What type of Golf Balls do you use?

[wjemather]

If you can afford them why would you not use a Titleist
The most popular balls on tour....

Titleist	81
Callaway	13
TaylorMade	9
Srixon	7
Bridgestone	4

Now remove everyone who is paid to play a ball.

 

[bobmac]

Perhaps ''inferior'' was a poor discription to use, maybe less suited would be better.
The point is these guy could choose any ball from any manufacturer they want and of course would be paid handsomely. But if the player gets paid £1m a year to play a less suitable ball, he can lose that in prize money in a week.
And I think you'll find a Prov1 will spin more and therefor stop quicker no matter what your swing speed is.

Now remove everyone who is paid to play a ball.

They are all paid to play a ball, it's just more players think their chances of winning increase by using Titleist

 

[Deleted member 23270]

Rather disengenuous there Bob. Not up to your usual standard! No-one has suggested that any manufacturer's range of "premium" balls is inferior. It shoudn't need me to explain to you that most top pros are contracted to use certain manufacturer's equipment, in this case balls, for rather a large amount of money. Naturally they will select the particular ball in the range that suits them best, and they will be supplied free balls that have no doubt been carefully selected from that range. It might be cynical of me to even consider that balls (and/or other equipment) could be tweaked/rebranded to suit the player.

The manufacturer that has signed up the most number of top pros will, by definition, have the accolade of "most popular" ball on tour.

That's not quite right. The manufacturers sign up a small number of pros but at the journeyman end of the spectrum they don't get paid. They get free balls from whoever they choose to play but that's all. I was told this by a tour pro. The ProV ball is the most played because it's the ball most pros prefer.

 

[bobmac]

His Ball – $50,000–$100,000


“Typically dominated by Titleist. If you’re on Tour, you can expect to get a ball-shoe-glove deal from Titleist—unless you get a ball deal from someone like Callaway, TaylorMade or Srixon. Or Bridgestone, though they’re not as common because Bridgestone is way more selective.”

Big-time bucks: Here's how much money is made (and paid) by the average Tour pro

One top sports agent goes under the cover of anonymity to talk about the kind of bank made (and paid) by an average Tour pro.

golf.com

 

[wjemather]

Perhaps ''inferior'' was a poor discription to use, maybe less suited would be better.
The point is these guy could choose any ball from any manufacturer they want and of course would be paid handsomely. But if the player gets paid £1m a year to play a less suitable ball, he can lose that in prize money in a week.
And I think you'll find a Prov1 will spin more and therefor stop quicker no matter what your swing speed is.

They are all paid to play a ball, it's just more players think their chances of winning increase by using Titleist

Factually incorrect. There are lot of balls that spin more than the ProV1.

And you've summed up the result of successful marketing.

 

[bobmac]

Factually incorrect. There are lot of balls that spin more than the ProV1.

I said more, not most.

And you've summed up the result of successful marketing.

Or possibly just trial and error.

 

[Teebs]

ProV1x. Have used it for a long time. Don't lose many and buy a few dozen every year with pro shop winnings.

Last ages, long enough and good around the greens.

Handicap 4.

 

[Dando]

Do you think a top tour player would use an inferior ball just because they get paid a small fortune to use them...bearing in mind they are playing for large fortunes every week?

Bubba used Volvik balls as they paid him a shed load of $’s

 

[Slab]

Weirdly I'm not seeing club golfers pull a brand new premium ball from a sleeve when teeing off on a long carry hole. Wouldn't that be the best time for us to use the very best ball we have/can afford

 

[bobmac]

Bubba used Volvik balls as they paid him a shed load of $’s

And what ball does he use now? ProV1X

Weirdly I'm not seeing club golfers pull a brand new premium ball from a sleeve when teeing off on a long carry hole. Wouldn't that be the best time for us to use the very best ball we have/can afford

Depends how you define 'very best ball'.
Feel...sound...flight...spin...........distance rarely comes into my thoughts when choosing a ball.

I always used the ProV1 because it sounded ''softer'' around the greens and got more spin, less clickey than the ProV1X

Obviously it's down to personal choice but I would challenge anyone who says Titleist are the most popular purely because of marketing alone.

In a world where one shot over 4 rounds can mean the difference between 1st and 2nd place, the players are going to choose a ball which suits them the best and therefor gives them confidence.

 

[wjemather]

Depends how you define 'very best ball'.
Feel...sound...flight...spin...........distance rarely comes into my thoughts when choosing a ball.

The point was about a long carry - a situation where amateurs will typically swap in an old ball that they don't mind losing, thereby costing themselves significant yardage potential, instead of using a brand new ball that will actually be of benefit in clearing the obstacle.

 

[Swango1980]

The point was about a long carry - a situation where amateurs will typically swap in an old ball that they don't mind losing, thereby costing themselves significant yardage potential, instead of using a brand new ball that will actually be of benefit in clearing the obstacle.

That isn't about making a bad decision or thinking the old ball will hit it just as far as a new one. That is simply risk and reward at amateur level. Do I use a £4 ball and increase my chance of clearing the long carry, or a rubbish ball to protect my loss if I mess up. Same sort of thought process as a professional deciding to go for a drivable par 4, knowing that increases their odds of eagle, or just laying up and protecting them from a bad score.

At any rate, I'm sure it is very very rare that an amateur plays a specific hole knowing that their absolute best will only carry the penalty area by a few yards. So, the decision to use an older ball isn't going to be the reason they might end up hitting it into the pond. The reason will be some sort of mishit, and if that happens their ball is generally just as likely going to fall into the pond whether it is a brand new Pro V or a Commando

 

[Slab]

And what ball does he use now? ProV1X

Depends how you define 'very best ball'.
Feel...sound...flight...spin...........distance rarely comes into my thoughts when choosing a ball.

I always used the ProV1 because it sounded ''softer'' around the greens and got more spin, less clickey than the ProV1X

Obviously it's down to personal choice but I would challenge anyone who says Titleist are the most popular purely because of marketing alone.

In a world where one shot over 4 rounds can mean the difference between 1st and 2nd place, the players are going to choose a ball which suits them the best and therefor gives them confidence.

The point was about a long carry - a situation where amateurs will typically swap in an old ball that they don't mind losing, thereby costing themselves significant yardage potential, instead of using a brand new ball that will actually be of benefit in clearing the obstacle.

Yeah it was a carry distance scenario rather than how much it'll spin on a green. And with all the chat on rollback; when push comes to shove I believe the typical club golfer will willingly sacrifice way more than 4 yards when faced with a long water carry

 

[D-S]

That isn't about making a bad decision or thinking the old ball will hit it just as far as a new one. That is simply risk and reward at amateur level. Do I use a £4 ball and increase my chance of clearing the long carry, or a rubbish ball to protect my loss if I mess up. Same sort of thought process as a professional deciding to go for a drivable par 4, knowing that increases their odds of eagle, or just laying up and protecting them from a bad score.

At any rate, I'm sure it is very very rare that an amateur plays a specific hole knowing that their absolute best will only carry the penalty area by a few yards. So, the decision to use an older ball isn't going to be the reason they might end up hitting it into the pond. The reason will be some sort of mishit, and if that happens their ball is generally just as likely going to fall into the pond whether it is a brand new Pro V or a Commando

Surely if you have chosen an old ball you would factor it in to your club choice? - a bit stupid to hit the same shot with the same club with a ball you know goes 15 yards shorter.

 

[Swango1980]

Surely if you have chosen an old ball you would factor it in to your club choice? - a bit stupid to hit the same shot with the same club with a ball you know goes 15 yards shorter.

Not at all.

For example. Last course I played at, there were 3 holes that required reasonable carry, one required about 180 yards carry (usually into wind), the other 2 about 210-220 yards carry. If I was playing confident, I'd just hit the best ball. But often I'd go to an old ball. I'm hitting driver all day long whichever ball I use, and if I hit it well I'm getting over the water easily with a new or an old ball. But if I strike it poorly, then it brings the water into play with both balls. So, if there is a chance I could hit it in the water, I'd rather it was from some older golf ball (that I probably found for free anyway).

 

[bobmac]

The point was about a long carry - a situation where amateurs will typically swap in an old ball that they don't mind losing, thereby costing themselves significant yardage potential, instead of using a brand new ball that will actually be of benefit in clearing the obstacle.

Why not just use an older ProV1?

 

[Imurg]

My take on this one is that if you have to swap to an old ball because you don't want to lose a decent one then you can't afford the decent ones and should play a cheaper ball...

 

[wjemather]

Why not just use an older ProV1?

There is a fall off in carry distance with any old(er) ball.

 

[Slab]

My take on this one is that if you have to swap to an old ball because you don't want to lose a decent one then you can't afford the decent ones and should play a cheaper ball...

I was talking to a fella in the clubhouse yesterday and he was saying that he was taking his teenage son and sons mate out for a round and how they both could hit it a country mile but who knows where...

A sure sign of a player than didn’t pay for the ball or the green fee

 

[bobmac]

There is a fall off in carry distance with any old(er) ball.

Obviously, but a mis hit will probably still end up wet whether its a brand new ball or not.