Putting ball

[bIGwIRE]

Does anyone use a specific ball just for putting? Got some advice to keep one in my pocket just for putting. Just wondering if there is an advantage, not too concerned with "lucky balls" or anything, but this guy swore Strata was the only ball to putt with.

What do you guys think?

[DavidFehertysBike]

I think that may be illegal under the rules of golf. I dont belive it is permitted to switch the ball in play during the hole.

[hawkeye]

If you're playing mid-round, you cannot change your ball unless it is damaged through the normal course of play. Not sure about Am's but i heard that Pro's must replace with the same ball and compression etc. I'm not Pro though so I don't know.

Practice putting would be ok - but if anything, it's a disadvantage to use one ball on the practice putting green and another for the course.

So unless you're just having a social game or not taking it seriously - you might want to stick to one ball through the green.

[Shindig]

  hawkeye said:

If you're playing mid-round, you cannot change your ball unless it is damaged through the normal course of play. Not sure about Am's but i heard that Pro's must replace with the same ball and compression etc. I'm not Pro though so I don't know.

Most tournaments have a one-ball rule. Not one golf ball the whole round, but one company's ball, same model, same compression.

  bIGwIRE said:

Does anyone use a specific ball just for putting? Got some advice to keep one in my pocket just for putting. Just wondering if there is an advantage, not too concerned with "lucky balls" or anything, but this guy swore Strata was the only ball to putt with.

Well, it's technically illegal under the rules of golf to switch balls just for putting, so you can't do it in a tournament (or even for a round for your handicap). Of course, that doesn't stop people. I regularly see people take out a Pro-V1 for their putting after hitting whatever until they get there. Their buddies don't care, and they're just playing socially... and as long as I'm not playing against them, I don't really care.

I've putted just fine with cut balls and I've missed short putts with near-perfect balls. So I won't be changing just for that.

[RemyM]

If a player substitutes a ball when not permitted and makes a stroke at the wrongly substituted ball, he incurs the general penalty for a breach of Rule 5-3
*PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE 5-3:
match play — Loss of hole; Stroke play — Two strokes.

If you're not playing by the rules you're not playing golf.

[hurley9192]

I concur with everything said above...once I got past the illegality of it for the rules, I would still think there isn't some magic ball that is better to putt with vs. another unless you are going from an extreme rock in the fairways and a softer feel ball on the greens.

Now back to that against the rules thing...

[bIGwIRE]

Yeah, thought it sounded fishy. Thanks for the info.

[CG031]

you can switch a ball after holes, i know for a fact that is not illegal. whoever said you can't switch during a ROUND is wrong.

[iacas]

  CG031 said:

you can switch a ball after holes, i know for a fact that is not illegal. whoever said you can't switch during a ROUND is wrong.

I don't think anyone said that.

You can't switch during the play of a hole, and many tournaments enact a condition of competition that says you must play the same make of ball the entire time (i.e. "Titleist Pro V1x" or "TaylorMade TP Red" or whatever).

[Terrier]

  iacas said:

I don't think anyone said that.

Absolutely. Has to be same make, model, etc.

Played against a guy today in a match that tried that ball-switching baloney. I didn't call him on it. The golf gods took care of it.

[StrmStlkr]

So I have a question. I know that you can't switch balls during a hole, but can inbetween holes. I think someone mentioned that you can change the ball if it gets worn through normal wear and tear during the round. So say I hit a shot that hits anything that puts a huge cut in the side. I don't notice this until I get on the green and pick the ball up to clean it off. Would I be able to change it with the same exact style of ball without penelty, or have to put with that ball that could easily go wherever it wants because of that cut?

[Akers]

No have to use the same ball that you hit your aprocah shot with.

[Dub]

One ball throughout the hole...unless lost or damaged.

[iacas]

  StrmStlkr said:

So I have a question. I know that you can't switch balls during a hole, but can inbetween holes. I think someone mentioned that you can change the ball if it gets worn through normal wear and tear during the round. So say I hit a shot that hits anything that puts a huge cut in the side. I don't notice this until I get on the green and pick the ball up to clean it off. Would I be able to change it with the same exact style of ball without penelty, or have to put with that ball that could easily go wherever it wants because of that cut?

Your opponent has to agree that it's "damaged" but then you can swap it out. But damaged isn't just a little nick, a wedge scrape, a cart path, etc. and it takes a HECK of a lot to "slice" a modern golf ball. It also can't be a pre-existing condition. Don't play a ball with a chunk missing or a slice in it, then ask to swap it out when you get onto the green.

Back in the days of balatas this rule mattered. Quite frankly, I'm not sure when the last time I heard of someone substituting a ball due to damage was. I suppose if you hit your ball and it landed a foot in front of a moving mower, then was chopped to pieces... otherwise, you should never need to substitute your ball DURING play of a hole.

[DavidFehertysBike]

  iacas said:

Your opponent has to agree that it's "damaged" but then you can swap it out. But damaged isn't just a little nick, a wedge scrape, a cart path, etc. and it takes a HECK of a lot to "slice" a modern golf ball. It also can't be a pre-existing condition. Don't play a ball with a chunk missing or a slice in it, then ask to swap it out when you get onto the green.

I did that a month or so ago, though. I hit a hybrid out of the rough on a par 5, the ball just seem liked it barley clipped a tree. I walk up to the ball to take my pitch shot and notice a huge gash in the side of it. I was playing alone so I replaced the ball. It really would have sucked if I had to play more shots with the condition the ball was in, there was a pretty good sized piece of cover flapping off of it..

[MSDOGS1976]

  RemyM said:

If a player substitutes a ball when not permitted and makes a stroke at the wrongly substituted ball, he incurs the general penalty for a breach of Rule 5-3

So, I guess if your playing a social round of golf you won't take a 6" gimmie putt?

[pjsnyc]

I'm sure many of you will disagree with me on this:
We are NOT pros and typically we do NOT play in high stakes tournaments and I'm pretty sure that most of us don't have a caddy to clean the ball once on the green. I see no problem swapping out a mud ball with a perfectly new ball just for putting (so long as its the same exact model ball) - ESPECIALLY when the course is crowded and you don't want the group behind you yelling at you for taking time cleaning your ball. Of course, rules are rules when they count so this wouldnt happen during tourney play, etc...just casual play - SHEESH!

[Snake]

  pjsnyc said:

I'm sure many of you will disagree with me on this:

Agreed. If you're just playing for fun with your buddies, do whatever makes the game more enjoyable for you as long as it doesn't affect/interfere with others. Hell, last week I played with a guy who teed up every shot except for green-side shots and putts! Didn't bother me. I actually thought it was funny.