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36+ handicapper ball


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The reason I'd suggest sticking to the same ball (ANY ball) is more mental than physical. When you're just learning the game its important to know that any differences you make are due to YOU. Mentally, if I used a different ball every time, I'd always be wondering if it was me or the ball. Therefore although technically speaking at that level the ball may not be important, I believe it IS still very important!


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This is horrendous advice, IMO.  A $50 dollar ball for someone who shoots 110+ regularly?  Whose inability to generate the necessary swing speed means they will benefit neither from its distance nor its spin?.  And they probably lose at least a sleeve a round?  Did I miss the part where the OP said he was independently wealthy?  Even the notion of using the same ball to eliminate variables is a little ludicrous for a player whose whole game is full of variables to the extent that eliminating any one of them is going to be of no effect.  And eliminating that one variable that probably has less effect than all of those other variables that need to get fixed at the swing level.  Which is where the OPs attention should be aimed, not in worrying about what ball to play. When you mention them you should also mention that they are illegal under USGA rules.

Playing with the same ball is a smart idea. Eliminating variability is good. They won't be 36+ handicap forever I'm betting. As for the Polara, it is Illegal for USGA events. I'm sure that's the last of a 36+ handicaps worries. :-D

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Playing with the same ball is a smart idea. Eliminating variability is good. They won't be 36+ handicap forever I'm betting.

As for the Polara, it is Illegal for USGA events. I'm sure that's the last of a 36+ handicaps worries.

It's illegal according to the rules of golf. It doesn't matter the event, or if there is an event at all.

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Playing with the same ball is a smart idea. Eliminating variability is good. They won't be 36+ handicap forever I'm betting.

As for the Polara, it is Illegal for USGA events. I'm sure that's the last of a 36+ handicaps worries.

Smart idea?  99.5% of the variability of the results of a 36 capper are the direct result of their bad swing.  Paying $30 extra PER DOZEN to eliminate the 0.5% of the variability that MIGHT be caused by the golf ball is a massively misplaced priority in how to address the needs of a 36 capper.  Better to spend that money on lessons and range balls.

And when they aren't a 36 capper they can worry about what ball to play and look for something better.  I do not believe there is the slightest advantage, either physical or mental, to using the same ball for a 36 capper.

How funny it is that you suggest that a 36 capper will not be one forever, yet you are trying to kneecap their game by getting them dependent on an illegal golf ball to fix a swing fault that should be addressed with their swing, not their ball.

IMO recommending that illegal ball to help someone stop slicing is tantamount to golf malpractice.  All it does is make sure they never fix their swing to get rid of the slice.

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But then again, what the hell do I know?

Rich - in name only

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Smart idea?  99.5% of the variability of the results of a 36 capper are the direct result of their bad swing.  Paying $30 extra PER DOZEN to eliminate the 0.5% of the variability that MIGHT be caused by the golf ball is a massively misplaced priority in how to address the needs of a 36 capper.  Better to spend that money on lessons and range balls.

I agree.

Play cheap balls, play more often, etc.

Heck, in the spring (the greens being soft helps a LOT), I play with Pinnacles or other cheap stuff because I don't want to lose a $4 ball (and because, like a 36 handicapper, the spin and such is unnecessary).

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Did I miss the part where the OP said he was independently wealthy?  Even the notion of using the same ball to eliminate variables is a little ludicrous for a player whose whole game is full of variables to the extent that eliminating any one of them is going to be of no effect.  And eliminating that one variable that probably has less effect than all of those other variables that need to get fixed at the swing level.  Which is where the OPs attention should be aimed, not in worrying about what ball to play.

No, but you may have missed where he mentioned the pro v in the OP, and where i said 'then go for the pro v1/x if you want to . He may be wealthy enough to afford it, does he say he isn't?

You're welcome to your opinion, as am I to mine, but using a similar ball helped me as going from a decent mid-range ball to a rock solid bottom of the pile ball played havoc with trying to find my range distance-wise, especially when I was in the early learning stages, as he is.

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Originally Posted by turtleback

Smart idea?  99.5% of the variability of the results of a 36 capper are the direct result of their bad swing.  Paying $30 extra PER DOZEN to eliminate the 0.5% of the variability that MIGHT be caused by the golf ball is a massively misplaced priority in how to address the needs of a 36 capper.  Better to spend that money on lessons and range balls.

I agree.

Play cheap balls, play more often, etc.

Heck, in the spring (the greens being soft helps a LOT), I play with Pinnacles or other cheap stuff because I don't want to lose a $4 ball (and because, like a 36 handicapper, the spin and such is unnecessary).

Usually I agree with you guys on most topics, but in this case I think we are seeing things a bit differently. I certainly don't advocate $4 golf balls for high caps but I do recommend playing the same ball (or very similar). I agree that a 36 cap (or even a 20 for that matter) won't see any real benefit to "eliminating the variables" on full swing aspects of the game, hell at our caps we're just happy to get it airborne and in the right general direction! It's the short game stuff were someone who is observant can gain some advantage from using the same ball because you'll know what to expect on roll out. Chipping and pitching is fairly easy to get moderately competent at and most (if not all) golfers become pretty profiecient with these types of shots LONG before they have any semblance of a reliable long game.

So I say find a relatively cheap ball that you like the feel of and use it. Don't go buying ProV and Pentas and what not because the high cap doesn't have the mechanics to gain any advantage from the these high tech balls but don't pull out a completely different make and model of ball on every other hole. Realistically, it's not going to cost you any more money to keep buying the same cheap ball than it is to keep buying different cheap balls and relearning how they behave around the green.

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. . .mentioned the pro v in the OP, and where i said 'then go for the pro v1/x if you want to. He may be wealthy enough to afford it, does he say he isn't?

You're welcome to your opinion, as am I to mine, but using a similar ball helped me as going from a decent mid-range ball to a rock solid bottom of the pile ball played havoc with trying to find my range distance-wise, especially when I was in the early learning stages, as he is.

A good ball makes the impact feel much nicer on the club face too.

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Maybe I'm missing something here, but I don's see how buying a better quality USED ball from someplace like lostgolfballs isn't the best answer.

Taylormade RBZ urethane 2nd quality are $6.99 per doz. Sure, he's got to buy 14 dozen (180) to get get free shipping,  but given given people talking about how many he will lose, it would seem he would need a large supply. And at 58 cents per ball, it's less expensive than new Pinnacle Gold or Laddie balls. Plus, he's unlikely to outgrow the TM urethane ball before he goes through his suppluy.

Even the numbers on the used 1st quality RBZ urethane (83 cents each) work out better than buying new low end balls.

How is buying a better quality ball for less money not the right answer?

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Smart idea?  99.5% of the variability of the results of a 36 capper are the direct result of their bad swing.  Paying $30 extra PER DOZEN to eliminate the 0.5% of the variability that MIGHT be caused by the golf ball is a massively misplaced priority in how to address the needs of a 36 capper.  Better to spend that money on lessons and range balls.   And when they aren't a 36 capper they can worry about what ball to play and look for something better.  I do not believe there is the slightest advantage, either physical or mental, to using the same ball for a 36 capper.   How funny it is that you suggest that a 36 capper will not be one forever, yet you are trying to kneecap their game by getting them dependent on an illegal golf ball to fix a swing fault that should be addressed with their swing, not their ball.   IMO recommending that illegal ball to help someone stop slicing is tantamount to golf malpractice.  All it does is make sure they never fix their swing to get rid of the slice.

I said SAME ball, not EXPENSIVE ball. You added that. If you're going to argue about something, be aware of what you're arguing about. For that matter it doesn't need to be exactly the same ball, but I don't recommend using a Pro V1 for one shot, then a Pinnacle the next. Initially it won't matter, but at some point it will. What is that point?One of the things you learn along the way to reduce strokes is to learn how your ball reacts. A 36+ handicap probably takes a lot of short games strokes, chipping and putting with a similar ball will help.

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Maybe I'm missing something here, but I don's see how buying a better quality USED ball from someplace like lostgolfballs isn't the best answer.

Taylormade RBZ urethane 2nd quality are $6.99 per doz. Sure, he's got to buy 14 dozen (180) to get get free shipping,  but given given people talking about how many he will lose, it would seem he would need a large supply. And at 58 cents per ball, it's less expensive than new Pinnacle Gold or Laddie balls. Plus, he's unlikely to outgrow the TM urethane ball before he goes through his suppluy.

Even the numbers on the used 1st quality RBZ urethane (83 cents each) work out better than buying new low end balls.

How is buying a better quality ball for less money not the right answer?

I agree with you that there are lots of places that sell refurbished or used premium balls.

I'm a little pissed off that I lost a ball today (It was a present, and I only had 2 full rounds with it). I drove it into some trees, and I think the crows that were hanging around my ball took it. I needed to walk back to the tee box and re-hit.

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I said SAME ball, not EXPENSIVE ball. You added that. If you're going to argue about something, be aware of what you're arguing about.

For that matter it doesn't need to be exactly the same ball, but I don't recommend using a Pro V1 for one shot, then a Pinnacle the next. Initially it won't matter, but at some point it will. What is that point?One of the things you learn along the way to reduce strokes is to learn how your ball reacts. A 36+ handicap probably takes a lot of short games strokes, chipping and putting with a similar ball will help.

Oh, just stop.  You told him to buy a $30/dz illegal ball.  To a 36 capper that is waaaay too much money to pay for golf balls unless money is just no object at all. You can easily get 2 dozen balls and get back change for $30.  The argument is the same if the capper is paying $20 more or $30 more.  The money s far better spent playing ,practicing, or getting instruction.

Not to mention that it is illegal.  And your concern about the capper someday noticing that different (legal) balls react differently, when your recommendation is just knee-capping him for the future day when he finds out that legal golf balls perform differently than illegal golf balls, is beyond laughable.  You are so concerned about variability between different types of legal balls but ignore the big difference between legal and illegal golf balls?  OK, then.

But then again, what the hell do I know?

Rich - in name only

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Kind of funny,

I went to the used golf ball sites referenced in many of the posts above and it seems they have inventories of mostly high end balls like the Pro V.

Does that mean that those are the ones that get lost the most?

Is it from high handicappers like me trying to play them?

Just an observation.

Don

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My guess is the reason you see so few cheap balls at used golf ball sites is there is no profit in recycling them. The final cost must include:

1) selling price of ball to recycler

2) cost to ship ball to recycler

3) cost of recycler sorting the ball

4) cost of recycler cleaning the ball

5) cost to ship ball from recycler to customer

How much would the typical golfer be willing to pay for a lower tier ball (considering you can get a used mid tier ball for about 50 cents each)? A quarter maybe. 25 cents isn't enough to cover the cost of the 5 items above and allow the recycler to make a profit.

Low end balls probably never get sent to a recycler in the first place. They probably get sold to local courses to use are range balls.

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My guess is the reason you see so few cheap balls at used golf ball sites is there is no profit in recycling them. The final cost must include:

1) selling price of ball to recycler

2) cost to ship ball to recycler

3) cost of recycler sorting the ball

4) cost of recycler cleaning the ball

5) cost to ship ball from recycler to customer

How much would the typical golfer be willing to pay for a lower tier ball (considering you can get a used mid tier ball for about 50 cents each)? A quarter maybe. 25 cents isn't enough to cover the cost of the 5 items above and allow the recycler to make a profit.

Low end balls probably never get sent to a recycler in the first place. They probably get sold to local courses to use are range balls.

Many of the cheaper balls also don't last as long.

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Many of the cheaper balls also don't last as long.

Really?  How cheap are we talking about here?  Because I don't think I've EVER had a ball "go bad" on me except a balata from way back in the day.  And those were the most expensive, not the cheapest.

Balls these days - ALL BALLS - are really ****ing durable.

What @turtleback back said a few days ago is absolutely true; any ball that a 36 handicapper uses is going to be lost before it "breaks."  Same is even true for almost all golfers and even one 5.4 handicapper I know.  The only balls that aren't still usable for me are the ones that are in forested and wet graveyards somewhere.  If it's in my bag, it's playable.

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Many of the cheaper balls also don't last as long.

Huh?  Do you have any links, data, or source for this?  The only reason that cheaper balls might not last as long is that they are being played by lesser skilled players and therefore are lost at a faster rate.  I cant imagine there is any less physical durability associated with cheaper balls.  If anything I would imagine that the softer urethane covers of the more expensive balls would make them less durable.

But I cannot remember the last time I took a ball out of play because it was damaged, cheap or expensive.

But then again, what the hell do I know?

Rich - in name only

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

Many of the cheaper balls also don't last as long.

Huh?  Do you have any links, data, or source for this?  The only reason that cheaper balls might not last as long is that they are being played by lesser skilled players and therefore are lost at a faster rate.  I cant imagine there is any less physical durability associated with cheaper balls.  If anything I would imagine that the softer urethane covers of the more expensive balls would make them less durable.

But I cannot remember the last time I took a ball out of play because it was damaged, cheap or expensive.

I didn't do a controlled experiment, but since I play a lot (obviously). Many times if I am stuck waiting for people, I might hit 10 shots per hole. Could be around 250 shots per full round (practice rounds, of course). Having a monthly pass does have its privileges. . .

Well, I noticed that iron shots with the cheaper balls start to sound funny even after a few holes and more so after a round or two. I would change out the old cheap balls for the new ones and the new ones would sound fine while their older counterparts would feel and sound kind of "dead". I would do this for several holes until the "new" ones are "old", then I pull out a new one and find the same trend.

I also played 4 rounds with a single Pro-V1x ball, and the ball just had a few scuff marks on them so I "retired" it. The Pro-V1/x balls seem to last a long time and still have that nice feel off the face of my irons.

Could be entirely "feel", but that's what I've observed.

And no, I am not endorsing just T brand premium balls. Lethals, Z-star and other premium balls are very similar.

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Note: This thread is 3389 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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