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Distance Robbing Range Balls


JayMc
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I'm working with some new irons and have spent quite a bit of time on the range lately. My perception is that the distance lost with range balls is somewhere north of 3%, maybe as high as 9 or 10%.

Anybody have a rule of thumb you'd share? Ordinarily I wouldn't care, but I'm trying to dial in the irons better. My normal range practice consists of trajectory work with longer irons (2-5) and shot shaping and pin shooting with 6-wedges.

I'm trying to get new rules of thumb distances and I'm struggling here.
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I don't have a rule of thumb, but I do think that the distance loss is greater than 3%. It really depends on the range though, as there are many variables.

Most municipal ranges are stocked with very low quality or very used balls. They can be very inconsistent causing distances and trajectories to be inonsistent as well. Also, some ranges have innacurate yardage markers and often the grass isn't as short as your average fariway causing drives to roll less.

I'd say distance loss could be anywhere from 3% to as high as 15% depending on the listed variables as well as many others.
Driver: taylormade.gif R9 Superdeep TP 8.5* - Aldila RIP 70x | 3-Wood: taylormade.gif R9 TP 15* - Diamana Blueboard 83x | Hybrid: taylormade.gif Rescue TP 19* - Motore F3 95x | Irons: taylormade.gif RAC TP MB 3-PW - Dynamic Gold x100 | Wedges: taylormade.gif TP xFT 54.12* and 60.10* - Dynamic Gold s400 | Putter:  ping.gif Karsten Anser - 33"
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You should compare the distance of the range balls between your new irons and your old irons. That should give you a good indication. Your new irons may have different loft and/or shaft flexibility, kick point, etc. So it will be hard to say what is causing the distance loss. Take both the new and the old sets and hit them and compare the distance. Then you'll have a pretty good idea how far you hit with your new irons.

Don

:titleist: 910 D2, 8.5˚, Adila RIP 60 S-Flex
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It's different for different kinds of balls. I've been to places that have balls designed to be 20% shorter, and I've had places that have normal distance balls that go shorter just because they are scuffed up.

In my bag:

Driver: Titleist TSi3 | 15º 3-Wood: Ping G410 | 17º 2-Hybrid: Ping G410 | 19º 3-Iron: TaylorMade GAPR Lo |4-PW Irons: Nike VR Pro Combo | 54º SW, 60º LW: Titleist Vokey SM8 | Putter: Odyssey Toulon Las Vegas H7

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From this thread, trackman testing found 15% distance loss on the Srixon range balls.

We have those at our range (which also has lasered distances to the various flags from each individual bay) and after hitting several thousand of them I'd say that it's more like 10 - 12% on average for clean, newish balls.

Stretch.

"In the process of trial and error, our failed attempts are meant to destroy arrogance and provoke humility." -- Master Jin Kwon

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I find the distance to be exactly 10% off.


I have been working out of state for the last 4 years here on Nantucket. Hit much more range balls than I would like. The only public course here is $100/round (off season). Being that I play alone as I don't know anyone that golfs here, that is $100 for 2-2.5 hours of recreation. Hard to justify. Point being, I hit lots of range balls here and play lots of golf when home in NC. Roughly every 3 months we get back to NC for 3-4 weeks. I take nice smooth 3/4 swings with my 7 iron here and hit at the white flag. I have verified with my Golf Logix gps this to be 150 yards. My 7 iron drops balls all over this flag, some maybe 5 yards past.

I go home to NC and play 2-3 rounds per week. Using my Srixon Z-stars I hit my 7 iron 165-170 with the same smooth swing. So in my case, 4 years worth of going back and forth from range time to playing time, I see exactly a 15 yard (10%) difference in distance with range balls and premium balls.


-Dan
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I think the best way to figure out the range of your clubs, is hit the course when it is not busy, play five balls and gps or laser measure them or drop near markers and pace thing off. Doing at the range can be a bit useless
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Alternatively, just learn roughly what the gaps are from the range, then pay attention when you hit a few on the course during the normal course of play with whatever clubs you happen to use, and adjust accordingly. This has the advantage that you're learning your distance from shots played in "real" conditions. If you know you hit 10 yard gaps on the range, but find your 5 iron and 9 iron have a 60 yard gap in practice, you can probably figure out your 6, 7, and 8-iron distances pretty well from that.

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T-Zoid Forged 15° 3W, MX-23 4-PW
Harmonized 52° GW, Tom Watson 56° SW, X-Forged Vintage 60° LW
White Hot XG #1 Putter, 33"

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I only go to the range now to keep swinging or work on swing changes. You can't work on yardages for the obvious reason and trajectory isn't really worth working on as the spin rates from range balls is very different also. Yes if you are hooking slicing there is a fair chance you will be with a real ball. I can hit my driver around corners at the range but rarely miss the fairway by much with a ProV1. I don't understand how you can be fitting for new equipment at a range due to the balls, unless the fitter can quantify the difference in spin / distance and take it into account.

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As far as clubfitting goes, I think that is an extremely valid assessment. If I am shelling out a few hundred bucks for a driver fitting and a custom shaft, I better see a bucket of Pro-V1 X outs.




-Dan
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We have those at our range (which also has lasered distances to the various flags from each individual bay) and after hitting several thousand of them I'd say that it's more like 10 - 12% on average for clean, newish balls.

Here the "distance markers" are usually 10% closer to compensate for the balls. My friend lasered a few ranges with his tour v2, and found the same thing on every range he usually plays at.

This obviously gives you a false visual impression of how far "150 yards" really is though...

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Why don't you just go to a range that uses new ProV range balls?????


Just kidding. I find it very frustrating, when working a new club to gauge a distance. Two much math, I went to Georgia schools I can do all those percentages and stuff!
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I personally think it is impossible to dial in distances on the range. Most ranges where I'm at are hard as rocks now and it is really hard to judge exactly where the ball lands any farther than 60 yards away (at least for me). I've learned my distances from playing exclusively.

Brian

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I personally think it is impossible to dial in distances on the range. Most ranges where I'm at are hard as rocks now and it is really hard to judge exactly where the ball lands any farther than 60 yards away (at least for me). I've learned my distances from playing exclusively.

The ball mark doesn't do it for you?

Mizuno MP600 driver, Cleveland '09 Launcher 3-wood, Callaway FTiz 18 degree hybrid, Cleveland TA1 3-9, Scratch SS8620 47, 53, 58, Cleveland Classic 2 mid-mallet, Bridgestone B330S, Sun Mountain four5.

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Thanks guys. I know my older set of clubs very,very well. The new ones fit and feel great (and they were bought based on playability and feel - not on distance), but I haven't had them on the course yet. Ball flight looks really good too.

I'll be in Orlando next week at a couple of nice courses and really wanted to be in a better spot before I get there. I'm going to go in blind with them and give it a shot anyway. I'm playing here in TN this weekend, but our lows are in the 20s with highs in the low 50s :D
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Note: This thread is 4885 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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