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does which golf ball really matter for super high handicappers?

SuperStroke
I would think from my experience that WHAT you play doesn't matter so much, but it does help a lot to play the same ball. Consistency in your equipment is the only way to isolate YOUR issues. If you don't know whether the extra roll-out was your ball-striking technique or the ball, it makes improvement harder.

Playing the Bridgestone e6 for an extended period of time has really helped my short-game.
 
It isn't going to make a night and day change, no. That ground's been covered.
I do think it will make an incremental change, certainly I seem to keep E6s around longer than ProVs.

Overlooked here is the question of how a ball feels on the green. I certainly find that putting is different with a Pinnacle than a DUO. I personally like a "softer" feeling ball on the putter, so that's what I use most often. And I think consistency off the putter would drop more shots faster than trying to fix driving issues with a ball.

And if it doesn't matter what ball you putt with, then use whatever you have. If you do find one that seems to help, go with that. Even if it's just mental, can't hurt.
 
I'm surprised so many people think balls fix slices...that's not true. A slice is due to a very evident swing pattern. Sure some balls are prone to more spin than others, but to believe that a specific ball will cure a slice is completely bogus.
 
kiteman said:
I'm surprised so many people think balls fix slices...that's not true. A slice is due to a very evident swing pattern. Sure some balls are prone to more spin than others, but to believe that a specific ball will cure a slice is completely bogus.
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So many? Can you quote any person that said that a ball can eliminate a slice?

Several have said that balls like the e6 can help reduce side spin. This has measurable real world evidence.
Others have also said that even with swing flaws, high handicappers can tell a difference between the performance characteristics of different types of balls. Also true.

The conclusion is that yes, the ball chosen can matter to a higher handicapper's game, not that it's going to be a magic cure all.
 
Let's not forget that while sidespin and slicing have been discussed a lot, and it's surely very common, but far from the only reason that a lot of high handicappers may have the handicap that they do.
 
I think a lot of it is just a matter of confidence, if you think the ball is going to help maybe you do hit it a little better. Personally, I haven't bought a new ball since March, I've spent the entire season playing balls I find in the rough. I hit whatever I happen to pull out of my bag, so no consistency between balls and I started the season as a 31.7 handicap and am now down to a 28
 
SharkHat said:
So many? Can you quote any person that said that a ball can eliminate a slice?
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I haven't read every post, but I've seen a few references to the concept.

IME balls never made an impact on my game at a high handicap level, so I'm in that camp. I do not think the side spin qualities of balls can really benefit a high handicapper in most circumstances.

An interesting add to this read though is that I found a ball in the water yesterday. It was a ProV1 and it was so discolored (it was uniformly the color of poop), cracked all over (but not deep cracks, just hairline), and quite frankly nothing I should have pulled out of the water in the first place. I did anyway and proceeded to hit it on the next hole, a flat par 4 with no wind at the moment. I hit my 3 wood and that ball...no kidding...went 296 yards. I tracked it with my GPS. I am a pretty long hitter and can put a 3 wood out there about 265y, but with a completely deteriorated ball going nearly 300y, well it was quite baffling. But when it left the clubhead I thought I had crushed it, so it's not like it hit a cart path (I know it didn't).

So anyway, maybe ball does make an impact on your game...play the worst one you can possibly find :bananadance:
 
I don't think it matters too much. Even now, while I feel the difference, and feel can be a big factor to a lot of players games including myself, I can play a Pro V or lower tiered, much cheaper ball and have fairly close results in terms of flight and distance. The spin factor could make a small difference but if you are hitting a big slice or hook, those issues aren't going to be fixed by a ball anyway. They need to be handled with swing changes. I'm notorious for playing a ball until it either goes into a pond or has chunks taken out of it.
 
Because golf is such a mental game... go with what works for you. I have always been a one ball advocate for the consistency aspect but a high hadicapper has more/bigger issues to work on (at least there was for me).

Once your game does become more consistent, and that may be a different point for different people, then you should see better results by sticking to one ball.
 
kiteman said:
I haven't read every post, but I've seen a few references to the concept.

IME balls never made an impact on my game at a high handicap level, so I'm in that camp. I do not think the side spin qualities of balls can really benefit a high handicapper in most circumstances.

An interesting add to this read though is that I found a ball in the water yesterday. It was a ProV1 and it was so discolored (it was uniformly the color of poop), cracked all over (but not deep cracks, just hairline), and quite frankly nothing I should have pulled out of the water in the first place. I did anyway and proceeded to hit it on the next hole, a flat par 4 with no wind at the moment. I hit my 3 wood and that ball...no kidding...went 296 yards. I tracked it with my GPS. I am a pretty long hitter and can put a 3 wood out there about 265y, but with a completely deteriorated ball going nearly 300y, well it was quite baffling. But when it left the clubhead I thought I had crushed it, so it's not like it hit a cart path (I know it didn't).

So anyway, maybe ball does make an impact on your game...play the worst one you can possibly find :bananadance:
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Just because the balls you played never had an impact on your game when you were a high handicapper doesn't mean that it's impossible.

Like I said, there are a lot of different reasons that people have high handicaps. Many may find that because of their slice swing, the ball may not make a difference. Or many may let ego get in their way and keep them from trying a ball like a Lady Precept or Noodle that could actually help their slow swing speed.

Will the ball matter for everybody? Probably not.
Can the ball matter? Yes, there are enough variables that the possibility cannot be ruled out.
 
An interesting observation last weekend. I was hitting wedges at golftec on a launch monitor. When I was hitting the range balls the spin was consistently around 5400, I then hit a Callaway Hex Black Tour and that averages were 10,400. So does a ball matter?
 
SaffaClint said:
Without sounding like a total ass and snob, can someone please explain how a new player or super high handicapper can tell the difference a ball makes. For example, someone posted here that the ball will stop a big fade at exactly that and not turn it into a slice. Come on now, you're still trying to grasp the basics of the game and suddenly you're an expert ball reviewer? A fade is a fade. A slice is a slice. The ball is not a magical device that changes, or stops the change from one into the other.
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Try hitting a Polaris Ultimate Straight and come back here and tell us that the ball cannot stop a slice or turn a slice into a fade. Once you realize that, you realize the ball DOES make a difference.



http://www.amazon.com/Polara-Ultimate-Straight-Correcting-Golf/dp/B004CMRPQO (BTW, not approved for USGA)



That's not the same thing as saying it can cover up a multitude of mistakes but your ball is dimpled for a reason. The ball is a HUGE part of flight path. REALLY HUGE. It's just that today, most ball makers are at the edge of the envelope and the difference between ball A and ball B is smaller than it has been in the past.
 
well, five pages in and we've reached a clear consensus:

* It doesn't matter ONE BIT.

* It matters A LOT.

* It doesn't matter unless you think it does.

* It matters if you use the same ball (regardless of the ball) because that makes you more consistent.

Alrighty then... another golfing issue settled! Now let's move on to discussing something simple, like whether anchoring should be allowed. We should be able to get that figured out pretty quick too! HA!
 
All that matters is what works for you and no one else. Experiment until you find what you like.
 
BuckeyeMark said:
well, five pages in and we've reached a clear consensus:

* It doesn't matter ONE BIT.

* It matters A LOT.

* It doesn't matter unless you think it does.

* It matters if you use the same ball (regardless of the ball) because that makes you more consistent.

Alrighty then... another golfing issue settled! Now let's move on to discussing something simple, like whether anchoring should be allowed. We should be able to get that figured out pretty quick too! HA!
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ROFL!!

For me, I've been using the e6's for the last 9 months or so. And yet the last 3 dozen that I bought on sale (the orange ones) just seem not to work for me. Maybe I just need to stick with the white ones!! LOL Why color would make a difference makes no sense to me but for some reason, I hit the white ones better.

As for will the Bridgestone e6's totally fix your slice...NO. Will it help?? I do believe it does. Now for me, my slice is pretty much gone. Ironically, my last round I started hooking it. But that could be an easy fix for me and just a matter of moving the ball closer to the middle of my stance (it's normally at my lead foot).
 
I'm going to try these e6's that everyone is so big on and maybe the Wilson DUO. Anybody got something else I should try they want to throw in the mix?
 
Same here, I just ordered some e6s from good old Amazon. I know it won't magically fix my slice, but I have been playing random balls, time to stick with one for a while. I will finish out the season here, and take them with me on an trips I take this winter.


Tapatalking on my iPad
 
As a high handicapper, I've tried many different balls, and I do notice differences ball to ball, though I can't always verbalize what it is I'm seeing/feeling. I definitely believe finding the right ball for you and your swing is important. The Bridgestone ball fitting was pretty impressive how it can help with that to me. Always nice to have numbers to back up your choice.
 
How about a report "live" from the front? Played today - the first time in a couple of weeks. I've been taking lessons via the PGA Home Academy DVDs (see that thread for more info) and I've been off the course while working those lessons. So today I play, even though I'm not to the full swing lesson yet.

Last time I was on the course I was slicing something terrible. Today I brought Bridgestone e6's and a couple of Wilson Staff balls and a Wilson Duo (all of these were found in my found ball collection). Started with that Wilson Duo and ... HIT IT ABSOLUTELY STRAIGHT, DEAD SOLID PERFECT. That was the story all day. No slice. Just a great solid swing with long straight drives in the fairway. It was wonderful. So I'm thinking "I'm buying a truckload of these Duos" even though I know no ball can fix a slice like this. So I get to one of the last holes and pull a water ball out because I don't want to hit that Duo in the pond and ... hit this trashy Spalding ball DEAD SOLID PERFECT.

So I'm not sure it's the ball...

After a great day of driving I got to 18 wanting to hit just one more bomb and promptly flailed miserably on FOUR tee shots (there was no one behind me and the sun was going down as the course was about to close). How is that possible?! What happened on 18?!

Oh well, I'm going to keep playing Duos and see how that works for me and I'll see if I can keep driving them straight.
 
DUOs are a fantastic ball! I found my truckload on EBay. I think it was 96 AAAAA for $80ish which included shipping.
 
When you are 20+ handicap your score dispersion is usually pretty high. You can go from 95 to 125 in a matter of a few rounds. I think it's easy to blame the ball for a good or bad round when you shoot high scores and obviously don't have all the fundamentals of golf down pat. Truth is let's be honest...it's rarely the balls.

I think the better I have gotten I've realized more and more that ball choice makes no difference to me except for greenside spin. Otherwise off the clubface they all pretty much behave the same. I've even played some decent rounds with range balls before. I just don't think it matters on any level, and if it's a confidence thing then so be it...but you're still fooling yourself into thinking it's the ball that matters when it really ain't.
 
I think the balls can matter some. I do see the E6 going straighter off the tee and it does not check as much as others. I have actually lost a few E6 as I have hit them too straight (through the dogleg when I anticipated a draw or fade). I think as a fellow higher handicaper it is nice to spend a little less on balls.

Selfish question; does someone make a ball that has/claims the spin properties of the E6 off the tee but a little more bite on the greens? Essnetial for chips as a full shot for me is a full shot. I realize this might defy the laws of physics
 
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I love e6 golf ball. Probably the best all around ball I've hit in its price range. Callaway diablo is a nice ball too. I think it most certainly matters. We need all the help we can get. Sometimes I worry a forgiving ball is preventing me from fixing the problem though.
 
BuckeyeMark said:
So I get to one of the last holes and pull a water ball out because I don't want to hit that Duo in the pond and ... hit this trashy Spalding ball DEAD SOLID PERFECT.
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IMO, for high handicappers, and indeed most "average" amateurs, the swing that is put on the ball has a much, much greater influence on what the ball does than the ball itself. I have had days where I was playing badly or very casually, pulled out a couple of older balls or "higher handicap balls" because I didn't want to waste "good" balls, and found really no material differences in terms of the impact on scoring.

That doesn't mean one should not buy a ball that they are comfortable with. We all have idiosyncrasies about names of companies, names of balls, etc. and golf is a mental game. Plus, I can see that it might make sense for a high handicapper to want a lower spinning ball of the tee. But it always (or for most people) comes down to an issue of cost. If I was a high handicapper, I would find a nice ball in the $20 per dozen range, and I would not fool myself into thinking that some $50 per dozen ball is the key to lowering my handicap. In addition, if I ran out of my "favorite" ball, but had other balls to play, I would not fret about it and think that my game is going to be off because I don't have the "right" ball for today's round.

It's the archer, not the arrow.
 
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