Does the ball really matter??? What do you play?

[ericstamper]

the more golf over the years ive noticed all i wanna play is pro-v's........however played friday and found some old beat up balls (slazzenger, srixon, and a pinnacle)........hit all four balls from about 160 into the breeze with a 7iron ...........all went same distance of course i couldnt put a blanket on em but as far as feel they all felt solid?????? Is it all a marketing ploy????????? I know club technology has improved but can a ball really change your score? didnt chip or putt but just wanted to know what you like to lay and why???

[sean_miller]

the more golf over the years ive noticed all i wanna play is pro-v's........however played friday and found some old beat up balls (slazzenger, srixon, and a pinnacle)........hit all four balls from about 160 into the breeze with a 7iron ...........all went same distance of course i couldnt put a blanket on em but as far as feel they all felt solid?????? Is it all a marketing ploy????????? I know club technology has improved but can a ball really change your score? didnt chip or putt but just wanted to know what you like to lay and why???

Are you buying? I'll take a case of TaylorMade Pentas please.

No? Something durable with a soft feeling cover that's < $20 a box then. It sometimes depends on what my playing partners tee up - if I see a poser playing a Pro V1 (no offense intended - you know the guy I'm talking about), it's time for least expensive 1/2 decent ball in the bag - like a D2 Feel or Wilson Eco Core.

[Ignorant]

Personally I have found great differences between different balls most prominent being capability to spin. ProV1 is certainly one of those balls but also Srixon Z-URS, some Bridgestone/Precept balls and especially Nike One Platinum give a great amount of spin. As far as distancies are concerned I have not seen major differences but this depends very much on the club head speed. Mine is not high enough to fully exploit those features well. On the other hand, same applies to spin also. Good players can create spin even with the hardest balls whilst us geeks have to choose a soft ball in order to do that.

For me the most important thing is, however, the touch in chipping and putting. That is why I like to play softer balls.

So the answer to your question is a definitive 'yes'.

[Zeph]

The distance is different, but not by extreme amounts. Also, balls you find lying around might be balls made to be hit farther. I can play just as well with a beat up Top-Flite than I do with a Pro V1x. In fact, I played my best round ever with a cheap Top-Flite. Distance control is more important than distance. I like the V1x primarily because it feels great on and around the green. Spin rate, feel on the clubface etc. When I play badly and lose a ton of balls, I play random cheap ones.

[chilly]

I think as long as you play the same ball consistently and know how it acts, it's not a big deal. I'm not consistent enough to know for certain that one ball is better then another, so I don't worry about it too much. That said, there are tangible differences between them. I played with Srixon Trispeed on Saturday, they were long, and spun decently around the greens, which is all I ask. Feel off the putter was very nice for me.

Today I played with some Pinnacle Gold FX Long because I wanted to see what a harder ball would do. I feel like it was shorter then the Trispeed, and my irons seemed off a few yards. That said, for a "low spin" ball, I was able to back up a 200yd 5iron (backed it up a foot, not much). I felt a little less control around the green, I've been messing with 7iron bump and runs and a few times I got a ton of rollout that didn't seem right.

[Shorty]

Around the green is where you'll notice the difference. With a urethane covered ball, you can play really aggressively with your wedges. Pro V!s in particular, feel great off the putter. Apart from that, there will be no appreciable difference, especially when it come to distance. Watch someone who is good around the greens. They have to use a premium ball to make the ball bite on firm greens.

[TigerWoodz]

Ive played quite a few different brands,but am still looking for a ball that i can stick with,i like the pro v1 but not the price tag,ive tried the nike platinum,both are great,not trying to hyjack the thread but is there a good ball with a medium price range??beacuse you can really tell the diferance when you hit a cheap ball,they almost feel hollow..lol

[Gioguy21]

I'm currently gamin a callaway i(S)...and Penta TP

[soon_tourpro]

Play prov1x myself, like the feel.
topflite gamer is a good 3 part ball for the price.

[shortstop20]

The TaylorMade TP Black is a good ball for the money. Can find them sometimes for $25 a dozen. It's worth the extra $5 over the Top Flite Gamers. If you're a person that hits your wedges good, you can scuff up a Gamer bad on good full wedge shot. I've never had that happen with a TaylorMade TP Black or Nike One Tour, but I guess that's why they're more expensive.

For my game, I play the TP Black when I'm playing decent and the One Tour when I'm playing good. When I'm playing bad, it's anything I can find. LOL

[billysandy]

When i play with Dunlops and Top Flites, i noticed a distance change in how i hit the ball with my driver especially. Spin and feel on the green is the most important for me, and the feel off the face of your putter changes dramatically when i hit a Dunlop verses a Prov1

[saevel25]

I play the top flight gamers, i love the three piece design for the ball.

[cdpeach]

Often wondered this myself and I can't really decide whether I have committed to a ball model or not. There was a small article in the last Golf Digest on whether there is too much selection for balls as well. I'm too cheap to go for the expensive balls unless I get them at a tournament or through work/clients, but I currently have the "practice" ProV1 in my bag. I usually buy the mid-priced Bridgestones (E6+) as they feel good and seem to be consistent. The only time I have noticed differences between balls is in the ball flight from my driver, as I have found some balls will balloon when I typically have a fairly low trajectory with my driver using my preferred ball models (Srixon Z-star (bought as a special deal - 2for1), titleist ProV1 and Bridgestone). Other than that the main criteria I also use is the feel off the putter, and honestly cheap balls feel like cheap balls (hard plastic) off my putter.

However, I am keen to hear how others chose their preferred ball model. I have never been "fitted" for a ball, but am interested in doing so.

[j_moo]

When I was playing high school golf, we'd get new Titleists. However, I've always played better with old TopFlites I'd find, so never thought much about golf balls, even now.

If you have a good swing, I don't think it matters that much which ball is being hit.

That being said, there is probably some mental aspect to hitting a ball that you think you'd do well with.

[James_Black]

There is a pretty big difference in golf balls but how it affects you depends on your game.

If you hit high iron shots you don´t have to worry about spin stopping the ball, een with a Ultra, the ball will stop after a couple of feet.
If you hit low shots you need spin to stop them so a Ultra won´t help and Pro V will.

A ball with less spin then affects how you shape shots, a Pro V will let you work a bigger Draw/Fade than a Ultra.

If you don´t work the ball and hit high, soft-landing approach shots you won´t find much of a difference.

[tterrag]

Yes, it is key for maximizing spin, or decreasing and other things like that. I play the Pro V1x

[kpaulhus]

I just started playing ProV1x's over NXT Extremes and before that it was Callaway big berthas. To me the biggest difference is performance around the greens. With the NXT I would have to chip to about 10 ft in front of the pin and the ball would roll out most of the time. With the V1x I can chip much closer and it will check and stop. Thats the only thing Im concerned with. Whether I hit it 250 or 260 off the tee is not a big deal to me. I care about my scoring clubs more than distance.

[saevel25]

I guess i will let you know tomorrow, going to switch from the Gamers to either the callaway i(s or z), or the Nike Tour