Low spin ball?

[dhatcher]

Hi Everyone,

I'm just starting to research golf balls.  I'm a 29 handicapper and my game is slowly improving.  I know different brand/model balls won't make a huge difference in my game but, if I'm going to spend money to buy golf balls I figured I might as well give myself the best chance for better scores by playing a ball more suited to my game.

I'm mostly looking for a low spin ball and wanted to find out what low spin balls the folks around here like?  When my drive goes wrong it tends to slice with a pretty high spin rate so, I figure to help combat that, low spin golf balls will be best for me.  I'm not too concerned about them sticking on the green as every time I've hit a ball onto a green it seems to stick pretty well so, maybe I've just been lucky with that aspect of my game so far.

So that's it; what low spin balls does everyone like?  So far, I'm looking at NXT tours, TP5's and also saw a few people mention Pinnacle Golds.

[LuciusWooding]

The pentas aren't really meant for your skill level and are a different price range, the titleists are OK but way overpriced, pinnacles will work fine. Stick to 20$ a dozen or less if you can, and try going with the ball that feels best to you at that price for now.

Consider Bridgestone E6 and E7, particularly e6, and the top flite gamer (which I play for cost reasons). Honestly though, don't spend much per ball until you stop losing over a sleeve of balls a round unless you have the money. No matter the ball, whether you have a balata or an E6, you won't slice one and leave the other in the fairway; maybe you'll be longer and in less trouble with a low spin ball but it won't fix swing faults. I think many people overstate the effect of the ball on this matter, you can max your distance, optimize spin and feel, but your ball won't change your slice much. So with that in mind, fill up on cheaper ammo for the time being and try different brands until you get to a point you feel you want to play one ball.

[dhatcher]

Yeh I understand what you're saying.  I'm slowly fixing my slice and *most* of the time I'm hitting pretty straight shots but, sometimes when I get tired or lose focus I tend to bring back in a little bit of the bad habit and end up slicing the ball out there.

I also just saw the penta's are definitely not for my skill level.  good looking out.  now i'm looking at the gamerv2, nike crush and warbird plus. you're also right about on the number with how many I lose per round.  I lost 3 on my last round of 18.

[bigwave916]

I'd recommend the Maxfli Noodles. They're available at WalMart for under $20. Once I got over being a golf snob, I managed to sneak my way into WalMart and pick these up cheap, and nobody has to know where I bought them.

I play Titleist Pro-V1 in tournaments and more serious rounds, but most casual rounds I play the Noodle. That way if I pull hook one into the weeds, slice one sideways into the woods, or hit one short into the pond it doesn't break my heart to see a $4.00 golf ball disappear. I'm not cheap, I just have better things to spend my money on.

The only difference that I see in how these balls play is that when I want to work the ball one way or the other the Pro V1t is more workable, and when I'm chipping or pitching balls into the green I have to land the ball a little closer to the hole with the Titleist because it bites and doesn't run out quite as much as the Noodles.

The Noodles don't feel any different off the club face on full swings or with the putter, and other than the differences I mentioned they play just as well as the Titleists and at about 1/4 the price

[colin007]

heres a vote for the Gamer V2.  also, the e7 if you have a lower swing speed.

[dhatcher]

My driver swing speed is generally between 93-97MPH.  Not sure where that rates in swing speeds but, I'm guessing it's fairly average based on the distances I get from it.

[PharmDgolfer]

The warbird is a solid low spin ball that seems to react on the greens a little better than the top rock. Its also pretty comparable in price to the Top Flite balls. The noodles are going to have a higher spin rate than the warbird or top flite, but they are also a good low cost ball; just not what you are looking for particularly.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by PharmDgolfer

The warbird is a solid low spin ball that seems to react on the greens a little better than the top rock. Its also pretty comparable in price to the Top Flite balls. The noodles are going to have a higher spin rate than the warbird or top flite, but they are also a good low cost ball; just not what you are looking for particularly.

LOL - the Warbird is also a rock.

[iceman777]

wilson duo / great ball should be about 19/dozen

[welling10]

Have you ever though about used balls?  I buy ProV1s online and there pretty awesome.  You can get just about any ball you want.

[Dirtydog345]

Hey mate, i used To be a fellow high 20's handicapper like you and i was in a similar position to you. i.e my drives would slice and hook ocassionally, just generally not being effective of the tee is the vibe im getting from you. But anyway, i was out on the course one day and then this random guy joined me. But anyway he gave a srixon soft feel golf ball, and boy did it work! On short par 4's i was driving almost to the green, all of my drives were generally heading in a straight direction as well. One thing that you should know is that low spin balls will not completely eradicate your slice or hook, if you strike the ball wrong, the low spin ball will minimize the damage, if you will. Also, how high do you tee up the ball? Because my playing partner noticed that i was teeing the ball up to high, so i lowered my tee off and it worked like a godsend! Hope this helps.

[inthehole]

Any ball will spin (alot) and slice off the course if a bad swing is put on it.     As my game has really improved alot lately (I'm to the point where more often than not I make it through a round on the same ball - that was a milestone for me) ... I've been comparing tour balls with distance balls & honestly, there's not as big a difference off the driver as I thought there would be in terms of spin/slice .    For me though, I've got lousey eye sight & can't pick up a white ball in flight on a cloudy day (especially if I do my part & keep my head down at impact) and often play alone after work, so high visibility is wa ymore important than spin.    I use without question the brightest ball on the market - Wilson Smartcore nuclear orange.    Thats just me as a bogie golfer talking  ... color is way more important to me.     I like the Wilson orange rock - its an above average distance ball & I have no problem recommending it.

[colin007]

Originally Posted by PharmDgolfer

The warbird is a solid low spin ball that seems to react on the greens a little better than the top rock.

bro, have you tried the TopFlite Gamer V2?  its not a rock at all.

[LuciusWooding]

Originally Posted by colin007

bro, have you tried the TopFlite Gamer V2?  its not a rock at all.

Yeah just to clear this up: The XL series from top flite are absolutely rocks, as are their older balls and range balls. But the D2 line and Gamers, which are a bit more recent, are decent to good feeling. The XL series is still available, but it's outdated technology.

Also, Callaway owns Top Flite; it's highly likely the warbird ball is made on the very same machines as the top flite. Brand Washing? I can't recommend Cally balls in general, since most of them play below their price range. I haven't tried their high end balls though.