Take the 2019 Golf Ball Survey

I filled out the survey, but just wanted to add another .02 about your recent choice to dig deeper into the golf ball.

Since you published the result of your ball testing, I’ve only been playing the Pro V1x (Except in a few scramble rounds I played this summer when I was cutting stupid corners. Then it’s shag bag distance balls obviously).

There were a few balls on your list of most consistent that suited what I was looking for, the results impressed me, and I was able to get a few dozen right after the results were published that were still at a discounted spring price. I wasn’t playing them before because I felt it likely wasn’t worth the cost, but ultimately, the consistency shown in your test from ball to ball, and swing to swing really impressed me. I’m an engineering student, and so I get the value of hitting a tight tolerance, clearly, a few manufacturers do as well.

A few hours of lessons and a few dozen hours of practice this summer have dropped my handicap maybe 5 strokes, because for the first time in 4 or 5 years, my driver misses have almost all stayed in play. I’ve really seen how massive the difference is between a 15 yard and 30 yard miss, and I’m not willing to play a ball that could occasionally be responsible for adding 15 yards to a 15 yard miss and a couple of extra strokes.

I appreciate the ball testing, especially for things like consistency. To me it’s the most valuable test you’ve ever done. I check out, and enjoy, your club tests and use them to help form my shortlist when I’m looking for new clubs, but ultimately you have to swing them yourself, and biomechanics play such a big role in how each individual interacts with a golf club (as you yourselves always say that you still encourage fitting)

The ball on the other hand, only cares about 3 things. Face angle/orientation, clubhead speed, and swing path at impact. (Grooves, too, I guess) While different balls suit different launch conditions, or styles around the green, I feel like the evaluation of a ball is both far more objective, and far more difficult to evaluate by a player with a swing that is anything less than perfect. A guy like me might hit that off center callaway into the bush on his first swing with it off the tee, think “hmmm, I thought I actually put a good swing on that”, do a few practice movements from my lessons, and hit the next one really great, and walk away going “oh well, guess I just got my hips too far ahead” and think nothing of it, without actually knowing that I just hit the 1 ball out of the 12 pack that was a bit iffy. But we would have absolutely no idea without experimental data. Obviously the swing is still the most important club in the bag (and I’ve certainly invested more into lessons than clubs) but its nice to know I’m not shooting myself in the foot with a golf fall.

Anyway, much appreciated!

Play the ball that you chip or putt the best but most importantly pick one ball to try. When that is decided you will learn how that ball reacts under your conditions. I did golf ball testing for a major magazine and much to my surprise the ball I assumed was best for me, as I had been playing it for decades, was not actually my preferred ball at the end of the 3 days of testing. Logo’s were blacked out so while one could discern dimple patterns the model of each was less certain. It was very revealing to me.

I like the Truvis yellow and black pattern. I modified a ball marker (cup style) so I can create round markings (black Sharpie) in a Truvis plattern on the yellow Srixon Z-Star that I started using after your ball assessments. My Vice and ProVs are marked the same but not used very often. I’m sure others have done the same so is it only patents that prevent Titteist from using the pattern in some shape? Works on white Vs although not as distinctive as on a yellow/greenish ball. The downside is no alignment aid but a spot can be left off and the line put in the vacant location.

It would have been useful to know what you goal was in this survey. It asks, do I play colored balls. I said no, although I prefer to play a bright yellow ball. But the brand I play doesn’t come in yellow.

I wish that you would test at least one two-layer ball, like a Noodle. Why? Because I want to know how much one of the most economical balls differs from the expensive (say, a Titleist Pro V1).

When you provide data for only the more expensive balls, you do all golfers a disservice. I’m sure retailers of expensive balls love you for having done that, but I doubt most golfers appreciate it.

It would have made sense to ask why I play the ball I do play. There are reasons that go beyond simple questions. For instance, despite MGS’ aversion to Callaway regarding quality control, I have found that the triple aiming lines on Callaway’s ERC ball has made me a better putter. I’ll take the chance that every ball Callaway makes is not out of round. Further, the ball has good feel, distance and spins enough for me. Your survey, as written, has way less validity because it doesn’t take intangibles into consideration.

92

And I believe feel off the putter face is another factor I take into consideration. That wasn’t addressed.

Love Bridgestone and Vice

The only thing on here was when it talked about is club fitting or ball fitting more important. It depends on what you are referring to. Not playing the right shaft, lie angle, etc. is going to affect you more than the ball. If you are talking about already having those aspects in place and just buying new clubs and selecting brands, then the golf ball is more important.