Stick to one brand of ball improve GIR?

[very handicap]

I usually play used ball and do not stick to any particular brand/model. It is usually what i can find from the golf course or my bag.

Lately, i find that my driving accurately has improved a lot and able to hit the fairway 9/10 times, but my GIR is still quite bad. I usually leave it short or over-shoot on the second shot to the green. Will stick to one brand of golf ball help in improving the distance control on the second shot?

Is there a big difference in distance for different type of balls if hit from the same iron (e.g. 7 iron and below)?

Thanks.

[Zeph]

Different spin rate, ball flight and carry distance will make it harder if you are using a lot of different balls, yes. That said, I'd think your swing is more of a deciding factor at handicap 18. You can of course try to play only one ball for a while and see what happens. I'd recommend getting some reasonable used balls from golfballnut.com or lostgolfballs.com

[Paradox]

I doubt anyone can give you scientific data for different balls going different distances but yes, using one ball will improve your game. The word is consistency. The more things you can keep consistent in your game, the better off you'll be. You will know how your ball is going to react to whatever swing you're putting on it...you will know how far that particular ball is gonna go, you'll know how much it spins(do I need to play for roll-out or do I need to try and fly it pin high?)

Whatever ball you prefer, try to stick with it as much as possible. You'll get used to a particular feel and you'll start to understand its flight and make the rest of your game a little easier.

Sometimes I do switch between ProV's and DT So/Lo's if I'm having a tough time with side spin on a particular day.

[jamo]

I doubt anyone can give you scientific data for different balls going different distances but...

http://www.golf.com/golf/features/flash/ballguide3.html

[Paradox]

yes, a robot. I was referring to people playing and saying "I hit xx-ball 10 yards over the green but I am sure I put the exact same swing on xy-ball and it was 10 yards short"

I think we all know that different balls go different distances.

[Chris223]

http://www.golf.com/golf/features/flash/ballguide3.html

surprised the e6 is so low. I've been using the e6 for my last 2 rounds now and have really liked it. 11 out of 14 fairways my first rnd using it doesn't lie, lol. I was using Nike PD Soft and High's prior.

[James_Black]

Maybe not stick to one exact type of ball but group them generally.
There's going to be a difference if you play with a Pro V1 and then switch to a pinnacle.

[tristanhilton85]

Maybe not stick to one exact type of ball but group them generally.

I would agree here... don't really need to stick to one particular brand/model, but maybe one type. If you switching from a Pro V1 to a Top-Flite XL7000, you're going to notice something, but if you go from one of the Bridgestone e series to the Gamer V2, to the NXT tour, etc. you shouldn't really notice too big of a difference.

[tws1098]

I think Zeph was on the right track bringing up handicap. However, it is probably more about ball striking (which will correlate pretty well with handicap). If you are not hitting GIR then it really doesn't make a big difference which ball you play. From one ball to another, a good ball striker could hit the green consistently. The difference would result in how the ball would react on the green (little--------a lot of spin).

[Tugglife2]

http://www.golf.com/golf/features/flash/ballguide3.html

Is there anything like this but for spin?

[Gordon McTavish]

If you are not hitting GIR then it really doesn't make a big difference which ball you play.

As a player who averages 1 GIR per round, a ball with superior green-side performance seems like the best choice.

I would take the second option from the following random choices: Pinnacle Gold - 5 years longer off the tee, miss the green. Roll over the back of the green when pitching. Titleist NXT Tour - 5 yards shorter off the tee, miss the green. Pitch the ball and leave it at a distance that guarantees a two-putt (one-putt if playing well).

[retexan599]

Last year I switched from using multiple used balls to using just one brand/type. I felt that would take one variable out of the equation and I think that using one ball consistently has helped my game overall. I tried the Nike PD Soft for several rounds, then the PD High, and now am using the PD Long exclusively. I am having a goodly number of rounds in the mid-80's this year and will probably stick with this ball. I am now getting 6-10 GIR per round (versus 3-5 last year) also. To be complete, I did also make other changes to my equipment, setup, etc. that have helped as well. I can see that further improvements may dictate a different ball later on (others may be better around the green), but this one is working for me.