Golf Talk »   Golf Ball Selector, Picking the Right Golf Ball

Golf balls perform differently for different golfers.

Not all golfers are the same, Neither are all golf balls. The right golf ball can help you improve your game and lower your golf scores. Ball speed, angle of impact, launch angle and spin rate on the ball are all fundamental mechanical factors that affect ball performance. Golf ball construction, compression and cover hardness are also critical parameters. Moreover, golfers have different demands on a ball in terms of distance, control and feel - and those demands change over time and depending on course conditions and location. In other cases, some golfers place emphasis on value for money in selecting a ball for play. In fact, the selection of the right ball requires matching the ball to your unique swing characteristics and game objectives.

Picking the right Golf ball makes a difference.

Fundamentally, a golf ball performs differently depending on the type of golfer you are. For example you may be better off selecting Ball A over Ball B - if Ball A helps you control for excessive spin generated by the swing; or you may be better off selecting Ball C over Ball D, if you don't crave distance, but instead want a ball that has increased feel around the greens. Maybe you're a golfer looking for pure distance, but have low club head speed. Then, you just might be better off with Ball E. If you want to work the ball a bit more or want better stopping power hitting into greens then Ball F may be the best choice for you.  

Basic Questions to ask yourself when thinking about the type of gall ball use:

• Does the ball go further in humid or dry air?
• Does the ball go further in hot weather than in cold weather?
• How does altitude affect golf ball distance?
• How does wind (head or tail) affect distance?
• What is feel?
• What are the Characteristics of High Launch Angle?
• What are the typical Characteristics of High Spin Rate?
• What are the typical Characteristics of Sub-Optimal Ball Flight?
• When Spin is "good" and when is spin "bad"?
• What exactly is "hotness" when you measure or evaluate a golf ball – and how do you determine "hot" versus "cold"?
• What is compression – and why does it matter?
• Does the sound a ball makes – the "click" - come into play in your evaluation?
• Have you conducted any studies on "value for money" in purchasing different balls?
• How does the combination of shaft and ball selection affect performance?
• How does club head speed relate to ball speed and to distance?
• Are there proxies for how ball speed relates to driver distance?
• Are golf balls going too far?

So are any two golf balls really alike? Not even close, but that means finding that perfect match is even more likely.