Does brand of ball affect putting distance?

[very handicap]

Just a beginner's question. Does different brand/model of ball affect putting distance? Meaning that if you use a putting robot (similar to what Dave Pelz uses), with the same stroke and strength, do different balls produce different distance in putting?

If the answer is yes, then isn't it true that to be consistent in putting, one should stick to one brand/model of balls in order to improve his putting (especially lag putting)?

[goblue107501]

I would think that different balls would putt differently. I don't have any solid proof or studies, just my own thinking. A softer ball doesn't bounce off the putter as firm as a harder ball so they would probably be different. Using the same ball to putt will definitely help in consistency. The good thing about putting is that you can adjust your stroke to adjust to the ball if needed.

[saevel25]

Its probably negligable to me. The energy transfer is so much smaller compared to that of a driver for example. In addition the ball is rolling on the green, which now your affected more by friction than air resistance, which would be greater. Add in grain of the green and other factors and your looking at alot of variables, i think the variable of the golf ball is negligable. If your hitting the putts to just roll one revolution into the hole, then yes it might affect it. But most pro's hit there putts past the hole a distance that i don't see the ball affecting that great of distance, like causing putts to go 18 inches shorter, Maybe half an inch at most.

[JWL1957]

I only play with ProV's and Top Flite XL's. The XL's seems to come off the putter face a little hotter than the Prov's. But I cant really say if it putts farther given a identical stroke.

[Paradox]

there is a difference in different balls when putting. A harder ball will most definitely react different than a softer ball. For the same reason that it isn't good to switch different brands of balls in your long game, you definitely don't want to be doing it on a green(not that you can switch balls during a hole). There are times when I've switched from a ProV to some harder, less spinny ball and the next couple holes or so afterwards I'll be blowing putts past the hole with relatively the same stroke I was making before.

I think the harder balls skid a little more than roll and this gives them a little extra distance that you wouldn't have gotten otherwise.

[sean_miller]

I'm not sure. All balls are quite similar now. Dimple design and subtle changes to the stroke may have more of an effect.

[David K]

I play with the Callaway Tour I(s) and the Top Flite XLs when I don't feel like losing a $4 ball. I've practiced with both on the practice green and the Top Flites definitely come off the putter a little faster so they roll a little further. These two golf balls are on two complete opposite ends of the spectrum but the difference still might only be two feet in putting distance at the worst. So if you were using two similar balls (like switching from the Tour I to the ProV1) you probably wont notice the difference at all.

If you use a putter with a soft insert like the Odyssey XG putters it will probably be even less of a difference because the putter face is absorbing some of the impact. The smooth metal face on my Ping putter is going to make the difference in the balls cover more noticeable. The XLs feel more like I'm hitting rocks compared to a softer feel of the Tour ball.

[Fourputt]

There may be some slight difference, but unless you play on lightning fast greens, you won't notice it. I think that there is more of a difference in feel than in actual ball speed. A urethane covered ball just doesn't usually sound as clicky as a surlyn ball, but the average player won't notice a significant difference in his putting. I consider myself to be a better than average putter, but I don't really see a big change in how I have to putt even on greens which are rolling at 11. It just doesn't make that much difference. It will affect chipping a lot more because you will normally get more spin with a urethane ball.

[saevel25]

Well that is not the ball, thats your feel. If you put the putter in a pendulum swinger and putt different balls down they wont go much farther. Its just to you the feel is greater than the physics.

[WUTiger]

The type of ball - distance, midspin, highspin - you play seems to affect the distance a putt will go.
In my experience, with the same putting stroke, a distance ball will travel farther than a midspin ball, and a midspin will travel a little farther than a highspin ball.

The longer a putt, the more the ball type would likely be a factor.

Among the midspin balls, however, I don't sense any difference in putting distance.

This would be an interesting test for the TV show Mythbusters, maybe using saevel25's pendelum swinger.

[sean_miller]

The type of ball - distance, midspin, highspin - you play seems to affect the distance a putt will go.

I'd like to say that's not true, but when I think about my best putting rounds on fast greens, it was coincidentally with a high spin ball. Conversely when I've used a rock (like a Dunlop or an older DT Titleist) on a course with slow greens my putting was okay there too.

[senorchipotle]

unless you plan on playing the same course all the time, then the ball you use is going to make the least of differences when it comes to consistent putting.

[sblack5]

I notice a little difference, as others have said, depending on it being a harder or softer ball........but I notice a bigger difference in how different balls react as far as roll out on chips and pitches.

[very handicap]

This is the reason why i'm asking the question. The goal is to get the ball 17 inches pass the hole to maximize the hole-in. However, if with the same putting stroke, some balls get you 17 inches pass the hole, and some ball gets you 2ft and 17 inches pass the hole, the difference in scoring could be significant.

I'm not a good putter, and that's more of the reason why i need to eliminate the variables so that i know when i push the ball 2ft 17 inches pass the hole, i know is not the ball but me. Any other observations or comments?

[JWL1957]

This is the reason why i'm asking the question. The goal is to get the ball 17 inches pass the hole to maximize the hole-in. However, if with the same putting stroke, some balls get you 17 inches pass the hole, and some ball gets you 2ft and 17 inches pass the hole, the difference in scoring could be significant.

I would think that 99% of golfers would make up for the difference subconsciously? Kinda like adjusting to green speed? I think adjusting for different greens speeds would be more of a factor than the ball itself.

I never really gave it much thought when I made the switch to ProV's from Top Flites. I do think that some players with consistent and pure putting strokes might be able to tell the difference.

[David K]

Well the worn out Dave Pelz practice green at my local driving range rolls extremely fast but since I've had so much practice on it I can consistently get the ball to roll within 12in of where want it. I'll go there today and hit three 20ft putts with my Tour I(s) and three with my Top Flite XLs to see if theres a difference. I've done it before and it did seem different but I wasn't really paying attention to it at the time (my putting wasn't all that great either). I guess the only way to do this accurately would be to have a machine making the putts though. If my speed is consistent today I'll see what my ProV1s and TF Gamers do as well.

I think adjusting to the green speed is going to have a much more significant effect on your putting speed than the ball, however, if you practice on the same putting green all the time you'll probably see a difference.

[sean_miller]

Well the worn out Dave Pelz practice green at my local driving range rolls extremely fast but since I've had so much practice on it I can consistently get the ball to roll within 12in of where want it. I'll go there today and hit three 20ft putts with my Tour I(s) and three with my Top Flite XLs to see if theres a difference. I've done it before and it did seem different but I wasn't really paying attention to it at the time (my putting wasn't all that great either). I guess the only way to do this accurately would be to have a machine making the putts though. If my speed is consistent today I'll see what my ProV1s and TF Gamers do as well.

If you know what the ball is before you've hit it, it's not objective.

[shades9323]

This is the reason why i'm asking the question. The goal is to get the ball 17 inches pass the hole to maximize the hole-in. However, if with the same putting stroke, some balls get you 17 inches pass the hole, and some ball gets you 2ft and 17 inches pass the hole, the difference in scoring could be significant.

How long is 2 feet 17 inches?