Question:
:I’m not surprise to hear you say one :club less, that sounds about right, but I find it hard to believe that one club :less — the effect of playing into a mild breeze — could cost you so many :strokes. When you don’t expect the distance loss, it can play havoc with your approach shots. We have two par 5s with streams running in front of the green. I lay up to 145 and the ball is sitting nicely in the fairway (ok, I meant to lay up to 100, but I had a bad lie off my drive). The pin is at the front, about 130. That’s almost exactly how far I fly my 9-iron. But now I’m hitting it 122 (say) and the breeze kicks up against me. Instead of putting for birdie, I’m dropping behind the stream and trying to save bogey. And on the next par 5, I club up and hit it over the green and into sand. I’m not a great player by any means, but I used to know how far I hit ‘em from 7-iron on down. Remsleep
Response:
You can expect 10-20 yards less on the driver, ranging down to a possible difference of a yard or three from wedges. The higher spin of balata balls can cause them to balloon, which is why the newer "high tech" balls like the Professional are designed to develop a little less spin from full wedges and short irons. No one really needs a ball spinning back 20 feet, anyway. I bet balata will be pretty much gone in a few years. There are newer materials and designs that have all the advantages without the disadvantages–the loss of distance and the extreme lack of durability. -joseph – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Just started playing balata X-outs. The feel is great, but on the first round I used them, I lost several strokes because of lost distance — up to a full club on some shots. It might have been me (on some shots, I’m sure it was), it might have been the wind and the cooler temperatures we’ve been having, but I’m sure some of it was the ball: I used to play the HP2 Distance. What has been your experience of distance differences between balata and surlyn/distance balls?
Response:
I am certainly not an authority, but, as I understand, a balata ball will produce more spin for control on the greens, but will not produce the distance of a surlyn, zylin or elastomer covered ball. The reason, I am told, is that a balata ball has less compression caused by the ball being three piece, i.e., liquid center, elastic wound and covered by a softer balata cover. However, I do agree with the other gentlemen’s comments in that the average golfer will not see a difference in balls with the exception of one piece balls (usually range balls) or worn out balls.
I used to think that too. Played Top Flight Magnas at the time. I got tired of balls landing on greens and running through like a run-away truck. At the time I was staying between 11-13 HCI. I tried Precept EV Extra spin ball. There was definitely a diference *for me*. Instead of bouncing and running , they took a hop or two and settled down nicely. What a difference that makes. Alot of the time my buddies will be complaining about hard greens and the greens not holding, etc. and my shots are holding… I think the ball has alot to do with that. In the last couple years, I have tried sever other high spin or med spin balls… Srixon, Revolution, Prostaff, Aero. I found them all to be similar and I settled on the Prostaffs because they are cheap. My current HCI is 8.8. I think ball choice is responsible for a point or two of the improvemenet. The rest I attribute to getting a range membership last fall (all the balls I care to hit for a year).
Response:
What has been your experience of distance differences between balata and surlyn/distance balls?
I can understand that cheap balls have a distance loss when they spin up, but I’ve never seen a reason why a ball – built to meet the "maximum distance standard" – should be any shorter. The issues are 1) They are designed not to run as far when you play a high stopper 2) You are more likely to play a long ball to have more spin that optimum for distance. The "absolute flat out" distance you can hit with the ball should be the same. However, odds are, that you will need to hit a lower trajectory shot, on the upswing, to get the distance. One of the reasons Tiger gets quite so far is that his spin control is close to optimum. All said, I have moved onto the Titlest "Tour Distance" – great distance off the tee, and it gets almost as much bite as a pure Balata. It’s the first wound ball that I’ve wanted to play over a Z balata or a Strata Advance. Mike
Response:
I played a three piece ball for awhile and thought that I was getting pretty good distance. Then I happened to find a new HPT Tour ball. Blammo. That gave me distance I never would have had with a three piece. Frankly, I’m not good enough to know what to do with spin into the green. If I can hit the green with my approach shot I’m happy. No going for the pin and spinning it back. I’ll take the distance.
Response:
I played a three piece ball for awhile and thought that I was getting pretty good distance. Then I happened to find a new HPT Tour ball. Blammo. That gave me distance I never would have had with a three piece. Frankly, I’m not good enough to know what to do with spin into the green. If I can hit the green with my approach shot I’m happy. No going for the pin and spinning it back. I’ll take the distance.
The HP Tours are the shortest balls that Titleist makes besides the tour balatas. You might want to try the tour distances for a much longer ball w/ similar feel. -Alex
Response:
Well a lot of things combine to make a ball a distance ball or a spin ball. Balata is very soft and encourages spin. Those are two strikes against distance right there. If you were to measure the distance of the most popular balls on the market, I can guarantee balata will finish shorter than almost anything else. Still it won’t be that far behind. I’m not surprise to hear you say one club less, that sounds about right, but I find it hard to believe that one club less — the effect of playing into a mild breeze — could cost you so many strokes. As to the post about compression etc. Compression measures the overall hardness of a ball. Basically, stick a ball in vise and drop 200lbs on it and you have a compression test. For every 1000th of inch the ball compresses, deduct one and you have a compression rating. This obviously can be used with balls of any construction, but many manufacturers have stopped measuring compression because it’s confusing and most often has little bearing on the value of a ball. By the same token, refers to the cover materal — real balata is tree sap. Most of the balata today is synthetic. Titleist Tour balatas are three piece balls, center, wrapped by elastic surrounded by cover. The Top-Flite Z-balatas — the other popular balata ball available today – is a two-piece ball, solid-core surrounded by a synthetic "balata" cover. <<I am certainly not an authority, but, as I understand, a balata ball will produce more spin for control on the greens, but will not produce the distance of a surlyn, zylin or elastomer covered ball. The reason, I am told, is that a balata ball has less compression caused by the ball being three piece, i.e., liquid center, elastic wound and covered by a softer balata cover. However, I do agree with the other gentlemen’s comments in that the average golfer will not see a difference in balls with the exception of one piece balls (usually range balls) or worn out balls. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –
Response:
I fully agree. Recently, a survey has been made in a french golf magazine about golf balls. Different kinds of golfers were using several types of balls with there own clubs, in various weather conditions. Provided you do not use the cheapest balls on the market, results were extremely similar. Pros like to play with balata’s because they can control their trajectories.(and because they do not pay them!) But can we? Alain
Response:
Well a lot of things combine to make a ball a distance ball or a spin ball. Balata is very soft and encourages spin. Those are two strikes against distance right there. If you were to measure the distance of the most popular balls on the market, I can guarantee balata will finish shorter than almost anything else. Still it won’t be that far behind. I’m not surprise to hear you say one club less, that sounds about right, but I find it hard to believe that one club less — the effect of playing into a mild breeze — could cost you so many strokes.
I find that I lose a *little* distance with the driver and 3-wood with balatas, but hardly any at all with the irons. Maybe 5-10 yards with the driver. But I think this is more than made up for by not having to worry about rolling of the back of the green on approaches. — Bowel shaking earthquakes of doubt and remorse Assail him, impale him with monster truck force -Cake
Response:
Just started playing balata X-outs. The feel is great, but on the first round I used them, I lost several strokes because of lost distance — up to a full club on some shots. It might have been me (on some shots, I’m sure it was), it might have been the wind and the cooler temperatures we’ve been having, but I’m sure some of it was the ball: I used to play the HP2 Distance. What has been your experience of distance differences between balata and surlyn/distance balls? Remsleep
Response:
I’m a low handicap player with nearly 30 years of experience. I’ve played all kinds of balls over the years. The brand of ball you use really is very unimportant. Unless you are trying to make a living at golf, you’ll never have a reason to use one ball over another. Just find a brand that you like the look and feel of, and use it all the time. Don’t use old balls, or balls that you find in the weeds. Some balls are a bit longer than others, but the added distance isn’t worth trading off the confidence you get from using the same ball all the time. One ball may go a bit longer, another might hold a bit better. You might think that using a longer ball on long wide open coursed would be better, and using a ball that bites better on short courses with small greens. DON’T SWITCH BALLS. Use the same brand all the time, and you’ll develop a feel with it. That’s why some people change balls and either have a better or worse day and think it’s the ball. It really is two things. One your distance control is not as good, and your confidence is shot. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Just started playing balata X-outs. The feel is great, but on the first round I used them, I lost several strokes because of lost distance — up to a full club on some shots. It might have been me (on some shots, I’m sure it was), it might have been the wind and the cooler temperatures we’ve been having, but I’m sure some of it was the ball: I used to play the HP2 Distance. What has been your experience of distance differences between balata and surlyn/distance balls? Remsleep
Response:
I am certainly not an authority, but, as I understand, a balata ball will produce more spin for control on the greens, but will not produce the distance of a surlyn, zylin or elastomer covered ball. The reason, I am told, is that a balata ball has less compression caused by the ball being three piece, i.e., liquid center, elastic wound and covered by a softer balata cover. However, I do agree with the other gentlemen’s comments in that the average golfer will not see a difference in balls with the exception of one piece balls (usually range balls) or worn out balls.
Response:
Play the Titlest Professional 90 if you can afford them. They have the best comination of distance off the tee and stopping power that I have ever played and I have been playing for quite a number of years. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Just started playing balata X-outs. The feel is great, but on the first round I used them, I lost several strokes because of lost distance — up to a full club on some shots. It might have been me (on some shots, I’m sure it was), it might have been the wind and the cooler temperatures we’ve been having, but I’m sure some of it was the ball: I used to play the HP2 Distance. What has been your experience of distance differences between balata and surlyn/distance balls? Remsleep