Switching Out Balls

[gas_can]

I was playing in a matchplay tournament today, and after putting in a bunker shot, I put a slightly scuffed ball back in my bag and pulled out a new one. My opponent asked me why I was switching, so I showed him the slight scuffing on my ball. He remarked how he never changes a ball unless it's at the bottom of a lake or lost.

So I was wondering how often everyone changes out their balls.

In tournament play, I always change out after any scuffing. Maybe I'm just paranoid, but I'm way too afraid of a rough cover causing excess side spin. Most of my scuffed balls become practice round balls but I've got a pretty short leash with those too.

As an aside, I think my biggest complaint about the V1/V1x is that the covers scuff a bit too easily. Seems like every time one touches my vokey oil cans it's doomed to the practice ball pile.

[iacas]

I don't have that problem with my Vokeys and my V1, but I don't suck balls back 25 feet either (0-5)...

When I'm just goofing around, I'll keep a ball in with minor scuffing. Minor scuffing. When I'm actually playing a round for score, I switch a ball out when I feel that its performance has been altered. Slight scuffing, two or three big drives, etc. (Switch out after the hole is done, of course).

[davecenter]

I play the balls that I find off the range (since that is where I work) and I play those. I usually don't change out a ball unless it has a serious scuff. Of course, I don't play in tournaments either. I don't have the opportunities.

On sucking the ball back, I play on extremely hard greens, so I never have that chance. Very few times are the greens receptive.

[Rafcin]

make sure it's the same brand/model of the ball you switched to avoid controversy (some tournaments assume one-ball-rule in effect).

Light scuffs are no problem, big gash or cart-path mark - ball is out. I simply use my judgment - is the scuff big enough to affect the trajectory? If it rolls over it on the green - will it affect the roll?
If you (like me :-D ) use eBay as source for your golf ball supplies - you won't hang on to it for too long !