Written By: Dean Snell
There are a couple of questions I get asked all the time:
How should I test golf balls?
How do I know which ball is right for me?
The answer is easier than you may think.
The Golf Ball Has Changed
Back in the early 90’s, there were basically two types of golf balls. There were hard, two-piece, Pinnacle balls and soft Tour Balata type balls, and there was a huge performance difference between them.
In fact, at that time, our tests looked closely at driver spin and 8 iron spin. What we found was that drivers produced around 4000 RPM for balata balls, while spin rates for the two-piece balls were generally in the 2500 rpm range.
The higher spin off the driver from the balata balls not only led to much shorter distances, but also to huge hooks and slices when they weren’t hit correctly. Golfers slicing the ball across 2 fairways wasn’t an uncommon sight.
With the next generation, balls like the Titleist Professional and Maxfli Revolution, driver spin was reduced to around 3500 rpm. Three-piece balls further reduced spin to around 3000 rpm. Today’s tour balls produced around 2500 rpm; equivalent to those original two-piece balls.
When it comes to distance off the driver, major tour ball manufacturers have a level playing field. The balls produce roughly the same spin and the same ball speed. If the aerodynamics are good – and they generally are – the balls will go the same distance off the tee. So, my personal opinion is that you should NEVER choose a ball based on driver performance. Think about it…you hit maybe 14 drives a round, so regardless of whether you shoot 75 or 95, you’re going hit a higher percentage of shots with other clubs.
Where Golf Balls are Truly Different
Ever wonder why you see tour players spin balls back off the green?
A tour player can generate wedge spin rates of around 10000 rpm. It takes around 9000 rpm to make a ball stop, so anything above that will spin back a bit. This is dependent of the slope and firmness of the greens, but in general, those are the numbers.
Now consider that an average golfer (18 handicap) only spins the wedge around 5000 rpm; basically half of what a tour player generates. Hence, for the average player, even wedge shots typically hit and roll out.
Tour quality golf balls, like MY TOUR BALL from Snell Golf, will create much higher short game spin. The reason for the higher spin is that the soft cast urethane cover compresses and rolls on the iron face, which produces lower launch and higher spin.
A typical two piece ball will have a tendency to “slide” a bit more on the face of the club, resulting in higher launch and lower spin – also known to a lot of players as flier-type shots. While there are a lot of players who like the lower spin and higher launch, and are OK with playing bump and run type shots around the greens, many better players feel they lose some control of the shot, and prefer the control they get from more spin.
Finding the Right Ball
An 18 handicap players misses an average of 17 greens a round, so if you think about it, that creates the equivalent of 17 par threes on the typical course. That’s a lot of shots played around the green, which is why I recommend testing the golf ball from where you play the most shots. Inside of 100 yards is where the balls are truly different.
Take the time to give the balls a good test. You spend a lot of money on drivers, irons, lessons, memberships, driving ranges, etc., but few golfers ever take the time to test the one piece of equipment you use on every shot.
How To Test
Here’s what you should do. Go out to the course, spend an hour or two, on course where you can try different shots.
Start at 100 yards…
Take a two-piece ball and a tour ball, or take two to three balls you are interested in testing (of course we hope Snell will be in this test).
Hit a series of shots varying the golf ball.
Move to 70 yards, then 50, then 30. Hit chips, putts, etc.
If a group comes up behind you, go to next hole and do the same thing…100, 70, 30, chips, putts.
Do this testing for 9 holes while noting how each ball feels and spins. Does it fly high or low? Does it check or does it release?
Look for the ball that does what you want it to. Ultimately, you should choose the ball that offers the performance and feel that you like the best.
Don’t give a second thought to driver distance.
IF you walk off the last hole and find that you genuinely cannot tell any difference at all, then you should absolutely buy the cheapest one. Keep working on your game to get better.
For the more accomplished golfer, I recommend the same testing but move your starting distance back to 150 yards, and test over 9 holes. This will give you more of an opportunity to see how the ball performs in all conditions, including wind from varying directions.
Hope this helps get you started, and best of luck in your testing.
Tim C.
9 years ago
There is no doubt in my mind that the my tour ball by Snellgolf is the best ball on the market hands down!