Which balls are you using?

[gambit]

First off i am a beginner golfer who played on a small course and i need the right balls based upon my level. started about 2 1/2 months play on a par 29 course about 5 times and my best score is 13 over. My putting and especially chipping is killing my scores. I use a wilson hyper titanium which i bought at big 5 for $10.

Please let me know what kind of balls you are using based on your skill level and shed some knowledge to which balls i should use and based on small to mid to large course.

Thank you for your time, gambit

[Kilroy]

Top Flite xl 3000 are a great economy ball. Decent feel and not too much spin for a beginner.

I play the Stara Tour Ultimate. A very soft, but more somewhat expensive ball. Not as pricey as some though. I like it for the feel when chipping and putting.

[dbleber]

Snow balls for now but not much spin! I like the Strata Tour Ace, lots of spin but I found that I lost some distance but I could make it hop and stop on the greens. The Titleist NXT tour is nice and the Pro V1's are great balls too but only if I find them in the woods. I love findng 5-6 dollar balls, brings a mean grin to my face.
Denny

[jeffc]

I play Strata Tour Ace's as well. I'll also say that I am not that picky and will play most balls that I get for free, win at a tournament, etc.

[bobblehead]

I play with the Dunlop Loco balls. I like the low compression balls since I don't have a fast swing speed and Locos are not expensive. I'm a 15 handicap and hit my 5 iron about 160 yards so I need all the distance I can get.

As a beginner, I would suggest using re-cycled balls for now...especially if you lose lots.

[BC MIST]

Play the ProV1X as it gives good distance, slightly lower trajectory and is extremely durable. Don't lose too many balls so while they are initially pricey, they end up being very economical.

If the greens are firm I will play either a Precept Utri Tour or the Prov1, as both have more spin, particularly the Utri Tour.

In tournaments, where most greens are probably faster than the norm, I will always play the ball with the extra spin as having control of short shots around the greens is paramount. Index 0.8.

As a relative beginner, who is working more on learning how to swing and play, use the least expensive ball you can find.

[GarthM]

I normally play either Strata Tour Professional or Ultimate, Staff True Tour or ProV1x. All have good durability, distance and good spin, all depends on the price. You can get the Staff True Tour on knetgolf.com for 15$ a dozen in mint condition, 9$ a dozen in Grade 'A' condition.

I have a dozen Strata Tour Soft that I am going to try next week in Orlando to see what they are like. (Cant wait!!!!)

As a beginner though, more distance is probably a higher priority than more spin, so go with a harder ball (and generally less expensive!!)

Enjoy!

[1972Apex]

I used Pro V1s for most of last season and would have to say was less than thrilled with the results. Nice ball, but for me not appreciably better than much lower priced models.
I think among economy balls, as a previous poster mentioned, the Top-Flite XL3000 series are pretty darn good balls for the dough. Great balls for beginners because you can whack one into the woods and not feel like you have to go find it.
Slightly more upscale the Precept Laddie, Titleist Solo, Maxfli Noodle and Dunlop Loco are all nice balls, as are the mid-priced Nikes, Stratas and a bunch of others.
The days when cheap 2-piece balls were all rocks are pretty much over. You can't buy a bad ball these days unless you really go cheap with a store brand etc. There are some bad balls left over from the old days though... avoid Molitors at all costs.

[mmills820105]

I agree that Titleist and Strata are both awesome balls, but for those of us who spend more money on balls than greens fees each summer, you gotta love Top Flite XL 3000, or Infinity. Personally, I play the Infinity. Great ball, and reasonable price. I find the distance good, and the spin is good for my level of play as well. Top Flite also has a great guide on their website to determine which model is best suited for you depending on what you like. Should check it out.

[gambit]

Hi, which type of Top Flite XL3000 are you guys talking about thanks.

[mmills820105]

I use Super Straight, but there are different models depending on what you prefer, like Super Spin and Super Feel. There's similar models available in the Infinity as well.

[gambit]

I use Super Straight, but there are different models depending on what you prefer, like Super Spin and Super Feel. There's similar models available in the Infinity as well.

Hi, do you use the top flite on a big par 4 course, mid par 4 or a small par 3? reason i ask cause i play on a small par 3 and i want something with lot's of spin. If i move up to mid par 4 course i like to use something with a lot of distance. btw here in the US the xl 3000 super spin is going for $11 which is a very good deal.

[mmills820105]

Well, you could get both kinds, the Super Spin for the shorter course and the Super Straight for the longer course. You used to be able to buy them in packs of 3 sleeves at Canadian Tire in which Super Straight, Super Spin and Super Long were all in it. You could get one of them and then try out each kind to see what you like.


http://images.canadiantire.ca/media/...0_CC_21045.jpg

[KenB]

Last year I started off with the Titleist NXT and switched to the PRO V1 which seemed to be straighter off the tee and spun more with the short irons. Then a guy at Chuck Browns suggested I try the Callaway Big Bertha Blue and I found my ball! Cheaper than the PRO V1 too.

[dasnutz]

I use the ProV1 and Callaway HX Tour

[gambit]

Hi as a beginner golfer out to look for top flite xl3000 super spins balls does it cause unintentional hooks or slice?

[PingFan]

i like the Callaway BB Blue, as well as the Srixon's AD 333

both have great feel and spin with the irons and good distance

[HiG4s]

I agree with the Top Flight XL 3000 being good beginner purchase. Not too expensive but better feel then other cheap balls. Top Flight Infinity are also a good choice.. They have been rated the longest and least spin off the driver for and average hitter.

For someone that is good enough to wear a ball out before losing it and hit long enough to not worry about needing extra distance (that's not me) and has a good short game looking for a ball the spins well, the ProV1x and the Precept U-Tri are about the best rated.. Precepts are cheaper..

[davevandyk]

I personally have found that the new Nike One Black ball is the best ball on the market. This might be just for me because i am a low handicap player with a fast swing speed. But i found them easier to put spin on the ball around the greens to get the little chips that check up. Prices are high but should come down some before summer.

[covanant]

Depends on wheather or not i need to carry over water!
xl3000 most of the time.

[Bones04]

Wow - I am really surprised at all the top flight recommendations. Personally I wouldn't want one in my bag if I found it. This ball is a cheap ball and can still get the job done, but it is not a good ball. Based on the fact that the majority of players that play this ball just want a cheap ball that they don't care about - you can usually find them all over the course.

I have been playing the callaway CB1 reds until they went off the market. They can still be found in some locations for pretty cheap. Very long distance (hard) ball that has pretty good feel.

Last year I started playin with ProV1 but then switched over to the Pinnacle Exception golf balls. These babies are nice and are only about $15-$17 a dozen. They are long and soft - with great feel around the green.

I also recently tried out the latest NXT Tour ball and really liked the feel off the driver face. It checks up nice on the green and feels pretty soft on mid iron shots.

SC

[Colby]

A great deal is the "gently" used balls you can get from Knetgolf and other places. I just got a shipment of balls and the DT Solos that were part of the shipment worked out to be $61.00 for 6 dozen, including shipping, and they are in great shape.

[gumby]

just curious where you got those nike black balls and used them already as
they just came out???
what do they sell for??

[davevandyk]

i got them at GolfTown, but i went on a vacation not too long ago and tried them down south. They are great. I think the retail about the same as the PROV1, $50ish i think

[gumby]

great thanx for the info, just another question...were the balls hard to see in
the air and on the ground...just thinking that black might be tough to see and
find

[Eldred]

Has anyone tried refinished balls? How are they different from typical used ball you'd buy from the bin? Do they do touch up on the paint or the dimples? Looked like lots of work for the same price as the lake balls.

[davevandyk]

no i didn't use the Black Nike Ball. Nike's new line of balls is called the Nike One Gold/Black. They are white

[spackler]

I'm using Maxfli A10s. I can hit them a mile, yet they're soft enough that I'm not 2-chipping around the greens. Really durable and they have great feel for a harder ball. I also like the Strata Tour Ultimates, but they're so soft I go through them like crazy, keep them around for the shorter threes. I mainly stick with the A10s. I think they're discontinued but GolfTown always seems to have a stack for $22/dzn.

[Golfbum]

First off i am a beginner golfer who played on a small course and i need the right balls based upon my level. started about 2 1/2 months play on a par 29 course about 5 times and my best score is 13 over. My putting and especially chipping is killing my scores. I use a wilson hyper titanium which i bought at big 5 for $10.

Please let me know what kind of balls you are using based on your skill level and shed some knowledge to which balls i should use and based on small to mid to large course.

Thank you for your time, gambit

Try dunlop Loco's. You can usually purchase them for under $20/dozen at CTC. I have used those balls for 3 years and I am a 6 handicap. They are fairly soft, fine off the driver face. Not as much spin as PRO V's but they suit my game at my course. I also use Titleist NXT's. I prefer those in warmer weather. Knet has tons of used balls, check them out on the net. They are located in Ontario so no duty etc.
As for your chipping and putting killing your game, that comes with experience, practice and many rounds of golf! Hey don't worry so much about your scores at first, worry about making solid contact with the ball. Good scores come from that.
Have fun, enjoy the game.

[Ruskie]

I used Maxfli M3 all through last season and loved them, but, alas, they're not easily found any more. I liked the high-end Precepts (U-Tri tour and Tour LS), lots of spin off the irons, but they cost more than 25$ limit I set for myself.

For this season, there's a good deal on Dunlop Moebius at Pro Golf @ Carling. 20$ gets you a very soft urethane-covered 3-piece ball. Plenty long and very nice feeling off wedges and putter. I'd like to try the new LoCo Darts too. Looks like a nice ball on paper...