What Ball Do You Hit, and Why?

[cooke119]

On 6/22/2019 at 8:13 PM, tehuti said:

That must be you leaving them all over the courses out here. In the last few weeks I have lost several balls but I always seem to find a Noodle while looking for mine!

They are probably mine, LOL. Usually they go in the water. But I am 68 years old, had three back surgeries, so I don't play anything like I use to. 

[Carl3]

Just bought 5 dozen Snell MTB Black. Supposedly just like the Pro V1. Reason? $139, free delivery.

[shanksalot]

On 6/23/2019 at 11:41 AM, ncates00 said:

ProV1x in yellow is an awesome ball.  

That said, a soft ball is a slow ball.  If you have a slow swing speed, you especially need a firmer ball for ball speed.  See mygolfspy's ball test.

ProV1x and Snell MTBx appear to be some of the best balls overall.

They recently said if you swing under 85 MPH a low compression ball may be longer than a high compression. 

[IowaGreg]

Lately, I've been trying out the Wilson Zip 302s. Works well for me.  Good Distance, sticks well on the greens, little bit straighter flight.

Good reviews.......  Even better - under $30 for 24 pack.........

Wilson Zip Balls user reviews : 4.6 out of 5 - 26 reviews - golfreview.com

---

Wilson Zip Balls user reviews : 4.6 out of 5 - 26 reviews - golfreview.com

 

[tdkrod]

On 6/23/2019 at 1:41 PM, ncates00 said:

ProV1x in yellow is an awesome ball.  

That said, a soft ball is a slow ball.  If you have a slow swing speed, you especially need a firmer ball for ball speed.  See mygolfspy's ball test.

ProV1x and Snell MTBx appear to be some of the best balls overall.

I love all the tests my golf spy does, gives great info and insight, however I play maxfli softfli and hit them as far as the prov, I can buy them a lot cheaper, Dicks always has them on sale at $10-15 a dozen. I’ve tested dozens of the expensive tour balls on my home course and they get the same distance as my maxfli, I also get good  height and they stay on green. But if the difference was substantial, I would play a tour ball whatever the cost. 

[Zippo]

I've been hitting the Srixons Soft Feel in yellow recently. They seem to fly well and far and are easy to see and they've been on sale for half price which makes them $9.99 a dozen.

[Hoganman1]

I play the Pro-v-1. It's long enough and it works really well chipping and putting. I've been playing the 2017 version, but found a 2019 version the other day and played it yesterday. I know one round isn't definitive. However, the newer version seemed longer off  the tee. Is the 2019 longer or did I just imagine that?

[Teal379]

Coming back to golf after 13+ years, Callaway Super Soft. I track and find the ball better. I don't play well enough for it to REALLY matter I don't think. 

 

Wish I could remember what I used to play. Hex dimples and was one of the first to do so. Prob not made anymore but I LOVED those balls.

Edited July 3, 2019 by Teal379
Typo

[RidinCartzz]

I play the Callaway SuperSofts. They seem to help with the wicked slice I used to encounter (along with some swing lessons). As long as I can keep the ball straight and playable I don't mind the small sacrifice in distance.

[Ballgame59]

On 5/27/2019 at 9:37 PM, DrMJG said:

Moved to  e12 recently from e6.  These balls do well with my slower swing speed.  The move happened when I ran out of the e6, so I thought good time to see how the newer ball will do.  Only happened about a week ago, so, full jury is still out.  However, improvement in distance and accuracy in my round last time out.  So far so, good for me.

Is there much difference between e6 and e12? I'm fairly new to taking golf seriously now that I'm over 50 so I'm not really sure how much I should experiment with different balls. I started with e12 red (to see) and I like them. I was wondering if I should try the e6's even though they're older. 

Right now, I was looking for something really forgiving and read that e12's are. Are the 6's more forgiving?

[WillieT]

I've tried taking the advice of many and tried to stick to just one ball type as that is when you will better know what the ball will do in a given shot.  Being a newbie who was losing an average of half a dozen balls or more per round, higher end balls were not on the scope.  Yes in the course of searching for badly hit balls, I found plenty of OP balls (ProV1's, ProV's, Chrome Softs, E6's, also less premium balls - Maxfli's, Noodles, lower end Titleist models, etc) that went in the bag only to be lost the same day or another day on another course.  I've kinda settled on the Titleist DT TruSofts as I started on the DT SoLo's. (Hard to argue with a free two dozen that were a Christmas gift - when I wasn't playing golf).  In the end, I have no real thoughts on what is a "best" ball for my game.  I even tried Warrior's get two dozen free balls. Actually I am working through them at the moment and they do okay - decent distance and hold the greens okay. I wouldn't write home about them but for my game they work.  Once I am through them and the current TItleist inventory, I will get more serious about what ball to play.  Till then, I'll be one who plays whatever ball I pull from the bag that day...... 

[DrMJG]

On 7/5/2019 at 10:28 AM, Ballgame59 said:

Is there much difference between e6 and e12? I'm fairly new to taking golf seriously now that I'm over 50 so I'm not really sure how much I should experiment with different balls. I started with e12 red (to see) and I like them. I was wondering if I should try the e6's even though they're older. 

Right now, I was looking for something really forgiving and read that e12's are. Are the 6's more forgiving?

I find that I have been hitting the e12 a bit further on drives and with hybrids. I think I have saved a few shots each of my last rounds.  As with any softer ball, spin on green will be quite different.  e12 seems to hold up well in terms of scuffs and cuts (Have had none do far) e12 strike me as a tad more forgiving, or maybe I am just getting better.  e12 also comes in a matte red which I can see easier.

If I can find e6 at a great sale, I might pick up some as well.

[dbuck]

Titleist AVX. I tried them when they became available, and liked the feel. I am at least a half club longer, maybe a little more with my irons, and it made my gaps work nicely. I love the feel off the putter as well.

[cooke119]

On 4/13/2019 at 10:55 PM, Nave said:

I usually use the cheapest bundle of branded lost balls I can find, otherwise I use whichever Titleist I have received as a gift.

The balls in the photo are all gifts and I have kept them for the days when my handicap will be low enough to benefit from their quality.
Today I realized that one has the year 2013 on the package - do golf balls have an expiration date? I have kept them at cool room temperatures, boxed in a shelf all this time.

I too have a high handicap, ~22. My problem is I lose a lot of balls, even in the open rough! Yesterday I lost 3 balls in one round so I buy based on price, (low). I like the Costco Kirkland ball, either three of four layer because I can not tell the difference. I'm in a league of older folks, (I'm 68 and have had three back surgeries), and I hit just as far as everyone else, (which is not far, 200 yard drives), and some are using really expensive balls. This all leads me to believe that for us older folks with high handicaps expensive balls may not make that much of a difference? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts?

[No Mulligans]

I switch around.  It doesn't seem to matter much.  When I play Torrey Pines north, hard greens and hard to stop a ball on, I'll try to play a urethane ball like a pro v1 or Taylormade tp5, or better yet, a Taylormade project a.  But for most courses something like a Supersoft is just fine.

Not sure it makes sense to play the same ball that the pros play, given that I have a slower swing speed.  Could the same ball come off a driver with a 1.5 smash factor for both a 120 mph swing speed and a 90 mph swing speed?

[jamo]

This year I've been playing the Bridgestone Tour B XS. They're among the longest balls on the market, feel nice, and spin pretty good.

[Nave]

On 8/22/2019 at 11:32 AM, cooke119 said:

This all leads me to believe that for us older folks with high handicaps expensive balls may not make that much of a difference? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts?

I'm 40 and I agree with you - I have used very expensive balls and I actually felt/saw the difference in the impact and distance.
However the price-reward-ratio did not make sense for me as I lost the balls.

For now I will use the cheapest I can find, and after I have lowered my score consistently I may switch to high-end balls again.

[cooke119]

11 hours ago, Nave said:

I'm 40 and I agree with you - I have used very expensive balls and I actually felt/saw the difference in the impact and distance.
However the price-reward-ratio did not make sense for me as I lost the balls.

For now I will use the cheapest I can find, and after I have lowered my score consistently I may switch to high-end balls again.

I found Callaway HEX Tour Soft in Costco for about $29, (don't remember exact price), for 24 balls and I hit them as far as any other ball I have played including Pro V1s, but then again I don't hit that far anymore, maybe 200 - 220 on my drives. As far as feel around the greens I can't tell the difference, they feel OK. I know a lot of others will disagree with me but that is what I experience. I hate losing a $4 ball, I hate losing a $1 ball as well but....