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Expensive Balls Worth it??

SuperStroke
wheela

wheela

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I never used expensive balls as i always assumed they couldn't improve my game that much.
I also assumed, wrongly, that i don't have a good enough swing/contact to spin the ball significantly.

WRONG

I got some pro v1's as a gift over the weekend, yesterday i used one for 18 holes, stuck it on 3/4 of the greens and it checked from 1 bounce on all my chips. (very exciting, felt like a real golfer)

Question for you all

Is this me getting lucky with a "better ball" or is the ball actually better??
and what other balls are potentially better??
 
All I am going to say is that I play just as well (and bad) with $20 balls as I do with $40 balls. I have played them all, multiple times, looking for a edge. I consistently shoot the same scores regardless of the price. Probably has something to do with my swing, where I can't take advantage of the the extra $20 of playability. Perhaps one ball might feel better putting than another is the only difference I can find. They all still roll the same. However, if an expensive ball is the one that consistently saves you strokes, by all means it is the one you should use. When it comes to golf, a side from just having fun, the "total" number on the score card is all that really matters. :D
 
Players usually know themselves if they need a premium ball or not. If you're not that good and looking to improve and work on your game, why would you need a premium ball?

If you're average and you feel you strike the ball well enough to take advantage of the extra benefits of that better ball, then by all means, use the premium balls.

Psyche in this game can mean something to. Through my transgression into a pretty decent golfer, I always felt better and made sure I tried that much more when I knew I was hitting a good ball.

Oh, and you can't go wrong w/ the Nike One Tour ball. :good:
 
Except for how they putt I really don't care what ball I play.I go for cheap.I will buy 1 and done high end used balls where you get the high dollar offerings for not much more than new cheap balls.I'm pretty satisfied that if I make the contact I'm after the shot won't disappoint me that much. Cheap ball or high dollar.But I love finding the high dollar balls on the course so I'd say if you worrying about which are better..why the $45-50 a dozen variety are :D
 
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If you hit the ball with a lot of consistency, don't lose a lot of them, etc, then sure play what you want. But for those of us who aren't all that good at this game it seems like the pricey balls are simply a waste of $$$. I have played with a lot of people & very few can get any sort of backspin around the greens. I know everyone on the web drives the ball 260+ & can back up a ball 10yds with ease so for all of you....go for the most expensive balls you can find.
 
wheela said:
Is this me getting lucky with a "better ball" or is the ball actually better?? and what other balls are potentially better??
Click to expand...

Totally depends on what you mean by better. From your post, I'd guess you had great control with the ProV1 on approach and on the green... which is what a urethane covered ball will give you.

There are a crapton of balls that will give you similar spin on approach and around the green, starting in price from the low $20's and going up from there. The Bridgestone E5 is a good place to start.

It could be the ProV1 is the best ball for your game, and then it's just up to you if ya wanna pay the $40+ a dozen. I'd bet you could probably find cheaper balls that work as well or better though.

Of course I'm kinda biased... always like the Bridgestone and Nike lineup back when Bridgestone made the Nike balls.
 
Its all preference i believe

Either you:
1. take 10 yards off the tee with probably 10 yards release on the greens for 15-20$

2. Take a couple of yards of the tee and a fair amount of check on the greens for 27-30$ (sort of the middle ground)

3. You take, in some instances, a minor (maybe a yard) of tee distance lost for the most amount of spin for 40+$.

Personally i dont mind option 2, but i usually like option 3.
 
wheela said:
Is this me getting lucky with a "better ball" or is the ball actually better??
and what other balls are potentially better??
Click to expand...

I play premium balls. I've tried the mid range balls, and there are some decent ones out there, but I always end up back with the high end balls. Most of the last 20 years I've been using a Titleist (Tour Balata or Pro V), but this next year I"ll be moving on to the TM Penta TP. It's a better ball than the Pro V1 for the same price... no brainer for me. :dohanim:
 
awesome advice all, i'm an 11 handicap atm, so i hit it relatively consistently.

from all the advice it sounds like, sadly, the expensive balls will now have my cash. It was worth it, i had a 79 on a long course and extremely hard greens.

I guess the test will be next time, when i'll prob shoot 90+ and start a thread saying expensive balls AREN'T worth it!!!!!!

thanks again
 
Continue to play different balls as a lot of them change yearly as does your swing and abilities. I'm a very mid/high player and the prov1 plays well for me. The TM Penta, as FourPutt said, is a better ball yet for me. I'll be with the Bridgestone e6 ball this year because I won a ton of them in a THP contest this year, except on a few special occassions when I break out the Pentas.

Try them all side by side and pick the right one for YOU!
 
thedue said:
Try them all side by side and pick the right one for YOU!
Click to expand...

+1

Plus you may want to have a ball fitting done as well
 
I sure liked the last part of the summer when TP Red's dropped to 2/$55. That is a great ball at a great price. But I know what I like and if that ball cost $40-$50, so be it. If I spent $30 on something I had doubts about or didn't like, I just wasted $30.

Now that the TP Red is going away, I will be playing the Penta TP this year. The reviews say it is a step up.
 
I like to ball what I consider to be a good ball which is the TM TP Red and it is somewhat costly. I purchased 2 dozen for $55 when they offered that earlier in the year and again they offered it during the holiday season I picked up another 2 dozen.
 
Just a question. How many of you start each round with a new ball? Or, do you use the same ball for more than one round? I start every round with a new ball. Any ball I finish a round with goes into the practice bag. Figure I am spending between $250-$300 a year on just golf balls.
 
provisional said:
Just a question. How many of you start each round with a new ball? Or, do you use the same ball for more than one round? I start every round with a new ball. Any ball I finish a round with goes into the practice bag. Figure I am spending between $250-$300 a year on just golf balls.
Click to expand...

I always start the round with a new ball. I can't remember the last time I used the same ball for the entire round, whether I lost it or scuffed it and put it away.
 
For the mid-higher handicap, or those who struggle with hooks/slices.

More backspin ability = more sidespin ability.

So, if you choose to play (a ProV1 per se), expect the extra spin...also going sideways.



Also, can someone hook me up on some Penta's? We don't have any in VA, and I want to try some out, quite severely.
 
Prov, no new ball here. I almost always start out with the last ball used on a previous round.
 
balls

balls

the midrange bridgestone balls are a great compromise...urethane cover and 2-3 piece..
 
Up until the last 5 years I played what I found and what was in my bag. I then tried the Titleist Pro V1 and I was amazed at the short game performance, I actually spun the ball back when hit crisply with any iron. Since then that's all I play and never looked at another. Recently I checked into "mint condition" ProV1's (used) and purchased 3 dozen for $27.50 per (free shipping for me) so I'll have less worries about duck-hooking it into the pond. You can check Used Golf Balls - Premium Used and Recycled Golf Balls
 for pricing, they ship from Canada. New ball pricing for ProV1's is $55.95 per dozen.
 
provisional said:
Just a question. How many of you start each round with a new ball? Or, do you use the same ball for more than one round? I start every round with a new ball. Any ball I finish a round with goes into the practice bag. Figure I am spending between $250-$300 a year on just golf balls.
Click to expand...

I usually start with a new ball out of the sleeve. I heard that Natalie Gulbis say one time that once a ball get in the bag with the others they get to talking. hehehe
 
I used the Bridgestone e6 for what seemed like a couple of years before switching to the B330-RX. It might of been mental but my scores went from just breaking 100 to shooting in the low 90s consistently so I havent switched back. If anything they feel awesome off of the putter.
 
TheGasman said:
I used the Bridgestone e6 for what seemed like a couple of years before switching to the B330-RX. It might of been mental but my scores went from just breaking 100 to shooting in the low 90s consistently so I havent switched back. If anything they feel awesome off of the putter.
Click to expand...

Good to know Gas....I'm having a ball fitting done between e6 (current ball), et, and B330-RX and I'm curious to see if I'll be gaming something other than the e6 now
 
I play recycled B330-RX balls, and love them. I'm not near good enough to justify buying them brand new at $40 per dozen (even if I could afford them, I wouldn't pay it when I can get recycled ones for a discount)


I thoroughly enjoyed testing the Penta ball this past season as well, shot my best round ever with one.
 
I'm an 18 handicap and I have used most every popular ball available. Bridgestone had a ball fitting at my home course a couple of years ago and surprise, they recommended their e6+

I have been using these ever since and haven't looked back. I buy mint used ones for about $12 a dozen and couldn't be happier.

I also went to an iron fitting a few months ago and the guys at the shop asked if I wanted a ball fitting as well. I declined, but we talked some about ball fitting and they told me that of all the golfers who came in and were playing Pro v's, not one of them should have been playing them according to their testing.

I'm not real convinced that the ball makes all that much difference to the average hacker, at least not to this one.
 
provisional said:
Just a question. How many of you start each round with a new ball? Or, do you use the same ball for more than one round?
Click to expand...

If it makes it through the round without any cuts or scuffs, it goes back into the bag and available for the next round. Maybe I pull it out, maybe I don't. Kinda random.
 
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