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Another question -- yellow balls

RC

By RC,
in Golf Talk

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RC Great Member

RC

As an former tennis player, I can tell you the switch to yellow balls did not initially sit well with many higher level players. It was apparently better for TV and spectators, and a bit strange for the players -- at first. But then over time, yellow tennis balls proved their usefulness and today I doubt many would want to return to the white ball of the past.

In golf, yellow balls have been around for ages... on some driving ranges. Now there are yellow balls on the tour, we have high performance yellow balls. I suppose they really are easier to see and that is good. Heck, there are also orange and pink balls, translucent balls, and who knows what. However, I have a feeling that in the future, the yellow ball just might become the standard. What do you guys think?

RC

 

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aiian Member

aiian

I don't understand what a yellow ball does that a white one can't. It isn't like the ball is moving.

All I can think of is finding your balls bu wouldn't a white ball be easier to spot (in green grass) than a yellow one?
.: SQ Tour Carry | SQ MachSpeed 9.5˚ Driver | SQ MachSpeed Irons | To Be Continued...
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noob Member

noob

I think it has about the same chance of becoming the "standard" as the yellow shirt to replace the de-facto standard white shirt in golf. But who knows, one can say the same thing when yellow tennis balls were introduced.
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B-Con Great Member

B-Con

A white ball doesn't stand out as easily as one might think. It's very easy to confuse with any sort of curled feather (Got geese on a fairway? Have fun finding your ball.) or sunlight reflection. I can't count the number of times after a drive down a fairway the sun has been at a perfect angle relative to the fairway and caused every flat surface to reflect light. All you can see from 50ft back are specks of white.

I've had this thought too, but although white is sometimes not the best color, I think that finding a yellow ball in the rough surrounded by slightly dead grass or leaves would be hard. Harder than finding a white ball.

I think a yellow ball might be easier to find, on average, on a fairway, but once you leave the short cut I'd prefer to have a white over a yellow. Of course, the better you are the less that matters.

My wife plays pink/purple and they're fairly easy to find, obviously. Not enough to make me use those colors, but enough to show that color definitely does matter.

"Golf is an entire game built around making something that is naturally easy - putting a ball into a hole - as difficult as possible." - Scott Adams

Mid-priced ball reviews: Top Flight Gamer v2 | Bridgestone e5 ('10) | Titleist NXT Tour ('10) | Taylormade Burner TP LDP | Taylormade TP Black | Taylormade Burner Tour | Srixon Q-Star ('12)

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Titleist_ProV1x Dedicated Member

Titleist_ProV1x

The color yellow will keep your attention on an object longer than on a white object, this is the reason they make yellow golf balls, and on the plus side they are a bit easier to find for most people
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chrt396 Established Member

chrt396

The balls that some of my partners play might as well be yellow. I'm a purist. Stay with white!

Tools of my game:
Burner 09' Driver 10.5 Reg flex
5-pw G10's/ plus Taylormade R7 4 iron
Burner 08' 4 Hybrid
A70S 3 Hybrid Burner 09' 3 wood "Zing" SW 56 degree Fastback Laser range finder / plus Skycaddie SG5...also a great ball retriever!!

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Shanks A Million Great Member

Shanks A Million

I don't understand what a yellow ball does that a white one can't. It isn't like the ball is moving.

If the ball never moves, then you're doing something very wrong.

Yellow balls are much easier to see. They are easier to track in flight, then to spot on the ground. Some ultra bright red or something might stand out better, but yellow is good for now.
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cardsfan92 Member

cardsfan92

Nothing more frustrating than KNOWING the area where your ball went, and then spending 20 minutes trying to find it.

In the bag:

Driver- SQ Dymo2 Str8-fit 10.5 Regular Flex
3 wood- NDS
Irons- FP with an A3 Idea 8 ironWedge- 60* Lob wedgePutter- FX3 (but looking to add a Scotty Cameron sometime this season)

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soloredd Dedicated Member

soloredd

Nothing more frustrating than KNOWING the area where your ball went, and then spending 20 minutes trying to find it.

Other than 3 putts, losing a ball is the WORST moment in a round for me. It used to not bother me much but I never realized what a waste it is, not to mention the penalty.

Callaway Org14 Sport w/ Clicgear Cart:

Callaway X 460 9* - Callaway X 15* - TaylorMade 19*/21* Hybrid - Callaway Diablo Forged 4-PW - Titleist 50/56/60 - Rife Cayman Brac - Bridgestone xFIXx/B330-RX - TRUE Linkswear Supporter!

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cardsfan92 Member

cardsfan92

Other than 3 putts, losing a ball is the WORST moment in a round for me. It used to not bother me much but I never realized what a waste it is, not to mention the penalty.

And the annoying part is oftentimes that its not your fault that you lost it. Its most frustrating when you have to take a penalty because the course was negligent in getting rid of the crazy weeds that all happen to be white.

In the bag:

Driver- SQ Dymo2 Str8-fit 10.5 Regular Flex
3 wood- NDS
Irons- FP with an A3 Idea 8 ironWedge- 60* Lob wedgePutter- FX3 (but looking to add a Scotty Cameron sometime this season)

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shades9323 Great Member

shades9323

The balls that some of my partners play might as well be yellow. I'm a purist. Stay with white!

That is pretty funny. A purist playing GI irons, hybrids, and using a range finder/gps.

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IcemanYVR Dedicated Member

IcemanYVR

I guess I"m a bit of a purist as well, but I have used a yellow ball. We sometimes have areas of the course that may have snow on them, and anyone who's looked for white ball in the snow can tall you it's not that easy

Will Tour players start using a yellow ball, I doubt it... but I guess the same could be said for the tennis players way back when...

Will I start playing a yellow ball, hell will probably need to freeze over first... oh wait, that already happend... The Eagles started touring again

Cheers, Allan

In my Ping Hoofer II bag: Titleist 975J | Callaway Big Bertha 3 Wood S2H2 | Mizuno Fli-Hi 18˚ Hybrid | Mizuno MP-33 3-PW | Cleveland Tour Action 900 54/60 | Ping Anser II BeCu | Titleist ProV1

My Playground: Northview G&CC

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zeg Great Member

zeg

I think it's less likely the tour players will start using yellow balls, and I don't think the tennis experience is so relevant any more. First of all, in tennis you have to share the ball with your opponent, so it's sensible for the tournament to specify what ball everyone uses. In golf, it's a piece of personal equipment. Second, while perhaps the TV market would be an incentive to use a ball that's easier to see, technology has developed so far since tennis balls turned yellow that it's really not an issue. In HD, you can see the balls fine, and if they really want them to be a different color for contrast, they could do like hockey did and highlight them in the broadcast stream. Yes, I know that was a pretty unpopular thing, but as the NFL has shown with its first down and scrimmage markers, they can do the job a lot less intrusively now. If they want a white ball to look yellow on-screen, it can be done digitally.

I'm personally sort of intrigued by the thought. However, I wouldn't try it on my home course because about three of the holes abut the edges of the driving range and are peppered with mostly yellow range balls. It's hard enough to find a white one among the 10% that are white. If it were looking for a yellow one among the 90% that are yellow, it'd be a huge headache. I might go for a bright red one, it'd remind me of minigolf, and that might improve my putting... but I guess I might think it was Christmas and go start buying myself golf clubs.

In the bag:
FT-iQ 10° driver, FT 21° neutral 3H
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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RC Great Member

RC

  • Author
I was an old die-hard when it came to tennis balls, and was one of the last to change. What happened was the shops quit stocking white balls as well.

There already has been a yellow ball played on tour, maybe more than one. I always liked white golf balls and tended to giggle about some guy hitting a pink ball he may have found. I've not sure anymore. If they truly are easier to see, then some day I might be playing a yellow ball. It is not a big deal to me.

RC

 

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Mrd19abhs Dedicated Member

Mrd19abhs

If they made a red or Orange i would be the first one to switch.

WITB:

  • Driver: Titleist TSR3 8.0 A3, Badazz 60g S
  • Hybrid: Cobra Baffler 17*
  • Irons: T200 P-4
  • Wedges: Callaway X Forged 48*,56*,60*
  • Putter: Ping Anser Milled 
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jsherm45 Established Member

jsherm45

I'm a fan of the Z-Star Tour Yellow and have put those in play a couple times already this season. I'm not sold on the fact that they are easier to find on the ground, but I enjoy playing with them just to change things up.

I have noticed that they are easier to see in the air during twilight rounds.
Driver: Adams 9032LS 9.5* - 45" - Aldila RIP Alpha 60S
3 Wood: Adams FAST 10 15* - 43" - Aldila Wasabi 70S
2-Iron: Mizuno Fli-Hi 18* - DGS300 
Irons: Mizuno MP-68 3-PW - DGS300
Wedges: Mizuno MPT-11 54* and 60*Putter: PING Redwood Anser Black Nickel 340g, 34"Ball: Titleist ProV1Bag: Mizuno...
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jamo Incredible Member

jamo

I have heard that people love the yellow balls, and it is getting some really go publicity fr Srixon who already makes some very good balls. One of the reasons it is easy to see them is because they contrast more off of the sky. Not sure about why they are better in the grass, but certainly they are easy to see on TV.

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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drglew Well Established Member

drglew

They will truly become popular whenever Titleist makes a colored ProV1/V1x, as they are by far the most popular ball amongst pros and amateurs alike despite their price tag. And if interest in the first colored urethane/multilayer Srixon Z-star (played on tour by Tim Clark) builds, i'd almost guarantee that Titleist and others would follow suit.

I'm personally nostalgic for orange ones, as those were always my favorites when i first started playing about 30 years ago...i think i liked orange Prostaff balls if i recall (although in middle school played whatever i could scrounge up!)

Driver: Cleveland Classic 270, 10.5*
Fairway Woods: Adams Speedline LP (3 & 5)
Hybrids: Wilson Staff Fybrids 21*, 24*, UST V2 stiff
Irons: Callaway X-20 Tour, 5-PW, Rifle Project-X (flighted) 6.0
Wedges: Cleveland CG15 DSG 52* & 58* +/- 56* Niblick

Putter: Yes! Amy

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