range balls vs real balls experiment results

I was talking to my coach and he was telling me that the only difference between me and the pros right now is that the pros know exactly how far they hit all those clubs.  So we went to the driving range and he stood out there as i hit golf balls so he could measure.  Teh range balls look beat up but they are pinnacle golds.  I was hitting my 5 iron about 400 feet (yes feet, we ARE in America) on the range.  But when I got on the course and played wiht my game balls, Dunlop ProZ ecks, I was hitting my 5 iron 376 feet on average.  Has anybody else noticed that the range balls tending to go a lot farther?  My old pen pal said my coach was prob just giving me wrong distances but I don't think so because he is really good at eyeballing distances adn guessing peoples weight

I can certainly 'feel' a difference between the range balls and new golf balls I'd use on the course - I usually find that my course golf balls feel better off the face of the club and travel further.

I suppose striking the ball on a range mat compared to making a divot on the fairway can also make a difference?

I'm a gonna guess you all ways about 237 pounds.

5 iron 400 feet -- 133 yards?  And I thought I was a short hitter!  My 5 (hybrid) goes at least 150!

You can try getting a GPS app like Golfshot and track your yardages per club on the course.

Thinking the same thing. I do not see how you can be a 2 hc and hit a 5 iron 133yds which is my pitching wedge and I am not a long ball hitter.

Regardless, get a rangefinder and hit to flags on the range and when playing a practice round hit 2-3 balls into the green when you know the yardage.

I hit my 5I that far when I miss it.  I can half top it and still roll it 130 yards up the fairway.  I have no idea where the OP is coming from on this.  Even as short as I hit these days, I still hit my 8I about 135.

Depends on the range. Some ranges use balls that go shorter. You are only talking about 8 yards of difference.

Please convert to yards next time, we are in America ;)

If you can only hit your 5 iron 400 FT then you coach is wrong on the difference between you and the pros. Right now the difference between you and the pro's is 60 yards between their 5 iron and your 5 iron.

Are there "Pinnacle Gold" range balls?   I've seen "Pinnacle" range balls but never seen Pinnacle Gold ones.    For this post, I will assume the OP meant to say Pinnacle range balls which one of my ranges exclusively uses.

I find Pinnacle range balls to go slightly shorter than normal balls and have no problem deriving my club distance with it.   However, it is easy to hit shorter in field with real ball, at least for me.  At range, I tend to hit out of my shoes more.   In field, more often than not, I hit (un)consciously 80% shot to control accuracy.   Whatever distance I'd gain with real ball is lost there.  Also, I hit out of mat at range and it is more forgiving in distance on missed shots.   In field, a missed shot, even a slight one, can reduce distance more.

Based on hitting range balls at the range and then hitting a bunch of regular balls on the same range at least the one range I frequent I would say the range balls were flying about 10% shorter across the board...

A second range that I sometimes goes to the distances seem to be pretty much the same.

Shhhhh, don't ruin the fun

Don't you mean 180 feet?