Pick a ball and stick with it
The most recent list of conforming golf balls on the USGA website numbers close to 1,500. The list details the manufacturer, country, number of dimples, spin rating, construction, and colour of each ball.
Some manufacturers have been on this list for decades, including Wilson Sporting Goods and Acushnet. The newer generations of balls are well represented by such manufacturers as Calloway, Bridgestone and Taylormade Adidas.
Gone are household names from yesteryear like Spalding and Dunlop. And who knew that Dick’s Sporting Goods now owned the rights to and was the manufacturer of such brands as Slazenger and TopFlite?
All this is to say that the world’s your oyster when it comes to the variety you have in selecting your golf ball. And while this hasn’t always been the case, if you stick to the top five or six manufacturers I’m not sure you can really go wrong.
But here’s the thing that maybe you don’t think a lot about. While each and every one of those 1,500 on that list of approved balls meets the USGA’s performance criteria in terms of such things as weight, size and initial velocity, the way each ball feels off your clubface and how much it rolls out on a typical pitch or chip varies a lot.
We hear a lot of talk about using the rules of golf to your advantage, but what about using the simple act of brand selection to your advantage?
You’re seeing more and more of the top golf ball manufacturers advocating for custom ball fittings, similar to what they’ve been doing for clubs for a long time. While I’m not sure you have to go that far, I do believe a great start for anyone of any ability is to pick a ball you like and stick with it, so you come to know how it behaves well. It doesn’t have to be the most expensive, top-of-theline tour quality ball, but when you think about it, it is silly to think you can develop the precision parts of your game like pitching, chipping and putting, by randomly pulling out of your golf bag whatever ball hits your fingers first.
You can argue until the cows come home about which Pro-V model goes the farthest but what is undeniable is the difference in feel and green-side reaction of a rock hard, 2-piece Top Flight XL compared to any ball used by a tour player (the top price Taylormade, Calloway and Bridgestone balls).
Yet how many golfers will select the ball they use today almost blindly? By chance. So, what to do? Here’s a start.
Pick your go-to ball model based on short game versus which one you hit the farthest off the tee. You will hit 13 or 14 drives per round, you will hit 40 plus pitches, chips and putts.
Take a variety of makes and models of ball to your practice green and find one that feels and sounds the best to you. Only take balls that have a price point you feel comfortable with. No one should be playing with a ball they are afraid to lose. Find one that you prefer in terms of how long it runs out and how it reacts on that first bounce. How it sounds off your putter face. Not everyone likes their chips to check up. I know lots of great short gamers who prefer a ball that rolls and rolls.
Pick a make and model and stick with it. Take all the other brands out of your bag. Resist the urge to use the ball you found in the pond yesterday.
Warm-up and practice with your chosen go-to ball. Why would you practice with a ball that feels and responds the exact opposite way of the ball you use in your round? Never warm up on a putting green with the range balls provided by the club.
Golf is mostly played between your ears. Confidence and trust are key to improving and being consistent. Having a ball that is your ball is a competitive advantage. Pick a ball and make it your ball. And what’s that famous saying? Dance with the one who brung you.