Plastic Practice Ball Use

[MKPKR]

I just came across a bag of the white whiffle golf ball that you can use to practice with limited space. I purchased these 2 yrs ago when first starting to play golf planning on using them to practice. Never happened. Thinking of chipping them around the apartment.

Can anyone tell me how these balls react in comparison to a real golf ball? i.e. trajectory, spin, distance, etc. Could hit balls into a laundry basket all day, but want to know what effects it will have.

thanks,
Mike.

[glebert]

I don't think they will work well for chipping practice, but if you want to know for sure hit them side by side with a real ball. I find them to work pretty well for full swing practice, I can pretty much keep them in my 30 yard wide backyard. My problem with them for full swing is that they crush very quickly, and I'm not a big hitter. I started filling mine with expanding foam insulation to make them last longer, although they now sometimes go a little too far.

[MKPKR]

I don't think they will work well for chipping practice, but if you want to know for sure hit them side by side with a real ball. I find them to work pretty well for full swing practice, I can pretty much keep them in my 30 yard wide backyard. My problem with them for full swing is that they crush very quickly, and I'm not a big hitter. I started filling mine with expanding foam insulation to make them last longer, although they now sometimes go a little too far.

I think they make foam practice balls now that won't crush. If i remember right, they are in the "Golf Digest Traininng Tool" group.

I guess I'll just take a couple plastic balls with me to the range the next time i go.

[WUTiger]

I've seen two main types of "limited distance" balls available.

Solid "33 percent" balls that go about a third as far as a normal ball.

Plastic wiffle balls - I have wiffles that are fairly thick, and don't crush.
* Find these useful for swing tempo drills in the back yard. They will draw or fade a little if that's how you shape the shot.
* Also useful for warm-ups on a course that has a chipping green and no driving range. Hit a dozen smooth shots with different clubs - including driver - and it can get you mentally ready for first hole.

[sean_miller]

I just came across a bag of the white whiffle golf ball that you can use to practice with limited space. I purchased these 2 yrs ago when first starting to play golf planning on using them to practice. Never happened. Thinking of chipping them around the apartment.

Golf balls off a small carpet into a laundry basket (or my favourite - a bean bag chair) works for repitition on short pitches and lobs. Wiffle balls work but they're actually hard enough to do some damage when struck with a full swing. The new style hard foam balls work well inside and out. They will give some feedback wrt contact and spin - not perfect but far from a waste of time and better than nothing.

[glebert]

I think they make foam practice balls now that won't crush. If i remember right, they are in the "Golf Digest Traininng Tool" group.

I've tried those and on partial swing shots they actually go farther than a real ball!

[flopdarock]

i wouldnt take wiffle balls to the range... i think id use them around the house practicing lil chips to targets... its absolutely nothing like hitting a real ball distance and feel wise... but you can groove a swing with it and get an idea of how well you are hitting the ball and what direction it goes

[MKPKR]

i wouldnt take wiffle balls to the range... i think id use them around the house practicing lil chips to targets... its absolutely nothing like hitting a real ball distance and feel wise... but you can groove a swing with it and get an idea of how well you are hitting the ball and what direction it goes

wasn't taking them to the range to practice with, just to get a comparison of how they react beside a real ball.

[ks8829]

The plastic ball are good if you are checking for fat or thin shots when chipping or pitching.

[mcman1]

The whiffle balls are okay for the back yard...but I don't think they give you the real feel.

[DBeane]

There is a ball, I believe, made by Dave Pelz called "almost golf", they are yellow. Also, Calloway has some out. They are a relatively soft material yet heavy enough to where you can feel the shot on the club face and it behaves similar to a real ball.

These are great around the house or if you use a hitting net in the back yard.

-Beane

[1puttit]

The "almost golf" balls are great. I have a tube of 24 that I take to the park and hit. In the winter I hang a tarp in the garage and hit off a mat - no worries about missing the tarp and having them ricochet like a real ball.  Highly recommend them.

I just got a few "floppies" to hit inside the house. Fairly durable and great for chipping/pitching at less than full swing speed. My son destroyed one by swinging full speed with a sandwedge and smashing it into a wall.

Originally Posted by DBeane

There is a ball, I believe, made by Dave Pelz called "almost golf", they are yellow. Also, Calloway has some out. They are a relatively soft material yet heavy enough to where you can feel the shot on the club face and it behaves similar to a real ball.

These are great around the house or if you use a hitting net in the back yard.

-Beane

[GaijinGolfer]

I used to use plastic whiffle golf balls.  They go about a 1/4 the distance of a real golf ball.  I stopped using them though because I crushed them too much.  Now when I practice in tight areas I use the foam practice golf balls.  They go about the same distance and they dont crush.

[awmgolfer]

I also use those yellow 1/3 distance balls and they are great. Use them a lot for chipping and watching direction. They also really show your swing if you get a bit more room. I tend to go into our school gym at night when no one is around and hit off my mat and they show you your flight.

[19thole]

I have used various plastic wiffle balls. The best ones are $2 pack of 15 from Wal-Mart. I have to say they are not designed to simulate ball flight. They train you to hit the club face square. if you miss hit them they will curve off, like a wiffle ball is suppose to. Hitting them thin will destroy them. But the Wal-Mart ones can be messaged back into their native shape with a little effort. They are pretty squishy, like foam. The hard wiffle balls are useless. If you can permanently dent them in the package leave them on the shelf. 

The best thing about these plastic wiffle balls is if you can hit them straight, you will destroy a regular golf ball straight down the line. I highly recommend them. I trained with them for two months and it made a huge difference as far as ball contact and ball flight are concerned. 

I hit regular golf balls further than my peers because you really need to get a solid & fast swing plane going to make the wiffle balls carry. So, if you use the same swing for the regular golf ball as the wiffle ball, the regular golf ball takes off. 

Like I said, they are hard to launch and keep straight. They ARE wiffle balls. But if you do get them straight and in the air, your will be a better golfer for it, by far.

Edited January 31, 2019 by 19thole

[Martinh]

Here in the UK I use these 1/3 distance balls all the time over on my Recreation ground (when there is nobody about!). They are excellent, I use them with all my irons and Driver: they last for ages , although they become very lightly scuffed over time and discoloured. They seem to react pretty much like a proper golf ball.....just go 1/3distance though. For me they work well and have helped me considerably.......couldn’t be without them.

[dennyjones]

On 1/31/2019 at 12:25 AM, 19thole said:

I have used various plastic wiffle balls. The best ones are $2 pack of 15 from Wal-Mart. I have to say they are not designed to simulate ball flight. They train you to hit the club face square. if you miss hit them they will curve off, like a wiffle ball is suppose to. Hitting them thin will destroy them. But the Wal-Mart ones can be messaged back into their native shape with a little effort. They are pretty squishy, like foam. The hard wiffle balls are useless. If you can permanently dent them in the package leave them on the shelf. 

The best thing about these plastic wiffle balls is if you can hit them straight, you will destroy a regular golf ball straight down the line. I highly recommend them. I trained with them for two months and it made a huge difference as far as ball contact and ball flight are concerned. 

I hit regular golf balls further than my peers because you really need to get a solid & fast swing plane going to make the wiffle balls carry. So, if you use the same swing for the regular golf ball as the wiffle ball, the regular golf ball takes off. 

Like I said, they are hard to launch and keep straight. They ARE wiffle balls. But if you do get them straight and in the air, your will be a better golfer for it, by far.

@19thole Welcome to TST.  We're glad you've decided to join and participate.   Thanks for your post.

[ChetlovesMer]

I actually kind of like these and will use them for indoor drills to improve my contact.