Tom’s Bonus Tip:
Q&A Which Ball Should I use
For the sake of simplicity, all advice on swings and drills is provided from a right handed perspective; lefties …. well, you know what to do!
I have been giving lessons to a married couple who work hard at improving their game, and the husband – Rich B. emailed me this question:
Q: “Hi Tom, I’ve been using Slazinger X-out balls, Titlists nxts and Pro Vs. What golf ball would you recommend, and is there rule of thumb when purchasing balls. Also, are there markings on balls indicate low/high compressions?”
A: Hi Rich, thanks for the question, I think I’ll use it in my newsletter.
On most modern balls, there are no compression number markings due to the multi layers that are involved in the makeup of the ball. If you are very tenacious, you might be able to dig out compression ratings on the manufacturer’s website, but there’s generally enough information on the packaging to help you decide on the ball that’s right for you.
Balls that are advertised as spin balls or balls that give you good touch around the greens, would correlate with low compression type balls; distance balls would correlate with higher compression type balls.
Having said that, there are several manufacturers that state that their ball gives you the best of both worlds. To be frank, that’s hard for me to grasp, there’s always some give and take – there has to be.
If you need distance off the tee, a distance ball would be appropriate, but you will lose spin and feel on pitch and chip shots.
Premium balls are expensive – ProV1’s etc – but they are the best, which is why they cost more. A good alternative is high grade used balls. You can get into a premium ball for about half the price, and as long as they are not nicked there’s no downside as far as performance goes.
I bought used ProV1’s and “practice” ProV1’s for my putting and chipping lessons, and I wouldn’t hesitate to use them in actual play.
I’m affiliated with the best used golf ball site that I’ve found, it’s here: UsedGolfBallDeals.com
If you prefer a brand new ball, one of my brothers swears by a ball MasterGrip produces called The Tour C4. The Maxfli noodle is also great ball for the money. I just bought another brother in Florida 12 boxes as a gift. He goes through a lot of balls down there.
The bottom line is you need to try them out, settle on a brand and model that fits your game, and stick to it.
If you want to test out premium balls, buy high grade used ones here: UsedGolfBallDeals.com The savings are significant, and they will cause no negative effect on your game at all.
People talk all the time about the touring pros changing equipment, but it’s very rare that they change balls. That should tell you something.
Many years ago, Titelist produced a Tour Distance 90 ball, which used to fit my swing to a tee.
When I found out that they were discontinuing that ball, I bought 24 boxes to last me until I found a ball that had the same characteristics for distance, spin, and feel. Eventually I settled on the ProV1, and that’s all I play. The carry distance feel with my irons is consistent with these balls, and I like the way it reacts around the greens and on putts.
If you are serious about your game, find a ball that suits your swing and stick with it.
Love your practice, enjoy your golf,
Tom
