Play The Same Ball

[DoubleEagle]

How do you folks feel about playing the same ball all the time?  I find that if I switch around and use a Precept EV one round or for a few holes, reach into the bag and pull out a Wilson Smart Core, that the play is different enough, especially around the green and putting that I would be better off to find one ball that I like and play with it all the time.

I have recently been playing and satisfied with the Bridgestone Fixx

Curious to see responses to this, as I think it affects your overall game, if not only in the fact that you begin to play the same ball consistently the same way.

[shades9323]

For my game the ball really doesn't matter much. I haven't played much this year so I have only used 1 ball Taylormade TP Red.  Last year I used some TP Reds, Nike One Tour D, Bridgestone E6, Top Flite D2 feel, and Nike One Tours. Scores were pretty much the same with all of them.

[fairwayguy2]

I am pretty much a tried and true player of Titlist balls but I do try others occasionally.  Earlier in the year I was playing Bridgestone E7's for a while which is a real nice ball and just recently I bought a dozen of the new Srixon Q-Star Balls to try. I always come back to Titlist .

[1par2win]

I've used a ProV1 (now ProV1x) pretty much exclusively for 4 seasons. I doubt it has affected my scoring much but I got into that ball because I love the feel with the putter and that remains the primary reason I continue to play that ball. As my wedge game improved I came to appreciate the feel and the spin off the wedges but off the irons or woods I cant feel much of a difference between one ball or another. I have tried different brands at different price points and always have gone back to a ProV. I do use NXT's early and late in the season when course conditions become less groomed but for me it's really just a comfort level playing the same ball.

[TheRichie]

i play with 3 balls, mayority of my play is with sxrixon ad333 cheap good distance and generates a fair amount of spin, prov1/x but i cant always justify the cost and nike power distance soft decent distance and good around the greens

[B-Con]

I've found that switching to a non-spinning average rock will hurt me. I can play with such a ball if I'm prepared for it, but if I just pull one out for a hole or two I forget about it and often run pitches (or even chips) too long. Other than that, I've switched types with little effect. Sure, some balls will go a couple yards shorter or farther for an average iron strike, but I can't control my distance that precisely anyway.

[clubchamp]

I usually play a penta the whole round and sometimes I will play a pro v but I never switch between the 2 during a round. Now in the winter and early spring I will play D2 feel or whatever because the greens are soft enough that I typically don't have to worry about spin.

[ggolokin]

depends on the day... if the greens are rolling too much i'd switch from a prov1x to a nike platinum, vice versa

[DaSportsGuy]

I only play ProV1's and ProV1x's. ProV1's on harder greens where I need more spin and ProV1x's on softer greens where I don't need as much spin. If you play often enough you almost need to stick with one ball. It helps alot around the green when you know what it's going to do and on your approach shots where you know if you can go passed the pin and spin it back or leave it out in front of the pin and let it release up to it.

[VelcroBobcat]

I play the same ball (Srixon AD333) to take the blame out of my poor game. The same ball usually responds the same way off the club. Its easy for me to blame a different ball for my poor performance when Im using something different. Its part of my mental struggle. :)

[lumpuckeroo]

I like to play with one specfic kind of ball, I will try others from time to time, but for the last 3 or 4 years I have been playing Taylormade TP Reds.  Back in the day ball selection wasn't much of an issue, weren't many to choose from, I played the Titleist Balata 90.  It was the same ball every year so I didn't really ever have to think about what ball I was going to play.  I haven't taken to the Pro V1, but I haven't given them much of a tryout either.  Next season I will be needing balls and will give the Pro V1 a good workout and go from there.

[onemind]

I like to play whatever I found in the woods on the previous hole.  Just kidding (well, not really)  As a beginner I don't think my game warrants spending a lot on balls since I still occassionally lose one or two a round.  I am beginning to think a low spin ball will help with my game though and keep more balls in the fairway.

[ghalfaire]

I suspect that playing with the same ball all the time would help one be more consistent.  Having said that I play with OPB (other people's balls) a lot as it is cheaper and I always seem to leave the course with more balls than I came with.  I sort them out and keep the ones I like and give the rest to Grandkids or Charity.  So if I was not so frugal (Cheap my Mrs says) I would purchase the NXT tour as it seems to fit my game best for the dollar.  Hard to beat the ProV1 however if you don't care about cost (other than the cover is sort of dull and not as easy to find in the rough as the whiter white covers).

[Flyman]

Is there a time when you drive one ball and use another ball around and on the greens? For instance, if I use a ball off the tee that has less spin to control my sometimes wicked tee shots, would it be a good idea (or even legal??) to switch to a ball that uses more spin once I get around the greens? Or just stick with the same ball?

[zeg]

Originally Posted by Flyman

Is there a time when you drive one ball and use another ball around and on the greens? For instance, if I use a ball off the tee that has less spin to control my sometimes wicked tee shots, would it be a good idea (or even legal??) to switch to a ball that uses more spin once I get around the greens? Or just stick with the same ball?

This is not permitted unless you are switching balls under a rule that permits it, which normally means a lost ball---you probably don't want to work that into your strategy just to get a little control around the greens :-)

[x129]

It is not remotely legal to switch balls in the middle of the hole. How would you even do that without cheating(assuming lift, clean, and place isn't in effect)? In general you could switch between hole (i.e. long ball on the par 5, super spinner on the short Par 3) if the One Ball rule isn't in effect.

Originally Posted by Flyman

Is there a time when you drive one ball and use another ball around and on the greens? For instance, if I use a ball off the tee that has less spin to control my sometimes wicked tee shots, would it be a good idea (or even legal??) to switch to a ball that uses more spin once I get around the greens? Or just stick with the same ball?

[Flyman]

I'm very new to the game, which is why I'm asking.

Originally Posted by x129

It is not remotely legal to switch balls in the middle of the hole. How would you even do that without cheating(assuming lift, clean, and place isn't in effect)? In general you could switch between hole (i.e. long ball on the par 5, super spinner on the short Par 3) if the One Ball rule isn't in effect.

[inthehole]

I'm too inconsistent - I rarely get enough spin to worry about it ... I did spin a 120 yard low 9 iron back 4 ft last week with a top flight ... that was pretty cool.    For me, I don't do it enough yet to foot the bill for high dollar spinney balls...