Bought some Titleist Pro 90 balls, what to expect?

Mach2

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Looking on eBay and found a sleeve of Pro 90 wound balata balls ? What are your thoughts on how they will perform? Are they too old to perform now similar to their performance from when they were new?
 
They may have degraded due to materials used back then and the time since, but who knows? I've played 10 year old balls that I'd previously bought used (so no idea about the conditions they were previously exposed to) and they played fine.

Hypothetically assuming that the playing characteristics of those balls remain intact, you should experience a soft feel, less distance and more spin particularly off driver and longer clubs. Therfore, much more sidespin on such strikes that would normally induce it.
 
Spin? Do you like spin?

If they play to their 20 year old performance specs, you will spin the hell out of them. With everything. They will however feel as silky smooth off of the putter as any ball you’ve ever played.

I used to bash those things into ugly oblong shapes with rubber bands showing at times. I can’t get as much into my swing now as I did back then, but if I had to play any ball from 50 yards in the rest of my life, these would be high on that list.

Don’t expect too much out of them though from further out. For a normal spin guy they’ll zip out to their zenith and fall straight out of the sky. Hitting a full PW into a green, expect it to feel like you’ve missed the ball entirely if you clip it clean, and to see it hop, stop, and zip back.

They were great before there were better balls made. There are much better balls now, hence why no one uses them anyone. They can still be a lot of fun it you want to see some zip on a full wedge though.

Quick Edit: maybe I’m thinking of the Tour Balata balls with the rubber bands?
 
Spin? Do you like spin?

If they play to their 20 year old performance specs, you will spin the hell out of them. With everything. They will however feel as silky smooth off of the putter as any ball you’ve ever played.

I used to bash those things into ugly oblong shapes with rubber bands showing at times. I can’t get as much into my swing now as I did back then, but if I had to play any ball from 50 yards in the rest of my life, these would be high on that list.

Don’t expect too much out of them though from further out. For a normal spin guy they’ll zip out to their zenith and fall straight out of the sky. Hitting a full PW into a green, expect it to feel like you’ve missed the ball entirely if you clip it clean, and to see it hop, stop, and zip back.

They were great before there were better balls made. There are much better balls now, hence why no one uses them anyone. They can still be a lot of fun it you want to see some zip on a full wedge though.

Quick Edit: maybe I’m thinking of the Tour Balata balls with the rubber bands?

Looking forward to the impact feel, less distance but great reaction from 8 iron down to the putter. Will be interesting to compare distances to the gamer Callaway supersoft balls.
 
Played the 90 Professional ball today, 2 holes. That was enough. After setting around for maybe 25 years the balls had shrunk. It looked to be smaller diameter than the Callaway Supersolf I play, and after putting the 1st green I went to pick up the 90 Pro ball with the back of the putter with the 2 fangs on the back of the putter. The putter didn't pick up the ball. It definitely had reduced it's diameter after these years. Also it sure didn't feel soft on impact. I'm guessing the rubber bands inside the ball had become more like dry tobacco than rubber bands. On the 2nd hole playing it, a par 5, I hit the drive flush and watched the ball go left, then right then fall out of the sky.

Glad I bought them and played them, but the experiment is over.
 
I got back into golf in 2012 after 20 years away from the game. I tried about every current ball available then, and most felt like rocks to me. I bought roughly 50 dozen Titleist wound balls off eBay and other sources, everything from DT 90’s and 100’s to Professionals. I found that soft feel I was looking for. Over the next few years of hoing clubs, I found that the feel in my hands and wrists were slowly fading, probably due to the repetitive motions of my job and age. I can still somewhat feel the difference between most balls. I no longer use those old balls as I have noticed distance does suffer some, and you do occasionally get the weird ballflight associated with deteriorating and broken bands inside the balls. They also cut and scuff easier than modern balls. Since I no longer spin the ball like I used to, they don’t even help me there anymore. I sadly miss those days where you would hit a nice shot and watch those old wound balls dance around the cup.
 
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