As a Beginner - Does the Ball Really Matter?

Alright I'm a newbie...

At this point, does the make/type/brand of the ball really matter? How much of an impact does the golf ball have at this stage of my golfing 'career'?

Or should I pretty much standardize on a mid-high avg quality ball and stick to it...eliminating it as a variable?

No, a ball shouldnt really matter as a beginner, for first starting, your not gonna worry about spin on the greens, or driving distance. Any decent ball will do, but its up to you to notice if a better ball makes a difference, and if it does and you feel it improves your game, you should go for it. Otherwise if you dont notice a difference, save some money and get the cheaper ones.

hey there, I'm a newbie as well.
I'm about 3 months into it and am really enjoying it. However... regarding the balls, you will lose every single ball you buy for the first few rounds! LOL. I made the mistake of buying NIKE ONE for my first rounding and lost the whole box!! $40 gone to the golf course forest spirits.... well anyhow just get something cheap until you get better!

As a beginner you are going to be losing a lot of balls. I bought 100 mixed balls on ebay for $30. Now I just swing free and don't think twice about losing the ball. When I first started I was playing with Titleist NXT. I couldn't stand the thought of throwing away money like that. Just try to hit it straight. Don't worry about distance and spin.

I agree cost is the biggest factor for newbies so buy something that's not going to break you if you lose a dozen. Once you get better you can buy a more expensive ball.

Nope ball doesn't matter as a beginner, what does matter is the number of balls you will lose. Perhaps a yellow or pink ball is the way to go.

Not sure if I can maintain my dignity with a yellow or pink ball

I've lost my fair share of golf ball sleeves, just getting to the point now where I may lose 1-2 balls in a given round.

Yes it does. As you are a newbie, I would like to see you putting shorter putts into holes as a large part of your practice. Its just tough to get a feel for speed when your hitting any old ball you have or find, some hard, some soft some old, etc. In full swings strive for solid contact and constancy in balls help with that feel, also. Will you see a difference off the tee, probably not until you have a repeatable swing that makes reasonably solid contact. But, that's no reason to start off playing lost or ditch balls which all roll and feel different on the green insuring constant three plus putts.

I don't think he meant golf balls that he fished out of the middle of the pond, I think (and correct me if I'm wrong) that he meant like 15 a dozen balls or 20 bucks for two dozen, and if thats the case, no they'll do perfectly fine. I don't buy golf balls ne more cuz I find so many, my bag is full of pro v1's that I found. If you're going to buy a cheap ball Nike SFT2 are two dozen for 25 bucks, good deal IMO

The type of ball matters no matter how long you've been playing. Depending on your swing speed (get measured on a launch monitor), the amount of compression matters with the ball, as well as the number of pieces.

Personally, I think it this way, although you're best off listening to the pro at the golf shop - if your driver swing speed is 80 mph or less, consider a lower compression ball. When the ball compresses properly, you get as much distance as possible. Too hard a ball means it won't compress as much, you lose distance. Too soft a ball means it over compresses, and you don't gain much distance. Immediately offhand I'd suggest the Dunlop Loco, the Precept Laddie, or the Wilson 50/50. Or even give the Top Flite D2's a spin. I heard they're pretty good. They're all pretty cheap, too, which brings me to the next point. Get cheap balls. New players lose a lot of balls, between shots hacked off line and not having the skill to see your ball quite as well as more seasoned players can add up quickly. (Finding your ball in the deep rough and tracking it through the air are gifts that come with experience - when I started I'd lose 10 balls a round, now, it's 1 or 2 at most....not counting consecutive shots out of bounds, of course.) Also, what do you want out of the ball? Do you want more spin, or more distance? Personally, I prefer more distance because I get plenty of spin when I need it, and I choose a harder ball (at the high end: Pro V1x versus Pro V1). Most boxes of balls will say whether it's better for distance or spin. Bad ideas: Don't use high-end balls if you lose a lot, because that puts a hole in the wallet pretty quickly. Balls fished out of the pond are probably waterlogged, and will fly like a rock. And no range balls, either. Range balls suck.

When my friends and I started we all started with those recycled golf ball bags of 40+ you find at Golfsmith or Walmart since you could just launch them into the ditches and not care. As we started to get better and need more feel or distance, then we started to go into the semi-mid tier balls $15-25 a dozen. Once in a while on a nice course we whip out a ball or two of TM Blacks, Nike Platinums, Pro V1s that we get for our birthdays, but those end up disappearing and we go back to our regular play balls.

I do not think it really matters which ball, but I do think it is important to be consistent. I started playing last year and have noticed when I switch balls I can feel a difference, especially off the putter. There are some great balls that can be had for fairly cheap. I buy alot of mine from www.lostgolfballs.com and have been very pleased. Check out the 2nd or 3rd grade NXT. Good deals. Good luck.

i agree. With ball striking, everybody can notice a difference between a distance ball and and a spin ball. Whatever cheap ball they play, play the same ball constant so you have a constant variable and you also can get used to putting speeds.

Yes. It makes a difference...too many new players go for balls that advertise ultra distance....when in reality, newbies should be concerned about accuracy and control.

I recommend either the Srixon AD333 of the Nike Power Distance...both have lots of spin to assist in stability, don't skip off the greens like many "rocks"...and both retail for under $20 bucks.

I'm a beginner as well and I think you should pick up a set of Laddie X balls. You get 24 of them for only $20 at Target (or Walmart) and they are very well reviewed. As other people have said you want a ball that is consistent so that you aren't hitting completely different balls every shot.

As a beginner golfer I think the main thing you want to do is to make contact with the ball and have it go as straight as possible. All other factors you should not even consider until you start hitting a few more fairways and even more importantly a few more greens in regulation. When you are at that level balls that have a bit more spin can play a huge factor on how close to the pin you can actually get. On the flip side, balls that spin more when you are a beginner can also be very detrimental as it can magnify your mistakes (bigger slices or hooks). 'Rock-flites' spin less because they are so hard and don't compress and in fact, I play with them in the winter months here just to get that added distance and because of the moist greens during winter season there is hardly any roll after it hits the green.

So for now, work on contact and direction of the ball. This should be done without compromising your wallet. I.e the cheapest, decent condition balls you can get. When I was a beginner I was losing at least a half a dozen balls per round. Today, because I am much straighter (and smarter???) I can play 1 ball a few rounds before it gets retired or lost (on average). If I'm playing ProV1's that cost $5-$6 per ball... I generally don't get upset because I know the round of golf will still be far more expensive than the cost of lost balls.

As a beginner?

No.

You don't have your yardages down yet to decide what ball is best.

Spend your money on fresh grips and a handful of new gloves instead.

Grips and gloves. They're the connectors.

Pick some old, dumb brand-ball out. Whack it around. Concentrate on the connectors to the club you're holding.

When I was beginning I just used whatever I could find. Even bought several hundred balls for $39 at a driving range. Still haven't finished them all and often use them at courses which I don't know.