Jump to content
Note: This thread is 1442 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Recommended Posts

At the range, my driver carry is 200/205 but on the course I typically carry 230 and 250 total yards. Are range balls about 15% shorter in your experience?

Irons: 0.5 inch short and 2* Flat Mavrik 5 to AW (AW-105, PW-120, 9-135, 8-145) The lofts for these clubs are about 3* to 5* stronger  than standard.

Wedges: Mizuno MP-R series 52* and 56*. (80, 60)

Nickent: 4DX 2 hybrid 17* and 4 hybrid 23* (185 and 170 carry)

3 Wood: Tour Edge XGC 13* (195 carry)

Driver: Callaway FT IZ Driver 9* (210 carry, ~230 total)


(edited)

The short answer, yes. Many are limited flight to begin with and then progressively get less aerodynamic as they get used. Some nice clubs though will have Titleist NXTs or even Pro-V1s on their range and when those are close to new, they will typically fly their normal distance. Those though will deteriorate as time goes by obviously. The richer the club the more often they're replaced.

Most public ranges have pretty beat up range balls, so yea you should expect them to fly shorter and sometimes even weirdly. They're designed for durability so thousands of golfers can use them, but that reduces how far they will typically travel, even when they're brand new.

Edited by JetFan1983
  • Like 1
  • Thumbs Up 1

Constantine

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Not even considering limited flight balls, seeing how beat up the range balls at the courses I go to are (sometimes there are a few that are clearly not even round anymore), I wouldn't be surprised.

I don't hit balls at the range very often at all, maybe once or twice a year. When I do hit balls at the range, I focus more on ball flight patterns and quality of strike, rather than distance.

  • Like 1

-Peter

  • :titleist: TSR2
  • :callaway: Paradym, 4W
  • :pxg: GEN4 0317X, Hybrid
  • :srixon: ZX 3-iron, ZX5 4-AW
  • :cleveland:  RTX Zipcore 54 & 58
  • L.A.B. Golf Directed Force 2.1
Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

  • Moderator

While I’m not a long hitter, I have noticed that my on-course distances are noticeably longer than those at my local driving range

Driver: :callaway: Rogue ST  /  Woods: :tmade: Stealth 5W / Hybrid: :tmade: Stealth 25* / Irons: :ping: i500’s /  Wedges: :edel: 54*, 58*; Putter: :scotty_cameron: Futura 5  Ball: image.png Vero X1

 

 -Jonny

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

  • iacas changed the title to Are Range Balls 15% Shorter?
  • Administrator

@JetFan1983 gave you a good answer. Range balls tend to be either (or both):

  • Really beat up and old, with diminished dimples.
  • Limited flight on purpose.

Use the range to practice or to warm up, not to judge your distances for the day or anything like that.

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

Check Out: New Topics | TST Blog | Golf Terms | Instructional Content | Analyzr | LSW | Instructional Droplets

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

What @iacas said.

In der bag:
Cleveland Hi-Bore driver, Maltby 5 wood, Maltby hybrid, Maltby irons and wedges (23 to 50) Vokey 59/07, Cleveland Niblick (LH-42), and a Maltby mallet putter.                                                                                                                                                 "When the going gets tough...it's tough to get going."

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

  • Administrator
7 minutes ago, Piz said:

What @iacas said.

Thanks. This is like a nested GOTO, though, since my post was basically “what @JetFan1983 said.” 😄

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

Check Out: New Topics | TST Blog | Golf Terms | Instructional Content | Analyzr | LSW | Instructional Droplets

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

  • Moderator

The course I previously worked at had full distance srixon range balls. My current course has srixon flight limited balls. Through some messing around with mevo and both types of range ball, it came really close to 10% less carry on long clubs. Short clubs/wedges were actually pretty close, energy transfer is already low  

We order new range balls every year.  Many people hate used looking balls. Having new ones makes the experience a lot better. 

Philip Kohnken, PGA
Director of Instruction, Lake Padden GC, Bellingham, WA

Srixon/Cleveland Club Fitter; PGA Modern Coach; Certified in Dr Kwon’s Golf Biomechanics Levels 1 & 2; Certified in SAM Putting; Certified in TPI
 
Team :srixon:!

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Thank you for your replies. Today I had my laser range finder and used it for the first time on the range. With the rangefinder, I was horrified to find out that the 240 yard sign is only 210 yard away. May be the owner mislabeled the sign on purpose. I had been hitting my driver for a while here and usually carry to near the 240 yard sign and believed that I carry 230 yard which reflects what I see on the course.

Irons: 0.5 inch short and 2* Flat Mavrik 5 to AW (AW-105, PW-120, 9-135, 8-145) The lofts for these clubs are about 3* to 5* stronger  than standard.

Wedges: Mizuno MP-R series 52* and 56*. (80, 60)

Nickent: 4DX 2 hybrid 17* and 4 hybrid 23* (185 and 170 carry)

3 Wood: Tour Edge XGC 13* (195 carry)

Driver: Callaway FT IZ Driver 9* (210 carry, ~230 total)


2 hours ago, khalespace said:

May be the owner mislabeled the sign on purpose.

I always believed that was standard practice, that they adjust the yardage signs to account for the reduced ball flight?


1 hour ago, Coder said:

I always believed that was standard practice, that they adjust the yardage signs to account for the reduced ball flight?

Some do and some don't in my experience

My Weapons of Grass Destruction:

:titleist: TS2 10.5*;  917F2 15*;  818H1 19*;  716 AP2 4-P;  Pro V1x

:vokey: SM7's - 50.12 F, 56.14 F, 60.08 M

:odyssey: Black Series 3

  :footjoy:  :oakley: 

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

  • Administrator
5 hours ago, Coder said:

I always believed that was standard practice, that they adjust the yardage signs to account for the reduced ball flight?

Right - maybe your range did that. If it reflects what you see on the course, then maybe it’s just that.

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

Check Out: New Topics | TST Blog | Golf Terms | Instructional Content | Analyzr | LSW | Instructional Droplets

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

One of the differences between my old home courses and my new club is the range. 

The old range was actually one of Kittyhawk's better features. The place was huge and we had standard issue (if clearly used) golf balls to hit. There was no significant difference in distance. My new range at Miami Shores has much nicer turf but is smaller. A big hitter would put normal balls in the corn, so they use the limited flight balls. 

Threw me for a loop early on, but I've gotten used to it.

 

 

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

13 hours ago, phillyk said:

The course I previously worked at had full distance srixon range balls. My current course has srixon flight limited balls. Through some messing around with mevo and both types of range ball, it came really close to 10% less carry on long clubs. Short clubs/wedges were actually pretty close, energy transfer is already low  

We order new range balls every year.  Many people hate used looking balls. Having new ones makes the experience a lot better. 

How about ordering some Titleist range balls, setting them aside from the bulk container, and charging a premium for a bucket of them for use on the range.  


  • Moderator
(edited)
48 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

How about ordering some Titleist range balls, setting them aside from the bulk container, and charging a premium for a bucket of them for use on the range.  

How much are you willing to pay?  Haha 

Its an interesting idea. It would be a little annoying to constantly sort through balls after picking but to hit some good balls would be nice. The 1 rule would be irons only I think, with the woods and ability of some to lose balls over the fence in summer. I doubt we’d order a ton so we don’t want to be losing a couple balls every bucket. I do know a private course that has regular balls for irons and limited flight for woods specifically for not losing balls past the fence  

Regarding yardage signs with limited flight, I’d prefer the placement to be at actual yardage.

Edited by phillyk

Philip Kohnken, PGA
Director of Instruction, Lake Padden GC, Bellingham, WA

Srixon/Cleveland Club Fitter; PGA Modern Coach; Certified in Dr Kwon’s Golf Biomechanics Levels 1 & 2; Certified in SAM Putting; Certified in TPI
 
Team :srixon:!

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

20 minutes ago, phillyk said:

How much are you willing to pay?  Haha 

Its an interesting idea. It would be a little annoying to constantly sort through balls after picking but to hit some good balls would be nice. The 1 rule would be irons only I think, with the woods and ability of some to lose balls over the fence in summer. I doubt we’d order a ton so we don’t want to be losing a couple balls every bucket. I do know a private course that has regular balls for irons and limited flight for woods specifically for not losing balls past the fence  

Regarding yardage signs with limited flight, I’d prefer the placement to be at actual yardage.

The premium would cover the extra labor to separate the balls.  I'd go up $3 or $4 from my usual bucket.  But I wouldn't use them all the time... just when I want to see true flight, true distance and when gauging club distance.


  • Moderator

A range near me has Srixon practice balls that they say are true flight. My MEVO and range work there seems to confirm that. They replace the balls each year. 

The other range I go to in the same town has balls that have been hit a minimum of 4338 times from the look of them. Then, they run them over in the parking lot with a semi to get that out-of-round look I love so well,.

  • Like 1

Scott

Titleist, Edel, Scotty Cameron Putter, Snell - AimPoint - Evolvr - MirrorVision

My Swing Thread

boogielicious - Adjective describing the perfect surf wave

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Just now, boogielicious said:

A range near me has Srixon practice balls that they say are true flight. My MEVO and range work there seems to confirm that. They replace the balls each year. 

The other range I go to in the same town has balls that have been hit a minimum of 4338 times from the look of them. Then, they run them over in the parking lot with a semi to get that out-of-round look I love so well,.

I especially like the range balls with the dimples beaten off them.  That way I can practice my knuckle ball shots.


Note: This thread is 1442 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Want to join this community?

    We'd love to have you!

    Sign Up
  • TST Partners

    PlayBetter
    TourStriker PlaneMate
    Golfer's Journal
    ShotScope
    The Stack System
    FitForGolf
    FlightScope Mevo
    Direct: Mevo, Mevo+, and Pro Package.

    Coupon Codes (save 10-20%): "IACAS" for Mevo/Stack/FitForGolf, "IACASPLUS" for Mevo+/Pro Package, and "THESANDTRAP" for ShotScope. 15% off TourStriker (no code).
  • Posts

    • I looked at the video for ten seconds and immediately thought of this.   I am Vinz Clortho, Minion of Gozer. Buy my putter!
    • This video got into my youtube feed. And I watched it.  But I'm confused why not spinning in "the revealer" is important to making putts.  Maybe I'm oversimplifying this, but it seems to me, your hands are holding the putter. So, it isn't going to spin when you swing it. The ball isn't that heavy so as to overpower my hands when I don't hit it dead center. If the ball was so heavy as to overpower my hands when I don't hit it dead center, than certainly it would be heavy enough to overpower the lie-angle balance, right?  Don't get me wrong. I like the demo. It's something they can show people and say "Look our putter is different." But the more I think about it the less I think this feature matters.  I have an open mind, however.  Let me know if there's really a benefit to this that I just don't understand.     
    • Welcome to the TST.  I always suggest that everyone starts a MySwing thread.  Have fun, enjoy the forum.  
    • Those are good. But they are like the Dan Marino of cookies, The Oatmeal Raisin is the Tom Brady of cookies. ... IMO ... 👍😜👍 Eh... I'll make the black and white cookie the Vinnie Testaverde of cookies. 👍👍... Once again, this is my opinion. 
    • Do you have another son-in-law that you don't really like?  The answer to your question IMO is lessons. Many others have mentioned why.  BUT...... If you son in law is abnormally tall, or abnormally short, or has super long arms or super short legs or something like that, then at least a static fitting would be wise.  Having said that, just because lessons are likely to give him more improvement than new fitted clubs, doesn't mean you shouldn't give him the gift of new fitted clubs. There will still be some benefit there, plus, going through a fitting and getting shiny new clubs is fun. ... And golf should be fun. 
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Welcome to TST! Signing up is free, and you'll see fewer ads and can talk with fellow golf enthusiasts! By using TST, you agree to our Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy, and our Guidelines.

The popup will be closed in 10 seconds...