Is it worth me playing a better urethane ball

[Hazza]

Hey folks,

Really loved the recent MGS ball test, it's certainly been an eye opener, having played Taylormade Burner balls (soft compression) it certainly made me re-think my ball choice.  I wanted to try a urethane covered ball so went with AD333 Tour's, they perform well with good distance drives and I think than the burners (thin the burners are 60, the tours are 70 something).

I was hoping for a bit more on approach shots to the green, I'm not talking about the ball spinning back but at least getting a little check, but it doesn't seem to be the case.

Now I'm a higher handicapper (21) and I would say driver swing speed is probably 90ish, I'm going to guess that the lack of check is down to my technique rather than the ball, with that in mind I've got two questions.

1.Am I going to be just as well off playing a ionomer covered ball and playing it to run out a little?  Sometimes I won't lose a ball other days I'll lose two or three, In the UK urethane balls are going to cost around double what an ionomer ball will.

2.Based on the MGS test a soft ball is a slow ball, do I still want to be looking for something up towards that 100 compression mark regardless of whether I go ionomer or urethane?

I'm in the UK so that determines some of the balls that are available to me.

Thanks for your time.

[PlaidJacket]

As I was reading your comment I was thinking about the MG Tour C4. $19.95/dz. However, I doubt shipping to the UK makes sense. Another one I might suggest is the TaylorMade Project A which is probably available worldwide. I think any moderately priced ball with a urethane cover will suit your game and you'd enjoy the performance. Check out the Good category in the recent ball test.

https://mygolfspy.com/most-wanted-golf-ball/

 

[tony@CIC]

1 hour ago, PlaidJacket said:

As I was reading your comment I was thinking about the MG Tour C4. $19.95/dz. However, I doubt shipping to the UK makes sense. Another one I might suggest is the TaylorMade Project A which is probably available worldwide. I think any moderately priced ball with a urethane cover will suit your game and you'd enjoy the performance. Check out the Good category in the recent ball test.

https://mygolfspy.com/most-wanted-golf-ball/

 

I switched to Project A a month ago. They worked well around the green for me as you'd expect from a urethane ball,  but I lost a lot of distance off the tee. So going back to V1x. It all depends on what you're looking for  and your price point.  

[Kanoito]

Are you able to get Vice Pro? I'm also in Europe so a lot of the US deals and prices don't apply to us (Snell for example).

Interestingly enough, I lose urethane balls much faster than ionomer balls off the tee, but on approach and around the greens the difference is night and day (currently going through lessons).

So it all depends how much you want to spend.

 

[Hazza]

45 minutes ago, Kanoito said:

Are you able to get Vice Pro? I'm also in Europe so a lot of the US deals and prices don't apply to us (Snell for example).

Interestingly enough, I lose urethane balls much faster than ionomer balls off the tee, but on approach and around the greens the difference is night and day (currently going through lessons).

So it all depends how much you want to spend.

 

Are they more wayward off the tee then?

I think this is my point, I can get urethane for £20 a dozen, but that's double ionomer and I'm not really seeing a benefit. 

[Wedgie]

I’ve shot in the 70’s 16 times in my life. All but one of those rounds I was using 2 piece non urethane balls. Mostly with Top Flite D2 Feel or Wilson Duo golf balls. My best round ever was with the Srixon Z Star. After the MGS test I’m sticking to the Z Star for two reasons, the ball test got into my head and I am confident I am getting a very consistent golf ball.

Whatever you do I think you adjust to the ball you are playing and most importantly per the testing, find one ball and stick with it.


Sent from my iPad using MyGolfSpy

[Kanoito]

1 hour ago, Hazza said:

Are they more wayward off the tee then?

I think this is my point, I can get urethane for £20 a dozen, but that's double ionomer and I'm not really seeing a benefit. 

I can't tell you whether it's because of the ball or my swing. What if the day I used ionomer I had the best driving day ever？

But I can certainly tell you that my short game benefits from the extra stopping power around the greens.

FWIW, I've shot my personal best 83 twice with urethane balls.

 

[RickyBobby_PR]

Getting stopping power on the green has several aspects. Technique, ball flight characteristics which gets back to technique a bit but also cleanliness of ball and grooves to impart spin, green conditions...ball also comes into play. I’ve seen Surlyn balls stop easily on a green even out of a bunker but a urethane ball will be easier even is some of the conditions above aren’t there

[silver & black]

Yes.

[Hazza]

Seems pretty consistent that people think a urethane would be better even if I've not got the best technique. I'm not going to pay more than £20 a dozen though due to the loss rate. Could try out the inesis balls. 

[Golfspy_CG2]

My SS is actually a mph or less than yours.  And I 100% can tell the difference around the green between a quality urethane ball (ProVX or Oncore Elixr) vs a Surlyn cover. 

Well executed chips and pitches are night and day.  Even less than perfect strikes which I certainly have-- the Urethane may roll out  a little but the Surlyn will roll well off the green. 

 

 

[00sportsman]

I would agree that a urethane ball would be better and I hope you can find one that works for you, both in price and performance.  Just yesterday I got the chance to play a Kirkland and an MG, neither of which I had played before.  Both were surprisingly good considering their inexpensive price points.  I'm a high handicapper as well, but I can definitely identify a performance improvement with a urethane ball.

[MaxEntropy]

I was playing the free sleeve of OnCore Elixers until I lost them and really liked them. To me, they seemed as good as anything else I have played. I don't know how easy they are to get in Europe, but might be worth it.

[Hazza]

Kirkland and MG balls, neither available in the UK. Encore elixir not really available in the UK other than the odd online seller and around £40 a dozen. 

[jestrella18]

I play Snell MTB Black and have used Vise Pro, Pro V1, TaylorMade Penta 5 and they're all great.  Some more expensive than others.  I tend to stay with a urethane cover as I like the softer feel ..  Vise and Snell are a great bang for your buck.  You can probably get your hands on Visa balls.  I believe they have a urethane ball as well as an ionomer ball so you can test some of theirs.  While cost can be a factor, if one ball is going to give you better (noticeable) results, then the price might be worth it.  A lot of Golf stores here in the US have started doing Golf Ball Fittings.  Maybe you can try that.  Test various balls on a simulator or Trackman, and see what gives you the best distance (and hopefully lowest dispersion) off the tee and some good spin numbers with lower irons/wedges.  

Maybe the fitting is not available.  In that case, I would say try 9 holes in the afternoon when it's not so busy and play 3 different high compression balls off the tee on a few holes and log the results.  Also, try from inside 100 yards and see which ball has the desired reaction on the green.   

[Hazza]

3 minutes ago, jestrella18 said:

I play Snell MTB Black and have used Vise Pro, Pro V1, TaylorMade Penta 5 and they're all great.  Some more expensive than others.  I tend to stay with a urethane cover as I like the softer feel ..  Vise and Snell are a great bang for your buck.  You can probably get your hands on Visa balls.  I believe they have a urethane ball as well as an ionomer ball so you can test some of theirs.  While cost can be a factor, if one ball is going to give you better (noticeable) results, then the price might be worth it.  A lot of Golf stores here in the US have started doing Golf Ball Fittings.  Maybe you can try that.  Test various balls on a simulator or Trackman, and see what gives you the best distance (and hopefully lowest dispersion) off the tee and some good spin numbers with lower irons/wedges.  

Maybe the fitting is not available.  In that case, I would say try 9 holes in the afternoon when it's not so busy and play 3 different high compression balls off the tee on a few holes and log the results.  Also, try from inside 100 yards and see which ball has the desired reaction on the green.   

Above what number would you consider to be high compression?

[jestrella18]

2 minutes ago, Hazza said:

Above what number would you consider to be high compression?

I'd say anything 90 or higher is high compression.  I really like the Snell MTB Black which has about 80 compression.  I can usually get the ball to stop after a hop or two or have minimal roll out but no matter which ball I have, I can only rarely get the ball to spin back.  So a 3-piece ball with high spin properties, urethane cover, and 80 compression does the trick.  I'm not one who hits down on the ball. I tested both the MTB Black and Red on the course.  Felt like the Black was better for me.  People always say to play lower compression during the winter to minimize the loss of distance in the cold weather.  Lower compression balls do achieve a higher COR during all weather.  But is it enough to see a big difference?  

I saw a really informative video from Snell regarding compression.  The guy basically said that lower compression is meant to give players with slower swing speeds more distance but the gain is really only a few inches.   The video makes it seem you may not even gain a foot by using a lower (70 vs 80) compression ball.  More than likely you'll still be using the same iron on your approach shot, and you want to be hitting a ball with good greenside performance.

 

[Hazza]

Thanks for that, well looking at the testing and trying to stay within budget I think the Inesis ball is probably my only option

[Hazza]

Played a little par three course today as well as doing some practicing chipping and putting with a few different balls.  Chipping and putting there wasn't much in it.  On the par 3 course the two best performing balls, and to be honest none of them really checked up much, were the AD333 tour and the Callaway CXR Power, so that's really not helped me at all lol

[Alf. S]

For the last few years for a premium ball I've played Pro V1 but as a fall back I've played Srixon balls. Our Pro has a strong relationship with Cleveland/Srixon so the balls are readily found around the course I always found the Soft Feel (Ionomer) more to my liking that either of the AD333 (Urethane) types. I didn't see must distance gain with the AD333 and liked the feel /noise better with the Soft Feel. Also the Soft Feel felt similar to the Pro V1 

You can off course get a ball fitting through your local Pro but personally I would forget trying to differentiate between them on spin and find a ball you like the feel of.