Ball Selection: Tee to Green.... or from Green to Tee ?

[whit53]

Out of both curiosity and boredom, I was wondering..........

How do you select which golf ball you play?

For those that select a ball based upon performance, rather than price......... is your decision influenced most by how the ball performs off of the tee? Or, are you most influenced by how the ball performs on and around the green?

[Titleist Man]

I voted on the green but actually if a ball performed terribly off an iron and great on the green i woudnt use it so I guess its kinda both for me....

[Fourputt]

Both. And that should be an option. I want a ball that gives decent length off the tee, but one that sticks on the green. That is why I'm willing to pay the price for a premium ball. They just perform better in all areas of the game.

[PiKapp23]

Interesting question. I saw an article about Sergio Garcia where he said when he was working with TaylorMade on the new TP ball, he would take the ball to 100 yards of green and in and spend a lot of time testing it that way. He said if he liked the ball in for those shots, he wasn't worried about how it was off tee. He said in his early testing he never even tried the ball with driver.

I said on green, but I'm with Foutputt on this. I would love to play a premium ball just for the feel around green, but I refuse to pay for this, so I look for a ball that works in 3 areas (short game, off tee/approach, wallet). I'm a 10 handicap and I think it's important at that level to find a ball that works best for both (as well as approaches), but you sometimes have to be willing to compromise something. I play with a less 'spinny' ball that I like off tee and am not unhappy with how it feels around green. The Bridgestone balls I play with do not spin a on on the green (at least I can't make them spin back 10 feet), but they do spin enough to stop quickly. I love the way my ball flies with both driver and irons, though.

[whit53]

Both. And that should be an option. I want a ball that gives decent length off the tee, but one that sticks on the green. That is why I'm willing to pay the price for a premium ball. They just perform better in all areas of the game.

The option of "BOTH" was omitted, as it is presumed that players want a ball to perform well in both categories. My interest here, was in seeing which these characteristic was of the greater importance..... Does one give up a bit of feel, for and additional 5 to 10 yards of driver distance (ie... Pro V1x vs. Pro V, Tour ix vs. Tour i, B330 vs. B33s)? Or, would one fore-go those same few yards for a ball that reacted, a little more, on finesse shots around the green?

[MI Rob]

I would want my ball to perform better around the green.

[bogeyhitter25]

Where I play the greens are tiny and are on a plateau, so I need a ball that can hold onto the green, or else I'll have a hard uphill pitch to the green.

[RC]

It is about 50/50 for me. I play the ProV1x because the ProV1 seems to spin too much on occasion. It is depressing to hit to a front pin and to have it come back off the green and down a long slope, or to stob one tight only to have it pull back too much making a birdie unlikely. The ProV1x allows both kinds of shots, depending on how you hit it; and off the driver, it flights a little flatter or more penetrating -- good for my swing anyway. It will still back up well on a steeply struck wedge, so why not have both things. I don't think I'm giving up any control around the green, even on short-sided down slope pitches. This ball performs better than I do.

[iacas]

Titleist recommends you fit yourself from green to tee. You score near the green, and their philosophy makes the most sense.

[booman32]

Green to tee. Most strokes occur around the green so...

[allin]

Actually until you get to about 18 or so I would go with off the tee, going with a low spin ball. (Help keep shots straight). Until you get below 18 you probably aren't consistent enough that the loss of spin hurts you much. Most high handicappers leave more chips short than long or duff them enough that the ball doesn't matter. I do pick my ball from the green back.

[CosmosMpower]

Tee. If I have a bad swing and it goes OB with a lot of side spin that's probably going to be more detrimental to my score on that hole than if a shot doesn't bite on the green and I have to chip instead of putt from the fringe.

[goblue107501]

I went from the green. My main concern with any ball and if I want to play with it is how it performs out of the fairway with irons. When I hit an iron I expect certain things when the ball hits the green. That is how I base my decision. I am not that concerned with the distance or how it feels off the putter, I can adjust to either.

[David in FL]

I think you can have both these days, but for the sake of the question, I'd have to say green. I'm not terribly long by a lot of standards, but I still need a ball that will do what I want it to do (as long as I do my part) around the green more than I need another 5 yds of driver carry.

[pshizz]

Titleist recommends you fit yourself from green to tee. You score near the green, and their philosophy makes the most sense.

exactly...around the green is where you score. And sence most balls dont effect putting much, around 100 and in is the most important in performance for a ball.

[Bouse]

Definatly around the green, I find that the only difference for me off the tee is how they tend to feel of the club face etc... You may gain a few Yrds but you need to be more consistant from 100yrds to the green. We all know that is where rounds are won and lost...

[RocktimusPryme]

Most definetely around the green. Though admitedly I might not feel that way if I lived somewhere more moist. Its though to stick anything to the greens out here.

[Fahmie25]

Titleist recommends you fit yourself from green to tee. You score near the green, and their philosophy makes the most sense.

This does seem to make the most sense to me. I mean honestly I think theres a huge difference between a 5 foot putt and a 10 foot putt, but I wouldn't care if my drive was 5 feet shorter, so i would go with green to tee.