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Seeing Tee Shots?

SuperStroke
Smiter

Smiter

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I see a lot of guys that like a certain ball or color of ball. My question is, what do you recommend for someone that has serious trouble seeing his tee shot with driver? I might see 40% of them. I hit it pretty long so I'm sure this has something to do with it but i always have and I never used to fear solo rounds. I now just flat out won't play without a partner now since I lose too many balls otherwise. Is there something that can be seen better from the tee? I don't have the best vision, but it's the same as it's always been. I just don't see the ball anymore. I can usually tell based on feel approximately where it should be, but watching it is always better.
 
Truvis - they're fantastic


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Have your tried any other colors? I thunk the easiest balls to see are Chrome Soft Truvis and Volviks.
 
Glasses


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Volviks are amazingly bright especially in low light.
 
SmiterOfPv1x said:
I see a lot of guys that like a certain ball or color of ball. My question is, what do you recommend for someone that has serious trouble seeing his tee shot with driver? I might see 40% of them. I hit it pretty long so I'm sure this has something to do with it but i always have and I never used to fear solo rounds. I now just flat out won't play without a partner now since I lose too many balls otherwise. Is there something that can be seen better from the tee? I don't have the best vision, but it's the same as it's always been. I just don't see the ball anymore. I can usually tell based on feel approximately where it should be, but watching it is always better.
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I have a similar problem. I am probably a few years away from needing cataract surgery. Seeing the ball has always been an issue for me, but I have gotten better at it. Part of that is because I have become a little more consistent in my striking, so I know where it SHOULD be.

That said, I tend to favor the following balls in the following circumstances.

Bright, cloudless day - any color ball. is is teh best conditiion for the yellow Wilson Staff Duo. I call it more of a banana yellow than a lemon yellow.

Mostly sunny day with clouds or haze - orange balls like the Wilson Staff Duo, or bright yellow balls like the Bridgestone e6 Soft or Callaway Supersoft. The yellow Staff Duo is marginal here, and white balls are worse.

Overcast days - I strongly prefer an orange ball, but a brighter yellow can work. Light yellow and white are not good choices for me on these days.
 
Another Truvis endorsement
 
If you hit the ball so far you can't see it anymore I am very jealous :)

You could try orange or yellow. Wilson 50 Elites are a fairly cheap way to try different colors.

Dave
 
Seconded on the glasses. Had this issue several years ago and started wearing glasses (or co contacts, whatever you'd prefer) on the course, now I see them all. Don't think a different ball color will help much personally, you can either see the ball or not.
 
I can't see tee shots either, because there always seems to be three fairways worth of trees between my ball and where I hit it from.

In November 2015 I began wearing glasses for distance; and that didn't help either. I've played yellow, orange, and pink golf balls and I can't see them any better than the white ones.

I have a general idea of how far I hit the ball, so I simply try to mark my ball flight on a larger object in the distance and check that ball flight line around the distance I expect that I've hit it.
 
Pink works well.
 
I was going to say maybe it's time for glasses and maybe try using a colored ball. Both have helped me track the ball when teeing off.
 
I was having issues on an extremely overcast day last week. The ball would leave my driver and literally just disappear (was using standard white ball). I changed to the yellow/black truvis on the 3rd hole, and did not have any issue following the ball the rest of the round.
 
Smiter, it would help to know the nature of your vision problems. Is it farsightedness? Cateracts? Color blindness? It matters is what will and will not work.
 
i just listen for the snapping of tree branches and leaves exploding
 
Speaking as someone who also has some trouble following drives in flight, I was super excited about the Truvis balls when they were first announced. I bought several dozen and put them in play. After trying and trying and trying, I realized I actually have MORE trouble following the Truvis in flight than I do a standard bright white ball. So I had to give them up. Your mileage may vary.
 
lazychicken said:
Speaking as someone who also has some trouble following drives in flight, I was super excited about the Truvis balls when they were first announced. I bought several dozen and put them in play. After trying and trying and trying, I realized I actually have MORE trouble following the Truvis in flight than I do a standard bright white ball. So I had to give them up. Your mileage may vary.
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You aren't alone lc. I'm lucky enough to still have good vision but Truvis are definitely harder for me to follow in flight (or to spot on/off the fairway) than the solid white Chrome Soft. I do love Truvis for short game work though. I did find a ball several days ago that might help the OP. I saw it from at least 200 yards away off in some trees in the light rough because it was glowing so brightly. Since I had to go over there anyway to play my own ball I had to see what the heck it was. A deep green metallic ball that looked brand new and like it had a chrome finish to it. Sunny day, but when I'd toss or roll it down the fairway it looked like it was on fire it was so bright. I've not tried to hit it because it felt slightly heavier than normal so I was afraid it might be a special event ball and could damage my clubs but I need to dig it out of my found ball pocket and see who makes it (and if legit?)
 
This has been an issue for me but I found an easy way around it. Until recently, I never wore a hat or sun glasses. The hat made a huge difference.
 
I had trouble seeing the ball and would rarely play by myself because of it.

I found that sunglasses even if it isn't that sunny out help me greatly. It just adds more contrast for the ball and sky and I can track the ball much better

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Thanks. I've tried some colored balls, no real luck. I haven't tried those Truvis with the checkerboard type patterns. I'll give them a go. My visions the same as it always has been. 20/30 or is it 30/20-whichever is the one that is worse than 20/20. I can follow playing partners balls with no problems really. I'll occasionally lose one into the sun, same as anyone else. I think a larger issue is I could always tell based on feel where my shot was heading. I worked hard to develop a draw the past couple years. I can't tell if it's a draw or a hook based on feel. So before if I didn't follow it, I knew roughly where it would be 95% of the time. Now I am guessing a lot more, so losing more balls due to this. Glasses might help minimally but it's more just not picking it up early, keeping my head down too long. Like I said I can follow others very well.
 
I think yellow (greenish/yellow) balls have the best glow of any. I find they help a ton when tracking the ball through the air. I don't feel they can be found any better than white. A hidden ball is hidden regardless of color. But being able to track the bright yellow does make it easier to see where its heading.

As for truvis, I think (for better sight tracking) plain yellow is better. I mean for this purpose why add black and throttle down the yellow. And as for white truvis with just about any color ptches? I say the same. Why darken a light ball. Of course Im only speaking in terms of helping one see the ball flight and nothing to do with liking the truvis or not.

So imo plain bright yellow is the way to go as for help seeing flight. Ive seen orange and other colors and imo nothing stands out in/against the sky and clouds as well as yellow. Only trouble is the fall season when leaves of different colors are all around. Then its white. Not for sake of tracking better but for sake of finding. A yellow ball even if sitting up can blend in with any sort of yellowish leaves.
 
SmiterOfPv1x said:
Thanks. I've tried some colored balls, no real luck. I haven't tried those Truvis with the checkerboard type patterns. I'll give them a go. My visions the same as it always has been. 20/30 or is it 30/20-whichever is the one that is worse than 20/20. I can follow playing partners balls with no problems really. I'll occasionally lose one into the sun, same as anyone else. I think a larger issue is I could always tell based on feel where my shot was heading. I worked hard to develop a draw the past couple years. I can't tell if it's a draw or a hook based on feel. So before if I didn't follow it, I knew roughly where it would be 95% of the time. Now I am guessing a lot more, so losing more balls due to this. Glasses might help minimally but it's more just not picking it up early, keeping my head down too long. Like I said I can follow others very well.
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Based upon what you've said, your problem isn't vision, it's knowing where to look to pick up the ball. It's like the baseball outfielder that never picks up a ball, so of course he has no chance to catch it. Or the wide receiver that never sees the football until it's too late. Again, your vision is not the problem.

I think you nailed it on your own. You've made a swing change and tend to keep your head down too long, so now you aren't sure where to look to pick up the ball. In my experience more balls hit on the range and on the course will over time allow you to know where to look to pick up the ball.
 
OITW said:
Truvis - they're fantastic


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second this.... Nothing like seeing a yellow/black truvis spinning off into the distance....
 
Yellow/Black Truvis here too
 
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