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Range balls, how much distance less are they than regular play balls?

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GolfingDawg

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I know there is alot of variable, but on average? I use 3 different practice ranges and with different company "Practice" balls and to me it seems like about a 10 yard difference from my normal playing balls. SuperSoft, TruFeel and QStar Tour. Thoughts....
 
I’ve always been curious about this too. I don’t know the answer so hopefully someone with some knowledge on the subject chimes in.
 
Completely depends on the ball and the golfer. Some are not much different distance at all.
 
Really depends on the balls and who's hitting them. I tend grab a ball from whatever range I'm using often (I bring it back) and test it to see the difference. Keep kind of a mental database on it. For me some of them are pretty extreme. One of our ranges uses the exact balls from this test



and I had posted very similar results when I tested them vs. the balls I play.
 
Heck, I can see a 10-15 yard difference from one range ball to the next. The consistency of range balls is so bad based on age and condition. All I’m looking to do with range balls is make good ball contact
 
I find range balls spin a ton more than my gamers off the driver
 
YMMV but for the ranges around here, it's roughly a 10-yard difference between 100-200 yards. Obvious on shorter distances the difference is less, and longer is more.

And I'm not even talking about nicer range balls like Srixon or Callaway range balls. The range balls we have around here are "no name" -- they just say RANGE on it with 2 lines across.
 
GolfingDawg said:
I know there is alot of variable, but on average? I use 3 different practice ranges and with different company "Practice" balls and to me it seems like about a 10 yard difference from my normal playing balls. SuperSoft, TruFeel and QStar Tour. Thoughts....
Click to expand...
Are you using a launch monitor? If you aren’t, does the distance difference between balls on the range make any difference?
 
Depends on the range....

Some driving ranges will still use balls from 4 years ago, and are all beat to hell, scuffed up, dirty, etc... Yuk... :rolleyes:
Other (newer, more upscale) ranges will have darn near brand new range balls. Granted, yeah, okay.... they are not a Pro-V1, but still... c'mon... they are a great range ball to practice with!
 
My course renews them every couple of years, but right now most of the range balls barely even have dimples on them. It can make for some really weird ball flights and I'm not sure I'd put much stock in any numbers if I was using a launch monitor.
 
Range balls at each of the more local NH courses I play are lifeless turds that look like they were pulled from the bottom of a swamp during the Regan years.......and some of them probably were. Various colors, all dirty as heck, it's harder to find unscuffed sections of the ball.

I really only care about contact and basic ball flight. My 7iron is usually a 175-180 club for me....with the range rocks.....might be 150-160 at best.
 
Most of the courses i practice at have such a range of type and condition of range ball I don’t even consider comparing the distances between them and gamer balls. For short game I use my own retired balls.
 
Too many variables to give a solid answer. Major outliers aside it also depends on which ball you currently hit and if it is actually a good fit for you. 🤷‍♂️
 
With our winter range balls we lose at least 10% to 15%. The summer range balls are pretty comparable to a "normal" golf ball.
 
This thread has gotten my attention because I haven’t played my driver on course yet (should tomorrow) but was hitting it 180 at the range with range balls. Excited to think I might be flirting with 200y with my TM Distance Plus balls.
 
Our limited flight range balls are at least 10% shorter
 
Slowmo said:
Heck, I can see a 10-15 yard difference from one range ball to the next. The consistency of range balls is so bad based on age and condition.

All I’m looking to do with range balls is make good ball contact.
Click to expand...

Agree 💯
 
Range balls aren't where I try to figure out distances due to the condition of the balls at most places. It's more about direction and contact than anything else. Distance I try and dial in during practice rounds using the ball I play rounds with.
 
If I remember correctly- Manufacturers can create any type. They have to be durable AND have some semblance of performance. Aside from the Range versions of ProV's, Chrome Soft and the other 'tour' ball range versions (which, apparently are just blemished versions that don't make final approval), The normal range ball can be formulated to different percentage of 'normal' performance depending on the cost and length of the range. All of them seem to spin WAY too much. But there are 10 percenters, 15 percenters, etc...

According to the pro at one of the ranges I localed at, their balls were 10 percenters, but that was at the top end of swing speeds- he'd lose about 25 yards of carry with the range balls. A 'regular' golfer may only lose 15. At shorter distance the percentage gets smaller.

A 'Good' range, will adjust the yard markers to compensate for that difference. I see guys showing up with their Range Finders checking the markers and then complain about it because they "can't dial in their yardages"... Well, yeah- if you are using range balls to dial those #'s in, you will have a tough day on the course.
 
I've always believed the limited flight balls that most driving ranges use are a good 15% shorter than your regular gamer.
Range.jpg
 
I have a lot of water ranges down my way, and the floating balls are significantly shorter than regular balls.
 
Range to range and ball to ball and player to player....
 
Definitely a ton of variables (ball condition, etc) As others have said on here, I just try to focus on contact on the range. Too many times I've had to remind myself "you are hitting range balls" when the distance isn't quite flying like I thought it should
 
One of the ranges I frequent is at the course I play a league at. Their range balls are decent balls, however, because the range sits next to the 9th fairway over 50% of the balls are what everyone loses through the fence or just outside the range when they find their balls among the hundreds of balls that get hit over the net! I Almost was hit 3 times while trying to hit a shot that just trickled off the fairway! The same guy kept shanking his ball off the matt over the net.. SMH.. So we get to use Pro-V's, Vice, Callaway, Srixon, TM, etc.
Another range I used the balls were rocks and 3 guys broke their driver in one week. Never went back there.
 
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