Golf balls are uniform in size (over 1.68 inches in diameter), made of layers (one to six) and covered with dimples (between 250 and 500). They all look more or less the same – except for the colors and the logo. There are a seemingly endless number to choose from at your local golf store, convenience store or online.
So when it comes to choosing the best game ball, what’s the secret? Make no mistake, it’s a challenge. Unlike many pieces of golf equipment, golf ball technology is invisible. For starters, it may be easier to determine if you’re playing the wrong ball or the right one. Here are four signs you need to rethink.
1) Your golf ball does not behave on the green
By this we mean it doesn’t do what you want. Let’s take your short game for example. Are you the type of player who uses a high wedge like 54 to 60 degrees on every chip hit and jump? Then you’ll probably need a urethane coated ball like ELIXR or VERO series. Or do you prefer to mix breaks and pitch wedges, and the occasional 9- or 8-iron around greens to roll out? Then a Surlyn-coated ball like the AVANT 55 may be a better fit for your game. Conclusion: test different golf balls around the greens to make sure they work the way you need them to. Then work your way up to approaches and eventually tee shots.
2) Your golf ball doesn’t go as far as it could
Semantics is key here. We use the phrase “as far as possible” instead of “as far as it should”. It could be objective, whereas it should usually be subjective. To further clarify, we are talking specifically about the driver’s distance. We see it all the time – golfers whose clubhead is traveling between 75 and 85mph will buy a high compression “distance ball” (85 or higher). At this swing speed, the driver cannot fully compress the “harder” golf balls to maximize distance and get the proper spin and trajectory. If you are moving the driver over 100 mph, you may want to consider a higher compression ball such as TRUTH X1 Or VERO X2. Speeds between 85 and 100 are optimal for 2020 Or 2022 ELIXIRwhile swings below 80 are suitable for AVANT 55.
3) You cannot control your ball in the wind
We delve deep into this popular wa topic last blog entry. But to recap, here, while you can’t always control your ball in the wind, you can play with a ball that is engineered to perform better in windy conditions. This is exactly what we did at OnCore with our proprietary circumferential weighing technology. In fact, it’s one of the reasons OnCore ambassador Louis Kelly switched to VERO X1 – and soon after to VERO X2 – and won the New Jersey Open over Jason Gore in overtime.
4) Your wedge shots fly too high
About a decade ago, on the PGA TOUR, players focused on hitting the greens with high wedges. But today’s pros can have it two ways. At the Augusta National, for example, they need taller wedge shots to hold heavily undulating greens. During the winter, players of the “Florida Swing” TOUR regularly encounter 20-30mph offshore winds and have to fly low with the ball. That’s right: they can take both shots with the same ball. How? With today’s multi-layered urethane-coated golf balls, they can have the cake (penetrating wedge hits) and eat it (high wedge hits with precise post-hit control).
For average golfers, harder balls tend to fly higher because they glide across the face. Softer balls that spin less typically have a lower flight because the casing grips the grooves rather than slipping. Grab a few different types of balls and test them from 80 to 100 yards. See which ones you can keep relatively low in flight by keeping the greens close to the bowling pin.
The golf ball is the only piece of equipment used for each shot. That’s why it’s so important to find the right ball.
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