Can amateur golfers really tell the difference?

[Franc38]

agreed, the difference between balls is a bit in the feel section (and that's mostly for chipping and putting, anything more and the speed makes the club itself the major "feel" component) and in the numbers you see on the launch monitor, much less in actual behaviour.

A very very spiny ball, like the Inesis tour 900 checks a bit faster on hard greens than a Titleist Velocity, but that won't be a 4 yards difference, more like 1 or 2 yards max. Are we accurate to the yard or 2 yards, methinks those who'd say yes are delusional. Regarding distance and all, same thing, the difference (which undoubtedly exists) is minute and cannot be easily seen within the distance dispersion that we "naturally" have by our not so accurate impact location, slightly fatting this one, take the next one 3 or 4mm to the toe, then 4mm to the heel and so on... For me the Inesis tour 900 which is, in the MyGolfSpy latest big test, the shortest and spiniest urethane ball goes "about the same distance, give or take 2 or 3 yards" than the proV1x I use at times, that is, on the same holes, for similar shots, they both end up in roughly the same area...

What I do notice in actuality between a very cheap ball and a proV1x is:

- the cheap/hard ionomer ball flies or launches a bit higher, so visually it's a slightly different trajectory (but the results are very similar)

- the sound is (a bit) nicer when putting/chipping, albeit some might prefer the "firmer" "clickier" sound of a proV1x to a proV1, so the "cheap" ball if it wasn't already, in our mind, damned, would be fine...

- the chips check a bit faster, but again, after testing, it's more visual than real, and the real part is negligible compared to our inaccuracies.

 

By the way, I often play with the ultra cheap, hard as nail, Inesis distance 100... And I've played some of my best rounds, score wise, with this ball... You just have to chip and putt a bit with a given ball, and keep that one ball for your round to adjust to whatever differences there are. If you can't... well, I bet your handicap is high enough that it really doesn't matter what you play, you'll shoot the same!

Edited October 21, 2022 by Franc38

[Franc38]

1 hour ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

That’s fine you can’t but as you can see in the thread lots of people can. You question a lot of thing d people say, do that go against your opinions beliefs and refuse to accept what others have for opinions and beliefs which is also fine.

Anybody that knows and understands their game will be able to say if there is a difference or not.

When I’m testing balls it’s in a course I know well so that I judge based on where I know my good and bad shots go. I use past experience to judge results. This is how most people I know test equipment including balls.

A lot of people believed that the path was determining the direction and the face, the curvature. Top teaching pros and tour players included. They still were wrong. A lot of people think that "feel" is in the hands and has nothing to do with sound, until they try in a controlled, serious way. Plenty of people think they can't play this or that, until they try with a free mind and realise marketing had them think things that weren't real.

[LinksgolfFever]

I don't see a big difference between the "quality balls" but I do see it between those balls and "value" balls.  I usually play ProV1 or Srixon Zstar diamond. I haven't found a big difference with those when I am out, they both have a good feel and the spin rates off the tee and on approach fit my game well.  I think for me it is more about feel and sound, I prefer a softer feel and sound.  I've tried some other like balls e.g. Callaway chrome soft, Vice pro tour plus, Bridgestone, Taylor made and my preference is still the ProV1 or Zstar diamond

 

[Shapotomous]

5 hours ago, LICC said:

 

There are balls that perform very similar for me and some that are noticeably different in distance or green holding ability.  

I tend to use the prov / snell mtb type balls.  Except for winter play where i use the chromesoft and any other lost soft balls i have collected over the summer 

[LICC]

10 minutes ago, Franc38 said:

A lot of people believed that the path was determining the direction and the face, the curvature. Top teaching pros and tour players included. They still were wrong. A lot of people think that "feel" is in the hands and has nothing to do with sound, until they try in a controlled, serious way. Plenty of people think they can't play this or that, until they try with a free mind and realise marketing had them think things that weren't real.

Great observation- the marketing can drive perception. Call a ball "soft" and some people will convince themselves it feels differently than another ball even if the compressions and covers are the same.

[LICC]

6 minutes ago, LinksgolfFever said:

I don't see a big difference between the "quality balls" but I do see it between those balls and "value" balls.

Definitely agree, which is why I qualified my comment in the OP about comparing top-brand balls. 

[chisag]

24 minutes ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

Given all the TXG videos on how they can change so so much just by using a different golf ball I just can't buy into this. I do feel a big difference between golf balls and know which ones lead me to better results on the course. I am certainly no pro and sit right in that 9-11 hdcp range. 

I would almost put it down to the clubs you (as in amateurs) that can lead to a more generic feeling between ball to ball. 

That being said I am sure there are certain swing types and golfers that truly don't see the benefits between one ball vs another, however those who struggle with certain shapes or swing patters can often benefit from a ball that will naturally give more or less spin. 

 

... Everyone is familiar with the "That shot is why I keep coming back" syndrome. I firmly believe ball choice makes a difference, even for high index beginners. High index golfers in particular need to know why that chip you just hit really well, hopped twice then only rolled out a few feet. That chip is the standard you are looking to repeat. Yes, as a high index player and especially a beginner many other chips that you hit fat, blade over the green or look up too quickly will make little difference if it is a Velocity or a ProV1. But your goal is to repeat the good chip and you should know what that looks like. That chip will be a little different if it is a Kirkland or a Maxfli Tour but those difference will be subtle. I know we are mostly comparing "like" balls but high index players (or anyone else really) are making the game much more difficult if they just play what they find on the course. The difference in performance between a Callaway Supersoft  and a Chrome Soft LS is glaringly apparent, even for a high index player if they hit a decent shot and as BOS said, the reason one ball rolls off the back of the green while another stops. 

... Off the tee and depending on speed and spin, even a high index can tell an obvious difference in balls. My son, the ex DE with strength and speed to burn that scores in the low 90's and down to the mid 80's, carries his drives in the 280 range and played Kirklands because he bough 4 dozen when they were $24 for 2 dozen. He was playing more this summer and I sent him 2 dozen Maxfli Tour's and he gained about 15 yds of carry and even more roll off the tee because the Kirkland spun way too much for his speed/spin. He LOVES the Maxfli Tours. The Kirkland high spin also causes more curvature when sliced or hooked but the flip side is for those with slow swing speeds that are relatively straight off the tee, the added spin keeps their drives in the air longer. I gave my 80yr old playing pard a dozen Kirklands and he has gained 10 yds of carry with the same amount of roll because he needed more spin. 

... Lastly low index players are also Am's and for me the difference in balls can mean 1 or more strokes in any given round. Several years ago doing testing the TP5 spun more and I lost 5-7 yds off the tee compared to the TP5x. It was also a problem in the Chicago winds where the TP5x were better on knockdown shots. Playing in Phoenix with P790's that launch high but spin much less than my MIM Tours, the TP5x did not hold the hard fast greens as well as the TP5. So many factors go into which ball works best for any individual player but there is a difference. 

 

[RickyBobby_PR]

29 minutes ago, Franc38 said:

A lot of people believed that the path was determining the direction and the face, the curvature. Top teaching pros and tour players included. They still were wrong. A lot of people think that "feel" is in the hands and has nothing to do with sound, until they try in a controlled, serious way. Plenty of people think they can't play this or that, until they try with a free mind and realise marketing had them think things that weren't real.

This has nothing to do with my post. My post is about. I’m talking actual performance on the course which is the only thing that matters.

Everyone reacts to feel and sound differently, it’s why nobody could tell another person what shaft works for someone asking what shaft to buy.
 

I have had 4 premium balls on a lm in a controlled environment with a fitter and instructor watching. There was enough difference between balls that showed two outperformed the other two and of the two that worked there was still a difference in launch characteristics. This test was done after having all the balls on the course and the lm testing confirmed what I saw on the course. 

[cnosil]

Just like I can’t feel a clubhead in the swing or a shaft load/unload I can’t really feel a difference between balls in the same category.  

What I do notice on the course is that some balls may have a dispersion circle that is closer to me than other balls….translation: I hit them shorter.  Bridgestone is probably the most noticeable and I am half to a full club shorter with them.  This distance disparity is based on my opinion of strike quality and when the ball lands.  Also, when I pull a Bridgestone ball I probably score more toward my ceiling.  I also don’t have any concrete statistics but I seem to play my best rounds with a ProV1.    Could I play a low scoring round with the Bridgestone? Of course but I believe I would need to be consciously aware of the slight distance variances so I pull the right club.   My fitness and distance wedge game is mediocre so I can’t really tell a difference there as they.   Haven’t been able to get both a camera and radar based system setup simultaneously to do a valid comparison to see if my perception is what is really happening.  

I am in the camp that som people can tell a difference. As mentioned earlier in the thread, the individuals launch conditions will probably play a big part in how the ball differences manifest themselves as the balls aerodynamics influence the flight.    

[panhndl]

I am a 100 golfer, and I’ve been golfing a couple years.  I was using very inexpensive balls for a long time (Wilson Ultra and Srixon SoftFeel).  Out of curiosity, I decided to buy a dozen Taylormade Tour Response balls because of the test on MGS to see if I could tell a difference in anything.

It was pretty amazing.  On my drives, there wasn’t much I could tell.  A well hit drive will go pretty much the same with any ball I hit.  If one goes longer, it’s probably just a little better shot than another.  Sound was very different depending on how hard the ball was but I rarely can really “feel” a difference.  
 

From about a 7 iron and higher lofted clubs, I can really tell around the green.  If I strike the ball fairly decent and it lands in the green, the Tour Response will check up and stop while the cheap balls roll off the back.

As a result, I bought a test kit of Vice balls but didn’t have as much success with them as I did with the TMTR balls.  I’ve now bought a couple dozen Maxfli Tour balls to see if they’ll work for me around the geeen at a little lower price point.  It’s probably too early for me to have an opinion yet, but I feel more confident with the Taylormade’s thus far.  
 

One thing I do notice some on drives is how high a ball goes when I hit it.  The Taylormade does seem to fly a little lower and roll out more than the Vice’s, Maxfli’s, Srixon’s, etc.  Since I live in a very windy area, that can be a nice feature.  

[YamYam]

22 hours ago, LICC said:

I went out on an empty course once and played two balls on the front 9, a Titleist and a Callaway, and then 2 different balls on the back 9, a different Titleist and a Kirkland. I saw no material difference in how the balls performed. I really think that an amateur golfer, especially anyone higher than a single-digit handicap, wouldn't be able to tell the difference among any of the top-brand balls. Sure, some may spin or check slightly differently (slightly), but you would have to hit it nearly 100% consistently every time to see that small difference. Some may have a slightly different feel off the club. But performance wise, I think people are fooling themselves thinking they can get a big difference from one ball to another.

The real difference will be witnessed around the greens and from approach shots.

You will see very little difference off the tee, especially with a driver.

There's a YouTube video that's been produced recently that explains this.  The guy who did this is Mark Crossfield.  Have a look, it's quite interesting.

As for the difference between ProV1 and Kirkland Signatures, I have just changed from the former to the latter on the strength of testing one Kirkby that I found in the bushes.

The answer to that one would be there is no difference apart from the cost, which is a no brainer.

 

 

 

Edited October 21, 2022 by YamYam

[GaryF]

2 hours ago, chisag said:

 

... Everyone is familiar with the "That shot is why I keep coming back" syndrome. I firmly believe ball choice makes a difference, even for high index beginners. High index golfers in particular need to know why that chip you just hit really well, hopped twice then only rolled out a few feet. That chip is the standard you are looking to repeat. Yes, as a high index player and especially a beginner many other chips that you hit fat, blade over the green or look up too quickly will make little difference if it is a Velocity or a ProV1. But your goal is to repeat the good chip and you should know what that looks like. That chip will be a little different if it is a Kirkland or a Maxfli Tour but those difference will be subtle. I know we are mostly comparing "like" balls but high index players (or anyone else really) are making the game much more difficult if they just play what they find on the course. The difference in performance between a Callaway Supersoft  and a Chrome Soft LS is glaringly apparent, even for a high index player if they hit a decent shot and as BOS said, the reason one ball rolls off the back of the green while another stops. 

... Off the tee and depending on speed and spin, even a high index can tell an obvious difference in balls. My son, the ex DE with strength and speed to burn that scores in the low 90's and down to the mid 80's, carries his drives in the 280 range and played Kirklands because he bough 4 dozen when they were $24 for 2 dozen. He was playing more this summer and I sent him 2 dozen Maxfli Tour's and he gained about 15 yds of carry and even more roll off the tee because the Kirkland spun way too much for his speed/spin. He LOVES the Maxfli Tours. The Kirkland high spin also causes more curvature when sliced or hooked but the flip side is for those with slow swing speeds that are relatively straight off the tee, the added spin keeps their drives in the air longer. I gave my 80yr old playing pard a dozen Kirklands and he has gained 10 yds of carry with the same amount of roll because he needed more spin. 

... Lastly low index players are also Am's and for me the difference in balls can mean 1 or more strokes in any given round. Several years ago doing testing the TP5 spun more and I lost 5-7 yds off the tee compared to the TP5x. It was also a problem in the Chicago winds where the TP5x were better on knockdown shots. Playing in Phoenix with P790's that launch high but spin much less than my MIM Tours, the TP5x did not hold the hard fast greens as well as the TP5. So many factors go into which ball works best for any individual player but there is a difference. 

 

Excellent post!  Years (~15) ago I settled on the Titliest NXT.  I was probably a 20s handicap but the selection was first decided by price (~$24) but then sold based on feel, plus they very definitely held the greens.  Since then, I’ve learned a lot and have tried a number of balls.  The past few years, I have been playing Srixon Q Star Tour.  Good (for me with distance off the tee and roll out) and very good holding greens, plus I love the soft feel and price.  I’ve played various pro v’s and don’t feel I do any better.  I alternated with Bridgestone e12’s because they have the same feel and distance off the tee.  But after awhile, noticed the just didn’t hold greens as well as the Q ball.  Chromesoft works well for me, but not the LS version.   I don’t know how many strokes I save, but knowing there is a consistent performance on decently struck shots has an intangible benefit regarding confidence and shot conviction. 

When I play with others, I usually give balls I find to others unless it’s a ball I want to try and in like new condition.  A good friend (originally from Chi and 16-18 hdcp) and his wife between them play 5-7 rounds per week, pay $4000+ per year for the cart plan but he won’t pay more than $20/doz.  And he doesn’t lose many balls so I just find it puzzling. 
 

 

[PMookie]

4 hours ago, LICC said:

Great contribution to the discussion ...

“Discussion”???? More like PONTIFICATING.

[Everardo]

Now some forum golfers will say, "Oh yeah, I can totally tell the difference" but in my fitting experience most can't, not on 1-2 swings out on the course. Now take your average person, put them on a launch monitor and measure the average of 5-10 swings per club and yes then you'll feel and see measurable differences.

[saz0418]

I know from past experience that a different ball can make a substantial difference in putting.  Even balls that FEEL the same may be as much as 6 inches to a foot difference in roll over 20 ft -- enough that you will miss putts inside 10 feet.   Can you adjust to the difference?  Sure.   But there IS a difference.   I just tried the Kirkland balls because I had read many positive reviews.  I did not like the feel of them at all.  The driver felt just a little bit more firm.  Mid irons were not that noticeable.  But for 50 yards and in and chip shots around the green, the feel was very, very different.  Very hard-- very clicky.  Again, I would probably adjust to it over time if I just played Kirkland.   But it made me not seem to have feel in pitches, chips and putts-- so most of the scoring shots.   I will stay with my current ball for now, which is a Callaway ERC Soft.   Full disclosure, I am 63 with a 9 index.   Not long-- driver swing speed in the low- to mid-90's am maybe 215 - 230 distance.  

 

[Shapotomous]

I was thinking about the practice balls i use for my backyard 45-65 yard shots.  The snells i take out of play, the prov's swmbo takes out of play and a variety of found balls.  There is a bridgestone e ball that consistently goes higher and further by about 8 yards.  I have hit it without seeing the logo and knew immediately by how hot it came off the face it was the e ball.

[Will_Mac]

I have a slightly negative AOA with driver so I find that I'm a bit sensitive to curve off the tee as I'll tend to impart more spin than what would be considered as ideal.

I still swing (at nearly 55) in the 110 mph range but if face angle's off, my ballflight will surely tell you. That said, for me there's a clear difference in lower compression vs high compression and I don't mean feel. Softer balls just seem to suffer less curve for me than harder balls.

Now, when I'm "on," give me the X version of a ball because it will help me more overall, especially wrt mid-iron approaches and the short game. But when I'm off? No bueno. Not at all.

[djrexyman]

I say anything that can help your game is worth giving a shot, however with balls as good as the maxifli tour, if your a high handicapper and lose balls off the tee a lot then play something cheaper and upgrade along the way as your game gets better. 

[Marius Grigore]

Yes, I can tell the difference. I can feel instantly how soft ot firm is a ball, how much is spinning with the driver and how performing around the green. 

[MisterT]

It's probably been posted somewhere in here, but everyone's ability to feel and tell the difference is different. For example, I can immediately tell the difference between a Pro v1 and a Pro v1x based on its launch and from its feel off the clubface. What I think is most important is playing the same ball consistently so you know how far it goes with each club, and how it responds around he green, in the wind, and off the driver. I see guys switch from a Callaway ChromeSoft to a Callaway SuperSoft and can't figure out why they react differently when they are "playing a Callaway."

[Golfzilla70]

I'm about a 3 handicap, and FWIW, here's what i see (and i do play more golf than I should, at least according to my wife): 

 

Brand new Titleist Pro VI's are awesome off the tee, UNTIL their covers start taking wear.  For my part, I notice an immediate drop in distance on the new slick covers compared to worn covers through the bag.

As for spin, any of the premium balls tend to get a little "out of control" for me - I just don't have time to fine-tune the practice required to control my spin on the 100-150 yard shots, and SOMETIMES i'll launch those things and they spin backwards 30', and sometimes they don't.  That's a major problem because there is a world of difference between a 20' putt and a 50' putt.  And it requires skill to control that spin, and regular practice to maintain that skill.  That just can't be over-stated enough.

I'm not the longest hitter; about a 100-104 mph driver clubhead speed.  So i play the Titleist TruFeel and Velocity balls.  They fly plenty far enough comparatively speaking, they actually go further off my irons, and they're highly durable.  Their covers can take scuffs, and you won't see a noticeable performance difference (i'm sure the other brands have similar balls, i just liked what i got out of these over years of different trial and error efforts and stopped on these).  And it's very rare that I have a shot that I absolutely HAVE to hit a "one-drop-and-stop" chip shot.  Those types of shots are awesome to behold and fun to play, but they're hard to hit with consistent results on command for common working-class amateur golfers.  A simple "chip-and-let-the-thing-roll-out" is 99% of the time all anybody needs.  I truly believe the guys at MGS do a disservice to their readers when they constantly drone on about the need for everyone to play high-performance golf balls.   And Titleist is guilty of this too.  They're constantly stating how the spin of the Pro V's gives you control around the green, and of course everyone's short game could be better, and what's better than more control?  Except that spin thing causes weekend golfers to hit balls that sometimes check and sometimes they don't on shorter pitches and chips around the green.  It's just my opinion, but in my mind that brings variables into play that most could do without.

And one other thing:  The  Titleist TruFeel is about $22 at retailers.  The Titleist Velocity tends to run $29.  I CANNOT see the difference between these two balls in the normal course of play.   I'm sure the Velocity has something in it that makes it more expensive, but everyone should be bottom-line results oriented, and be objective about what any given ball brings to your final score.

[LICC]

On 10/21/2022 at 10:38 AM, Mckrakon said:

I know from launch monitor data that the KIRKLAND 2.0 loses Driver distance off the tee, great with irons, feels nice. 

In my experience, launch monitors vary wildly on dependability. I use a Mevo in my yard into a net and it seems to be reasonably close on distances compared to what I hit on a course. But I did a driver fitting at a PGA Tour store and the monitor readings were totally off. It had me consistently hitting decent strikes 290-300 yards. I don’t got close to that on a course. 
Sure people can prefer a certain feel and that is good, but I think most mid to high handicap recreational golfers fool themselves into thinking one top brand ball is giving them significantly better performance than another top brand ball. 

Edited October 22, 2022 by LICC

[GolfSpy_APH]

11 minutes ago, LICC said:

In my experience, launch monitors vary wildly on dependability. I use a Mevo in my yard into a net and it seems to be reasonably close on distances compared to what I hit on a course. But I did a driver fitting at a PGA Tour store and the monitor readings were totally off. It had me consistently hitting decent strikes 290-300 yards. I don’t got close to that on a course. 
Sure people can prefer a certain feel and that is good, but I think most mid to high handicap recreational golfers fool themselves into thinking one top brand ball is giving them significantly better performance than another top brand ball. 

https://mygolfspy.com/category/mygolfspy-labs/

Thankfully even for those who may struggle finding a difference or not sure what to choose the team on the blog side has done a ton of the work to better help them.

As for LM. There are really only a few that can or should be trusted 100% and that is trackman or foresight GC2/3/4. If you are using several different ones even between trackman and foresight as they are different systems they can be better for X or Y. When it comes to ball data foresight without a doubt has an edge in my opinion as it isn't radar based. Spin rates and such even with the RCT balls aren't as great with a radar system. 

Being consistent with what you use is likely more important. 

Again if you are talking about performance strictly then maybe a golfer will overly think one is better vs another, however with so many different conditions, swings and play styles having that being a blanket statement is pretty bold. I use to play in a lot of wind and I can without a doubt tell you what balls performed better vs others. 

Anyway there will be many on both sides of this, however I do think blanket statements like the one originally made are hard to justify or backup. 

[chisag]

15 minutes ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

Being consistent with what you use is likely more important.

... The golf ball as an important piece of your equipment just like any other in your bag. Would anyone switch putters of different styles and lengths during a round? Like the ball, the putter does the same thing with similar loft but different materials and/or face inserts. Would you play the rest of your round with a x-flex TSR4 driver you "found in the woods" on the 11th hole when you normally play a Ping G425 with a r-flex? 

... I think part of the criteria for some is they are so inconsistent so the ball really doesn't matter. I would make the argument some of their inconsistency comes from playing different balls. We all understand that a fat shot isn't gonna be any different with a Velocity or a ProV1. But what you are trying to do with your golf ball is have consistency with your well struck shots even if that is only a handful per 18 holes and you simply can't do that playing different golf balls. Now an 18 index probably can't tell any difference between a TP5, TP5x or even a Tour Response but they can tell a difference between those balls and a TM Distance + or a Callaway Supersoft. The goal for every player is to hit good shots and even if you hit 4 a round, you know what they look like and can try and repeat them if you use the same ball for every round. 

 

[GolfSpy_APH]

1 minute ago, chisag said:

... The golf ball as an important piece of your equipment just like any other in your bag. Would anyone switch putters of different styles and lengths during a round? Like the ball, the putter does the same thing with similar loft but different materials and/or face inserts. Would you play the rest of your round with a x-flex TSR4 driver you "found in the woods" on the 11th hole when you normally play a Ping G425 with a r-flex? 

... I think part of the criteria for some is they are so inconsistent so the ball really doesn't matter. I would make the argument some of their inconsistency comes from playing different balls. We all understand that a fat shot isn't gonna be any different with a Velocity or a ProV1. But what you are trying to do with your golf ball is have consistency with your well struck shots even if that is only a handful per 18 holes and you simply can't do that playing different golf balls. Now an 18 index probably can't tell any difference between a TP5, TP5x or even a Tour Response but they can tell a difference between those balls and a TM Distance + or a Callaway Supersoft. The goal for every player is to hit good shots and even if you hit 4 a round, you know what they look like and can try and repeat them if you use the same ball for every round. 

 

I like what you're saying about finding clubs in the woods at a course and using them during the round. Sounds like a fun albeit unrealistic challenge to me! Every 4-6 holes find some new clubs to use till the next ones. 

[chisag]

25 minutes ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

I like what you're saying about finding clubs in the woods at a course and using them during the round. Sounds like a fun albeit unrealistic challenge to me! Every 4-6 holes find some new clubs to use till the next ones. 

 

... Sure until you find out it as a Calloway Roge Max LS made in Philippines and comes up 25 yds short of your normal drive. 

[funkyjudge]

34 minutes ago, chisag said:

... The golf ball as an important piece of your equipment just like any other in your bag. Would anyone switch putters of different styles and lengths during a round? Like the ball, the putter does the same thing with similar loft but different materials and/or face inserts. Would you play the rest of your round with a x-flex TSR4 driver you "found in the woods" on the 11th hole when you normally play a Ping G425 with a r-flex? 

... I think part of the criteria for some is they are so inconsistent so the ball really doesn't matter. I would make the argument some of their inconsistency comes from playing different balls. We all understand that a fat shot isn't gonna be any different with a Velocity or a ProV1. But what you are trying to do with your golf ball is have consistency with your well struck shots even if that is only a handful per 18 holes and you simply can't do that playing different golf balls. Now an 18 index probably can't tell any difference between a TP5, TP5x or even a Tour Response but they can tell a difference between those balls and a TM Distance + or a Callaway Supersoft. The goal for every player is to hit good shots and even if you hit 4 a round, you know what they look like and can try and repeat them if you use the same ball for every round. 

 

I generally play the same ball in every round of golf (OnCore Vero X1 premium 4-piece Urethane cover ball). If I don’t play the Vero X1, which has been extremely rare over the last three years, I play either the Srixon Z-Star Diamond or Maxfli Tour X balls, which are pretty similar in construction and design to the OnCore ball — probably more like the new Vero X2, which is higher in compression and which I will be playing as soon as I receive my two dozen in a week or two.

I am a 15-handicap golfer, who used to be a single digit player in my younger years, and as such I am definitely more inconsistent than I was when I played to an 8 or lower. However, I would almost certainly be more inconsistent if I were constantly switching golf balls or playing multiple ball models during a single round of golf.

[dlm]

I have been fitted by Titleist and Taylormade reps.  And I have been gifted and found just about all makes and brands.  I carry a 10 handicap, and I can tell a good ball from a cheap ball, but that's about it.  Some days, one brand works better for me than others.  As a recreational golfer mostly (some events, not many), I swap out an unlucky ball at will and replace with something else.  That's not recommended I know, but it works for me.

[GaryF]

11 hours ago, LICC said:

In my experience, launch monitors vary wildly on dependability. I use a Mevo in my yard into a net and it seems to be reasonably close on distances compared to what I hit on a course. But I did a driver fitting at a PGA Tour store and the monitor readings were totally off. It had me consistently hitting decent strikes 290-300 yards. I don’t got close to that on a course. 
Sure people can prefer a certain feel and that is good, but I think most mid to high handicap recreational golfers fool themselves into thinking one top brand ball is giving them significantly better performance than another top brand ball. 

When hitting at pgatss or any other indoor site that sells clubs, make sure they set the elevation at sea level or something reasonable.  One of our assistant pros here was telling me when he worked part-time at a pgatss while in college, one of the senior sales agent would set the elevation at a high altitude.  Dirty  sales trick. Let the sals person set things up without saying anything, then look at the screen - it should be listed.  If set at sea level or slightly above, good.  If set highly elevated, either walk out or ask for a different sales person.  

Edited October 23, 2022 by GaryF

[funkyjudge]

53 minutes ago, GaryF said:

When hitting at pgatss or any other indoor site that sells clubs, make sure they set the elevation at sea level or something reasonable.  One of our assistant pros here was telling me when he worked part-time at a pgatss while in college, one of the senior sales agent would set the elevation at a high altitude.  Dirty  sales trick. Let the sals person set things up without saying anything, then look at the screen - it should be listed.  If set at sea level or slightly above, good.  If set highly elevated, either walk out or ask for a different sales person.  

I know from personal experience that you can add as much as 35-40% to shot distances by playing around with simulators and launch monitors like the ones that they use in indoor fitting centers and big box golf stores. I do clubfitting work at an indoor facility owned by a PGA Pro, and I have played with the altitude adjustment settings and managed to get as much as 368 yards with my driver (I never hit more than 245-250 yards of carry and 270-275 total yards on those machines when they are properly set at sea level or close to it, and 235/250 is more common for me on them).

Edited October 23, 2022 by funkyjudge
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