Range Ball Distance Vs Normal Course Balls

Hi everyone,

Seems like a great golf place here.

I have started to go to the range and hit some golf balls and I wanted to know if there is a distance difference between the range balls and normal golf balls.

My though here is that a range ball is suppose to be cheap, and some type of limited flight since most driving ranges are about 250-300 yards.

So if someone could hit a range ball 200 yards on a perfect day, do you think that the same exact swing on a normal ball would travel the same or farther.

welcome to the forum neighbor

Depending on the range - some have very short hitting area and using very special balls, that might have as little as 50% of distance (I've experienced it in El Segundo in Los Angeles early this year), but I'd think on average you should think "normal" ball will add about 10 - 20yds with irons and up to 50yds with woods/driver... At the range I'm going to there is a 250 fence at the end of it. With range ball even flushed - I hit it on one hop. When I take old, beaten up "normal" ball - with solid hit I'm on the second layer of fence on the fly...

I think a normal dropoff would be around 15%.

I consider myself lucky to be close to a decent range with good golf balls. I've actually hit some of my older Pro-V1x's after a bucket just to see the difference and it really wasn't too much. With my driver it might have been only 5, maybe 10 yards.

Thanks guys, I thought there had to be a reason for a so called "Range Ball" and to be honest, the one of us that practice with at a range, might over shoot on the course since we'd be playing longer clubs then needed.

I do think there is some difference BUT with long irons and a driver where ball dimps and compression would play a big part of the ball flight and a range would prefer to keep those balls "In play"

NCGolfer - also when you said you hit old beaten up balls wouldn't they fly less then the new balls you would play on a course so the fact that they actually went a little farther even though they where old and beaten up show that there is a bit of a difference?

Range balls are usually the worst constructed balls and they are beat to hell before they are replaced. I usually carry a "real ball" with mid-irons about 5-8 yards farther than the range balls.

Another thing you have to do is check the yardages to markers with a range finder. This is really important with shorter distances because the "dead" range balls will give you pretty accurate carry with lofted wedges.

Other golfers at my regular range are shocked when I tell them the 175 marker is actually only 155. And they are a little deflated to find the 230 sign is actually 205. The center green flag was marked 125, but it was really only 115-120 depending on where you were hitting from. I notice lately they are taking the yardage markers off the sticks.

Every time I go to any range I check the key markers with my finder.

ok after visiting a few local ranges I now know what is going on with the range balls vs normal balls.

My local range has a net wall about 200-225 yards away, and unless you make solid contact will you come close to touching the wall....

Reason, pratice balls... or limited flight balls at this range. (found out they use to have a sign banning drivers)

I've been to two other longer ranges with fences of about 250 at one and 300 at another.

those to places use super range balls which fly better then the limited flight balls.

I did notice that at either places the short irons are almost the same distance.... within 5-10 yards

but when the big clubs come out of the bag the ball really does matter.

at the 250 yard range i had the pleasure of finding two normal balls in the basket.... I am assuming a fellow golfer who wanted to test out the balls left them behind. Needless to say, for now those balls are lost in the woods at the 250 yard range. I did happen to hit a super range ball that hit a tree solid so those type of pratice balls do fly well (same 250 yard location).

Summary:
Balls market with practice my be limited flight balls. and balls market as super range balls are very close to normal golf balls, but they are still a range ball and even though i didn't get to hit a normal ball at the 300 yard range, i did have a few balls roll up a hill towards the 300 mark.

Club used was R580 XD 9.5 stiff.

Disclaimer: I don't have a range finder and even though the distances where laser marked at the ranges I couldn't verify it. Besides anyone can be a range superstar right