Balls vs. brains???

[soloredd]

I've gotten used to the feel of the DT Carry so that is what I play. Before I started keeping a handicap, I would play a crap ball on par 3s over water or on long holes where I tried to hit my driver further. Eventually I found that playing with a different ball than what I was used to screwed me up. I don't have any qualms with losing new golf balls, to me it is part of the game.

Not only that, but I play with the rules in mind. I take penalty strokes if I lose a ball. I would need to take a penalty stroke if I switched balls mid-hole.

[Greg]

all the balls I play are cheap so it doesnt matter which one i use, though I usually go a club longer if i know I have to clear a hazzard or something, rather go over the green than in the hazzard, can always chip it back on the green.

[goblue107501]

I address the shot, swing, and hopefully it lands somewhere on the other side. He walks up to his shot, switches to a ball he doesn't care about (sorry rules guys out there but we don't play on the tour so he skates on this as far as I'm concerned). Then he swings and hopefully his ball lands somewhere on the other side too.

I don't see a problem with it. If that is what he wants to do so be it. I understand both sides of the argument. I don't switch balls anymore, but I used to. I don't like that mentality of 'it's okay if I lose it'. I just hit whatever is on the ground or whatever I pull out of my pocket.

The course I grew up on had a lake that you had to hit over on two holes. One hole the lake was more in play off the tee, the other it was more the second shot. We kept a bunch of old balls in the cart just for these holes. Even when balls were not $4 each, we still didn't want to donate a good ball. I had used one ball this summer for about 25 holes and decided it was time to retire it. So I pull out a new ball for a tee shot with water down the right. Sure enough, I hit it in the water. I don't care about the cost of the ball, I don't pay for them anyway. I was more upset that I didn't get to use a new ball for more than one shot. I pulled out the 25 hole ball and played the rest of the round with it.

[right handed phil mickelson]

I'm still wondering how you talk to your dad like that without a putter wrapped around your head or at least a ball forcibly 7-ironed up your ass.

[Scott_K]

It's just a golf ball. The game is more important to me and most of the people I play with. I have a friend who's struggling to break 100 and uses "switch ball" mentality from time to time. I understand his approach because he loses a decent amount of balls. I don't think a golfer who loses 5 or 6 balls per round should be playing Pro V1s. Generally if a golfer is losing that many balls, they don't have the consistency in the swing or feel around the greens to notice the difference in golf balls.

When I lose a ball, I accept it as part of the game. I look at it as part of the cost of the round (Tee Fee, reservation fee, lostball fee )

[sacm3bill]

This thread reminds me of this: Water Ball Joke

[Where's the Cart Girl?]

This thread reminds me of this:

Good call.

[$2 Nassau]

Setting himself up to fail, definitely. If he's worried about losing balls, why not just play a cheap ball all the time?

So people actually buy balls? Wow, I haven't bought balls in years, they're laying all over the course! Good ones too. I find more pro v's then I know what to do with.

[Where's the Cart Girl?]

So people actually buy balls? Wow, I haven't bought balls in years, they're laying all over the course! Good ones too. I find more pro v's then I know what to do with.

If you find any with a blue dot low right of the Titleist logo, I'd like them back please..

[dansensel]

My mother always uses her "Water Ball" on holes with carry over water. It isn't because she lacks the confidence, it is because she has used that ball for about 4 years and says that it is a lucky ball. So it boosts her confidence, which is probably why she makes it over.

[iPutt]

I don't see why everyone says that you're "expecting to fail". I think it lets you swing easier. If he were using as good ball he may be tight and in the back of his mind worrying about losing it. With the old ball, he can focus completely on the swing and not need to worry about losing money if it really matters to him. And really guys, who cares if it's breaking the rules? I'm sure that you all commit much worse rule violations during play.

[elcash]

I've bent over a few times for $3. This one time some guy dropped his fold right in front of me. His billfold. I picked it up for him...

[chilly]

I still lose my share of balls, so I don't play with high end balls to begin with. But, I don't grab a comparatively "cheap" ball for water hazards. As many have said, I think it just puts me in the wrong mindset.

[shankapotamus]

The ball in play is the BALL in play – it doesn’t matter if you’re on Tour or touring fair green municipal fields.

Some people play golf just for fun. They don't care about the rules as much as you apparently do.

[kafka01]

The ball in play is the BALL in play – it doesn’t matter if you’re on Tour or touring fair green municipal fields.

Well i can understand both points made here. So you guys generally play for hcp correct? If thats the case i might not go around bragging that i just broke 80 (and replacing the ball 5 times) since that is pretty close to what Überswing described above.

But if its just some casual father/son round without going on record - i dont see how it matters - some people hit 5 shots from the same spot til they are satisfied with their shot, other replace the ball - so what. Personally i dont switch out my ball - if i play an unknown course i might play my "B-selection" of balls since i tend to loose a couple in general and see no point in giving the course my expensive balls, but on my home course i play my ProV1s since i know where they end up in general, and dont loose many anyways..