what balls to play ??

[Grumps]

im a bit confused (yeah i know thats not hard) as a high handicapper i was told by pro that i shouldnt be useing premium balls. so changed to srixon soft feel but found they werent going as far.
so this morning i used a bridgestone tour for front nine and a pro Vx for back nine surprise surprise had my lowest round for a few months. i told pro whos reply was try the ad333`s so do i buy more balls or stick with the premium ones i dumped in garage ??

 

[steveyjd81]

buy premium lake balls

 

[Matt_B]

Try a few a see what feels good for you. You can normally pick them up (used) in any pro shop for about 50p per ball so try a variety until you find one that suits you.

It can be quite a mental thing playing with a ball you're not comfortable with.

I use Callaway Big Bertha Diablo's and wouldn't even consider using another ball - yet.

 

[Adrena1in]

buy premium lake balls

+1

I'm far from good enough to make the most of a premium ball, and I certainly don't want to spend loads on something I might hit once and then lose, so I bought Pro V1 Lake Balls for a fraction of the price, and they were all as new.

 

[Ken_A]

Get one you like -

For me its Bridgestone for a brand and the B330s is ideal - but the E5 is nice too, closley followed by Titleist ProV1X.

I really do not get on well with the high spinning balls - this includes the topflight gamer (their premium ball) which is still midrange priced. I really detest the Titleist NXT extreme as they go mad off my driver.

In short - get a ball you like and if you loose lots of them but a load off Ebay till you stop loosing them.

 

[Scobie]

buy premium lake balls

+1

I'm far from good enough to make the most of a premium ball, and I certainly don't want to spend loads on something I might hit once and then lose, so I bought Pro V1 Lake Balls for a fraction of the price, and they were all as new.

Lake balls do not perform in the same way due to being under water for long periods. Personnally, i wouldn't touch them.

There are plenty of great new cheap golf balls available such as Srixon soft feel, Srixon ad333, maxfli noodle etc. Just buy a sleeve of a few and see which one you prefer.

 

[Twire]

Lake balls do not perform in the same way due to being under water for long periods. Personnally, i wouldn't touch them.

Is there any evidence of this? How much do they under perform?

 

[Scobie]

Lake balls do not perform in the same way due to being under water for long periods. Personnally, i wouldn't touch them.

Is there any evidence of this? How much do they under perform?

Depends on how long the ball has been submerged but i did read somewhere that a three piece ball that has been left under water for one week looses 6 yards in distance and if left for 3 months loses 9 yards.

I have used lake balls a few times myself and was left fairly unimpressed. I found that they were shorter and far more unpredictable than new balls of the same make.

 

[RGDave]

I've had 95 shots with a ProV and 75 shots with a Palmer bay hill ti. I've had 27 putts with a Dunlop and 40 with a Z-star.

I read nothing into it.

Use what you like. If you have any interest in the cost of the ball, then go for cheap-ish and cheerful.

I personally think expensive balls are wasted on all but the best players. I just use a run-of-the-mill 2 piece ball and occasionally tee up a proper ball when the greens are rock hard.

I have a few Z-stars and ProVs in the locker, they'll be in there for a while longer.

I get through about 10 boxes a year and hardly lose any balls.
Do I want to spend £150 or £350.....?

 

[viscount17]

there is a website (golfwrx ? or something - just search on best ball) I was reading this morning that did a test on a bunch of balls and came up with a top 30.

The softfeel is in there and quite well recommended (ahead of AD333) but it does say that it is a ball for a slower swing and liable to balloon on a fast swing.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think its horses for courses and depends on your ability and budget. If you want a ball that won't give you excessive driver spin and still gives a modicum of control then the AD333 will do a job but try the Bridgestone as they really are an underrated brand

 

[Imurg]

try the Bridgestone as they really are an underrated brand

Good ball - but they seem to be annoyingly easy to lose...

 

[JT77]

If a premium ball works for you then why not use it mate.

 

[USER1999]

For me, the best budget ball is the Srixon trispeed. These are sneaky long, with a nice feel around the greens.

 

[Robobum]

The best budget ball I've played is a Prov1 that is 5 or 6 rounds old!

It's a little beige in colour by this time, quite a few wedge scars all over it too. But any performance difference [to a new one] is too subtle for me to notice.

 

[HughJars]

I personally think expensive balls are wasted on all but the best players. I just use a run-of-the-mill 2 piece ball and occasionally tee up a proper ball when the greens are rock hard.

Totally agree, I think too many players have it in their head the more they spend the better, which for clubs works fairly well, but for balls is a useless starting point.

If you can't generate spin, what's the point playing a spin ball? If you hit it no distance, why are you not using a distance ball?

You have to be honest with yourself, and now how you fly and spin the ball, then find ball types that match your game, then try out the various brands that make that type.

 

[Smiffy]

I'm a bit confused. As a high handicapper I was told by pro that I shouldnt be useing premium balls.

That's confused me too.
Most pro's would suggest you use the best balls possible.
At £7.99 a sleeve from the pro shop

 

[viscount17]

try the Bridgestone as they really are an underrated brand

Good ball - but they seem to be annoyingly easy to lose...

too true - I got some RX's to try out. first one went dead straight into the bend in a dogleg and right across the fairway on the other side into the woods - and I'd chosen the sensible 3-wood instead of the driver. still got a few to lose.

 

[Kellfire]

I'm still playing Pinnacles. Why? They feel the best match of cost v performance for me.

I have picked up a few ProV1s on my rounds and I loved the feel off the club but it just wasn't a big enough difference to justify buying them. That said, I may be tempted to try used ProV1s.

I've tried the AD333 after reading many recommendations but they seemed a bit too clicky off the club face.

 

[Twire]

Lake balls do not perform in the same way due to being under water for long periods. Personally, i wouldn't touch them.

Is there any evidence of this? How much do they under perform?

Depends on how long the ball has been submerged but i did read somewhere that a three piece ball that has been left under water for one week looses 6 yards in distance and if left for 3 months loses 9 yards.

I have used lake balls a few times myself and was left fairly unimpressed. I found that they were shorter and far more unpredictable than new balls of the same make.

So this 6 -9 yards is that off all the clubs or a 250 yard drive? Personally, I'm not consistent enough to worry about 9 yards on a drive, or 6 yards on a short iron.

I use pearl grade lake balls on a regular basis and I couldn't tell the difference.

The inner cores are protected by a urethane cover, so unless the cover is split even being submerged under water these are not going to be effected. The urethane cover itself is very durable, and I'm sure it will take a lot longer than 6 months under water before it starts to break down.

I'm sure all this fuss about lake balls originates from the ball manufacturers who are quite rightly just thinking about profit.

There's a post a little further up from a cat 1 player who said....

The best budget ball I've played is a Prov1 that is 5 or 6 rounds old!

It's a little beige in colour by this time, quite a few wedge scars all over it too. But any performance difference [to a new one] is too subtle for me to notice

If a Cat 1 player can only notice a subtle difference between a new ball and one that's been around the course for 5 - 6 games, which has probably been hit somewhere in the region of 250 times with a lump of steel traveling at 100 mph. I'm sure my lake balls that have been hit a fraction of that amount, but have been sitting in some water for a couple of months are in better nick and will play more consistent.