Ten Things to Consider Before Buying Golf Balls
Mark Twain once said, "Golf is a good walk...''spoiled''." Even for those of us who disagree with Mr. Twain's assessment of our beloved game, golf can certainly be frustrating at times. One way to ensure that you'll be spending more time on the green than in the woods during your next round is through wellball'>golf ball you choose to play. With the number of advances made over the past few years in golf ball technology, you may not transform into a scratch player overnight, but you'll certainly be well on your way to knocking precious digits off that handicap.
Getting to Know the Game and the Golf Ball
* Golf is a relatively old sport, emerging in its modern form in Scotland during the last half of the fifteenth century. Though there have been countless technological improvements over the years, golf balls have maintained a fundamental design strategy: a small, autonomous core around which separate, distinct layers are applied to produce a fluent combination of spin and distance.
* In order to qualify for professional tour play, golf balls undergo a stringent testing process administered by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (United Kingdom) or the United States Golf Association. Golf ball conformance tests rely on three primary indicators: an initial velocity test, an overall distance standard, and a symmetry test.
* Today's golf balls are categorized in three ways based upon their individual construction: twopiece. We will delve into the specifics of golf ball design and technology in the next section.
* Golf balls are generally sold in sets of a dozen and can range in price anywhere from just under $20 to above $35. Anyone who's ever swung a
golf club can tell you just how easy it is to to lose a ball or two during a round, therefore, you must always consider your budget when buying golf balls.
Basic Golf Ball Design and Technology
The way in which a golf ball travels, from its moment of impact with the club face to the point at which it lands (hopefully on the green) and rolls to a stop, can be broadly categorized as its trajectory. Three physical factors affect the trajectory of a golf ball, and are therefore of great interest to golf ball manufacturers: velocity, launch angle, and spin rate.
'''Golf Ball Vocabulary'''
Industry experts categorically agree that a better (and typically more expensive) ball will noticeably improve the overall play of even the most mediocre players. Understanding the way you strike the golf ball will help you make better decisions when trying to find the perfect ball for you.
* '''Core: '''The nucleus of a golf ball, typically made of a firm or soft rubber material that is able to compress upon impact, and from which the ball's energy is generated.
* '''Mantle: '''The layer existing between the core and the cover of threepiece golf balls. It is made of polymer materials and is responsible for the feel and spin qualities of various balls.
* '''Cover: '''The outer, dimpled layer of a golf ball. Recreational (less expensive) golf balls have a firm cover, whereas tour (advanced, more expensive) golf balls have a softer cover.
Golf ball covers are typically constructed from either '''ionomer''', a mixture of durable plastic resins referred to as Surlyn, or '''urethane''', a softer and more expensive cover material.
Women's Golf Balls
Women's golf has exploded over the last 20 years, thanks in large part to the everpiece golf balls have incredibly soft, compressible cores and ionomer covers, meant to augment feel and lift, while providing responsiveness for female golfers of all swing speeds.
Ten Tips for Buying Golf Balls
# '''Know Your Game:''' Losing golf balls is part of the learning process. Ask anyone who has played the game and he or she will tell you that you'll lose more golf balls than you'll be able to count. Start with recreation balls, you won't feel as bad losing them and they won't kill your budget.
# '''Budget, Budget, Budget:''' Advanced/tour golf balls are generally sold for more than $40 per dozen, and you want to spend your time on the green, not knee-deep in a murky pond fishing for a ball.
# '''Discover Your Swing Speed: '''Most novice to intermediate golfers have a swing speed of 80112 miles per hour. Swing speed is not merely based on strength; control and experience play a large role in the speed with which a golfer swings the club.
# '''Understand Your Problem Areas: '''Whether you need more distance off the tee or are trying to achieve more spin close to the hole, a better understanding of your game's weaknesses will result in more informed purchasing decisions.
# '''Try Two Different Balls Together: '''Doing so will heighten your sense of the difference in feel as the ball comes off the club face, and you'll be able to see how different balls respond to various putting surfaces.
# '''Focus on the Green: '''When testing golf balls, ball's responsiveness and reaction time on the green should be your number one priority.
# '''Use Your Resources: '''Many golf ball manufacturers have online fitting tools that will help you limit your golf ball search; similarly, most pro shops and local golf stores will have tools designed to gauge your swing style and alert you to any potential problem areas.
# '''Acquaint Yourself with the Lingo: '''Learning the simple mechanics of golf ball construction will allow you to understand why certain balls are designed to launch lower, while others are designed to generate less spin. It is always beneficial to become familiar with all of the variables.
# '''Check Consumer Reviews: '''Odds are that if you've been playing the game for a while and are still having trouble identifying the most suitable ball, there are probably other players out there with similar issues. The pros have great advice concerning equipment selection; however, it often helps listening to those closer to your skill level.
# '''Accept the Compromise''': The plain truth is that no golf ball can right every wrong in your game. There is an inherent sacrifice that must be made in order to find the golf ball that best suits your style of play. Find out what golf ball design will most benefit your overall game and you'll be sure to see some level of improvement.
Quick Picks
Popular Golf Ball Brands
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Titleist
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Bridgestone
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TaylorMade
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Maxfli
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Nike
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Srixon
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Callaway
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Pinnacle
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