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How long kept in play

SuperStroke
slimjim32

slimjim32

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How long do you continue to play a golf ball? 1 nick and its done? Keep playing until the cover falls off?

If you play it for a long time, do you start to notice a degradation in the play of the ball?
 
Keep playing a ball until it gets a major scuff which I beleive will degrade the performance of it. If it doesn't develop any, I will take it out of play after 3 rounds and start using a new one. By then, it is typically pretty beat up.
 
For me, one scuff or cut and it's out. That's why they sell em by the dozen.
 
I play a ball until it has a cut in it or some major scuffs. Or until I lose it. So generally about 6 holes.
 
No cut or significant abrasion, I continue to play. Otherwise it hits the shag bag in a couple rounds.


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If I’m in a zone and playing well, I won’t switch out my ball. If I start playing poorly I switch after 9 to change the mojo. If I’m playing bad, I’ll switch often.
 
2 rounds tops.
 
How long kept in play

I’m getting more particular. If it scuffs I’ll throw it in a side pocket in my bag. That ball will come back into play usually on a difficult hole where I’m bound to shoot it into the drink.

Balls are just too damn expensive to completely throw away.
 
If the ball gets a significant scuff or one that I can see at address on the tee or on the green, I’m changing balls. Otherwise, a couple of rounds, max.
 
Until I lose it. Since I average one lost ball per round, a sleeve lasts about 3 rounds. Rarely does it have a scuff mark.
 
Until it gets a major scuff. After that it becomes a practice ball. Haven't been able to keep a ball in play long enough to develop any scuffs lately.

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Until I lose it or scuff it badly. Some of those soft balls like the Callaway super soft scuff really easily.
 
If it gets a scuff, it's done. I mean, if the ball leaves the club at 150+MPH with a scuff, it has to effect the ball flight since the stitches on a base ball is what makes it curve, right? other wise if i play 18 holes with a ball, it's done.
 
I have this z star that has lasted I think 65 holes right now. I usually put a new ball in play each round but I was kinda curious how it would hold up. It's pretty battle scarred but I'm kinda curious how many holes it will survive now.

Usually I will put a new ball in play each round and switch out when lost. Need some pretty serious damage for me to switch balls.

If I'm playing a competition, I have also been known to bench a ball after multiple bogeys in a row.
 
Until it’s lost, usually lasts a round at most.
 
Sox_Fan said:
Keep playing a ball until it gets a major scuff which I beleive will degrade the performance of it. If it doesn't develop any, I will take it out of play after 3 rounds and start using a new one. By then, it is typically pretty beat up.
Click to expand...

Sounds about right.
 
donny475 said:
If it gets a scuff, it's done. I mean, if the ball leaves the club at 150+MPH with a scuff, it has to effect the ball flight since the stitches on a base ball is what makes it curve, right? other wise if i play 18 holes with a ball, it's done.
Click to expand...

Interesting you say this. I think it also depends on the size of the scuff/mark, wouldn't it? But definitely something worth noting as I think people don't think a scuff will play into the spin of the ball as much as it will.

I personally am more worried about the scuffs and marks gouging up my club faces than the added impact on the side spin of the ball.
 
Until it gets a big scuff at which point it becomes a winter golf ball or shag bag ball.
 
I usually play 9 hole rounds so I will pull out a new ball each time I play. When the round is over I demote it to the practice pile I keep for chipping/putting practice. Some might ask why I would demote the ball if it is still in good shape and the answer is that it is rarely in mint condition after 9 holes. During the course of the 9 holes it will hit a root, a cart path, a tree, wedge grooves will scuff it etc... Plus it is a mindset, new round, new ball, new chance to go low.
 
I will play a ball till the cover has an issue that I believe will hurt the performance of the ball enough for me to see.
 
Until I lose it, or it infuriates me and must be sacrificed to a deity of some sort. Scuffs are no problem for my level of play.
 
Hamfist said:
Until I lose it, or it infuriates me and must be sacrificed to a deity of some sort. Scuffs are no problem for my level of play.
Click to expand...

Same here.


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Sox_Fan said:
Keep playing a ball until it gets a major scuff which I beleive will degrade the performance of it. If it doesn't develop any, I will take it out of play after 3 rounds and start using a new one. By then, it is typically pretty beat up.
Click to expand...

Bingo!
 
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