, thats exactly what I wanted. The site is down or something at the moment but I will have a good read.

It does beg the question though, why would you want high spin on your drive unless you are having trouble getting the ball in the air?

 

[Deleted member 3432]

Surely a combination of spin and ball dimple pattern helps keep the ball in the air. For example I always felt the old Pro v flew too high for me so was no good for me since its always windy where I play. The new Pro v however flies much lower so its an option for me to use.

A ball that works for one golf swing may not work for others. Golfer A may need more spin to help get the ball flying on optimum trajectory and golfer B may require less spin.

Throw into the mix various shaft profiles ie low, mid or high launch options then it must surley be try a few different balls and then work out which one suits you best. Then again may as well use a pinnacle on a dried out links course cos it sure won't stop whatever you use!

Confused myself now.

 

[Alex1975]

just been looking at another review and the Callaway HX Hot Plus looks interesting.... I have always avoided Cally balls to this point.

 

[Imurg]

Well I've put this to the test.

I tee'd off with my scoring ball and then hit 2 others, 1 a Titleist NXT Tour, the other a ProV1.

Almost without fail the NXT was straighter than the ProV. If I hit the fairway with the ProV is was mostly near the edge, but the NXT was more often than not 5-10 yards either side of the middle. Distance-wise there wasn't much to choose, same with ball flight. I alternated shots so that the NXT wasn't always the 2nd ball hit.
I hit a few approaches too - again not much to choose between them as the greens were soft and anything stuck.
Chips ran a little more with the NXT but then they didn't "hit and sit" like a ProV can.
Shot a 74 with my scoring ball, a Cally Diablo Tour - so similar to the NXT Tour.

Outcome...

High spin balls are out of my bag until the spring.

 

[Alex1975]

Thanks so much Ian, that is really cool of you, I was going to do the same thing but had no idea when i was going to find the time to do that... I am missing my solo evening rounds.


I am going to try one of the Cally balls out with low drive spin. HX hot or whatever I said up there ^^. I dont think that make it any more but it seemed to test well and I am sure I can find a couple of dozen somewhere.

Thanks again

Al

 

[sona]

Firstly I am a high handicapper and use pro v1 or z star in the spring/summer, I know I do not get the best out of them but like the feel chipping and putting.
However with the leaves falling and winter starting looked for cheap ball I would not worry about losing. I will probably be ridiculed but have changed to Dunlop Tour Pro from Sports Direct at £8 for 24 balls. They are longer, straighter and feel very responsive chipping and putting and stop almost as well as my previous balls.

 

[SocketRocket]

Firstly I am a high handicapper and use pro v1 or z star in the spring/summer, I know I do not get the best out of them but like the feel chipping and putting.
However with the leaves falling and winter starting looked for cheap ball I would not worry about losing. I will probably be ridiculed but have changed to Dunlop Tour Pro from Sports Direct at £8 for 24 balls. They are longer, straighter and feel very responsive chipping and putting and stop almost as well as my previous balls.

Go with what gives you confidence.