Have you ever gotten "ball fitted"?

[DannyB215]

I'm starting to take steps to take my golf game to the next level, and I don't know if I should spend $20 to have a machine tell me which one is the best ball for me. I Can tell you right now I use Srixon Z Stars, but I want to make sure I have the right ball for my game. When you did your fitting, did you use the ball they recommended and see any results? Let me know!!

[WUTiger]

I got ballfitted as part of a driver fitting a couple of years ago. Turned out the old-version TopFlite D2 Feel I played was second-to-last in distance for someone with my swing specs.

I switched to the Slazenger RDS Tour, picked up some distance. But RDS.T is no longer produced, so I'm switching to Gamer v.2. (Other golfers say the latest D2 Feel has a distance boost over the earlier ones.)

Some ballmakers offer computer software fittings in which you enter yardage figures and ball preferences. Better than nothing I guess, but it's not like hitting balls on a launch monitor.

[DannyB215]

I heard Golf Gala#y gives you a list of high mid and low priced balls to pick from as well, which I think is great! I'm gonna do it in the near future and will update on the results. If anyone has more advice, please let me know!

[BigMikey]

I got fitted at the PGA super store last year from Bridgestone.  They were doing a clinic and had all the launch monitor stuff setup.  They had me hit my normal ball.  (At the time it was a Nike Tour ball and Pro V1x.  They fitted me to a e6 / e7)

I play a slight fade as my standard shot and these balls took a little more side spin off the balls according to there launch settings.  I tried the e6's for about 1 1/2 months but went back.  Not because they weren't great but mainly because I didn't see a noticeable distance.

Another note, they only had me use the driver.  I was sort of expecting a SW,7I,Driver or something that would at least spread out the statistics.  But it was an enjoyable time.  I did also try an e5 which I was not fitted for (These are the lowest cost urethane covered balls) I could find and actually had better results with that in my putting and chipping.

[bcgolf]

I had a Bridgestone ballfitting last year.  Played with their recommended ball (e7) for some time.  Then I was given a sample of Srixon AD333 balls on a demo day.  I liked their soft feel soooo much more then the Bridgestone.  My game was even better with them, and I felt more confident standing over them too.  For some reason, my mind and body decided that was the right ball for me.  So I switched from a fitted ball to a non fitted ball.

[DannyB215]

Srixon is my favorite ball out there right now. Love the Z StarS!!!!

[TopWalker]

I would take a different approach. I'd focus on how a ball reacts around the green with your wedges and putter because that's where you can shave the most strokes from your game.

I've played most of the well known brand balls and haven't noticed a real difference off the tee, but definitely have seen how they react 50 yards and in.

Just using Titleist as an example, I'd buy a sleeve of three different kinds, like the SoLo (soft 2 piece), NXT Tour (soft 3 piece with a bit more spin), and a ProV1 (3 piece with a urethane cover for the most spin). See what you like about each of them. The same thing could be done with another brand if desired.

TW

[DannyB215]

I agree with your approach...I am a big short game person,  and do agree you tend to see the biggest differences when you're around the green.

[Gioguy21]

a friend of mine is an assistant pro and plays to a +1, and is sponsored by titleist (not big time, but has a partial endorsement). I asked him to help me with a ball fitting and he did as Danny mentions. he had me work from green back. i hit close to 15 different kinds of balls ranging in price range, and didn't tell me what they were before i hit them. i hit chips, pitches and 100 yard stock shots...picked about 7 different balls that i liked...so we moved back to longer irons...hit again...down to 4...hit from the tee with those...down to 2...Nike One Tour, and Titleist NXT ...

[nickel_aTm]

Originally Posted by DannyB215

I heard Golf Gala#y gives you a list of high mid and low priced balls to pick from as well, which I think is great! I'm gonna do it in the near future and will update on the results. If anyone has more advice, please let me know!

That is correct.  When I did a ball fitting at Golf Galaxy, they gave me two printouts -- one sheet with high dollar balls (ProV1, B330, etc.) and one with mid-range balls (NXT, E6, etc.).  The printout had specific information about distance, dispersion rate, etc.

I definitely recommend a ball fitting.  Not only due to get to see which balls works better for you, you'll also want to pay attention to the monitor -- which in my case showed me that my launch angle (avg 17-18) and spin rate (3200-3400 RPM) were too high.  So now I know which direction to go in getting a better "fit" shaft in my driver.

[Paylee]

Did the Bridgestone fitting also and was fitted to the B330s (105-110 swing speed). I then tried a bunch of similar profile balls on the course and in the end went to the Nike One Tour D. I would recommend a fitting as well to identify the right ball profile then compare like balls where you play.

[Gerald]

Hmmmm .......

Originally Posted by DannyB215

I agree with your approach...I am a big short game person,  and do agree you tend to see the biggest differences when you're around the green.

Well of course greenside control is an important factor for choosing a ball, but if it was that simple we all would play soft balls with urethane covers.

It is actually not that simple, we first have to get there ...... so most important after that is as many help as we can get in getting in a position where short game becomes important.

With a great short game you sure can save some strokes, but the difference between a 13 hc and a low single hc is ballstriking and not the short game.

So a great ball minimizes side spin when it is really compressed (driver and long irons), has a solid amount of spin in de mid irons and a LOT of spin around the green.

It is all so personal.

[Clambake]

Maybe it's just me, but it seems this scientifically "fitted" thing is on the verge of going overboard.     I understand club fitting  to match the many club variables to each persons individual swing.    Ball fitting makes some sense although not as much in my mind as it doesn't take into account what feels and sounds good, especially when putting.      It feels like much of the fitting rage these days is really retailer driven to help bring more traffic into the store.

I'm waiting for the next fitting frontier.    How about golf glove fitting ("if the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit"?).      Maybe hat fitting ("Looks like you need a flat bill hat to keep your spin rate down.   Try this Rickie Fowler version").      Perhaps they'll even start using a launch monitor to let me know that my briefs are a bit too loose.