Range Balls Might Be Hurting Your Game. Here’s Why.
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Range Balls Might Be Hurting Your Game. Here’s Why.

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Range Balls Might Be Hurting Your Game. Here’s Why.
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Range balls for a bucket are $15, if not more expensive.

You want to be able to judge your distances and trust the distances you’re going to take from the range to the course. If you have a bald golf ball, you’re going to see up to 20, maybe even more yards difference. Not only distance wise, but left to right wise, right? You just got a new set of irons, you take them in the range, you hit a 155, you go take it out to the course, you have 155 to the pin, there’s water over the pin.

You hit it the same way, and you hit it 175, and you’re in the drink. If I pay $30 for a bucket, I expect something better than, bald golf balls.

It’s not even an equivalent to what a real golf ball is and how it performs.

We tested brand new range balls in our Ball Lab, and the results are compelling.

The problem is, you’re rarely if ever hitting brand new range balls. That bald golf ball you’re practicing with could be costing you major yardage.

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Connor Lindeman

Connor Lindeman

Connor Lindeman

Connor is MyGolfSpy's resident sneakerhead and the authority on all things golf shoe performance. He's tested over 150 different pairs (and counting). When he isn't scrolling Twitter to find his next golf shoe purchase, you can find him at the piano or trying a new dessert place with his wife and daughter. #Lefty

Connor Lindeman

Connor Lindeman

Connor Lindeman

Connor Lindeman

Connor Lindeman





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      Eric

      2 years ago

      You should not be getting your distances from range balls, period.

      Reply

      Dave H.

      2 years ago

      Range balls (even new ones) are distance restricted and thus are not useful at all with yardages. They’re only good for warm-up and practice. Most public ranges are cheap and reuse garbage balls for way too long. So the baseball knuckle ball you get is part of the deal and don’t get upset by them. Good for you if you have access to a real launch monitor hitting real balls (though inside is still not the real thing) but most of us don’t have that. So pay attention to how far you’re hitting your 7i when on the course with a real ball. That’s the only thing that matters.

      Reply

      Craig Brown

      2 years ago

      Range balls … Don’t get me started! All I expect in a range ball now is a target for my club head. I use them for pre-round warm up and that is it.

      I know enough about my swing to see or feel good vs bad contact, open/closed face, pull/push, etc. The most incredible thing i see … finding range balls on the course … too far away from the range to be a miss-hit.

      Reply

      Sean

      2 years ago

      A range near me buys their balls from the discarded ones at other ranges. They’re often as smooth as a ping pong ball. I have seen ball flights that defy physics and would make professional baseball pitchers green with envy. I drive an extra 20 miles to ranges with decent balls. I practice concentrating on impact and ball flight. For knowing my distance numbers, I pay a little extra now and then to use a range with tracking capabilities.

      Reply

      Peter R

      2 years ago

      This doesn’t make much sense. Are you saying you would depend on the yardage for a range ball if it were new? The ranges near me have Pinnacle, Taylor Made, and Top Flight. So shots hit with any of these (if new) will have same distance as with my Vice balls? Or my friends Callaway Soft? I don’t think so.

      When I use the range I am looking at my contact, at the trajectory, and the shot shape. The older the ball, the bigger the grain of salt I take. But I never consider a shot on the range to be just like a shot on the course.

      Reply

      Mark Blake

      2 years ago

      True. But when we are practising we should be focussed on the process not the outcome.

      Its very hard to do, but on the driving range we need to not be bothered about the ball 😀

      Reply

      J Thorpe

      2 years ago

      i have a trackman for my own analysis at home, have have used the same on the range at my own CC, with range balls, the diffenrence is nil. I have captured the results over 4 years to provide a reference for my bag/clubs. this all is at aged 72, I have replaced irons with hybrids to retain distance with/for ease of instance for use. There only minor difference for common players in balls – percepction or excuse with overrides actual result. For average headcount – some make this more difficult that the actual results occur. GO HAVE FUN – screw the analysis – it does NOT apply – to most of us……

      Reply

      HiHandy

      2 years ago

      Data analysis…You know where you are right?

      Reply

      Jason

      2 years ago

      If you are depending on range balls to determine distances you are doing it wrong. Find a practice facility with Trackman and take your ball or Titleist RCT balls to said facility the results will be far better. Use range balls as intended, to warm up and gain confidence in your swing.

      Reply

      Chris

      2 years ago

      So the goal of this fully published article (paragraph) is to let us know that range balls don’t go as far or spin as much as real golf balls?

      Understand the concept but was expecting maybe some additional details around how to use range work to your benefit (physical warmup, general ball striking, routine prep, face strike location, etc.) without carrying over the aspects that will differ (total distance, carry distance, spin axis)

      Reply

      Luis

      2 years ago

      Looks like the author ran out of ink!! Youre 3 lines have more substance to the headline.
      We can only control a few aspects of our practice so at least having an idea of carry distances plus our set up and all the factors you mention going to the range on a regular basis is beneficial.

      Reply

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