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The ball or the club?

SuperStroke
Trout Bum

Trout Bum

Regional Rival
Albatross 2024 Club
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I was listening to PGA tour radio yesterday while driving and they were talking about how the new breed of balls is really low in compression and will really add a lot of soft feel to the short game shots.

It kind of got me thinking about how large a role the ball plays in feel in general. I've always thought that the forged clubs made a huge difference in the way shots feel for me but after listening to them I realized I've always played a lower compression tour style ball and I wonder how much that contributes to the feel we often talk about.

This is not a forged club debate, it's more about how the ball contributes to feel. Anyone else hear the show or have thoughts on this?
 
There are absolutely so many variables that will make more of a difference than how a club is manufactured.
 
Ball plays a big part. Or should I say it can play a big part. Testing with a Duo for example isn't always a great way for me to get good thoughts on feel and sound, especially if we are talking irons and putter.
 
Hawk said:
Ball plays a big part. Or should I say it can play a big part. Testing with a Duo for example isn't always a great way for me to get good thoughts on feel and sound, especially if we are talking irons and putter.
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They were talking about the Duo too and I think they said one version has gone down as far as 29 compression lol, that's crazy!
 
For me it's about technique. Sure some balls will have more spin than others due to make up. So I'm looking for results more then the feel. If the ball checks and releases, it works for me. I associate that with a good feel. If ut doesn't spin like I want, I relate that with lack of feel. Does that make sense?
 
I'm probably off my rocker but I'm slowly finding that while a lower compression ball feels soft off of every club in the bag it's actually making it harder to feel differences between good/bad strikes and even more difficult to tell if a club has an inherent soft feel or not.
 
i have played either prov1s or both z star balls for the last several years. when i go to something like an e6 in the winter time i can "feel" the difference and i see it around the greens and on pitch shots. the e6 doesn't feel the same and i don't get the same reaction. of course part of that is technique which i am working on but i feel that when i make a good chip/pitch and the ball rolls out further than expected its not a good feel or something along those lines.

i don't know if the ball feels different on good vs bad shots with irons and woods but i can hear the difference in these shots.
 
It's been my experience that low-compression balls do not hold the greens well on iron shots, nor do they do well (for me) on pitches and chips. I will say that I haven't given many a chance though, so maybe there are some better low-compression options out there.
 
pattyboy21 said:
It's been my experience that low-compression balls do not hold the greens well on iron shots, nor do they do well (for me) on pitches and chips. I will say that I haven't given many a chance though, so maybe there are some better low-compression options out there.
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I would think cover type is the biggest factor there. Have you tried a lower compression urethane ball?
 
The ball plays a huge roll in feel. Just take a look at Rory when he made the switch to Nike. He even was quoted as saying the sound was throwing him off at impact. For me, I tend to like a softer ball at the moment. I do lose a bit of distance with that, but the feel and sound are a bit more important to me. I am going to bring a few types of ball out for my round this weekend and work on chipping with all of them to see what I like with my new clubs.
 
Since sound is a huge contributor to feel, the ball make up can make a huge difference on how soft a shot feels or not.
 
Hawk said:
I would think cover type is the biggest factor there. Have you tried a lower compression urethane ball?
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Hawk is wise. In fact it would be the opposite for most people as compressing the ball not only plays a role here, but a big one and even if one were to overcompress (which you would rarely see on irons or hybrids), the higher ball flight (in many cases) would result in ball holding.
 
For me it's a combination of my swing and the ball. I don't spin the ball much, I'm happy if it hops and stops, but my shots roll out more than they stop, when I see more/less rollout it's due to my swing or the balls, clubs are my constant.
 
Hawk said:
Ball plays a big part. Or should I say it can play a big part. Testing with a Duo for example isn't always a great way for me to get good thoughts on feel and sound, especially if we are talking irons and putter.
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Agree with this.

But its SUCH a mix for me too, I hate being "that" guy and going both, but its a lot of both for me for sure.
 
Yesterday I hit a pure shot with a Ping S56 Iron and a found Pinnacle Gold Ball...... they are by no means a soft feeling ball. I.really feel its a total mixture of the club more than the ball. Im sure balls can feel softer than others but I dont hit the sweet spot enough to be able to make comparisons. I feel it's more about the club tho
 
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