Golf Ball Choice

I am a high handicapper and recently when playing with a single digit handicapper, he made a comment about the ball I was playing. I was using a Top Flite or a Slazenger Raw Distance and he said I needed to forget about distance and think more about control. What should I look for or what brand? Any suggestions to send me in a direction are appreciated.

I believe that He has it backwards as far as ball choice is concerned.

A lot depends upon the price range you looking at, if money is no object try the golf balls the pro's play. Titliest pro's, Cllaway blacks......

If it is then maybe Nxt tour's, some of the noodles,

But, I would agree that if you want your game to progress you eventually have to play something that will stop when you hit a green and not just role off.

For my 2c into this thread, I play off 17 and have recently tried some of those 2nd hand balls that some of the golf retailers flog from time to time. I figure it's a cheaper way of getting to play an $8 ball for only $3 a ball.

Last week I got a sleeve of "pre loved" Pro V1's and found them to seemingly exagerate any shaped shot I might have tried and my tee shots, if I didn't hit them straight, flew further left or right than I might have thought they might have....

The 2 or so weeks before I had been playing "pre loved" Precept U Tri Tour balls and was very happy with them. I didn't seem to spray them as much as the Pro V1's, but, that said, that could be me and not the ball......

The only thing I've found since switching to a softer ball is that I have to remember to take a little more club, flying the ball all the way to the green on my approaches, rather than looking to pitch short of the green and have the ball bounce and roll up onto the green.

The only downside that this has for me is that if I miss the heart of the green either left or right, it seems I am always pitching on the slopes at the fringes and this throws an otherwise well struck shot well and truly further off target....

So, now I am actually wondering if I should play a couple of rounds with a harder distance ball, maybe a MaxFli Noodle or Precept Laddie to see if I score any better using that method...

All I know is I want to stop practicing hitting my tee shots into the trees...

Cheers

__________________
Look at the Target, Look at the Ball, Swing... Dr Bob Rotella...

My personal take on this is that if your a higher handicap player you would be waisting your money buy expensive 3 piece balls simply because we tend to lose so many of them.

golf smith recently did a study on golf ball performance which I have found very insightful and would like to share it with everyone on this forum

http://www.golfsmith.com/images/snak...6a5b04501de2c8

One part of the study pointed out the following that backs up previous posts and is highly appliable to us higher handicaps:

Higher spin leads to greater
ball workability, allowing the golfer to shape a shot
to one’s needs. A lower spin rate better suits the
golfer that tends to place too much sidespin on the
ball, such as slicing or hooking spin. Reduced spin
not only leads to reduced backspin, but also
sidespin, resulting in straighter ball flights.

__________________
SumoSid
"Moments of Greatness followed by Moments of horror."

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache...lnk&cd=1&gl=nz

the other link didn't work.
here is the html link.

you can goolge the PDF "snake eyes golf ball test"

A great way to get great balls at great prices is to search the market for "X-outs".

These are batches of balls - sometimes slightly unsorted - with COSMETIC flaws, that can't be sold at full price.
You can often find balls at prices as low as half the normal retail price, and the ONLY problem with the ball is logo's that aren't straight or wrong (you can get a Callaway HX Tour ball that was erroneously marked as an HX Tour 56, or is even only SUSPECTED to be erroneously marked).

You'll NEVER know the difference.

And unless you're a really solid single-digit player, you'll be hard pressed to tell the difference between the HX Tour and HX Tour 56 anyway.

You'll be playing excellent balls at excellent prices.

Just don't use them in tournaments, since they might not be on the list of "conforming" balls.

__________________
//Mox
2008 bag:
Mizuno MX-500 460cc 10.5* Fujikura Tour Platform 26.3 stiff. (about to be replaced by MP-600 10,5* UST Proforce V2 stiff)
Mizuno F-50 3w 15* Fujikura Tour Platform 26.3 stiff.
Wilson Deep Red 5w 18* Graphalloy Fatshaft stiff
Cleveland HALO 3i hybrid 22* graphite regular
Mizuno MP-60e forged 5i-PW True Temper Dynamic gold R300 steel
Mizuno MP Black OX raw haze 50/6 GW, 54/9 SW, 58/10 LW
Heavy Putter B3-M
Titleist NXT Extreme

Oh ... one more comment on balls.

As soon as you begin to strike the ball even somewhat consistently and begin focusing on choosing the right club for the exact distance needed, FORGET ABOUT LAKE BALLS.

"Today's Golfer" magazine did a test of the effects on the ball from being emerged in water for some time, and even if it is only a few days, water DOES enter through the cover and change the characteristics of the core.

As a result of this, lake balls are inconsistent and not something you would want to rely on, when the skins are on the line.


My last recommendation: Try to stick with one brand and model as much as possible. That WILL help you improve your game.

__________________
//Mox
2008 bag:
Mizuno MX-500 460cc 10.5* Fujikura Tour Platform 26.3 stiff. (about to be replaced by MP-600 10,5* UST Proforce V2 stiff)
Mizuno F-50 3w 15* Fujikura Tour Platform 26.3 stiff.
Wilson Deep Red 5w 18* Graphalloy Fatshaft stiff
Cleveland HALO 3i hybrid 22* graphite regular
Mizuno MP-60e forged 5i-PW True Temper Dynamic gold R300 steel
Mizuno MP Black OX raw haze 50/6 GW, 54/9 SW, 58/10 LW
Heavy Putter B3-M
Titleist NXT Extreme

Hi Kbradb,

Hopefully you will find the link below useful as I spent a bit of time trying out different balls and giving them a score for my type of game. My only piece of advice in finding a balls is try expensive and cheap ones but dont go for lake balls they are far to inconsistent. This will help you find a ball that when you strike it you get the feedback that you can relate to. This feedback can be the feel from hitting it the spin it gives and the accuracy of the shot.

Just a note to your mate : Most distance balls are 2 piece and often have lower spin rates. (More spin = less control) but dont forget than distance of a ball is down to your swing, the power you generate and your stirke accuracy.

http://www.golf-tuition-online.com/v...ead.php?t=4666 (How important is the ball?)

Anyway hope it helps
Cheers
Mark

I'll second both of these sentiments. When you constantly switch balls, you constantly switch yardages. The difference between a Pinnacle Gold and an NXT can be 15 yards.