How To Plan A Ball Test?

[Severtheties]

Only if I plan to play little turtle again

Well you should. They have a SIM now too for the winter. I haven't got on it yet but plan to soon.

 

 

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[PlaidJacket]

Don't get all bogged down in data and testing on a trackman etc. Honestly I think at times we get to granular and into the weeds with all the testing etc. We make this game out to be more than it is sometimes. Like many advised... just take some balls out on the course and try them out and see what you think. You'll find one or more that's a good fit for your game and style of play. Have fun and don't worry about it.

[chisag]

Don't get all bogged down in data and testing on a trackman etc. Honestly I think at times we get to granular and into the weeds with all the testing etc. We make this game out to be more than it is sometimes. Like many advised... just take some balls out on the course and try them out and see what you think. You'll find one or more that's a good fit for your game and style of play. Have fun and don't worry about it.

 

... I am sure there are others that suffer from this but an indoor LM does not help me very much. I play golf trying to hit a specific distance to a specific target or as long as I can off the tee with a driver at a specific target in the distance. This is how my brain is wired to hit a golf ball and it is inclusive of my swing on any given day, the conditions, the target and whether or not it is a full swing. Hitting with an indoor LM for me is akin to playing a video game of golf using a real club. My numbers are vastly different with an outdoor monitor where I am hitting to a target and can see my trajectory because indoors I am only concentrating on my swing not a target, something I never do on the course. 

 

... And agree 100% Plaid. Hitting real chips/pitches to a real flag on a real green under real life conditions is the only way to judge a golf balls short game performance. Perhaps there are younger players that grew up with LM's and video that feel differently, but for most is us real world conditions give us real world results. 

 

[chershey]

Another consideration may be the new Callaway Chrome Soft X ball coming out in January. The Z-Star XV is a great ball if you start from there. I also like the Nike RZN black if you can still find them.

[drewneddy]

I played every ball for a couple rounds in the Titleist product line two summers ago.

 

The results of what ball I prefer and provided best results were almost embarrassing - Velocity.

 

Now have I trusted the process and results I saw and felt over several rounds and purchased several dozen to play every round with?

 

Not yet...

 

 

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[mdumble21]

Great thoughts Shawn, have you tried any of the Wilson Staff Duo's?  Duo(29 compression $22) Duo Spin(35 compression $27) Duo U(55 compression $38)

 

I just got some Duo Spin & Duo U's last week at our Club Christmas Dinner and am liking the Duo U....great spin around the green with Urethane cover and long off the Tee.  Also, they are very durable.  I will try to Spin & Regulars later this winter.  Right now it's in the 80* range so the Duo U's are working fine.

 

I'm a Wilson ball guy as well at the moment. I currently game the FG Tour Ball, which I initially bought on a whim from a local golf course a few months ago, and fell in love with since. It has similar characteristics to a Pro V1, but feels slightly softer and works very well for me around the greens. 

 

If Wilson's weren't your thing, I'd go for what other members have suggested - the B330s are easily some of the best balls on the market (and I would happily go for a dozen of them myself), the Srixon Q-Stars (I don't like the feel of the Z-Stars - too hard) are always a decent ball, the Callaway Chrome/SuperSoft are good alternatives (albeit a bit spinny for me), and the Titliest Pro V1s are the best balls on the market for a reason (although that price ALWAYS puts me off them!!!).

 

As for working out which one's best for you, it's the simplest but most time-consuming (and expensive) - just play 9/18 holes with them at your local course. I find the best way to do this though to play exclusively with only one brand of ball you want, so that you can properly focus on how the ball reacts to your swing and overall game.

[revkev]

That last paragraph was key. There are probably a half dozen balls that will work and perform similarly to each other for you.

 

Pick one, buy 4 dozen or so and use it for the season and enjoy.

 

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[Fivesome]

I think there is a little give and take with all golf balls.  One may perform better around the green but not off the tee, and vice versa with others.  The problem is deciding which is more important to your game and scoring.  

 

I know you said they KSigs are out of the question because you are not a Costco member, but you can order online (when available) without being a member. 

[Canada Golf Nut]

 Hi there, since you are a 15 handicap I would focus mostly on a ball for distance I assume your club head speed isn't incredibly high so a ball focused more a distance will be perfect for your game from a control and distance standpoint I would try one of these http://www.grumpygopher.com/10-best-golf-balls-distance/

[null]

 

Couldn't disagree more. Work from the green back

[PMookie]

The last couple of years I've had the opportunity to be a tester for different ball manufacturers and all I've ever done is compare on-course. I have taken as many as 7 different balls out at one time and hit them around the green, putted with them (believe it or not, not all balls putt the same distance), hit half wedges, full wedges, approaches with various irons at various distances, then hybrids, fairway metals off the turf and off the tee, and obviously off the tee box with driver. I logged distances, chip results, rollout, dispersion, launch and spin based on just eyesight, etc, etc, etc. Ultimately, when I've narrowed down things, for me, I like a certain sound and feel... When one sees results from all of these "real life" tests, and a choice is made between two or three balls, it always comes to feel/sound for me. Every time.

I always gravitate toward the balls like the XV/TPX/B330/Pro V1X, etc, but I've also spent so much time comparing all of these balls against each other to differentiate the nuances.

Anyway. Real-life, on-course, for me has always been the best way to go.

Drop 6 balls at 150, 5-6 times, write down where they ended-up... Same at 100, 50, around the green, then putt from 5, 10, 15, 20, 40 feet, then go to the tee boxes, charting all of it. It won't take long to eliminate options... I promise!

 

 

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