Broken Ball

[RickM71]

I built a golf sim in my basement last fall and have been hitting most days since.  Using a launch monitor, small ball differences become apparent.  I had been given a box of Kirkland Balls (3 piece, V2) that my dad didn't want and I've been mainly using those in my sim.  Aside from high spin, I like the feel and they get reasonable distance.  

Saturday I got a new (used) set of irons that I had been looking forward to in order to test the shafts.  I'd hit the heads (Cobra King Tour 2023) with steel shafts and loved the feel, but haven't been able to test them with the available graphite shafts.  I need graphite due to hand issues.  

So I found a used set from Global Golf with Steelfiber shafts which I've heard mixed things about.  They basically play like steel, but some people complain they feel too boardy.

I am hitting some shots in my basement and feeling very disappointed with how they feel - not nearly as soft off the face as the demo iron. Also, I wasn't seeming to be making solid contact, or at least it was very inconsistent.  I even resorted to face tape to try to figure out where I was mishitting it - but for the most part, I was pretty center strike.  I'm thinking it is either the shaft, or something with however this particular set was made.  I was feeling quite disappointed.

Anyway, long story short, I figured maybe one of the balls was bad.  I've been using these balls for a few months now, and they look brand new.  I tried bouncing two balls side by side and found one that only bounced back about 70%.  

I went ahead and hit 6 shots with a "good" ball, and then 4 shots with the "bad" ball.  It looks absolutely new, yet the results were shocking.  I'm sharing the dispersion and the ball data below, mostly because I have never hit 10 shots so consistent and wanted to show off a little.  I had to quit after 4 shots with the "bad" ball because it sounded and felt horrible - basically feeling like a shank but flew straight.  I'm also surprised that the spin and shot shape were almost identical, just the bad ball flew lower and shorter.  

The bad ball is the one on the left.  

 

 

[Rob Person]

Interesting...

Like you, I would assume since they look and feel new, that they would perform the same.  With no damage to them, you would expect the same performance. 

Is it possible that one of the layers has unbounded inside, or been compressed so much that it's distorted or cracked in the core?

Maybe take a few of the well used balls and cut them open?

[RickM71]

41 minutes ago, Rob Person said:

Interesting...

Like you, I would assume since they look and feel new, that they would perform the same.  With no damage to them, you would expect the same performance. 

Is it possible that one of the layers has unbounded inside, or been compressed so much that it's distorted or cracked in the core?

Maybe take a few of the well used balls and cut them open?

Good suggestion on cutting it open to see what happened. I will do that when I have some time in the nest day or two and post the results. I'm pretty sure I have a pvc cutter that should work. 

Edited March 18 by RickM71

[RickM71]

1 hour ago, Rob Person said:

Interesting...

Like you, I would assume since they look and feel new, that they would perform the same.  With no damage to them, you would expect the same performance. 

Is it possible that one of the layers has unbounded inside, or been compressed so much that it's distorted or cracked in the core?

Maybe take a few of the well used balls and cut them open?

Core is cracked. PVC cutter cut right through it. 

[Josh Parker]

Very intetesting.... how many shots would you say were hit with it?  

[Triple_Putt]

Wow, very cool to see

[RickM71]

1 hour ago, Josh Parker said:

Very intetesting.... how many shots would you say were hit with it?  

Really tough to say. I have about 15 golf balls that rotate, but often one or two balls will be primarily used during a session if they roll back near the mat. I would assume all of the Kirkland v2s have been hit over 100 times, but some likely have been hit several hundred times. As long as the surface isn't scuffed up, I keep hitting them. The Kirklands have held up remarkably well - almost no scuffs on any, and the print is like new. I have some Wilson's, Taylor Made, and even Titleist balls that look much more ragged and the print starts to wear off. 

Either way, it makes me think I should probably replace all the balls every so often, both to prevent a cracked ball like this one, but also to prevent scuffed balls from damaging the screen. 

Edited March 18 by RickM71

[Parshooter36]

I crack balls all the time on my simulator, I've never had one crack just on the inside though. I probably should rotate them like you do, but I tend to play the same ball all the time. I'd estimate I crack a ball every 3 or 4 rounds. Softer balls seem to crack faster than firmer balls.

[RickM71]

41 minutes ago, Parshooter36 said:

I crack balls all the time on my simulator, I've never had one crack just on the inside though. I probably should rotate them like you do, but I tend to play the same ball all the time. I'd estimate I crack a ball every 3 or 4 rounds. Softer balls seem to crack faster than firmer balls.

I haven't had any crack yet on the outside. This is my first cracked ball since I set up my sim around 6 months ago. My driver swing speed is around 100mph, but I don't hit driver that often. Mostly 7 irons. 

I have a few balls that are looking worn adn scuffed, but no cracks. The Kirklands actually look the least worn on the outside regardless of how many times I've hit them. 

Since a sim is new to me, I've never had balls wear out before as I'll typically lose them first. What do people do with balls that are "worn out" or markedly scuffed? I assume I'll save them for water holes as I don't like the idea of just pitching them. 

[Parshooter36]

26 minutes ago, RickM71 said:

I haven't had any crack yet on the outside. This is my first cracked ball since I set up my sim around 6 months ago. My driver swing speed is around 100mph, but I don't hit driver that often. Mostly 7 irons. 

I have a few balls that are looking worn adn scuffed, but no cracks. The Kirklands actually look the least worn on the outside regardless of how many times I've hit them. 

Since a sim is new to me, I've never had balls wear out before as I'll typically lose them first. What do people do with balls that are "worn out" or markedly scuffed? I assume I'll save them for water holes as I don't like the idea of just pitching them. 

I usually just throw worn out balls away. I figure if I've hit it so much that its worn out then I got my moneys worth out of it.