Tell-tale signs that you are not compressing the ball.

jjfcpa

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There seems to be a school of thought that if you are not compressing the ball, you may be losing distance. I know that most golf ball manufacturers design their golf balls to be suitable for most level of golfers, but I'm curious if there is any simple way to know if you are not compressing the ball enough.

I'm handicapped (no pun intended) by a number of physical traits.

1. 71 years old
2. Slow swing speed (pitching wedge is 68 - 70)
3. 5' 6" tall

I've been playing a number of different balls (Snell MTB Black, Bridgestone Tour B RX, Chromesoft) and I get the feeling that I should be using a ball that is easier to compress. I'm going to try the Bridgestone e12 Soft because it feels like I'm compressing it more.
 
Wilson DuoU is a good option too. I bought a bunch of the prior model year close out priced for like 12.00 a dozen last fall. Figured it would be a good ball for my 13 year old, and it is. They’re his favorite. All manufacturers measure compression differently but it’s rated at 50 (IIRC).

If that’s too soft for your taste, Q Star Tours are another good ball that’s reasonably priced (you can often get them for $20.00 a dozen). I think they’re rated somewhere around a 70?
 
Place a tee next to your ball. If your divot is in front of the tee you are probably compressing it; divots behind the tees means you probably aren’t.

Look to see where your ball is striking the club face. Lower grooves means probably not, middle of the face means probably yes.

If you want to tell how much you are compressing each ball and if that’s the right amount...I’m not sure there’s an especially easy way. I think you are going to generally be looking at how the ball responds off the tee and into greens, though the ball construction will come into play there too.
 
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I recently had an online conversation with Andrew Rice about this. Focusing on a lower compression ball that matches your swing speed is part of it. There are three other major components though. Compression is also about angles. If you flip the club through impact you'll add loft which produces a more glancing blow and that reduces compression. Conversely, if you keep your hands ahead you de-loft the club and that adds to compression. So does hitting it on the sweet spot and squaring up the clubface at impact. Those are the factors that will help you get the most out of your swing speed.
 
I recently had an online conversation with Andrew Rice about this. Focusing on a lower compression ball that matches your swing speed is part of it. There are three other major components though. Compression is also about angles. If you flip the club through impact you'll add loft which produces a more glancing blow and that reduces compression. Conversely, if you keep your hands ahead you de-loft the club and that adds to compression. So does hitting it on the sweet spot and squaring up the clubface at impact. Those are the factors that will help you get the most out of your swing speed.

Excellent information and I focus on all these points to ensure I am getting maximum distance. The part that I would really like an answer to is - other than hitting two balls to see which one travels further, which may not be a definitive answer - matching your swing to the correct compression ball. I know when I do the online fitting on the Bridgestone website, it recommends the Tour B RX, which is one the balls that I really play pretty well. Still wondering if a ball with a lower compression would produce even better results. I'm planning to compare the Tour B RX with the e12 soft tomorrow when I play. Of course, my comparison will be focused on distance.
 
Sound is a big one for me.....
 
Excellent information and I focus on all these points to ensure I am getting maximum distance. The part that I would really like an answer to is - other than hitting two balls to see which one travels further, which may not be a definitive answer - matching your swing to the correct compression ball. I know when I do the online fitting on the Bridgestone website, it recommends the Tour B RX, which is one the balls that I really play pretty well. Still wondering if a ball with a lower compression would produce even better results. I'm planning to compare the Tour B RX with the e12 soft tomorrow when I play. Of course, my comparison will be focused on distance.

Most manufacturer's recommendations focus on driver swing speed. You listed the swing speed of your PW. If I had to guess, I would guess that puts your driver swing speed at 85-90 MPH. But you tell me.

If you really want to get the most out of a ball, the best way to do so is to hit balls with a launch monitor. We'd like to think we can do this by sight on the range, but this really has several shortcomings.

Take two balls. On a range, you might find ball 1 went further and conclude that is the better ball for you. But if you had a launch monitor you *might* notice differences in the quality of those swings that tell a different tale. Your swings on ball 2 had a much lower smash factor and you scooped the ball some adding loft. Now the ball is just sitting there, so it isn't the reason for those differences, you are! Ball 2 might have a significantly higher ball speed with the same quality strikes.

So, you can do a much better comparison with a launch monitor. This is especially true when you are looking for the BEST ball for you.

P.S. What if you don't have access to a $20,000 Flightscope or Trackman? See if you can borrow a buddies personal launch monitor. They are becoming more popular. Units like the SC-200 may not give you all the stats you'll find on the $20K systems. But having swing speed, ball speed, and smash factor is pretty useful. Much more than having nothing at all.
 
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