Following the Ball in Flight

[easyjay39402]

I've been dealing with glaucoma for about 18 years. This year, I have finally lost the ability to see the ball in flight, mainly due to glare.  I surely miss seeing my shots, especially the ones with a good outcome! Anyways, most of the guys that I play with are pretty good about watching out for my shots, but there are inevitably times when they are off dealing with their own problems, and I am unable to determine by feel where my ball might have ended up. (This is really only a problem with tee shots and second shots on par 5 holes. My irons typically end up in the vicinity of the green.)  I play a yellow ball and have tried various eyeglass combinations. Today at the range I tried a pair with amber tint and anti-reflective lenses.  Was not able to even see the flight of my short irons. 

I would appreciate any suggestions, especially those that you have personally found helpful. 

[iacas]

Is there a solution for the glaucoma itself? Or there is but you just don't want to do it?

I don't know what to tell you, though. If you can't see, there aren't too many tricks.

[dennyjones]

I'm so sorry for your situation.   It sucks I'm sure.   Give the Srixon Divide orange/yellow a try.   The two different colors may help. 

[iacas]

26 minutes ago, dennyjones said:

I'm so sorry for your situation.   It sucks I'm sure.   Give the Srixon Divide orange/yellow a try.   The two different colors may help. 

It's going to spin and thus look like one color after you hit it, no?

It may help you locate the ball when it's sitting on the ground, but I don't think it's going to do anything in flight.

[mohearn]

1 hour ago, easyjay39402 said:

I've been dealing with glaucoma for about 18 years. This year, I have finally lost the ability to see the ball in flight, mainly due to glare. 

Not a doc, nor do I have glaucoma expertise...  however there is a golf ball company called chromaxgolf who has this on their ball specifications:

© 2022 Chromax Golf | Easy to see golf colored balls beneficial for all golfers. Especially helpful for visually impaired, eye site challenged, glaucoma patients, senior men and women. These golf balls are USGA tournament approved and make great gifts. Available colors: Gold, Silver, Pink, Yellow, Orange, Green Neon, Purple, Blue and Red. High visibility from patented reflective metallic and chrome coatings

 

Might be worth a look, or even give them a phone call.  Good luck!  

[DoubleAce]

If you can't figure out a visual solution, maybe it's time to think outside the box?

Did a quick search and found these that allegedly are nearing production. Sounds like they'll be pricey, but the value may be there for you. 

BBall GPS Golf Ball

Rick Shiels did a review, and unfortunately as a ball, they seem to leave a lot to be desired. But, again, is it worth it to be able to easily find the ball?

It also looks like OnCore was working on one as well. But it's not really clear if the project is just stalled, or canned altogether.

If all else fails due to availability, price, or quality, maybe you can be a pioneer in this space. Create your own solution and become filthy rich in the process. 

I suppose another option would be buying something like a Rapsodo that tracks ball flight. May not be accurate on every shot, but should be better than nothing. Just might be a little clunky using it during the round.

I'm sorry to hear about your condition. I had a vision scare a couple months ago, and it was both frustrating and scary. Hope you find a solution.

[TourSpoon]

We have a guy that plays with us who is visually impaired and the group really tries to watch out for him. He gets very frustrated by his condition, but we really don't mind and it is only for tee shots so it is not a big deal at all. I just tell him that if I get distracted to just remind me. Normally, he hits it and asks where it went, and I always say, "Oh, you won't like it unless you like being 260 right down the middle."  His driver just happens to be his best club. 

 

[boogielicious]

On 5/10/2022 at 5:14 PM, easyjay39402 said:

I've been dealing with glaucoma for about 18 years. This year, I have finally lost the ability to see the ball in flight, mainly due to glare.  I surely miss seeing my shots, especially the ones with a good outcome! Anyways, most of the guys that I play with are pretty good about watching out for my shots, but there are inevitably times when they are off dealing with their own problems, and I am unable to determine by feel where my ball might have ended up. (This is really only a problem with tee shots and second shots on par 5 holes. My irons typically end up in the vicinity of the green.)  I play a yellow ball and have tried various eyeglass combinations. Today at the range I tried a pair with amber tint and anti-reflective lenses.  Was not able to even see the flight of my short irons. 

I would appreciate any suggestions, especially those that you have personally found helpful. 

Have you tried different sun glass tints? I play with Oakley Prizm prescription lenses. They do really well for contrast and helps me see ball flight and when the ball lands. Also, one trick I use when the sky is milky is to focus on the tree line and fairway and watch for the ball to fall into that zone.

[KoHo]

6 hours ago, boogielicious said:

Have you tried different sun glass tints? I play with Oakley Prizm prescription lenses. They do really well for contrast and helps me see ball flight and when the ball lands. Also, one trick I use when the sky is milky is to focus on the tree line and fairway and watch for the ball to fall into that zone.

I second this. I used Oakley Prizm Dark Golf for a few years and recently switched to Prizm Golf. They are slightly lighter. They are also prescription lenses. I only lose sight of my ball when it goes into the houses...

[saevel25]

Prescription sunglasses help a lot for me. I usually can tell where it goes by contact and how the swing felt. 

[Mkgrady]

When I hit a shot that I did not see and neither did anybody else I first estimate how far the ball went. Then I set my gps watch to zero and start walking. I walk up one side of the rough and stop at the estimated distance and cut across the fairway to the other side. This almost always works for me because I wind up walking close to it. 

[pganapathy]

I don't know if this option is actually practical but I have played with an LED glow in the dark ball.  Admittedly it was one hole where we teed off early morning.  Very easy to follow in the dark and continues flashing for a few minutes after you hit it.  I have never tried it in the sunlight though I doubt it will be helpful in bright sunlight.  One issue though is the balls aren't very good and are expensive.  Plus the LED has a battery life (non rechargeable I guess).