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How Do You Choose Your Golf Ball?

SuperStroke
JB

JB

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You may have seen this image on social media from THP today. Thought it would be a fun conversation here as well.

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On course testing, online fitting, live ball fitting.

I want to try some Snells, but I'm waiting for the weather to improve before throwing them out there in the freezing cold.
 
Mostly predictability in short game for me. I'm getting better at it but can still put myself in tough spots around the green. I need to know how the ball will react on pitches/chips to help limit the damage.
 
I used to play whatever I could get a good deal on. Now I try to play based on greenside control from personal experience. I'll try just about anything once, but to keep me buying, I need to see the reactions on the green I prefer.
 
Word of mouth is a big one for me. Then on course testing. Done the ball fitting thing as well, while I think that helps a lot, I still don't exclusively pick based on that.
 
Good price first and foremost.
Being a hack, I don't like losing $3-$4+ golf balls on a regular basis.
If I try a ball and end up really liking it, I will look for the used AAAA and Mint golf balls on the bay.
 
I like the feel of a soft cover, more so for chipping and putting and I'm willing to give up some distance off the tee to get the feel I'm looking for. I tried a lot of different balls this past year, choosing based off of information I've read in reviews. I still haven't committed to a single ball, I have more to tryout...
 
First of all, how easily I can get my hands on any to try - nothing worse than having to buy a dozen to then find you don't like them

After that, I will just go by how they feel off the various clubs for me but if I had the chance I would love to try a proper ball fitting to see if what I like and what performs best are the same
 
Research first (THP, OEM website etc), then get a sleeve of them and do on course testing. Nothing can replicate on course testing in my opinion. Need to see how the ball reacts in certain situations and with certain clubs.
 
Ball fitting then on course testing of other balls I want to try to compare against my gamer.
 
Price is a factor, since several balls perform similarly for me. I have a pool of balls I like based on research and here as well as personal experience. From there try and get the best deal.
 
Feel is a big thing for me. It needs to feel good off of the putter especially as well as the other clubs in the bag. That is what is going to determine if I keep testing the ball. After that I need spin to help me hold the greens.

Cost will be the other big factor. I may find a ball I like but I lose enough that I cant afford to spend a ton on them.
 
choosing a ball

choosing a ball

Couple things,

As my game has gotten better I gravitated toward urethane cover.

Then from there I played Pro V1, Pro V1x, B330S (based on fitting at a golf show), Z Star Xv and the various taylormade tour balls.

I narrowed it down to V1x and Z Star XV based on driver spin ( perceived) and how they check up on the greens in the short game. I also love the alignment line on the Z Star XV.
 
How I score with it is a big factor so on course testing is a must. I started playing a ball at the end of last year that didn't perform as well as I would like off the tee, BUT my scoring was better overall. I couldn't know that without on course testing. Of course I chose to try that ball based on reviews from THPers. That being said I don't typically stick to just one ball, maybe its because I haven't found the perfect one for me yet.
 
Word of mouth, technology / how I think they'll fit my game first to find out about the product.

Cost / ease of procurement. I'm not sure I'd be as big of a Snell fan as I've become if I hadn't won a contest and had a free dozen shipped to me.

How does it sound/feel off the putter? This is one of the reasons I don't like ProV1/x. They're too hard and clicky to my ears.

Short game responsiveness. Does it spin enough? I don't always care about this depending on the time of year. In the spring when it's soft I'm happy to play a harder (even surlyn) ball because I generate enough spin that I can adjust fairly easily.

Irons. Some balls walk a line between spinning too much off my short irons (Chromesoft) which I don't always like. Again this depends on the time of year / course conditions somewhat.

Driver performance. I'll be honest I don't usually notice too much of a difference here. If things are really going sideways for me I might grab an e6 or a duo or something lower spinning, but in general this is about the last thing I give consideration to when it comes to golf balls.

This combination has lead me to choose Snell MTB or Bridgestone's B330/s whenever possible.
 
Found what I like by testing in the short game area and during on course practice rounds.
 
On course testing, I've done a few online fittings, nothing in person yet, but mostly it's a sleeve here or there and putting them through their paces during a round and in the short game or practice green areas.
 
It must come in yellow for starters. I'll usually do an online ball fitting enter in my basic stats and go from there. Less spinny off the tee is key.
 
On course testing, online fitting, live ball fitting.
Once I find one I like, I like to stick to it.

If I can, I want to play a ball that is made in the USA just because I can.
 
Ive yet to have a ball fitting which is just stupid as that would be ideal.

Ive just tried a bunch and tend to stick with what works for my game.
 
For me it's the short game and how the ball feels off the putter. On the green I really don't like a loud click off the putter face.
 
Price and target market are big for me. I learned early on that 2 piece distance balls and tour level balls don't work for my swing. That put me in softer 2 piece or 3 piece balls and let me try out a bunch thanks to their price point. I've found that the e6 is right in my wheelhouse but the Duo and Softfli work great as well for me, based on course conditions and weather.


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Usually at the beginning of each season I have a list of balls that I want to try and I go out and grab a box of each. What I stick with the rest of the year usually comes down to what feels the best and performs the best.
 
I forgot to add, to start considering a ball I typically go by word of mouth. If I haven't heard much about a ball I typically won't consider it.
 
Research (a lot driven by marketing) and trial and error. Mostly error though :)
 
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