Help Choosing a Ball

[Ben B]

I would like some recommendations on choosing a ball. Recently, I have been playing refurbished Titleist Velocities, and I love the distance and accuracy I get off of the tee. But I can't stick anything to the green. It seems like  every chip rolls to the fringe.

Last night, a friend gave me a Kirkland Performance, and it stuck to the green really well when I chipped. But I couldn't hit a fairway. My old slice came back to haunt me when I tried to get any distance.

I typically shoot 100-105. And I play about 27 holes per week. I started seriously golfing last year. I would guess my swing speed is under 100, but I'm not sure. I am happy to answer any questions you may have. Thanks in advance for your help.

[rebelrob]

If you're playing that regularly my suggestion is to consider trying out pro v1's.

Maybe start by testing them on the chipping greens etc to get a feel for them, as when I started getting serious I went from average balls to these and with a new set of clubs I took 5-8 shots off my best round first time round with them!

They grip incredibly when chipping at the flag if you get good contact and give you the confidence to attack it a bit more aggressively rather than going for a dink and roll. And the distance off the tee is superb also, albeit the price is obviously the premium, but for me its definitely worth it if you can stretch to them.

[Grizvok]

43 minutes ago, rebelrob said:

If you're playing that regularly my suggestion is to consider trying out pro v1's.

Maybe start by testing them on the chipping greens etc to get a feel for them, as when I started getting serious I went from average balls to these and with a new set of clubs I took 5-8 shots off my best round first time round with them!

They grip incredibly when chipping at the flag if you get good contact and give you the confidence to attack it a bit more aggressively rather than going for a dink and roll. And the distance off the tee is superb also, albeit the price is obviously the premium, but for me its definitely worth it if you can stretch to them.

Do you really think a Pro V1 is going to make an ounce of difference to a 30 hcp?

[Ben B]

Thanks rebelrob.

I know my score is high. I three-putt virtually every hole. So I need to work on my lag putts. But I think it would help too if my chips didn't roll out so much; so the first putt was shorter. But I can admit that every part of my game could use some work.

[Grizvok]

Play the roll out... Having chips roll out is typically more consistent than attempting to go for the flag.

Also, what do your wedges look like? I just recently bought some new wedges after having played the same used ones since I started golfing. This had a MUCH bigger impact on control and spin around the green than changing a ball ever would.

[BC-to-MI]

On 6/15/2020 at 9:16 AM, Ben B said:

Last night, a friend gave me a Kirkland Performance, and it stuck to the green really well when I chipped. But I couldn't hit a fairway. My old slice came back to haunt me when I tried to get any distance.

This is far more likely to be a swing issue than anything to do with changing balls. A couple hundred RPMs of spin off the driver isn't going to turn a drive where you "love the distance and accuracy" into a slice that you can't control.

1 hour ago, Grizvok said:

Play the roll out... Having chips roll out is typically more consistent than attempting to go for the flag.

This. Especially if you are generally shooting around 100, you will probably have a lot more success getting comfortable consistently playing a little chip and run around the green rather than trying to nip the ball perfectly for a hop and stop kind of shot. Your misses will be a lot more acceptable and your good shots won't be any worse for the most part.

[Bonvivant]

1 hour ago, Grizvok said:

Play the roll out... Having chips roll out is typically more consistent than attempting to go for the flag.

This x1000. I see so many players using their most lofted club, trying to land the ball fairly close to the hole. Most of the time they either leave it way short, or the ball lands near the hole (which was their intent) but rolls out to 10' or more. Instead of a 56-60 degree around the green, a PW or GW is a much better choice. The only time this isn't the case is on a short side situation.

The ball plays a factor in your spin around the greens, but you really shouldn't be playing for backspin when you have plenty of green to work with. Getting the ball down onto the dance floor as soon as possible increases consistency for almost everyone. You are aiming to a landing point closer to you, which tends to be easier, and once you figure out how your preferred chipping club rolls out, you will be lethal around the greens. For me, it is my 52 degree, leaning shaft forward, all my weight up front, with a putting style stroke. I am almost always within 10 feet with this shot, and a majority of those are inside of 5 feet.

More on topic: At your level (and mine as well), the ball doesn't make a huge difference on your score, but I can understand wanting to play with the same ball all the time. It sounds like the velocity is keeping you in play off of the tee, which is what hurts us high handicappers the most. All of the rounds that I have shot in the 80s have come with one or less penalty strokes.

If you can stay in play off of the tee, you'll be breaking 100 in no time with a little bit of cleanup around the green. 4 strokes from inside of 50 yards is too many, but if you can get it down to 3 and limit penalties, you'll be sitting pretty. If you are looking for an upgrade to the velocity, but don't want to pay the premium prices, there are 2 routes that I recommend. 1.) Stick with refurbished/factory seconds, but bump up to proVs. 2.) Go the direct to consumer route, with companies like Snell, Vice, etc. Snells tend to be the best of the bunch here, but there are other options.

Edited June 16, 2020 by Bonvivant
add potential ball choices

[Ben B]

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the advice. I agree that using high lofted clubs has added strokes for me, and I'm now mainly using my GW around the green unless I need to get over something.

I have been very happy with hitting the fairways, and I guess hitting a couple slices made me grumpy. It probably was my feet, not the ball. I will stick with the Velocities for a while and work on playing the roll with my GW. I do have a handful Pro V1s that I have collected from the woods, so I can test them out too.

Edited June 16, 2020 by Ben B
Typo

[ChetlovesMer]

Hey Ben,
Welcome to the forum. There is a lot of good advice to be had here. 

BTW - I like the Velocities off the tee as well. I agree with you that I too find them very difficult to spin and stop when chipping. They are a very "hard" ball. The are designed to go fast with very little spin (Thus the name "Velocity"). They have a very hard cover. These are great qualities when smashing them with a driver. May or may not be so great when chipping. As others have said just recalibrate your landing spots for chips when playing the velocity. Allow for more roll. 

Now from here forward this is Chet's Opinion: 

         - ProV1's are totally overrated. This is not to say they aren't a good ball. They are a very good ball. But there are a ton of great golf balls out there. 

         - If you really feel you need to spin the ball more, you will want to pick one with a Urethane Cover. 

         - After that, find one in your price range. I'd suggest trying to play the same or similar ball as much as possible as you improve. Not a requirement for improvement, but it helps.... a bit.

         - Lastly, (again, my opinion) 4 and 5 piece balls are totally overrated. 2 and 3 piece balls are easier to manufacture. Read that as more consistent to manufacture. More consistent from ball to ball is a good thing for golfers. Both for golfers who really know their game and for those who are trying to improve

 

[pganapathy]

On 6/15/2020 at 6:46 PM, Ben B said:

I would like some recommendations on choosing a ball. Recently, I have been playing refurbished Titleist Velocities, and I love the distance and accuracy I get off of the tee. But I can't stick anything to the green. It seems like  every chip rolls to the fringe.

Hi Ben.  Golf balls are essentially made in three different types.  The cheapest are the 2-piece distance balls.  Like what you are playing.  The most expensive are the tour balls (3 to 5 piece like Pro V1 etc) with a urethane cover.  They accentuate any spin you put on the ball, but are brilliant around the greens for stopping power.  Which explains why your Kirkland balls are going to the right.  The balls in the middle are 2 to 3 piece balls which have some spin around the greens but aren't as spinny off the longer clubs, particularly sideways.  I would recommend these options for you.  Something like a Titleist NXT, Bridgestone E5/E6, Srixon AD333 etc.  Find a ball in that range which suits you and things should improve

[Darkfrog]

To add to what others have mentioned already...

Slices slice and hooks hook, regardless of the ball. I played cheap surlyn cover balls for a long time, because I was put off by the higher cost of urethane cover balls. At the time, I probably lost at least 2 sleeves of balls a round, so the cumulative cost was significant.

These days I only lose 1-3 balls per round, so in the last year, following the advice in LSW, I chose a ball based on feel on and around the greens, and have settled on lower cost urethane cover balls (Snell, Cut, Vice, Kirkland). I like the way they feel off the putter face, and I like a little bit more bite with short game shots. With direct to consumer brands like Snell, Cut, Vice, etc. the cost of these balls is much lower compared to $40-50 per dozen for premium brand urethane cover balls. I can't really differentiate between the balls in this class, so I don't have a specific brand loyalty. Usually I purchase in bulk (5-10 dozen) from whichever brand is having a sale, and refill my supply at the next sale when I'm close to the last box.

For short game shots, if the lie allows I putt from off the green as much as possible. When not possible, I prefer a chip/roll when close to the green, and sometimes will go as low as 7-iron and play more roll. Thanks to the COVID-19 30-day practice plan drills on pitch/flop (bounce), and chip shots (leading edge), I've gotten much better at pitch/flop, so will use these when appropriate too.

[rebelrob]

23 hours ago, Grizvok said:

Do you really think a Pro V1 is going to make an ounce of difference to a 30 hcp?

Imo yes. Obviously I'm not the best, however the difference it made for me when I was getting to near 20hcp was definitely noticeable, so I believe that someone who is putting in the practice regularly regardless of score will notice a difference, even if slight. Granted, a soft PE covered ball will probably do the same for them in comparison to the hard balls I imagine.

As was mentioned further up, I'm sure the new clubs was a contributory to me dropping my scores also, so if your clubs are a bit of a state they probably wont be as effective for sure, but for me the combination of new balls and clubs was night and day even at 20+hcp.

[Zippo]

If you're considering Srixion, now is a good time to try them out. They're having a, sort of, half-price sale for Father's Day (need to buy 2 or 4 dozen to get the discount).

[Sean_D]

I'll share my empirical evidence from when I was in the same place as you. I played the Kirkland 3-piece and discovered it is probably the spiny-est ball on the market. I lost yardage on every shot and spun balls back off most greens I hit, all due to spin.  

I found a happy space between the 2-piece balls and the tour level balls and that is the 3-piece surlyn cover balls. Examples are Srixon Q-Star tour, Callaway SuperHot, Callaway Diablo Tour (Dick's exclusive), Callaway Hex Tour (Costco exclusive), Wilson Duo, Volvik, and Bridgestone e12 to name a few. 

I found they somewhat help mitigate the effect of off axis spin (most incorrectly known as "side-spin") on lower lofted clubs but promote higher spin on higher lofted clubs when compared to their 2-piece counterparts. They do not spin as much as urethane covered golf balls, but do spin more than 2-piece balls. 

I found them to be an integral step in my development. I used the Top-Flite "Gamer" (this ball is no longer in production but has the same specs as the ones listed above) for about a season and a half. I chose the Gamer because I could get large quantities cheaply and their performance was every bit equal to the other offerings.

Anyway. Good luck on your journey. Ultimately, you will have to correct the swing flaws (I'm sure you're aware of this). In the interim, using the 3-piece surlyn cover balls are a great stepping stone and gateway to tour caliber golf balls.   

[Ben B]

I just came back to say thanks everyone for the help. I bought some Srixon Q Star Tour balls that were on sale. I hit a couple to the right this morning, but that's 99% because of my feet.

I also have consistently been chipping with my A wedge and I had some nice chips today. Still working on touch because I can send them over the green sometimes, but that also has nothing to do with the ball.

[Sandhills Golfer]

On 6/27/2020 at 5:34 PM, Ben B said:

I just came back to say thanks everyone for the help. I bought some Srixon Q Star Tour balls that were on sale. I hit a couple to the right this morning, but that's 99% because of my feet.

I also have consistently been chipping with my A wedge and I had some nice chips today. Still working on touch because I can send them over the green sometimes, but that also has nothing to do with the ball.

QST is a nice choice. The will go on sale 2-3 times a year. Also, prior gens are dirt cheap on line. 

[uitar9]

Decided this year, due mostly to covid, to start using the balls that are sitting in boxes and bags in my garage. I don't even know where they come from...balls found on the course...bin buys..whatever..

Started the year at a 23 cap. Currently at an even 18.

The majority of them are either titleist or Bridgestone...

I can't tell the difference. I hit 3 or 4 approach shots to two feet yesterday...hit and stuck...had a few others roll out a little but nothing disastrous.

When I hit a crappy shot, its not ball related.

[colin007]

No ball is going to turn a 30 yard pull-slice into a 5 yard baby-cut.