We’ve all been there. You are digging through the garage, cleaning that old golf bag and find a ball sleeve you forgot you had. Maybe they are from a corporate walk three years ago or maybe they are left over from the box you have bought in a majority because the price was too good to pass.
The question is: are they still good?
Good question. The answer depends largely on the kind of golf balls we are talking about and how long they have been sitting around.
Balata days
In the days of wound golf balls (Yore), Baata not only went wrong; Practically there was a expiry date.
Balata balls were essentially bombs with liquid time. The liquid core would evaporate over time, making the balls shrink, lose weight and get out of the round. We are not talking about subtle changes. I have tried to measure the old ballata balls in the compression meter just to find out that they had been reduced so much that they were too small for the equipment to record even a reading.
Beyond essential issues, those soft ballata covers would be reduced after only a few game holes. Among the problems of sustainability and shelf life issues, Balata cannons were high maintenance in every sense.
Modern strong-core reality
Today’s golf balls are another animal entirely. With strong essential construction, there is no fluid to evaporate which means the dramatic degradation we saw with ballast is largely a thing of the past.
But that does not mean that modern balls do not change at all.
Golf ball cores behave a little like epoxy in that there is a healing process that continues long after production. It is a slow process, so a ball that sits for several years will usually become stronger over time.
Think this way: a ball that measures 90 compression when you buy it can be pushing closer 100 compression after sitting for two or three years. After that initial period, the levels of the cure process and the balls do not continue to rise so quickly.
Will you notice the difference?
For most players, maybe not. The changes that occur over a few years are quite delicate that they are unlikely to significantly affect your game. That is why preliminary generation inventory Often worth the savings. You are taking essentially the same performance at a discounted price.
But if we are talking about truly old balls, the difference can be dramatic.
Formerly a few Xl3000 ancient high XL3000 with approximately 130 compression. Now, the XL3000 was never what you would call a soft ball to start, but those numbers suggest that the balls sitting around for a decade will perform dramatically differently than when they were new.
Ultimately
Modern golf balls do not “go bad” in the traditional sense, but they change. For casual game with balls that are yearsYou’re probably well. But if you are serious about performance and consistency or if those balls are sitting in your garage since the Clinton administration, it may be time to accumulate Some freshes.
The good news? Unlike Balata days, it is not necessary to worry about the balls of your golf that reduces to the point that they will be lost in the ball’s washer.
office Do Golf balls go wrong? first appeared in MygolfSSS.
