Which balls do you use?

[Orikoru]

All very true words.

But I think there are many regular players who are not beginners and play with cheaper balls.
They have played for many years and probably tried the more expensive ones and found very little or no difference to their game with either.
Any feature of increased spin would work against them as they would be further from the hole, because they always land the ball well short of the hole.

My course has been closed for 2 days. but is open today.

It was 2°C at 9am today. If I had been playing, I would have chosen a Taylormade RBZ Speed that cost me £24 for 24 at the end of 2022. £17 a dozen at Sportdirect today.
I could have chosen one of the 15 Chromesoft or 9 ProV1 that I have, but the state of the course negates the benefits that those balls give, so I save them for better conditions.

So let's put it another way - the type of person who just uses a cheap ball and doesn't put anything like that amount of thought into it, is also, broadly speaking, not the type of person to sign up to a forum to discuss every minute detail of the game.

 

[clubchamp98]

I normally use Srixon AD333, sometimes in summer I like the Zstarr ball

I have a box of pro v1s son brought me for Xmas, I’m a senior with slow swing speed so always thought these balls would be wasted on me

I had a look online for best balls for seniors and was surprised on 2 sites the provs were recommended.

The most important thing to come out of research is for my needs a low compression ball is best, I’m going to try the Calloway chrome soft as they came out best.

But to be honest my standard of golf any soft ball would do.

Have a look at Bridgestone they make balls for under 100 mph players I use the BRXS.
There’s loads to suit most players.

 

[RichA]

This just tells me that the type of golfer who's obsessed enough to join a golf forum and talk about golf endlessly is also obsessed enough to spend their hard-earned on a half decent ball. I don't think this forum matches the demographic of 'all golfers' it's more the demographic of 'keen golfers'. As a general rule anyway, there are exceptions who have fallen out of the game but stuck around on here of course.

So in other words the budget ball players are probably the casual few times a year players or beginners.

(Edit: Just seen that sunshine said what I said in a lot less words, ha.)

I'm a 2 rounds per week golfer and I've been on the tightest of budget balls for the last few months - Ram Laser Spin or something.
I haven't noticed any difference in performance compared to expensive balls I've bought in the past. Obviously I'm only judging them on my scores and what I see the ball do when I hit it, rather than anything scientific.

 

[Orikoru]

I normally use Srixon AD333, sometimes in summer I like the Zstarr ball

I have a box of pro v1s son brought me for Xmas, I’m a senior with slow swing speed so always thought these balls would be wasted on me

I had a look online for best balls for seniors and was surprised on 2 sites the provs were recommended.

The most important thing to come out of research is for my needs a low compression ball is best, I’m going to try the Calloway chrome soft as they came out best.

But to be honest my standard of golf any soft ball would do.

I'm not senior, but I swing pretty slow. I would never use a ProV1 really - when I have hit them, they're pretty long off the tee, but I find they curve offline more. People will tell me that more spin doesn't equal sidespin, so it might just be confirmation bias, but that's what I felt when I hit them. Plus the added spin makes them a lot shorter with irons for me. I much prefer lower spin balls as they carry a bit further. Softness is just a preference, although the softer balls tend to spin less.

 

[chico]

AG were knocking these out cheaply one Christmas a few years ago. I had a voucher to spend and bought some. I use them in Opens, or away trips (don't know why not at my own course but that is for another day ) Very durable ball, feels nice off the club, hardly anyone else uses them so you get no mix ups on the course. It's a shame they have largely disappeared.

I started using them and thought they were excellent. By the time I got through them and was ready to reorder they had stopped selling in Europe.

 

[clubchamp98]

In winter it dosnt matter imo. Soggy greens etc.
But when greens firm up that’s where premium comes in mainly through spin rates.

 

[Voyager EMH]

So let's put it another way - the type of person who just uses a cheap ball and doesn't put anything like that amount of thought into it, is also, broadly speaking, not the type of person to sign up to a forum to discuss every minute detail of the game.

I think many players do put a lot of thought into it and don't see enough or any benefit to playing with expensive balls for recreational golf.
The amount of budget balls that are bought and the amount that I find on the course would seem to coincide with this view.

I wonder how many less-than-£27 a dozen balls are being played with today around the country as a percentage of all the balls being knocked round a golf course somewhere.

Probably a lot more than 6%, I think.

 

[jim8flog]

I'm quite surprised that only 5 out of 86 here play with budget balls. And I am one who does. Had to tick 3 boxes, premium, mid range and budget.

Can 94% of golfers really never play with budget balls? I find loads of balls throughout the year and budget balls are not rare.

I live and learn.

Judging by what balls I find when walking our 9 hole course (normally find 10-20 each time), which is used by a lot of visitors, there are a lot of golfers (possibly the not so good ones) who use cheap balls. We have a Sports Direct next to the course and it is mot hard to work out where a lot of the balls are bought.

Most of the balls I find get left on the next tee I walk past, I am not going to use them.

 

[Slab]

I lost a silly bet the other night at a party and means I have to play a round (likely a comp) using srixon distance balls instead of my preferred mid-range soft

What's gonna happen to my game & scoring ?...


(if I'd won the bet the other fella would've needed to drop from his preferred orange castle to pink castle for the round)

 

[BrianM]

I use Pro V1X, far too good a ball for a hacker like me, I generally like to buy the best I can, in anything, not just golf, and proV’s are arguably the best ball on the market.

 

[jim8flog]

Honma, but we are on our last few so need to find another ball now.

I still have few dozen Honma TWS bought when the last ball I was using RZN also disappeared off the market. Down to the last 2 RZN now. Hopefully the number of balls I have accumulated will now see me through a a couple of years. (still got a dozen or so Prov1, keeping these for summer play)

 

[jim8flog]

AG were knocking these out cheaply one Christmas a few years ago. I had a voucher to spend and bought some. I use them in Opens, or away trips (don't know why not at my own course but that is for another day ) Very durable ball, feels nice off the club, hardly anyone else uses them so you get no mix ups on the course. It's a shame they have largely disappeared.

It was a commercial decision to withdraw from the UK market I still saw the TWX around for some time but the TWS very quickly could not be found (at least at the price I bought for). I am lucky got about 3 dozen left so should see me through a a couple of years

 

[Beezerk]

Those Honma balls were bargain of the century.

 

[Orikoru]

I use Pro V1X, far too good a ball for a hacker like me, I generally like to buy the best I can, in anything, not just golf, and proV’s are arguably the best ball on the market.

There is no such thing as the 'best ball on the market'. It's the best for tour pros seemingly, but the best for an amateur will vary from person to person.

I think what you meant to say is that ProVs are inarguably the most expensive ball on the market.

 

[sjw]

I don’t think this forum represents an accurate cross section of people who play golf.

I sure hope it doesn't or I'll quit now!!

 

[Rlburnside]

I'm not senior, but I swing pretty slow. I would never use a ProV1 really - when I have hit them, they're pretty long off the tee, but I find they curve offline more. People will tell me that more spin doesn't equal sidespin, so it might just be confirmation bias, but that's what I felt when I hit them. Plus the added spin makes them a lot shorter with irons for me. I much prefer lower spin balls as they carry a bit further. Softness is just a preference, although the softer balls tend to spin less.

As I’ve said before my standard of golf I don’t think it will make much difference to me what ball I use.
I have tried pro vs before (another present )but found they were no better for me.

But we all tend to gravitate to a favorite make of ball whether it makes us better golfers is debatable.

I will try the Calloway and Bridgestone balls just out of curiosity you never know I might play brilliant with one of them and convince myself that’s the ball for me

 

[Voyager EMH]

There are lots of golf things I like to discuss, but most of all I love talking balls.

 

[clubchamp98]

There are lots of golf things I like to discuss, but most of all I love talking balls.

My balls don’t talk, but they do listen sometimes!

 

[jim8flog]

There is no such thing as the 'best ball on the market'. It's the best for tour pros seemingly, but the best for an amateur will vary from person to person.

I think what you meant to say is that ProVs are inarguably the most expensive ball on the market.

I do not know if it still goes on but a one time they had to make a payment to Bridgestone for every ball they sold for infringing patents with the Prov1.
Callaway also took them court (after buying the ball division of Spalding) for infringing the patents relating to the Strata. Callaway initially won the court case but it was later referred back to court on appeal and the initial ruling was overturned.

 

[3 jabber]

I think what you meant to say is that ProVs are inarguably the most expensive ball on the market.

Nah.....I see your ProV1 and raise you the Attomax

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