Wedge Cutting Golf Ball

[Jon Hoover]

So I've had this happen to me several times in the last couple month's or so, its usually on a shot using either my 54 or 60, last week I had it happen 3 times in 1 round. After contact I'll notice that the shot has actually cut through the cover, its happened on full shots, check down pitches, even bunker shots. I'm thinking that I'm pinching the face between the wedge and the ground but I dunno. Has anyone ever had a similar experience?

[ccotenj]

no idea why you are doing it to that ball, but... that picture brings back memories of what golf balls used to look like after a bladed shot...

[Mac62]

So I've had this happen to me several times in the last couple month's or so, its usually on a shot using either my 54 or 60, last week I had it happen 3 times in 1 round. After contact I'll notice that the shot has actually cut through the cover, its happened on full shots, check down pitches, even bunker shots. I'm thinking that I'm pinching the face between the wedge and the ground but I dunno. Has anyone ever had a similar experience?

Yeah - years ago with balata balls.  They'd get 'smiley faces' from being cut by the bottom edge of the club when you bladed a shot.  Haven't seen it since then, though.

I doubt it's a matter of pinching the ball between the clubface and ground (that's a discussion best left for another thread, lol), especially in a bunker.  If it was a) actually possible to "pinch" a ball between the clubface and ground and b) you did it in a bunker, you'd drive the ball straight down into the sand - unless your bunkers are filled with concrete.

[Jon Hoover]

no idea why you are doing it to that ball, but...

that picture brings back memories of what golf balls used to look like after a bladed shot...

Ya but it happens on good shots, that is the odd thing.

[Jon Hoover]

Yeah - years ago with balata balls.  They'd get 'smiley faces' from being cut by the bottom edge of the club when you bladed a shot.  Haven't seen it since then, though.

I doubt it's a matter of pinching the ball between the clubface and ground (that's a discussion best left for another thread, lol), especially in a bunker.  If it was a) actually possible to "pinch" a ball between the clubface and ground and b) you did it in a bunker, you'd drive the ball straight down into the sand - unless your bunkers are filled with concrete.

The bunker shot I did it on I did catch it clean with the face all the way open and I obviously was a little thin considering that I hit the ball but it only went like 20' past the hole still on the green.

[Jon Hoover]

Its a little hard to tell from the picture but when looking at the ball the angle looks like hitting it right where the ball is resting below the grass level.

[ccotenj]

[QUOTE name="ccotenj" url="/t/83699/wedge-cutting-golf-ball#post_1180611"] no idea why you are doing it to that ball, but... that picture brings back memories of what golf balls used to look like after a bladed shot...[/QUOTE] Ya but it happens on good shots, that is the odd thing.

that is odd... while i put more than my share of "smiley faces" on balata balls, i've never managed to do it to a modern ball, and i blade plenty of them... :-)

[Jeremie Boop]

I cut a hex chrome + golf ball similar to what you show, except on mine part of the cover was even tucked into the cut making a bump. This lead me to believe it was caused by a downward strike, though I admit that was a total guess. It didn't feel or act like a bladed shot because it still got pretty high and stopped pretty quickly after it landed, but it did feel thin and go a bit longer than I wanted.

[Jon Hoover]

I cut a hex chrome + golf ball similar to what you show, except on mine part of the cover was even tucked into the cut making a bump. This lead me to believe it was caused by a downward strike, though I admit that was a total guess. It didn't feel or act like a bladed shot because it still got pretty high and stopped pretty quickly after it landed, but it did feel thin and go a bit longer than I wanted.

Exactly it doesn't look like a blade shot after its hit, and they land on the green, only when I'm cleaning the ball before my putt do i realize that this happened.

[bkuehn1952]

I have had a few ball covers crack when I continued to play the ball after it received some previous abuse (cart path).  Never cut a two or three piece ball like that.  I have seen a few balls that were discarded and had a similar cut; my assumption until now was that they had been nicked by a lawnmower.

[Jon Hoover]

Ya it just sucks having to keep pulling out more balls due to seemingly good shots that end up destroying the cover.

[ccotenj]

"smiley faces" went the way of the dinosaurs the day balata went away... i've never seen anyone "cut" a modern ball the way a balata would cut... and your pic looks exactly like a balata ball would look like after being hit "a bit thin"... i actually did a double take when i first saw the pic, as i hadn't seen a ball cut like that in a real long time.... for you to be doing it repeatedly is truly odd, especially since you aren't blading it anyway.. :hmm: what the heck is up with that?

[Dave2512]

PV1 has a soft cover. Wedges with sharp grooves will beat them up. It's more like a rip than old school cut from a bladed shot. I've seen it where there were a couple lines of wedge damage on the PV1. Change balls and see if it happens. I've never seen it on a Surlyn ball.

[Yukari]

Happens to me a few times a year. I think some covers on some of ProV1x are too soft. Just my guess. It happens when I make a clean contact too.

[Patch]

Perhaps the bounce is wrong on the clubs you are using, for the shot required. Do you notice the damage after opening the club face?

[Jon Hoover]

PV1 has a soft cover. Wedges with sharp grooves will beat them up. It's more like a rip than old school cut from a bladed shot. I've seen it where there were a couple lines of wedge damage on the PV1. Change balls and see if it happens. I've never seen it on a Surlyn ball.

Ya I'm constantly knocking the finish off the ball with the grooves where after the shot you can see part of the shavings of the skin still on the wedge but I suspect this is being caused by the leading edge not the grooves, at least when that happens I can still use the ball, but after cutting through the face its kinda worthless. I'll try changing balls see if it helps ty.

Perhaps the bounce is wrong on the clubs you are using, for the shot required. Do you notice the damage after opening the club face?

Ya the time it happened in the bunker I had the club face all the way open, although that didn't cut through the face like the picture it looked like, it was the same line on the ball but looked like a saw cut probably because of the slight amount of sand between the ball and edge at impact.

[Dave2512]

I have definitely done more than taking off finish with the PV1. Big reason I don't use them very easy to damage and expensive. If you are looking for a good ball try the Kick X ball. IMO superior to the PV1 simply because it's tougher. Though for whatever reason they stain easy. After a couple rounds I can't make them white again, the grass stains make them a brownish color.

[SavvySwede]

Before the new groove rules you could totally rip apart the side a prov1 or V1x. I'd often see strips of the cover material embedded in the grooves of fresh wedges. It would leave a smooth spot the size of a nickel on the side of the ball.