Do you balance your golf balls?

[Gridiron]

Originally Posted by Mark Lewis

I have a ball balancer and even though I hit a lot more "not so good" shots than good  ones, I feel that the advantage of a balanced ball is definitely in the  putting.  It does roll more consistantly when plaed on the axis!!

One question for you, when you use the balancer and mark the line.  Have you taken the ball out, spun it around randomly and then rebalanced it.  If so, did it come back to exactly the same line you marked before?  I ask not because I am not a believer, I am not in either corner, yet.  But it seems like a simple test to do with multiple balls multiple times to see if there is something to it or not.  If the balancer doesn't return the ball to that same line every time then to me, it's a falacy.

If it does come back then I am going to have to think about this some more...

[Valleygolfer]

Originally Posted by Gridiron

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Lewis

I have a ball balancer and even though I hit a lot more "not so good" shots than good  ones, I feel that the advantage of a balanced ball is definitely in the  putting.  It does roll more consistantly when plaed on the axis!!

One question for you, when you use the balancer and mark the line.  Have you taken the ball out, spun it around randomly and then rebalanced it.  If so, did it come back to exactly the same line you marked before?  I ask not because I am not a believer, I am not in either corner, yet.  But it seems like a simple test to do with multiple balls multiple times to see if there is something to it or not.  If the balancer doesn't return the ball to that same line every time then to me, it's a falacy.

If it does come back then I am going to have to think about this some more...

When I did do the balancing, I don't anymore because I generally use tour quality golf balls, it did return to the same location on the cheaper balls. I had previously posted this before, that cheaper balls tended to be off more so than more expensive ones. Expensive ones were a little less consistent. I may do some spin balancing just because I am antsy about playing again....but not because I think it is the answer. On a side note, my daughter's Barbie ball is horribly off and wobbles all over. I wonder where they get those cast offs...

[Rouleur]

This is a very interesting topic. I'm going to add my little thoughts, if you all don't mind.

You guys are talking about marking the centre of mass in a certain place, so you can repeatedly set the ball and  hit the ball along this mark.

But the centre of mass in the golf ball is in 3 dimensions, so if you mark it and it is balancing it side to side on that mark, the ball may not be balanced up and down (the centre of mass in on the line from a side to side aspect, but on the height of the ball aspect the COM could be above or below the centre of the ball). So the ball may roll straighter, but the COM will be going up and down, causing the ball to hop?

I have no doubts, the only ways to truly balance a ball so the COM is in the middle is to:

-Use such a balancer and then add or remove material until the ball is balanced in 3 dimensions - the COM and centre of ball would be balanced, but causes aerodymanic, roll and impact problems because you are mucking with the cover trying to make up for a misbalanced core; or

-As I suspect pros have someone do for them at their supplier, or at least they should have, measure the balance of the ball and get the ones produced that have an acceptable COM=Centre of Ball component. The balancers mentioned here would struggle to find a line, because in theory the ball is balanced, so there is no 'line of balance' it can find, since it is trying to find the unbalanced line. I think that's right, but I also think I just confused myself...

I suspect when you make millions of balls, finding a few hundred almost perfectly balanced to put aside for your sponsored players wouldn't be so difficult?

But I am interested that finding the side to side balance helps you guys when you play, it certainly seems the side to side plays more part than the up and down, particularly when putting.

[shooter]

I've never heard of balancing your ball, ok, i did, but when i did see that commercial i couldnt stop laughing. if that actually helped, wouldn't every pro be doing it. wouldn't Taylor Made be making some sort of a device that makes it fast and easy, don't you think titleist would be offering "balanced" pro v1s.

Come on fellas, give your head a shake!

[Rouleur]

Hey Shooter, you have a very valid perspective and opinion on this.

You are right, no one sells their product 'balanced'. I do wonder if they did, that would then be notice to the world that their other offerings were 'unbalanced' and therefore inferior?

There are links in this thread providing research and positive results from finding a side to side balance point.

I'm not in either camp, I just like to think on interesting topics. But I do find it funny how in golf many people tend to tell others how what they do is better, or putting others ideas or questions down, such as many pages prior in this thread, not necessarily your post.

I don't understand, if someone thinks finding a side to side balance is pointless, great, that is good for them that they are comfortable with their choice. But others, pages back, don't need to tell others they are crazy or stupid for just discussing something that they do.

Comparing the idea of balancing a golf ball, there are threads here on how to stack a golf bag, what golf towel to use, golf fashion that have no place in the act of actually hitting the golf ball. You hit the golf ball every shot. And the process of manufacture of the ball can't guarantee the blobs of material are all placed in exactly the right place. So why can't people at least discuss it?

I mean, people figure out the balance of their putter head, and whether that fits their stroke right? There are threads on what golf tees to use, or the many types available? This topic, IMHO, is no less valid than those, given that people want to eliminate issues with all of their other equipment, why not their ball?

I don't get it, people wouldn't hit a wedge with massive gouges out of it or the head or shaft bent, and I can see people that balance their golf balls just want to know what is going on with their equipment and eliminate any equipment errors they can, because they see it as interesting and/or important. Power to them I reckon.

[dennyjones]

Eating popcorn...Great thread.

I'm not a very good golfer, just enjoying the game.  My brother before his accident was a scratch golfer back in the early 80 and back then swore that it made a huge difference when putting if the ball was balanced.  He used the salt water option.     That was a long time before Titleist invented the Pro V1.   The ball technology wasn't as advanced as today.

I get the impression from reading the replies here that the better balls, like the Pro V1 and other high end ones probably don't require balancing unless the golfer wanted to spend time away from the wife.   With the lower end balls, I am also led to believe that it may be a viable option to find the balance.    The difference may be evident when putting.

Did I miss anything?

[shooter]

I cant believe people waste their time debating this topic. Golf is a time bandit as it is, so why would one waste time balancing golf balls instead of practicing?

I watched the video. How do you know this guy hasn't spent his lifetime collecting and balancing balls? Chances are that's what he wrote his paper on in school, and the dozen or so balls he has could just be a manufacturing defect. You know, in manufacturing you cant check every ball. The quality control personall pick one or two balls from a batch of hundreds and tests' them...So there is a possibility that there could be a "bad" ball in the box....but you ll loose it just as quick as the "balanced" one anyways.

Also, wheels on cars are checked for balance, and once a miss-balance is located on the rim they add a weight to offset the weight in that spot, thus finding a "balance" to the wheel assembly. A ball isn't fixed to a spindle like a wheel on a car...so finding that a ball is miss balanced is irrelevant cause you cant do anything about it.....Therefore; this whole balancing debate is flawed like a 15 cap playing blades...

Hope that got everyone worked up! :)

[Rouleur]

But wait, you're debating it as well There are articles in this very thread of people that have marked the line, and even though, as you correctly surmise, the ball isn't actually balanced by adding or removing weight, they got more accurate putts by putting along that line as the centre of mass rolled along that line on a side to side 'balance', although the centre of mass was going up and down.

It is obviouly a use of time you're not happy to give up, and that is totally up to you

I don't balance, but I find it interesting...