11 thoughts on “Mental Mondays: Choose The Right Golf Ball”
I volunteered at a fairly prestigious Jr Golf tourney lately. It was frustrating how nearly all of them were playing either ProV1s, or ProV1xs. I asked most of these 15-17 year olds if they had tested other balls (Callaway, Bridgestone, Nike, etc.), and almost none of them had. They simply were playing the ProVs due to them being the number one ball on the tours. It’s frustrating that golfers with such great natural talent gave no thought if the ball they were playing was best for them. They simply were following the herd mentality and playing what most of the pros played, without taking the time to evaluate if it really was best for their game.
I’ll bet those guys could shave 2-3 strokes a round off their scores with the right ball. For the one who got a fitting, it could be the difference that turns him into the winner.
The Polara Ultimate Straight golf ball provides golfers with something no other golf ball does – prevents hooks and slices by up to 75%. This is not Golf Marketing Hype – this is fact. I should know, I am one of the inventors.
Even with an outside-in club path, a slice can be largely prevented by using the new Polara Ultimate Straight or Super Straight golf balls. These balls use physics and aerodynamics to help those who need an immediate fix for the dreaded slice. see http://www.polaragolf.com for further information
Well I agree about the misperception about the ProV1 and it’s almost identical brother the x. However, I disagree that there are many quality balls under $20. I have performed 6000 fittings (yes I can document it) and the only very low priced ball I have seen consistently perform well is the Noodle.
The problem with lower priced balls is that most are very high compression balls and almost all are two piece. A high compression ball will almost aways create too much spin for the average golfer on full shots. Of the 6000 tests I performed I estimate that 85% of players at every skill level have too much back spin on full shots. The excessive backspin causes the ball to balloon and loose distance. Technically a ball only really spins one way so a ball that spins a lot on full shots will also tend to spin off line quickly. Balls like the Top Flite XL, Pinnacle and Slazenger have insane spin rates especially when missed.
Virtually all lower priced balls are also two piece balls as this is the least expensive ball to produce. Two piece balls will have less short iron spin compared with a three piece ball that has the same cover material and compression. In the test I performed I also noticed that two piece balls had a wider variance in overall spin on individual shots.
Regarding the referenced ball in a previous post that has 75% less spin I would say it sounds promising. However my question would be how does the ball spin into the green with short iron or a 40 yard wedge from a tight lie into a firm green.
Finally regarding putter feel…this may be the most over rated issue regarding a golf ball. I believe that feel is important in golf but once you have “felt” the putt or shot it is over and it has zero impact on what the ball actually does. Choosing a ball for putter feel would be lime a great marksman choosing a round of ammo based on how it felt coming out of the gun. I promise you if the round hits the bullseye he will quickly forget how the bullet “feels”.
To Rick H, post on 10/26: Referring to your comment:
“Regarding the referenced ball in a previous post that has 75% less spin I would say it sounds promising. However my question would be how does the ball spin into the green with short iron or a 40 yard wedge from a tight lie into a firm green.”
The Polara Ultimate Straight (2pc) and Polara Super Straight (3pc) have spin rates that on driver and short iron shots are comparable to other 2 and 3 piece balls. For a normal golf ball, lower spin means lower lift, which means slightly less slice and hook dispersion.
However, the Polara ball does not spin 75% less, THEY REDUCE SLICES AND HOOKS BY UP TO 75%. The straight shots do not result from a low-spin mechanism, but rather through a combination of “preferred axis of inertia” and low lift/low drag coefficients exhibited when the ball is rotating about the preferred axis of inertia.
Check out http://www.polaragolf.com or email me at [email protected] and I would be happy to provide you with more information about the performance of our straight golf balls. As an example, in an independently run test performed at Golf Labs in San Diego where the Golf Labs computer controlled robot was setup to hit a classic slice shot (80 ft off center), our new Polara golf balls were up to 92% straighter than two very popular performance and straight balls. The Polara balls were so much straighter than the “popular respected balls” that it is hard to believe.
We have videos on YouTube (polara golf balls) and on our website that show how the ball works, test results and player testimonials. Check them out!
David Felker, PhD
Head of Technology
Polara Golf
(Founding executive team member and former VP R&D, Callaway Golf Ball Company)
I continue to get more and more happy with the Nike PD Long every round. I bought because it is one of the few yellow balls out there, and I lost interest in playing Nike balls a few years ago – but at $15 I figured I would give this yellow a try since it was just a little more than half the price of the E-6 – and only a fraction of the Z-Star.
It doesn’t have much stopping power, that’s for sure. But distance is great and it is a fairly straight ball. For the last 3 rounds, I am 90% fairways on drives.
I will still play with the E-6, until I run out – and the same for the Q-Star – unlike other balls which I switch off of – which end up filling up bins in the garage like some sort of island of misfit toys.
And then, yes, I do play the ProV1. For Par 3s, I tend to play a ProV1. Also when the greens get the fastest, I will tend to play ProV1s for whole rounds. My distance will drop off a little, but the ability to hold greens goes up.
Yes I agree with this. There are too many golfers I see on the weekend using the Titleist Pro v1. They range from low handicappers to high handicappers.
A lot of these golfers have slow swing speeds and would be much better off using a cheaper 2 piece golf ball.
The problem with lower priced balls is that most are very high compression balls and almost all are two piece. A high compression ball will almost aways create too much spin for the average golfer on full shots. Good post!
I agree that the right equipment can make a difference in some situations. But how good of a golfer do you have to be before a different ball makes a difference? I’m a total hack on the course—in fact, I have yet to break 110 on an easy 18—so I suspect that playing the wrong ball is the least of my troubles.
Ok – today, not so great for Nike PD Long. +17 for first 10 holes, +4 for last 8 holes after switching to ProV1. Not only that, but on the course I was playing the stretch 13 to 18 is the hardest stretch of holes of our 36 holes. Tomorrow morning playing the same course, I will be starting with a ProV1. (This #3 I was playing today has about 40 holes of golf on it and still looks new).
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I volunteered at a fairly prestigious Jr Golf tourney lately. It was frustrating how nearly all of them were playing either ProV1s, or ProV1xs. I asked most of these 15-17 year olds if they had tested other balls (Callaway, Bridgestone, Nike, etc.), and almost none of them had. They simply were playing the ProVs due to them being the number one ball on the tours. It’s frustrating that golfers with such great natural talent gave no thought if the ball they were playing was best for them. They simply were following the herd mentality and playing what most of the pros played, without taking the time to evaluate if it really was best for their game.
I’ll bet those guys could shave 2-3 strokes a round off their scores with the right ball. For the one who got a fitting, it could be the difference that turns him into the winner.
The Polara Ultimate Straight golf ball provides golfers with something no other golf ball does – prevents hooks and slices by up to 75%. This is not Golf Marketing Hype – this is fact. I should know, I am one of the inventors.
Even with an outside-in club path, a slice can be largely prevented by using the new Polara Ultimate Straight or Super Straight golf balls. These balls use physics and aerodynamics to help those who need an immediate fix for the dreaded slice. see http://www.polaragolf.com for further information
Well I agree about the misperception about the ProV1 and it’s almost identical brother the x. However, I disagree that there are many quality balls under $20. I have performed 6000 fittings (yes I can document it) and the only very low priced ball I have seen consistently perform well is the Noodle.
The problem with lower priced balls is that most are very high compression balls and almost all are two piece. A high compression ball will almost aways create too much spin for the average golfer on full shots. Of the 6000 tests I performed I estimate that 85% of players at every skill level have too much back spin on full shots. The excessive backspin causes the ball to balloon and loose distance. Technically a ball only really spins one way so a ball that spins a lot on full shots will also tend to spin off line quickly. Balls like the Top Flite XL, Pinnacle and Slazenger have insane spin rates especially when missed.
Virtually all lower priced balls are also two piece balls as this is the least expensive ball to produce. Two piece balls will have less short iron spin compared with a three piece ball that has the same cover material and compression. In the test I performed I also noticed that two piece balls had a wider variance in overall spin on individual shots.
Regarding the referenced ball in a previous post that has 75% less spin I would say it sounds promising. However my question would be how does the ball spin into the green with short iron or a 40 yard wedge from a tight lie into a firm green.
Finally regarding putter feel…this may be the most over rated issue regarding a golf ball. I believe that feel is important in golf but once you have “felt” the putt or shot it is over and it has zero impact on what the ball actually does. Choosing a ball for putter feel would be lime a great marksman choosing a round of ammo based on how it felt coming out of the gun. I promise you if the round hits the bullseye he will quickly forget how the bullet “feels”.
To Rick H, post on 10/26: Referring to your comment:
“Regarding the referenced ball in a previous post that has 75% less spin I would say it sounds promising. However my question would be how does the ball spin into the green with short iron or a 40 yard wedge from a tight lie into a firm green.”
The Polara Ultimate Straight (2pc) and Polara Super Straight (3pc) have spin rates that on driver and short iron shots are comparable to other 2 and 3 piece balls. For a normal golf ball, lower spin means lower lift, which means slightly less slice and hook dispersion.
However, the Polara ball does not spin 75% less, THEY REDUCE SLICES AND HOOKS BY UP TO 75%. The straight shots do not result from a low-spin mechanism, but rather through a combination of “preferred axis of inertia” and low lift/low drag coefficients exhibited when the ball is rotating about the preferred axis of inertia.
Check out http://www.polaragolf.com or email me at [email protected] and I would be happy to provide you with more information about the performance of our straight golf balls. As an example, in an independently run test performed at Golf Labs in San Diego where the Golf Labs computer controlled robot was setup to hit a classic slice shot (80 ft off center), our new Polara golf balls were up to 92% straighter than two very popular performance and straight balls. The Polara balls were so much straighter than the “popular respected balls” that it is hard to believe.
We have videos on YouTube (polara golf balls) and on our website that show how the ball works, test results and player testimonials. Check them out!
David Felker, PhD
Head of Technology
Polara Golf
(Founding executive team member and former VP R&D, Callaway Golf Ball Company)
I continue to get more and more happy with the Nike PD Long every round. I bought because it is one of the few yellow balls out there, and I lost interest in playing Nike balls a few years ago – but at $15 I figured I would give this yellow a try since it was just a little more than half the price of the E-6 – and only a fraction of the Z-Star.
It doesn’t have much stopping power, that’s for sure. But distance is great and it is a fairly straight ball. For the last 3 rounds, I am 90% fairways on drives.
I will still play with the E-6, until I run out – and the same for the Q-Star – unlike other balls which I switch off of – which end up filling up bins in the garage like some sort of island of misfit toys.
And then, yes, I do play the ProV1. For Par 3s, I tend to play a ProV1. Also when the greens get the fastest, I will tend to play ProV1s for whole rounds. My distance will drop off a little, but the ability to hold greens goes up.
Yes I agree with this. There are too many golfers I see on the weekend using the Titleist Pro v1. They range from low handicappers to high handicappers.
A lot of these golfers have slow swing speeds and would be much better off using a cheaper 2 piece golf ball.
The problem with lower priced balls is that most are very high compression balls and almost all are two piece. A high compression ball will almost aways create too much spin for the average golfer on full shots. Good post!
I agree that the right equipment can make a difference in some situations. But how good of a golfer do you have to be before a different ball makes a difference? I’m a total hack on the course—in fact, I have yet to break 110 on an easy 18—so I suspect that playing the wrong ball is the least of my troubles.
Northern – in that case, you should probably play the cheapest straight ball you can find.
Ok – today, not so great for Nike PD Long. +17 for first 10 holes, +4 for last 8 holes after switching to ProV1. Not only that, but on the course I was playing the stretch 13 to 18 is the hardest stretch of holes of our 36 holes. Tomorrow morning playing the same course, I will be starting with a ProV1. (This #3 I was playing today has about 40 holes of golf on it and still looks new).