using different golf balls

[seagullplayer]

You know I just had this very thought today.  I am not even sure when I last hit a new ball!

My brother gave me a bag of 50 be bought off a guy for ten cents each.  I picked a couple dozen

of the best looking ones out and have been playing with them.

My preference is an insignia ball, so I can spot it as mine.

Maybe I should buy a few new ones to play with on the course...

If I thought that would be a real game changer for me, I would stop on the way home.

I do have a few new ones around, I will make it a point to use one next trip out.  I'm glad someone brought it up.

[belgbael]

For my game ilke the 3 layer balls, i only hit 5 layer on short par 3s for the soft landing, i tend to roll the ball to the flag stick, even when shipping around the green. The 5layer ball i have the tendency to leave then short beacuse of the backsping it makes in my short game

[Dave40]

I always like trying a new ball when I get the chance.  It's part of the fun of golf to try different equipment.

I prefer orange golf balls, so that limits my choices.  The two I use the most are the Wilson Staff Fifty in orange as my inexpensive ball and the orange Volvik Vista iV as my premium ball.

[savosean]

I use nike tour D golf Balls or Titleist Prov1X ... Either of the two don't seem to change my consistency much

[tiger187126]

i use a lot of different kinds and i'll use ones i find on the course as i play. i actually had a few good holes with a ladies pink ball the other week.

i put a triangle of three dots on the two bare sides of the ball. that way when i reach into the bag and don't pay attention to what ball i grab i can tell by the three dots that it's mine.

bailed me out a few times when guys want to take credit for your drive because you're both playing the same ball. you see your mark and know for sure it's your ball so you can go help them look OOB for theirs.

for example:

me and a random golfer that i got paired up with didn't discuss what kind of ball we were playing before the round. (we're not on tour). we both hit into the same dogleg. when we got up there there were two e6s sitting next to each other and we realized we played the same ball. i was able to identify mine by the mark and could see the green from just off the fairway, his shot was a little further into the dogleg and he had to hit sideways before taking a shot at the green.

i carry a marker on my bag and it takes two seconds to throw a couple dots on it.

[Topper]

I'm not fussy regarding my golf ball and tend to play non-urethane covered balls.  This summer, the primary (but certainly not only) ball I've been playing is the Srixon Trispeed Tour...because they're on sale for $17.50 and I really like the yellow color.  But I'll use different color balls during the same round, especially when I need to hit a provisional.  For a provisional, I'll hit a white ball....usually a Srixon Soft Feel, Top Flite Gamer,.....or whatever is in my bag.

[Chris223]

Originally Posted by dbuck

I am not very loyal to anything. I like the feel of Titleist SoLo's and Bridgestone 330 RX's but I will also use ProV's as well as Noodles! The e series Bridgestones are great balls, but don't do it for me, but I am thinking of trying the Fix. I went to a Bridgestone fitting and was kinda on the edge between the 330 and 330 RX. I think I hit the 330 a little farther but the RX felt better. If I had to settle on one (or two), it might be the SoLo's for day in day out use, and the 330 or 330 RX for my premium tournament ball.

I have been using the DT SoLo for some time now and really like it... hard to beat for $19.  I switched to it from the e6 which I had been using almost exclusively for 2 years.  The Titleist feels a little softer off the irons and seems to stop better on the greens and I hit it just as far.  I recently played a round again with the e6 and it just felt like a rock almost off some shots.

My questions to you is how does the 330 RX compare in feel to the SoLo?  I was talking to the on staff PGA Pro at my local Dick's and he said the 330RX would feel a lot better and softer than a DT since it's a tour ball for amatuers and the DT is Titleists entry level price point ball.  I can't decide between the RX and RXS.  He told me based off of what I was telling him I prefer in my ball the RXS would be best, I almost bought the optic yellow RX's (since I prefer to play yellow balls because I see them so much better), but instead I bought a dozen NXT Tour S balls in yellow.  Maybe next time I'll try the RX.

[dbuck]

Well, to me, the Bridgestone 330RX does feel a little better, but it should since it costs almost twice as much. It is true that there is a lot more technology in it; it is Bridgestone's top quality ball vs the Solo is Titleist's lower end. I don't think it is twice the ball. That said, I have an unopened box of Solo's in the closet that I am thinking of exchanging for RX's. I play a good bit with blades and persimmon (no I don't think I am that good-I just enjoy the nostalgia) and the RX's seem more responsive on those clubs as well as on my other clubs. If I was picking between the RX's and NXT's, I think I would go RX as they are only about $6/dozen more. A little harder to justify the difference in price between the Solo's and RX's though. Well a lot of words to not answer your question, but at our handicap level I don't think we get twice the benefit from the RX, but it is very good and I like it a little better.

[Chris223]

thanks for your input. I'll try out these NXT Tour S balls i bought before i try anything else. i may not be a low handicapper but its around the green where I need the help stopping the ball so I prefer something soft that stops. He also told me if I was playing the DT's and liking them the NXT Tour S would be even softer, stop quicker and spin more around the green, for $30 figured I'd give them a try. we'll see. my brother in law typically shoots mid 80's or lower depending on the course and he typically plays whatever bag walmart has in those orange onion sacks lol. he doesn't believe me that if you play just one kind of a good to high quality ball you might drop a couple strokes per rnd... not necessarily because the ball is so good but because you'll know what its going to do when you hit it vs the mixture of brand balls he buys in those used sacks lol

[ottor]

Used to play the ProV's and changed out mid year .... went to the Bridgestone E6 yellow and noticed no difference in my scores...   3 weeks ago we had our League playoffs, and I purchased and used 6 for $7.00 "SpongeBob" balls ...  Team mates were a little dismayed and gave me a bunch of sh*t, but .... we won and placed first.  My score was, again, an average score (39).   Yes, balls are different, but I don't think they really end up making very much difference in the end score.   (they actually putt very well !!) Not something I'll use again, but was fun to play with my team mates, as well as a stupid yellow ball with a sponge face on it!   Was a fun night....

[rkim291968]

Well, if you are seriously keeping scores and handicap index, be aware that you can't use different balls in the same round.

[Righty to Lefty]

Originally Posted by rkim291968

Well, if you are seriously keeping scores and handicap index, be aware that you can't use different balls in the same round.

That is not true:

One Ball Rule Several people have asked about having to play the same make of golf ball during a round of golf. The USGA rules allow you to use any ball on it's approved ball list whenever substitution is allowed (between holes, when ball is damaged, etc). Some events, like PGA Tour events, use what is called "The One Ball Rule". This rule does NOT apply unless the tournament committee imposes this one ball rule in it's local rules or conditions of the competition.

In the back of the USGA Rule Book, in Appendix I, the USGA suggests and writes that during a stipulated round, the balls a player plays must be of the same brand and model as detailed by a single entry on the List of Conforming Golf Balls. (Here is the link to the List of Conforming Golf Balls . It changes occasionally.) That means if you play a PRO V1x for your first shot, you must play a PRO V1x for every shot of your stipulated round.

This "One Ball Rule" is usually just used for competitions with advanced players but the committee could do it for any event. It must be listed in the local rules for the competition. Otherwise, if you start with a Titleist, you could switch to a Callaway, Nike or any ball of your choice when the rules allow you to substitute a ball (like between holes).

[Hardballs]

I think all brands probably have a ball suitable for every standard of players needs! wether it be a high end urethane tour ball, a low end 2 piece distance ball, and everything in between! I would suggest pick your favourite brand (if you have one?) and then work your way through them till you find "the one" Alternatively, if you know what type of ball you prefer, try that type in each brand till you find "the one" Then source quality used ones on eBay at a fraction of the price! I chose the e6 & the RX and won't be changing unless my swing speed dramatically rises! The reason I won't switch is because I'm now used to the feel off the putter and chips on to the green, I now know how the ball sounds and behaves, and when I tap a different ball I can tell immediately and I don't like it, I've heard some say mine feel like rocks! Whatever! When I tapped a top flight recently it felt like a ping pong ball, it doesn't matter what it feels like to someone else! I believe to improve ya putting and chipping you should find a ball and stick to it!

[joekelly]

Yeah, me too. I find balls in the bush, in the water, in the rough, even in the grass near the green and i throw them into the bag. Evening comes I clean them up, mark them with my mark, toss into the work bag. Next day use any ball that comes to hand. Oh, some days choose Yellow over White for visual  but otherwise can never find any difference between balls. And most importantly, i never get possessive about 'good v. bad' balls. Each ball to each shot.  I think it's rather like pianos. If you are a 'concert hall' quality pianist then maybe you can tell the difference between Steinway and Yamaha. But if not that good, you are wasting your time and money believing any difference between golf balls.

[Chris223]

^ going to have to disagree. I am no ball snob and far from a great player as I typically shoot low to mid 90's. but several years back I played slazengers since dicks always have them on sale. then I switched to the e6 and now I play the DT SoLo. Even tho the DT is not a super soft ball I can tell the different between it and the old slazengers or even the e6. I prefer softer feel. I am not a long hitter either but I much prefer a softer feel off the iron vs a couple extra yards on the one good shot I'll hit with my driver each round

[Dave40]

I always thought the e6 felt quite a bit softer than almost all the others. I haven't used the newer ones with the dual dimples though. So is the e6 the same compression as the solo now?

[rkim291968]

That is not true:

One Ball Rule Several people have asked about having to play the same make of golf ball during a round of golf. The USGA rules allow you to use any ball on it's approved ball list whenever substitution is allowed (between holes, when ball is damaged, etc). Some events, like PGA Tour events, use what is called "The One Ball Rule". This rule does NOT apply unless the tournament committee imposes this one ball rule in it's local rules or conditions of the competition.

In the back of the USGA Rule Book, in Appendix I, the USGA suggests and writes that during a stipulated round, the balls a player plays must be of the same brand and model as detailed by a single entry on the List of Conforming Golf Balls. (Here is the link to the List of Conforming Golf Balls. It changes occasionally.) That means if you play a PRO V1x for your first shot, you must play a PRO V1x for every shot of your stipulated round.

This "One Ball Rule" is usually just used for competitions with advanced players but the committee could do it for any event. It must be listed in the local rules for the competition. Otherwise, if you start with a Titleist, you could switch to a Callaway, Nike or any ball of your choice when the rules allow you to substitute a ball (like between holes).

Good to know there is a flexibility for us amateurs.

[PerthLefty]

For the last few years I have been using Srixon. I am liking the Q Star at the moment.  Seem to be working for me