Is there a real difference between golf balls?

[HeavilyArmed]

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I seem to remember reading a Wall Street Journal article about the insane amount of money spent on golf ball marketing. The point of the article was basically all balls are created equal, but marketing budgets are not.

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the wall street journal is dumb.

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I'm reasonably sure all balls must pass a USGA test for distance and if the go too far they fail and can not be sanctioned.

The reasoning is obvious. Golf courses are fixed in length. The game would be too easy if a ball went 25% further with equal effort.

The rules regarding clubs are not so strict. This has really changed the game but the balls all go the same, all other things being equal.

[stinkypete]

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I seem to remember reading a Wall Street Journal article about the insane amount of money spent on golf ball marketing. The point of the article was basically all balls are created equal, but marketing budgets are not.

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the wall street journal is dumb.

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I'm reasonably sure all balls must pass a USGA test for distance and if the go too far they fail and can not be sanctioned.

The reasoning is obvious. Golf courses are fixed in length. The game would be too easy if a ball went 25% further with equal effort.

The rules regarding clubs are not so strict. This has really changed the game but the balls all go the same, all other things being equal.

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not all balls reach that maximum. and distance is only one of many important aspects - spin and feel being the two other major ones.

the rules regarding clubs are just as strict imo, but obviously it's comparing apples to oranges.

[RikkiDee]

I also read an article in the Economist that explained that with all the inovation in clubs, balls and other golf technology throughout the past 50 years, the average players handicap has only dropped 0.5-1 stroke.

So, believe what you want, but I'll go with the stats.

[ElDuque]

Please move to the golf forum. Thx in advance.

[Scotty.]

I used to be around a 4-5 handicap, and would play with whatever balls I happened to pick out of the water or find in my yard. Sure, I liked the more expensive balls a little better, but I don't think it made a very significant difference in my game, as long as the ball was in good condition.

[Butcho22]

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Yeah, there seems to be a difference, particularly if you have a high enough swing speed for some of the tour-type balls.

I played a Titleist Pro V1 * ball in a scramble a few times, and that ball was scary long - easily 15 yards longer on the driver (which is HUGE) I've also hit the Callaway HX Tour Hot ball (can't remember the exact name), which was also very long.

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15 yards longer compared to what?

you do realize without this KEY piece of info the extra yards mean nothing.

[Butcho22]

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I seem to remember reading a Wall Street Journal article about the insane amount of money spent on golf ball marketing. The point of the article was basically all balls are created equal, but marketing budgets are not.

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It's obv you don't know much about golf balls/golf etc...

Saying all balls are created equal is like saying "The 300" and "My Girl" are exactly the same cuz they're both movies.

I would go on and on proving my point but it's a waste of my time and yours, obv.

[Butcho22]

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I also read an article in the Economist that explained that with all the inovation in clubs, balls and other golf technology throughout the past 50 years, the average players handicap has only dropped 0.5-1 stroke.

So, believe what you want, but I'll go with the stats.

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QFT

The game is just too hard/time consuming for most people.
Mainly it's just too hard for the average person to enjoy enough to keep coming back.

Now we have all these golf courses that were built because of the "Tiger-Effect" with nobody to play on them. Lots and lots of courses are going to be losing money/shutting down withing the next 5 years.

Of course, golf will always be here in a big way, i'm not trying to suggest otherwise...but they went way overboard building courses the last 8 years because they forgot that most people play on average ~10-14 months before quitting. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[TobDog]

You also have to look at your conditions, I played in a scramble with some friends a few years ago and for the tee shots used the , at the time, New Precept MC Lady(because I heard it was very long) I drove a par 4 flat no wind 350 yards, now I dont hit the ball that far, but that was nice to do, that ball did not give me an extra 75 yards. There is a difference between the "elite" golf balls(ProV1, HX Tour, Taylor Made TP, etc) and the rest(NXT, HX Hot, MAxfli, etc) but most people dont really notice it , the better players notice it in the less than full swing range(80 yards and in) as the higher priced balls react better that the rest, but again, many non professionals don't spin the ball properly to differentiate.

tobdog

[JayDoubleYou]

Don't use the pink ones