Right Ball for me?

[dcomartin]

I play often, I take my game seriously and I am trying to improve all the time. I stated in a previous thread that I am currently hold a 12.1 handicap. I finished last year at a 15.2, so I've basically dropped 3 strokes this year. Which I feel is a pretty good move forward.

I am a short hitter. Here are a few distances:

Driver - 230
5 Iron - 160
9 Iron - 120
56* - 80

This year I've played the Titleist DT-Solo, Callaway HX Hot, Bridgestone E6. I hear so much about the ProV1, Nike One, Callaway HX Tour, Bridgestone B330 etc but have never hit one, simply because I believe they would not benefit me since I have a slower swing.

Anyone have any recommendations? Am I playing the appropriate group of a balls?

[i-Guy]

Anyone have any recommendations? Am I playing the appropriate group of a balls?

Go check out Callaways "Ball Selector" at

http://www.callawaygolf.com/en.BALLS.BallSelector.html it will give you a feel for if you are palying the right ball but then again nothing is like trying them yourself.

[Big Lex]

I stated in a previous thread that I am currently hold a 12.1 handicap. I am a short hitter. Here are a few distances:

You are going to hear alot of things about balls and "activating" the core at high swing speeds, etc., but this is the truth of the matter as far as I can tell, and I think I'm reasonably well-informed on the subject:

1. You may think you are a short hitter, but those distances suggest enough club head speed that you don't need to use the super-soft balls like the DT SoLo. The ultra-soft core balls do go farther than balls like the NXT or HX Hot for very slow swing speeds, , but in your range you're not getting any special benefit from them. 2. In terms of distance, there is basically no difference between the premium urethane balls (ProV1, HX Tour) and the surlyn distance balls you mention (HX Hot, Bridgestone E6). None. The difference is that the urethane balls spin more off iron shots and little wedge shots around the greens. 3. Some people may tell you that you don't need the urethane ball because you don't "swing hard enough to spin it," but again I doubt this is true in your range. If you hit the driver 230 but are a 12 hcp, you are a good player with probably a good short game, and you might find that the added spin you'd get from a urethane ball might give you more shot options around the green than the balls you are currently playing. My advice is to buy a dozen Callaway HX Tours and HX Hots, and play a round using both. If you can, play the hole with one ball, but drop a second for your iron approach shot and for chips around the green, bunker shots, short pitches, etc. You will see the performance differences instantly, and will be able to decide if you think the urethane premium ball is better for you. For what it's worth, I'm about the same level player as you, and I use either a HX Tour or HX Hot, although I will use the Tour ball if I'm competing against someone, etc. Try it out and let me know what you decide!

[dcomartin]

Thanks for an informative reply. I really like your idea of testing out the HX Tour and HX Hot. I do often play two balls during twilight at my home course so this will be no problem. I will post back my results as soon as I play (hopefully this weekend).

[NM Golf]

Not to be stepping on Callaways toes, but really and truly there is a reason that Titleist outsells them all combined. Don't forget to give them a try. IMHO the prov1 and the Prov1x are the best balls in golf, period. Try all brands but be real careful not to leave out Titleist. I would suggest for you the Prov1 or the NXT tour. The latter I think is a great ball that isn't too expensive but will perform really well for a mid handicapper.

[dcomartin]

Alright tonight I picked up a dozen Callaway HX Tours. I also have 11 Pro V1's and one lonely Pro V1x that I got for free recently that I havn't tried yet. I also have a some Callaway HX Hot from the previous dozen I bought. Comparison time to see if the extra $20 is worth it or not!

[powerfade]

Let us know if you feel like you're compressing the premium balls or if they feel dead coming off the face. To me it feels like the ball is sponging on the club face for a short time before taking off like a missle.

See if you can tell if there are any differences in the amount of spin you hear.

[i-Guy]

Alright tonight I picked up a dozen Callaway HX Tours. I also have 11 Pro V1's and one lonely Pro V1x that I got for free recently that I havn't tried yet. I also have a some Callaway HX Hot from the previous dozen I bought. Comparison time to see if the extra $20 is worth it or not!

Great idea and I was not trying to steer you toward Callaway but just giving you a tool to help with your decision. I also agree with "NM Golf" as Ttileist makes a great product and should be in the mix related to your decison but I see you have considered that. I found this chart (see attached) comparing Callaway balls and found it interesting as I thought the Big Bertha Ball was for distance and it appears it is a spin and feel ball...hmmm you learn somehting new everday!

[MGP]

I play often, I take my game seriously and I am trying to improve all the time. I stated in a previous thread that I am currently hold a 12.1 handicap. I finished last year at a 15.2, so I've basically dropped 3 strokes this year. Which I feel is a pretty good move forward.

I have about the same handicap as you and hit similar distances. I did a lot of ball testing this year and the two balls I've found that I play the best with are the Top Flite D2 Feel and the Maxfli Tour Fire. I hit the D2 Feels the longest, spin them well on my approach and chip shots and they putt well. The Tour Fires are maybe a slight bit shorter for me but they have a really nice feeling cover on them and play very well around the green. They both are quite durable but still have a nice combination of distance and feel for me. The best thing about the D2 Feels is that they are about $15/15 pk., a real bargain. I would give them a try -- they are cheap and a really good ball. FWIW I just tried the HX Tours yesterday and I didn't like them. They have a nice soft cover on them but I didn't hit them as far as the D2 Feels. I may not have the swing speed for them, I'm not sure but whatever the reason I just didn't get along with them.

[dcomartin]

Thanks for the insight! Much appreciated.

I will have to see what the HX Tours and the ProV1's do for me. Price is not a huge issue, but I do cringe spending $50 (canadian) on premium balls. If they are not doing much for me, no point in spending that kind of money!

I guess I will find out if they are worth the money or not. As I mentioned the previous balls I was playing are all in the $30 range.

One thing I just read is about the Bridgestone E5 produces a higher trajectory off the tee which is right up my alley. With my driver, I have always had a very low trajectory and bank on roll. I think that is why my driver distance is not quite what it could be. I notice when I do manage to get some height I can reach 250. The E5 might be worth trying as well!

So many golf balls to try, so little time!

[Kellfire]

I played with a ProV1 today and found it has excellent feel compared to the cheap rocks I was using earlier in the round.

However, the most surprising thing was how well I played a Top-Flite Z-Balata. I don't know if they are even still made. What mid price ball on the market at the moment would be similar to these?

[powerfade]

Thanks for the insight! Much appreciated.

The E5 flies higher because it's a high spin ball. I played that ball for 3 months earlier this year and liked it until I tested it against the B330. I really love the B330. For me, it was better in all categories although the spin rate around the greens wasn't quite as high. I've been switching between the B330 and B330S lately, but I'm still giving the nod to the B330.

I would recommend trying the E5 (high spin - more dimples) and E6 (low spin - similar dimple pattern to the B330 and B330S).

[iacas]

The E5 flies higher because it's a high spin ball.

I haven't read anything specifically about the e5, but typically this is true:

The higher the spin, the lower the launch. The lower the spin, the higher the launch. For example, the higher-spinning Pro V1 launches lower than the Pro V1x, which spins less. This relates to the other standard truth: "the firmer the ball, the higher the launch."

[powerfade]

I haven't read anything specifically about the e5, but typically this is true:

So the high spin/low launch e5 would probably not help dcomartin since he already launches the ball low.

It seems to me that the e5 gets its height by rising higher after a low initial launch. The ball will then drop with little roll. (more penetrating?) This may not be what dcomartin needs, but it's worth a sleeve finding out.

[dcomartin]

Alright I played in my league last night and played the HX Tour. I played the same ball all round and it held up pretty well. I'm hoping to go tonight so I can try all three out at the same time. Here were my initial thoughts on the HX Tour:

1 - The cover is durable, played all 9 holes with the same ball with no scuffs and still looks as new as when I first hit it.

2 - Felt a lot different while driving. A lot harder on miss hits. Almost like hitting a rock compared to the HX Hot. When it on the money felt great though. It appeared that I hit it the same distance as the HX Hot, I will have to play more to compare distance.

3 - Spin. A lot more than the HX Hot. Again I'm a short hitter. On second hole par 3, 165yrs I hit a 5 iron and had maybe 5 feet of roll. I will have to play more to see if I notice it more.

It felt normal all round other than when I was driving. It felt really hard compared to the HX Hot. Thats what I noticed the most. Around the greens it feels fine. I'm so used to a lower compression ball that it takes some getting used to. HX Hot feels softer.

[Phil]

I like the wilson I-wound. They seem pretty decent to me for not dropping a whole lot on balls.

[azgreg]

I have about the same handicap as you and hit similar distances. I did a lot of ball testing this year and the two balls I've found that I play the best with are the Top Flite D2 Feel and the Maxfli Tour Fire.

I'm with you MGP. I really like the feel of the new D2s (and my wallet likes them as well. lol). I've been playing the straights, but will try the feels on my next purchase.

[dcomartin]

Alright I played the ProV1 yesterday and to me it has a softer feel, especially off the putter and chipping. As for distance, they seemed the same to me. After playing both, I prefer the Titleist ProV1.