Balls ? Which one ?

[Sparkee]

Good day , my name is Sparky , I am a 62 year old retired electrician . I have been golfing for 40 years never more than 20 games a year til I got into my fifties . My game count has been rising steadily, since retiring at age 59 annual game count is approximately 120. After reading the latest articles on which ball to use I am still trying to find my ball . I have a driver swing speed of 90 mph , ball distance is approximately 220 yds. My 7 iron is 75 mph , distance 145. What are all you other older players using these days and why ? I have tried a lot of balls and to tell you the truth any of the premium balls all seem to behave the same . I have been staying with the urethane balls. Oh one other comment during the telecast of the BMW today I heard Azinger suggest that the pros are using two balls in there tournament rounds . A high spin ball on the par threes and possibly some shaft par 4s. A low spin ball on the driver holes . Any truth to that comment ?

[cnosil]

Good day , my name is Sparky , I am a 62 year old retired electrician . I have been golfing for 40 years never more than 20 games a year til I got into my fifties . My game count has been rising steadily, since retiring at age 59 annual game count is approximately 120. After reading the latest articles on which ball to use I am still trying to find my ball . I have a driver swing speed of 90 mph , ball distance is approximately 220 yds. My 7 iron is 75 mph , distance 145. What are all you other older players using these days and why ? I have tried a lot of balls and to tell you the truth any of the premium balls all seem to behave the same . I have been staying with the urethane balls. Oh one other comment during the telecast of the BMW today I heard Azinger suggest that the pros are using two balls in there tournament rounds . A high spin ball on the par threes and possibly some shaft par 4s. A low spin ball on the driver holes . Any truth to that comment ?

I like you find that most premium balls perform the same. Pick on you like from a cost perspective and play that ball

I didn’t hear azingers comment, but professionals have a condition of play that states that they play a single brand/model for the entire round.

[jbsdaddy]

There are so many balls!! And they are so good. My spec's are close to yours. I got back into golf 3 years ago and the biggest thing I faced on my return was the ball selection. I played everything. Everything. There are many I like. The one I kept coming back to was the Srixon Q Star Tour. It just feels 'right' to me. 

I would suggest trying all the balls you are comfortable paying for. Lots of companies do 'Buy one Get one', or some such thing. My QST's are last years model, for almost half the price of the current year model.

No one can tell you what is right FOR YOU. You'll get lots of great suggestions, and all the balls recommended will be good.

You are just going to have to hit a bunch of them to find what works best for you. Try buying sleeves of three at golf shops, and look for sales.  And enjoy the process. Maybe keep a log so you can refer back to it and narrow down you choices. 

[RickyBobby_PR]

If all the urethane balls perform about the same find the one that works best for you around the greens and with partial shots

[Kenny B]

9 hours ago, Sparkee said:

Good day , my name is Sparky , I am a 62 year old retired electrician . I have been golfing for 40 years never more than 20 games a year til I got into my fifties . My game count has been rising steadily, since retiring at age 59 annual game count is approximately 120. After reading the latest articles on which ball to use I am still trying to find my ball . I have a driver swing speed of 90 mph , ball distance is approximately 220 yds. My 7 iron is 75 mph , distance 145. What are all you other older players using these days and why ? I have tried a lot of balls and to tell you the truth any of the premium balls all seem to behave the same . I have been staying with the urethane balls. Oh one other comment during the telecast of the BMW today I heard Azinger suggest that the pros are using two balls in there tournament rounds . A high spin ball on the par threes and possibly some shaft par 4s. A low spin ball on the driver holes . Any truth to that comment ?

You are correct that the premium balls behave the same, especially with our low swing speeds.  But I have found that some feel better to me.  Make a choice on a ball starting with putting, chipping, and pitch shots; then full wedges.  

If you like the urethane balls and don't want to pay premium price, check out the direct-to-consumer balls.  Try the Snell MTB-X.  You're welcome.

[MadMex]

Am 58, my 7 iron carry is 160 according to several "lasered" shots and tracker shots,,,  drive about 250, so you and I are close

For me, the Kirkland 3 piece urethane has worked wonders! It's a hop and stop for me and the feeling rivals the Prov-V1, at about $1 a ball, it has also speed up my game since if I don't find it right away, no biggie, drop another and play on.

[NRJyzr]

On 8/31/2020 at 7:54 AM, RickyBobby_PR said:

If all the urethane balls perform about the same find the one that works best for you around the greens and with partial shots

What RickyBobby said....

[chisag]

... 120 rounds can make cost a factor. I play about twice that many rounds and use PRACTICE balls for a lot of my casual rounds. I just picked up 5 dozen TP5 PRACTICE balls and they should last me for some time. $100 for 5 dozen PRACTICE TP5 balls taking advantage of free shipping with a $99 purchase compared to $225 for full retail makes them a little easier to lose or get scuffed by a cart path. 

https://www.golfdiscount.com/taylormade-tp5-practice-bagged-golf-balls?___store=default&nosto=frontpage-nosto-2

[tony@CIC]

On 8/31/2020 at 9:12 AM, Kenny B said:

 Try the Snell MTB-X.  

[BMart519]

Bridgestone Tour B XS or RX, get AAAA grade used balls for under $2/ball. There is minimal difference in quality between AAAA and mint especially for handicap golfers. 

[Buffly]

On 9/11/2020 at 2:56 PM, BMart519 said:

Bridgestone Tour B XS or RX, get AAAA grade used balls for under $2/ball. There is minimal difference in quality between AAAA and mint especially for handicap golfers. 

I do NOT recommend that. 

Recycled balls are not reliable for the money. 

I second what others said with practice balls, kirkland Costco balls, and add one more - the Taylormade Project (a) in that order. 

[HAC]

On 8/31/2020 at 7:51 AM, cnosil said:

 

I like you find that most premium balls perform the same. Pick on you like from a cost perspective and play that ball

 

 

That is what I do.  I am 65 and my distances are around the same as those of the OP.  Earlier this year, Srixon had a two for one sale and I got some Z stars for $20 a dozen.  I also found on the web last year's TP 5 for $30 a dozen. From what I can tell, I have enough balls to last me through this season and probably into next year.  My hope would be that next year I will find comparable sales.

[DiscipleofPenick]

I do NOT recommend that. 
Recycled balls are not reliable for the money. 
I second what others said with practice balls, kirkland Costco balls, and add one more - the Taylormade Project (a) in that order. 

I believe the Project (a) is discontinued, it's the Project (s) now, just for clarification. I agree that it is a very good ball. The (s) also comes in matte colors for those interested.

Take Dead Aim

[storm319]

20 minutes ago, Tsmithjr9 said:

I believe the Project (a) is discontinued, it's the Project (s) now, just for clarification. I agree that it is a very good ball. The (s) also comes in matte colors for those interested.

Take Dead Aim
 

Completely different balls. The Project(a) was a 3-piece urethane cover vs Project(s) was a 3-piece ionomer cover. For 2020 the Project(a) was replaced by the Tour Response and the Project(s) was replaced by the Soft Response. 

[DiscipleofPenick]

Completely different balls. The Project(a) was a 3-piece urethane cover vs Project(s) was a 3-piece ionomer cover. For 2020 the Project(a) was replaced by the Tour Response and the Project(s) was replaced by the Soft Response. 

Ohhhhhh, that's where the Tour Response came from. That ball is gooooood.

Take Dead Aim

[Buffly]

2 hours ago, Tsmithjr9 said:

I believe the Project (a) is discontinued, it's the Project (s) now, just for clarification. I agree that it is a very good ball. The (s) also comes in matte colors for those interested.

Take Dead Aim
 

Officially it is discontinued but, a few can still be had:

https://www.golfdiscount.com/taylormade-project-a-proto-golf-balls?gclid=Cj0KCQjwk8b7BRCaARIsAARRTL5fW4DZHkPUmc-iIOvhYVZyUz5r5_mmlgfwzP3iDm41IzCxLYJMxPUaAg5iEALw_wcB

[DiscipleofPenick]

Officially it is discontinued but, a few can still be had:
https://www.golfdiscount.com/taylormade-project-a-proto-golf-balls?gclid=Cj0KCQjwk8b7BRCaARIsAARRTL5fW4DZHkPUmc-iIOvhYVZyUz5r5_mmlgfwzP3iDm41IzCxLYJMxPUaAg5iEALw_wcB

That's a great price for a urethane ball too.

Take Dead Aim

[Sparkee]

Well the season is winding down up here in the north and I did a lot of trial and error . Never did come up with a #1 ball , I could play any one of the premium balls and be happy . I guess basic economics kicked in and with all annual sales that the manufacturers have . Titleist is never on sale . Bridgestone sells last years model in the spring for $30 a dozen as compared to $55 . Taylormade and Srixon have 2 for 1 sale on last years model either in the fall or spring . My only complaint was with the Bridgestone yellow high vis is not really high vis as compared to the yellow of Srixon . TM has a good yellow but Srixon is the brightest of the bunch. Well everyone in Spyland stay safe and corona free , I am going to miss my annual month of golf in Orange Beach Alabama . I guess I will be going ice fishing this winter .for my cocktail or through the ice for the fish .

[Stuka44]

12 hours ago, Sparkee said:

Well the season is winding down up here in the north and I did a lot of trial and error . Never did come up with a #1 ball , I could play any one of the premium balls and be happy . I guess basic economics kicked in and with all annual sales that the manufacturers have . Titleist is never on sale . Bridgestone sells last years model in the spring for $30 a dozen as compared to $55 . Taylormade and Srixon have 2 for 1 sale on last years model either in the fall or spring . My only complaint was with the Bridgestone yellow high vis is not really high vis as compared to the yellow of Srixon . TM has a good yellow but Srixon is the brightest of the bunch. Well everyone in Spyland stay safe and corona free , I am going to miss my annual month of golf in Orange Beach Alabama . I guess I will be going ice fishing this winter .for my cocktail or through the ice for the fish .

Sparkee I think you've figured it out.  Practice is what will make the difference around the greens.  I am a little younger than you but have hunted for that ONE ball to use.  Sadly I just don't think it makes that much of a difference for me in the end.  I refuse to pay $47 for a dozen golf balls, therefore I have tried and used almost all of the ones mentioned by others above.  Q-Star, Bridgestone E6 & E12, Wilson Staff Duo Soft, and currently giving Maxfli Tour a try.  Some high visibility, currently matte green is my preference.  The Bridgestone E12 feels softer to me around the greens than the others I've noted.  The Maxfli is a little firmer I think and maybe goes a little farther off the tee, but still performs well around the greens.  In the end I find nothing wrong with purchasing whichever middle of the road ball has the best deal, that with my 20 dollars off an order of $100 or more(including free shipping) that I can get 4-5 dozen for $20-$25 a piece.  In the end the pure duff, and occasional skulled chip, and just likely some  more bad technique thrown in for good measure,  has more to do with my score than the subtle differences in the middle of the road ball I am using not spinning quite enough for me around the green.   Some will say I'm sure you need to know how the ball is going to react etc., etc.....  I guess my point would be that if Ball Quality really matters to anyone playing this game, or if I really thought it mattered to me, I would just go ahead and spend the $47 or $44 a dozen for Pro V1's or Srixon Z-Stars, the quality and consistency of which really can't be questioned.   For what its worth at his point I am probably happiest with Bridgestone E12 of all the middle of the roads I've tried. 

[NC Golfer]

Previous gen of Q Star tour of course.

https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/srixon-2018-q-star-tour-2-golf-balls-18srxu2018qstrtr2gbl/18srxu2018qstrtr2gbl

[Stopher]

On 8/30/2020 at 9:26 PM, Sparkee said:

Good day , my name is Sparky , I am a 62 year old retired electrician . I have been golfing for 40 years never more than 20 games a year til I got into my fifties . My game count has been rising steadily, since retiring at age 59 annual game count is approximately 120. After reading the latest articles on which ball to use I am still trying to find my ball . I have a driver swing speed of 90 mph , ball distance is approximately 220 yds. My 7 iron is 75 mph , distance 145. What are all you other older players using these days and why ? I have tried a lot of balls and to tell you the truth any of the premium balls all seem to behave the same . I have been staying with the urethane balls. Oh one other comment during the telecast of the BMW today I heard Azinger suggest that the pros are using two balls in there tournament rounds . A high spin ball on the par threes and possibly some shaft par 4s. A low spin ball on the driver holes . Any truth to that comment ?

Hey Sparkee!

I did some golf ball testing this year.  While we are at different places in our golf games, I think what I did might help.  I read all the MGS data on golf balls from their 2019 analysis, and picked 4 that I thought fit what I needed, mostly for spin numbers off driver and wedge.  I then went and bought a sleeve of each.  Over the next few rounds, I played each ball for a stretch of 3-6 holes.  I kept notes on fell, and distances.  After about 4 rounds, I found myself going back to one model consistently, so that is my ball.

On another point, I'm surprised no one mentioned it (unless I missed it while quickly reading all the response), but there is a rule in the USGA for tournament play that stats a player must play the same ball for a given round.  If they start with a Titleist Pro-V1 for that round.  Obviously they could use 18 different Pro-V1's, but they can't change to a higher spinning ball for a par 3, and more distance Titleist for par-5's. 

Best of luck with your ball hunt.  I have seen a lot people hitting really quality shots, and long way, with Callaway Chrome Soft the last few months.  I think those are a bit cheaper and may be worth a look. 

[NC Golfer]

On 8/30/2020 at 11:26 PM, Sparkee said:

Good day , my name is Sparky , I am a 62 year old retired electrician . I have been golfing for 40 years never more than 20 games a year til I got into my fifties . My game count has been rising steadily, since retiring at age 59 annual game count is approximately 120. After reading the latest articles on which ball to use I am still trying to find my ball . I have a driver swing speed of 90 mph , ball distance is approximately 220 yds. My 7 iron is 75 mph , distance 145. What are all you other older players using these days and why ? I have tried a lot of balls and to tell you the truth any of the premium balls all seem to behave the same . I have been staying with the urethane balls. Oh one other comment during the telecast of the BMW today I heard Azinger suggest that the pros are using two balls in there tournament rounds . A high spin ball on the par threes and possibly some shaft par 4s. A low spin ball on the driver holes . Any truth to that comment ?

Sparky, As a 62 y.o with similar stats, it's the soft feel. It feels great and I get the best distance. Rumor has it the new version has some green side spin. 

[SoftRock66]

I have similar swing speed and tend to favor Bridgestone e12. Designed specifically for players with less than 105 MPH driver swing speeds, decently priced and performs well.

[Clement Osborne]

I am 63, hit my driver about 220 and 7 iron about 140.  I play about once a week and I am pretty inconsistent.  I took the data from the 2019 golf ball study for the slow and fast swing, but mostly analyzed the slow swing. I sorted the data by each key metric, like spin, carry, offline and short area. I then ranked the balls by color coding to show excellent, very good, good, mediocre, poor, and very poor and assigned a value to each rating (5-0).  Then computed the average for each ball. The results let me figure out what ball is best for what I want to see, since I assigned the scale.  I like low driver spin, good driver accuracy, medium 7iron spin, very good 7iron accuracy, and high wedge spin with the high wedge accuracy. Since I tend to lose a couple balls every time out, I watch the cost. The top 5 balls were: Vice Pro, Bridgestone Tour BX, Vice Pro Soft, Bridgestone Tour B RXS, Titelist Pro V1.  So, I have been using the Vice Pro and Vice Pro Soft since I can get them for abut $27 a box.  If anybody would like the Excel spreadsheet, just let me know your email address. (Attached is a view of the analysis)

Edited November 22, 2020 by Clement Osborne

[Hoganman1]

I'm 70 and play two or three times a week. My index is currently 9.5. My driver distance is between 190 and 210. I play a seven iron from around 135 yards. Over the last couple of years I've tried a lot of different balls. I've settled on the Titleist AVX except when it's cold. If the temp is below 60*  I play a Callaway SuperSoft. My suggestion would be to do your own test to see which ball works best for you.