Which Golf Balls and Why?

[Split_Fairway]

everybody seems to think that they have to go for the more expensive options when it comes to high spinning balls. you dont! i recently bought a box of maxfli c3 golds and they spin juxt as much as any other ball ive played before. the only possible downside is that they may be a tad shorter than some as they feel extremely soft off the putter face, i wasnt able to tell for sure since the day i tested them it was at least a two club wind but at the price of a dozen nxts i think the trade off is worth it. for anyone who thinks distance is just as important as spin the c3 blacks may be worth a try (havent tested them myself so unfortunately no feedback)

 

[RGDave]

I regularly hit between 88 and 95 does the type of golf ball make a difference to me?

You could try using a premium spin ball. If you still manage 88-95, you'll have your answer.

I use mid-priced balls but steer away from pure distance balls. I prefer balls that pretend to be softer and spinnier, even if they are no match for a premium ball.

I prefer Wilson Staff balls (DX2 and DX3) compared to Srixon blue and green. It's just a putting thing. They all go about as straight or wonky as each other.

I love Z-star, but hello and welcome to side-spin city.

 

[USER1999]

As an aside, there is no side spin, only ever back spin. If the club face is square to the target line, then there is backspin. If at impact the club face is open, then the back spin added will carve it right. If the club face is closed, it will carve left. The club face will only ever deliver back spin in the direction the club face is pointing.

 

[GB72]

Had a price shock this week. My 'secret' favourite ball was the Inesis TD Tour, very similar to Bridgestone balls and rumours exist that Bridgestone actually make them. As they are French you can only buy them on Decathlon stores and there are not many around. At about £18.00 a dozen they were great value.
Have not bought any in ages as not been near a Decathlon store but was near the one in Nottingham so nipped in to buy a dozen. They had gone up to £35 and there is no way that I was paying ProV money for them so am sticking with my FG Tours for the time being (Still great but they do not last as long as the DX2/3)

 

[Imurg]

ProV1x or 1 or Z-Star for me. Tried the RXS but lost them very quickly so not got much confidence with them. Decent ball though.
Its getting to the point where I got backspin with a Srixon Distance the other day - with a 5 iron! You gotta love soft greens.

 

[RGDave]

As an aside, there is no side spin, only ever back spin. If the club face is square to the target line, then there is backspin. If at impact the club face is open, then the back spin added will carve it right. If the club face is closed, it will carve left. The club face will only ever deliver back spin in the direction the club face is pointing.

I never knew that. I'm just a simple snooker play that's lost 21 coloured balls.

 

[CliveW]

As an aside, there is no side spin, only ever back spin. If the club face is square to the target line, then there is backspin. If at impact the club face is open, then the back spin added will carve it right. If the club face is closed, it will carve left. The club face will only ever deliver back spin in the direction the club face is pointing.

How come then that a ball draws when the clubface is pointing at the target but the swing path is from inside to out and conversely a fade is when the clubface is pointing at the target but the swing path is from outside to in?

 

[Smiffy]

As an aside, there is no side spin, only ever back spin. If the club face is square to the target line, then there is backspin. If at impact the club face is open, then the back spin added will carve it right. If the club face is closed, it will carve left. The club face will only ever deliver back spin in the direction the club face is pointing.

How come then that a ball draws when the clubface is pointing at the target but the swing path is from inside to out and conversely a fade is when the clubface is pointing at the target but the swing path is from outside to in?

And similarly, when playing a hole with a severely sloping fairway, say left to right, a ball struck with a draw will bounce "into" the slope when landing, but a ball struck with a "cut" will take a wicked hop to the right?

 

[StrangelyBrown]

As an aside, there is no side spin, only ever back spin. If the club face is square to the target line, then there is backspin. If at impact the club face is open, then the back spin added will carve it right. If the club face is closed, it will carve left. The club face will only ever deliver back spin in the direction the club face is pointing.

Sorry Murf, but that's simply wrong. Pure back spin is a rotation around the horizontal axis of the ball. Side spin is rotation around the vertical axis of the ball. They're very different things and have a very different effect on ball flight.

 

[HughJars]

As an aside, there is no side spin, only ever back spin. If the club face is square to the target line, then there is backspin. If at impact the club face is open, then the back spin added will carve it right. If the club face is closed, it will carve left. The club face will only ever deliver back spin in the direction the club face is pointing.

Sorry Murf, but that's simply wrong. Pure back spin is a rotation around the horizontal axis of the ball. Side spin is rotation around the vertical axis of the ball. They're very different things and have a very different effect on ball flight.

Correct Brown one.

 

[viscount17]

I do like the Pro V1x and Bridgestone 330RX, they do go well - and that's the only problem

other than that DX2 or AD333

 

[USER1999]

As an aside, there is no side spin, only ever back spin. If the club face is square to the target line, then there is backspin. If at impact the club face is open, then the back spin added will carve it right. If the club face is closed, it will carve left. The club face will only ever deliver back spin in the direction the club face is pointing.

Sorry Murf, but that's simply wrong. Pure back spin is a rotation around the horizontal axis of the ball. Side spin is rotation around the vertical axis of the ball. They're very different things and have a very different effect on ball flight.

Correct Brown one.

Wrong. Plain and simple. I will post later as to why, but it is do do with whether the axis of rotaion is orientated correctly. The ball will only spin on one axis, therefore you can't have side spin, and back spin. The axis of spin has to be aligned to the club face.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

I'm looking forward to this one

 

[Smiffy]

I'm looking forward to this one

Me too

 

[CliveW]

it is do do with whether the axis of rotaion is orientated correctly. The ball will only spin on one axis, therefore you can't have side spin, and back spin. The axis of spin has to be aligned to the club face.

Ah, I see now. Side spin is really back spin, but on its side!
The spin of the ball is a combination of vectors. Therefore a slicing/hooking ball has both back and side spin. Add the two vectors and the resulting spin is really an offset backspin.

 

[Snelly]

The comments about side spin are more about semantics than anything else.

If you slice a ball you are imparting side spin in layman's terms.

As for ball preference, I think the best on the market are ProV1's, Callaway (the black ones) and Z-Stars.

I have played with corporate Z Stars (because that is what I ordered based on price) for a year and whilst I think they are excellent, I think ProV1's suit me that little bit better and will be buying them when the last of the Srixon's have been given away.

 

[USER1999]

it is do do with whether the axis of rotaion is orientated correctly. The ball will only spin on one axis, therefore you can't have side spin, and back spin. The axis of spin has to be aligned to the club face.

Ah, I see now. Side spin is really back spin, but on its side!
The spin of the ball is a combination of vectors. Therefore a slicing/hooking ball has both back and side spin. Add the two vectors and the resulting spin is really an offset backspin.

Correct, it can only have one axis to spin on. The closer to horizontal, the straighter the flight. The more it tips, the more the ball moves sideways. This is what makes lie angle so important, as if the club head isn't horizontal at impact, the axis of rotation is already skewed. It also explains why to draw, you swing flatter, and to fade, more upright.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

Side spin is really back spin, but on its side!

Love it!

Murf, I see what you're getting at, and yes, the ball cannot rotate on two axes simultaneously. My thinking is that when the axis of rotation moves from horizontal then you have sidespin.

Two minutes on google confirms my thinking...

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0HFI/is_10_51/ai_65486538/

 

[Parmo]

Srixon Z Star because I cannot afford to lose Pro V1’s. Also the Z Star is more durable, cheaper and does the job nearly as good.

In Winter I shall be returning to AD333’s and other stuff I’ve scuffed up over the season.