Are Range Balls 15% Shorter?

[nevets88]

My range, I get like 3, maybe 4 balls that are cracked in a small bucket. I wonder if they're not filtering them out or they got a bad batch of range balls. They're definitely practice balls. I also wonder if they're like low quality balls.

[RayG]

A discussion over that with the teaching Pro at the range I went to before it was shut down was about this very thing. Even though they had over 350 yards to work with length wise, On one side over the nets was a MAJOR artery to and from Manhattan. Not very likely to get it there, but they took the cautious route with their range balls. They were Srixon Range balls. Pro mentioned that he might lose 10-20% distance on his drivers and fairways, while scoring clubs were nearly identical. Someone like myself with a 100-105 SS might only see a 10% loss. It seems the faster your SS and Ball speed, the greater the discrepancy. The yardage markers were sort of calibrated for that. The Current range is not nearly as long- Although the furthest marker is listed at 250, I scoped it to 232. The 150 is about 140 or 142 depending on which one (one on either side) you use. The 100 flag is at 98, so that's about right. They are using the same Srixon Range ball. I can see the difference first hand when I'm using the Driver. With the Srixon's I can just about make it to the 250(237)... on a hop. I save the "Real" balls that are left for the end, and those will get to the base of the far net on a fly (downwind). And that measures almost exactly 250. 

I contacted the Turtle Cove Range a few weeks ago after they advertised they now have Trackman Stalls available. I asked if it is calibrated for the reduced flight of range balls, and they got back and said they use full flight Srixon's for their range. So that might be a possible test in the spring before the season gets going.

Edited November 18, 2020 by RayG

[khalespace]

9 hours ago, Double Mocha Man said:

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

Are these knuckleballs the ones that drops down extremely quick and unexpectedly?

Today I took an old ball that I played with and hit 20 yards passed the "240" sign. It felt good.

Edited November 19, 2020 by khalespace

[Double Mocha Man]

12 minutes ago, khalespace said:

Are these knuckleballs the ones that drops down extremely quick and unexpectedly?

Yes.  And amusingly so they sometimes fade and then draw all in the same flight.

[cooke119]

On 11/17/2020 at 5:50 PM, Darkfrog said:

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.

Same here, when I go to the range I don't even look at distance.

[Double Mocha Man]

4 minutes ago, cooke119 said:

Same here, when I go to the range I don't even look at distance.

Agreed.  As long as the ball flight looks similar to a real ball, I accept the loss of distance.

[boogielicious]

13 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Agreed.  As long as the ball flight looks similar to a real ball, I accept the loss of distance.

Nah. I like the Phil Neikro knucklers myself. RIP.

[Carl3]

On 11/18/2020 at 1:33 PM, RayG said:

Pro mentioned that he might lose 10-20% distance on his drivers and fairways, while scoring clubs were nearly identical.

I noticed something like that when at Topgolf. My short irons did not lose the distance like my hybrids or driver.