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Who plays a "water ball"?


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Posted
The thread on swing thoughts and seeing some people's comments on "water balls" got me thinking about this recently.

Do you play a different ball when you have a carry across water on a par 3?

I don't and can't remember ever doing it. To me it seems like a very negative thought to put in your pre-shot routine and seems like it's accepting defeat before you even hit the shot. I play whatever ball I have in play at the time and don't think twice about it.

I also realized that when I have a shot with a carry over water, once I setup for the shot and am ready to hit I don't even notice there's water there while I'm hitting the shot.

Comments or thoughts?

What's in my bag (most of the time)

Exotics 12°, Aldila VS Proto 65S
Exotics CB1 4W, 16.5°, Fujikura Stiff
3DX DC Ironwood 20°, 23°, 26º Hybrids, Proforce V2 Stiff Acer XP905 Pro 6-PW, Dynalite Gold S300Inazone CNC Spin Satin GW 50°/8°, SW 54°/14°, LW 58°/4°Boccieri...


Posted
I completely agree... playing a water ball is a form of negative thinking that has no place in my routine. To say to yourself "I might chunk it into the water" and then go get some special (often under-performing) equipment for the occasion seems most likely to make it happen. If anything, play the best ball you've got to ensure a great shot. Better yet, I like my brother's approach: he pulls out a new ball on every par 3, so that it'll look good mounted when he gets a hole-in-one. Now that's positive thinking.
Cleveland - HiBore XL (9.5* Fuji Fit-On Gold Stiff)
Bobby Jones/Jesse Ortiz - 3W & 21* H3 (Stock Stiff)
Ben Hogan - Apex FTX 4-FW (Apex 4 shafts)
TaylorMade - rac TP 56.12 satin & 60.6 black
Scotty Cameron - Mil-Spec Newport 2 (33" standard)

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Posted
I don't and can't remember ever doing it.

Ditto. I use the ball I used on the last hole.

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
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Posted
i don't carry any "water" balls.

in the bag:
driver-titleist D2 10.5* w/aldila nv shaft
3-adams speedline fast 10 w/aldila shaft
hybrid-titleist 585 17* w/aldila shaft
irons-titleist 735cm w/ttdg s-300 shafts

wedges-cleveland 588, 53* and 60* w/ttdg shafts

putter-scotty circa 62 #1, gun metal finish

ball-pro v1

shoe-dryjoys


Posted
The thread on swing thoughts and seeing some people's comments on "water balls" got me thinking about this recently.

I used to do that. The last time I did that however was on the 14th at the Willows, where I had about 180 yards uphill, over a lake, over a pot bunker, and onto the green. I changed my ball from a Callaway HX Tour to a shag, and proceeded to chunk the hell out of it, and watch it dribble into the lake. I pulled the Callaway back out of my pocket and caught it good with my 3 iron, landing it about 10 feet from the cup. Ever since then, I just play the ball I'd been playing before, reguardless of what's ahead of me.

(The hole in question.)
"Shouldn't you be going faster? I mean, you're doing 40 in a 65..."

Driver: Burner TP 9.5*
3 Wood: 906F2 15*
2I: Eye 23I-PW: 3100 I/HWedges: Vokey Spin-Milled 56*06, MP-R 52*07/60*05Putter: Victoria IIBall: Pro V1xCheck out my new blog: Thousand Yard DriveHome Course: Kenton County...

Posted
I don't play a "water hole" ball, ever. And I don't carry (or own) a "ball retriever".

(Read my sig, chief...)

"Shouldn't you be going faster? I mean, you're doing 40 in a 65..."

Driver: Burner TP 9.5*
3 Wood: 906F2 15*
2I: Eye 23I-PW: 3100 I/HWedges: Vokey Spin-Milled 56*06, MP-R 52*07/60*05Putter: Victoria IIBall: Pro V1xCheck out my new blog: Thousand Yard DriveHome Course: Kenton County...

Posted
(Read my sig, chief...)

Haha, nice one. I don't use a water ball as I definately agree it's a negative way of thinking, and your probably going to put it in the water because of that thinking.
In My Bag:
Driver: Cobra F Speed 10.5°, Aldila NV 55g Regular
3 Wood: Cobra F Speed 15°, Aldila NV 55g Regular
Irons: Cobra 2300 I/M 3-PW
Wedge: Cobra M 54°Putter: Yes! SophiaBall: TaylorMade TP Red

Posted
I never use a water ball, just let me know how far I need to carry the ball to the green.

R7 9.5 S Shaft
560 R7 quad R shaft
RAC LT irons
Scotty Cameron Pro Platinum


Posted
I used to have a very negative attitude about water. I'd switch to an old Topflite or something and proceed to hit it in the center of the pond. Now I just figure out how far I need to carry, pick a club and forget about the water. So now I keep playing my ProV1 with much better results!

In The Bag

Driver R7 SuperQuad 8.5 Xstiff
5 Wd SQ X stiff steel
3-PW RAC LT X stiff 52 dg RAC TP Satin56 dg RAC TP Satin60 dg Vokey Oil CanPutter Cameron Studio Newport


Posted
if im going over a large ammount of water ill switch balls. I guess i still dont have confidence, even though i always make it over, i do it just incase.
In My Bag

Driver: Sasquatch 460 9.5°
3 Wood: Laser 3 Wood 15°
5 Wood: r7 19° (Stiff)Irons: S58 Irons 4-PW Orange DotWedge: Harmonized 60°Wedge: Z TP 54°Putter: Tiffany 34"Balls: Pro V1 Shoes: Adidas Tour 360 IIThe Meadows Golf Coursewww.themeadowsgc.comAge: 16

Posted
I never play a water ball, I don't ever want to play a water ball, if I don't have confidence in my swing to carry the water then I shouldn't be playing, if it goes in, so what, it's only a ball.

Posted

The trouble with playing a water ball is that you then have to finish out the hole with it, and the reason it's a "water ball" is that it is either damaged, or of a type that you wouldn't play otherwise. I don't use them now, although I admit that I did early in my golfing career.

I do sort of wish that I'd used a water ball earlier today when I yanked my approach on the 18th, and sank a brand new Pro V1x into the deep blue....

Rick

"He who has the fastest cart will never have a bad lie."

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Posted

Never played a "water ball" per se, but if I am going for a big risk/reward shot, I will switch out my warbird with the UofU logo for a regular warbird.

Dual Point 10.5 Stiff Driver
Dual Point 3 Wood
NPS-1 Irons
Dual Slot 52, 56, 60 Wedges
Newport 2


Posted
I use to in the begining but not anymore, I'd rather take my chance of losing a good ball than put the negative thoughts in my head.

Posted

Billbill13
Weekend Duffer
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Bill -- I think you need to work on your index! Your's is about 1,300 higher than mine.


Posted
Billbill13

What can I say, I'm slow learner...all those lessons at Butch Harmon's school in Vegas really helped though!


Posted
There is a 260 yard par 4 at one of the course's i play regularly. its 200 yards to the water. 235 carry over from the back tees. If im driving it straight I'll take a garbage 2 piece and try to knock it on. I've eagled the hole once, other than that i'll always play the same ball.

: 905R 9.5*
904f 15*
Baffler DWS 20*
eye 2
spin milled 54*, Vokey 58* White Hot XG #9 Pro V1x


Note: This thread is 6817 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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