Mud Balls

[captaincaution]

Have you ever actually had a mud ball? I mean one where the flight of the ball went wonky because of mud on the ball?



I've never seemed to be as affected by anything on the ball when compared to pros, but then again, they have superior control of their ball.

Until yesterday. Ball was in the fairway, mud on the left side of the ball. This suggests the ball will go right. Took my shot, and the ball was pulled a touch, but was traveling straight, until all of a sudden, it shot to the right, as predicted. I had never seen the golf ball actually turn so abruptly like that before.

How often do you get a mud ball? Do you adjust your shot based on what the ball is "supposed" to do with the mud on it?

 

[russtopher]

Oh yeah I've had them. None recently, but a muni I play used to be known for their poor drainage, even in the middle of a drought you'd end up in a mucky, swampy patch a few times per round with an incredibly dirty ball. I've had iron and wedge shots visibly wobble in the air when they had mud on them.

 

[PKorf]

Seeing as I live in Northeast Ohio,I'm probably affected by this as much / little as you are @captaincaution

I do t think I've ever had it affect too much. Certainly not like you provided the example.

 

[Just_Brad]

Maybe once or twice a season, but that is more out of laziness out of anything.
Typically we just play if you have a mudder, then lift it up and clean it up.

 

[captaincaution]

Maybe once or twice a season, but that is more out of laziness out of anything.
Typically we just play if you have a mudder, then lift it up and clean it up.

Yeah, usually when it is cart path only, it is also lift-clean-place in the fairway.

My ball yesterday was in a club championship match, so I couldn't really take any liberties with the rules.

 

[Just_Brad]

Yeah, usually when it is cart path only, it is also lift-clean-place in the fairway.

My ball yesterday was in a club championship match, so I couldn't really take any liberties with the rules.

Those are always fun, when it actually means something, and the ball just does what it wants lol.

 

[mav52]

Mud ball, just another unlucky occurrence in this lovely game of golf, just like that awesome tee shot that lands in a divot.

 

[Desmond]

Where I play, it doesn't happen but a few times a year. I wipe it off. Sorry, Golf gods.

 

[golfinnut]

Wipe the mud off ... problem solved

 

[Daluteh]

I have had it a few times, I think it really does impact the flight of the ball - it's pretty crazy how such a small amount of weight and resistance on one side of the ball can really change up the flight of a ball.

 

[Drumdog]

I used to play a course that had horrible drainage and the mud balls were common place.

 

[Greg Kulbick]

I've had mud balls before. I don't know if they affected the flight of the ball, but I sure blamed it if the shot didn't work out.

 

[David7]

I thought mud ball meant a ball unearthed from under the mud and then played with

 

[donny475]

I have had it a few times, more when i lived in the south. You just =allow for the deviation when you aim

 

[HarlettoScara]

We get them a lot. It can be really really wet over here, and there are times that the courses just don't dry out for almost weeks on end so they're inevitable. If it's a game with a card in hand then just have to suck it up, but any casual game the ball gets a wipe down.

 

[checkered]

Definitely had a few of those up here. Gets quite muddy in the PNW a lot of the year and it is inevitible to have that happen. It is annoying but i try to see it as just something to push me to try to hit more fairways. Hehe

 

[CBaker]

I feel like the only real time this has happened to me it’s been so wet/muddy that we are playing lift clean and place anyway. Not sure it’s ever happened to me on a normal weather round