How bad are range balls?

[caniac6]

A nice country club here actually uses NXT Tours for their range balls.

[stealthduffer]

I usually only hit the range as warm up for my round - sometimes I will work on a problem but hard to do with range balls. A few years ago I played a course with Pro-V1's on the range. Only time I played worse balls on the course than on the range!

[golflovin]

Interesting read!

[HawkNballs]

Yeah, it's pretty tough to use a range for club distances.  I like to jump on to a course in the evening at the twilight rate and hit a few balls from different distances to dial it in.

Unless I've made a swing change or put new clubs in the bag (like I did this year) ... it doesn't really change for me.

[HawkNballs]

Welcome!

At my range I swear some are so used they are smooth ...

Thanks.  I need another forum to waste time on... since my Seahawks forum gets slow this time of year.  ;)

[Ernest Jones]

The range I use has shit for balls .

Must feel real soft off your irons. Lol.

[Pretzel]

Must feel real soft off your irons. Lol.

I wouldn't want to wear white shorts or pants to that range.

[casualguy393]

I wouldn't want to wear white shorts or pants to that range.

I wonder what they use to pick the "balls".

[Pretzel]

I wonder what they use to pick the "balls".

Probably little baggies, the same kind you find at dogs parks. Anyways, back on topic, has anyone else hit a range ball that looks fine at first, but flies in such a way that it's obvious there's something wrong? I'm not sure what causes these.

[Reval14]

I had a few strange experiences in winter time when it was cold. Can golf balls freeze?

[RFKFREAK]

Maybe for a sand wedge or lob wedge.

Doesn't take long on the course to get a pretty good idea how far everything goes, or you could donate some decent balls to the range by hitting some balls out of your bag at the range.

But make sure the range targets are properly marked with a range finder (many times they are not).

Wish I had one of these but spending $300-$400 is def not in my golf budget, at the moment.

[Moppy]

Wish I had one of these but spending $300-$400 is def not in my golf budget, at the moment.

Yeah, it probably would have helped my game more than the Titleist 913 D2 Adjustable driver that my wife bought me last year without asking after I had been playing for a total of two months. I do like to hit that driver though, score be damned. Actually, I am straightening it out a little and hitting a lot more fairways.

[casualguy393]

Probably little baggies, the same kind you find at dogs parks.

Anyways, back on topic, has anyone else hit a range ball that looks fine at first, but flies in such a way that it's obvious there's something wrong? I'm not sure what causes these.

I've hit a couple of those. Usually, those balls are either defects, or have had chunks taken out of them by mowers, shankers, toppers, or skullers, or could be 2 piece balls that separated a bit at impact and fluttered like a maimed dove.

[RayG]

I had a few strange experiences in winter time when it was cold. Can golf balls freeze?

If they are kept outside in the machine, then yes, they can nearly freeze. Maybe not "freeze", but become very hard and the internal elements will not react as usual. It's a double edge sword as well- This past winter my range will wash the balls when they are put into the dispenser machine. They will stay damp overnight and THAT water will freeze on the outside of the ball. If you don't notice, you get all kinds of weird aero effects. I spend a few minutes rubbing them down to warm them up *a bit*, and to get rid of the surface ice. My range replaces their balls about every 6 months- early spring and around mid-fall. I also think that MOST ranges at a course will have less consistency with their range balls, since they are probably cultivating from the rough and water balls. Upscale courses and clubs will likely have a better quality ball for range work. My range is just that- a range. And I think one of the better range facilities in the city. And I've NEVER taken distance at it's face value at a range anywhere. I'm mostly looking for flight and direction. I will pick thru the bucket and filter out the worst of them for the early swings to warm up. The better balls then get used for iron work, with the best ones for the driver to close out.

[Spitfisher]

Not terrible used range balls....about 5-10% max in difference of distance. 250 yard drive will be closer to 225-237 yards. They are alittle harder and their dimples are worn abit creating a touch more drag.

[dkolo]

Wish I had one of these but spending $300-$400 is def not in my golf budget, at the moment.

If the markers at your driving range are fixed, use Google Earth and its ruler tool to measure the distances to each of the markers. I did that to figure out how accurate the signs were and I figured out which hitting stall they were most accurate from, so now I do my best to hit exclusively from that particular stall. Even if the markers seem small or narrow, it's pretty easy to use shadows and such to spot them. Heck, I've used the tool to figure out distances on the course from tee boxes and you can easily make out the tiny tee box markers from space. Takes all of about two minutes.

[Zeph]

Hey, guys.  First post.  Just checking the site out.

There are many reasons to hate range balls, but my biggest problem is the fact that they are limited flight.  I find myself over swinging to make my lob wedge hit the 100 yard flag.  It really throws my swing and rhythm out of whack.  I've been trying to just take one more club and swing at my normal speed.

The bald knuckleball range balls are my favorite!

You know they are limited and that they won't fly as far. Why would you try hitting them the same distance as the balls you play? Is the goal to hit the ball 100 yards on the range? I focus on contact and ball flight, not caring if the ball flies shorter than my balls. After all, they are meant to do this.

Welcome to the forum, btw! Hope you'll have a good time.

[dkolo]

You know they are limited and that they won't fly as far. Why would you try hitting them the same distance as the balls you play? Is the goal to hit the ball 100 yards on the range? I focus on contact and ball flight, not caring if the ball flies shorter than my balls. After all, they are meant to do this.

Welcome to the forum, btw! Hope you'll have a good time.

I had that problem when I visited Bethpage State Park and used their driving range. I didn't realize their balls were limited (and very severely so), and was doing everything I could to get my distances. Messed up my swing for a couple of weeks.