Recycled golf balls - no significant difference

[golfaddiction]

Over the past year I've been trying out a few different types of balls (and buying them new). I just read a study on GolfBallTest.org comparing 4 and 5 star recycled balls to brand new balls. The result of the study was that there was no significant difference in weight, compression, roundness, hardness, distance, and spin between top grade recycled balls (which may have been sitting in lakes/ponds for a few years) and new balls.

I don't think I'm going to ever buy new balls again. I just ordered 36 recycled NXT Tour balls from Amazon and all of them appear to be in great condition. And for about a dollar per ball I'm spending less than half what I'd spend if I bought new. Personally I don't mind the logo balls that are thrown in. If anything, it makes it more interesting

[James_Black]

have you ever tried them?

there's a huge difference.....

[golfaddiction]

I have tried them. I don't think there is a difference, but then again I'm not the purest ball striker there is. However, after reading the study I am sufficiently convinced I won't be losing any performance.

[JML22]

lets just say i'd rather shoot a recycled prov1/nike one/ NXT tour
over a lets say NIke Juice pinnaclegold / any other rock hard 2 piece ball

[James_Black]

guess I've been playing bad refinished pro v's......

[delav]

  James_Black said:

guess I've been playing bad refinished pro v's......

Interesting. What have you noticed?

I played a ProV1 that was refinished, and the distance was not quite right (5-10 yards short of normal) ... but I thought I was off that day.

[James_Black]

  delav said:

Interesting. What have you noticed?

The cover isn't anywhere as soft as a normal pro v.

Scuff marks are a lot deeper with a refinished ball. I prefer a 2 piece ball, it spins a bit less but lasts a lot longer.

[nlowplacez]

refinished balls are not the same as recycled. refinished balls suck terribly, but recycled for me play about the same.

[golfaddiction]

I suspect refinished balls might affect performance because the outside coat doesn't come from the manufacturer, but recycled balls have simply been cleaned and re-packaged.

[HytrewQasdfg]

This issue gets debated all the time, and everyone seems to be stuck in their position. Here's mine:

1. Golf is a game of consistency (the goal is repeatable actions with repeatable results).

2. Recycled balls are inconsistent--maybe they'll play exactly like a new ball, maybe they won't. You can never now for sure.

That's why I don't play recycled balls. IMHO, I'm better off playing new TaylorMade TP Red/Black for $25 a dozen than recycled "AAAA" Pro-V1s for $23 a dozen ($69.99 for 36 on Amazon).

[Greg]

Id rather play cheap brand new balls, i.e. intech beta ti or walmart has a new one now, some wilson distance ball that goes for $5 a dozen. I really like the intech balls, though im not a great player but for less than 50 cents a ball brand new, i know im at least the ball is going to be the same all the time, unlike used balls that may have been polished up, might have been hit once, might have been hit 50 times. Unless I get some outstanding deal on ebay like I did last year on some used maxfli balls, got 120 for $25 shipped. They werent all mint but at least playable and got a mix of different balls and I dont mind trying to pull off a shot and lose a ball if it cost a quarter. I still lose too many balls to play any of the high end balls like pro v's or nike ones.

[drglew]

I've been playing recycled (NOT refinished) TP Blacks and Reds from Lostgolfballs.com, and haven't noticed any performance differences between these and brand new (which i've also played). At least from this company, most AAAA's are in fantastic shape, and even most AAA's are quite playable if you don't care so much about cosmetics (i don't). I've been currently living off a special 100-ball bucket of AAA's (which I bought for $45 i believe), and 90% of them are fine to play in my book.

[Alley Cat]

  nlowplacez said:

refinished balls are not the same as recycled

Agreed!!! I've played a ton of recycled balls from golfballnut.com. I usually get the mixed box of AAAAA Nikes and they look brand new, not laminated etc... I've never noticed a difference in their playability or wear and tear. I highly recommend them.

[twoiron]

ordered 9 dozen pro v1's from lostgolfballs.com at AAAA grade. The balls play great, good distance and stop on a dime. I have seen no difference between a new box.

[Stretch]

Yup, unless you think that immersion in water is going to alter the physical properties of a ball, I can't see how a one-hit wonder fished from a hazard is going to differ much from new?

[HytrewQasdfg]

  drglew said:

I've been playing recycled (NOT refinished) ... and 90% of them are fine to play in my book.

Not 100%, but 90%. Do you know if they were fine to play with before you hit them, or after you put them into play?

There have been several studies that show golfballs do degrade after bing submerged in water. Unfortunatly, you can't tell by looking at them, only after hitting them do you know. IMHO, there is a difference between "fine to play with", and "consistent to play with". I'm sure recycled balls are fine to play with, but you just can't gurantee that the every ball in the batch plays exatcly the same way every time.

[HytrewQasdfg]

http://www.g-forse.com/archive/news259_e.html

"So is a ball inferior, if it has been submerged in a body of water? 'Yes' says an U.S. Army Research Laboratory study. Golf balls absorb water that cannot be removed and this affects a permanent change. Testing by Golf Digest in 1996 found a golf ball submerged in water loses six yards after one week, 12 yards after three months and 15 yards after six months."

[Fat Slice]

After the first time you hit your brand new ball, it becomes a recycled ball - what's the difference? You get ONE swing with a new ball - after that, it's used like any other.