Before I started working here at MyGolfSpy, I had serious questions about golf ball performance.
You probably shared similar feelings.
“I’m not good enough to play a good ball” or “a ball can’t make that much of a difference” are two that echo in my head.
But now that I’ve been part of our yearbook (now). Golf Ball Test Presented by UNRLMy skepticism has turned into a firm belief that the golf ball you play matters. I can add a lot more than you think.
After spending five straight days climbing ball after ball on a rocking robot this summer, I noticed a few things that I think you’ll find interesting. Please indulge me as I share some of the things that brought me back to the church of golf ball performance. It will be worth your time, I promise.
Seeing Is Believing
Let’s start here. Anyone can say that a golf ball does something. Every manufacturer claims their ball does this or that. Almost every golf media outlet is happy to report that a golf ball can perform a certain way.
But at MyGolfSpy, we know that golf balls perform a certain way. Why? Because our industry leading testing puts them in a robot and we publish that objective data.
As a result, I learned very quickly that what someone says about a golf ball can be drastically different from what actually happens when a golf ball is hit. In that way, the first thing is to believe.
Rather than believing the marketing narrative on the back of the box, MyGolfSpy puts each golf ball to the test with a robot to confirm or disprove performance claims. With that said, here’s what I now know to be true about golf ball performance.
Golf balls, especially those with ionomer covers, perform differently when wet
Hardly anyone considers wet performance when it comes to golf balls.
It’s impossible to dismiss the impact that moisture has on ball performance when you see a golf ball lose nearly 70 percent of its spin on a wedge shot, all because of a little water.
Recently, I played The Cradle short course at Pinehurst with some very good players. It rained for most of the afternoon. My playing partners were shocked when our soft Titleist Tour golf balls tried to spin and stop on the greens. They had no idea the culprit was the cover.
Confirmed on the robot and in the real world: ionomer spins less when wet.
A bad ball can cost you some serious distance off the tee
You don’t realize how short some golf balls are until you see them come off a robot at 100 miles per hour. It’s crazy to stand down and watch a dozen premium balls land 15, 20, even 25 yards shorter than their competition. Yet we see those kinds of gaps in distance every year when we test golf balls.
Think about it. How much of a disservice are you doing yourself by playing a ball that’s too short off the tee?
Golf ball consistency is a real thing
You know what’s even more appealing than some premium golf balls that are shorter than others? Viewing golf balls from the same box has drastically different ball flights.
One ball from the box is launched straight, the other takes a nose. I know it’s true because I’ve seen it. This is, after all, why we started our Ball Lab in the first place (which we’re looking to start again, hopefully next year).
Who knew golf balls in the same box could be so unstable that they appeared as if they were long-lost cousins ​​rather than a dozen siblings?
Call me a convert
Call me a golf ball convert. After seeing what I’ve seen, it’s impossible to ignore the impact ball selection has on your game.
The thing that has helped my game the most in the last three years? Choosing a golf ball that has proven to be well tested and sticking with it.
You must try it.
And if you don’t know where to start, head over to our full, the best golf ball test in the industry and give it a thorough reading.
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