Can the golf ball you put on the ground really make that much difference in your golf game?
Well, there’s certainly a lot of advertising in the golf world that would like to make you think so.
So I asked a local CPGA professional his thoughts on it.
“For the average golfer, is there going to be that much difference between a $6 sleeve of balls and a $15 sleeve of balls? I don’t think so,” says Jason Tchir, head professional and general manager of Quadra Golf.
“I mean yeah, for a high-level golfer – we’re talking single-digit handicaps or better – the qualities of the ball do make a difference in terms of being able to control spin rates and how it plays out there, but while I’d like to say to everyone who comes to the course, ‘sure, I’ll sell you a sleeve of the newest Pro-Vs,’ I don’t want to do that, because it’s probably not the best ball for you.”
Of course, there’s always the mental issue. Golf is a game mostly played with what you’ve got going on inside your noggin, and If you’ve convinced yourself you play better with a more expensive ball, then you probably do. But that’s likely not because of the ball itself.
Maybe you know that the ball you’re about to hit costs $6 and you don’t want to lose it, so you play more conservatively and make an easier swing, focusing on keeping the ball in play, resulting in a better score.
“Or maybe you play with more confidence because you’ve convinced yourself that you’re Tiger Woods when you’re playing that ball, and that confidence translates into better shots,” Tchir adds, “but it’s not the ball that’s doing that. It’s you.”
There is one situation, however, when he feels even amateurs and hackers should be paying attention to ball selection.
“Women, in general, have a much slower swing speed, so they really do need a ladies ball in order to get the most out of being out there,” Tchir says.
So the next time you’re reloading your bag, maybe consider why you’re doing that in the first place. If you’re going to fill a bag full of golf balls, just to lose them into the trees, why not try buying them for $20/dozen rather than $50? Maybe you’ll find one you like down at the bottom of the price point and save yourself a ton of money over time.
Because if you’re losing a dozen golf balls into the trees over the course of a few rounds, an expensive ball isn’t going to help you, anyway.
I know it doesn’t help me, at least.
And now I know why.
CONTEST
There’s no contest this week, because I’m saving a few golf passes to be able to give away extras during The Open Championship coming up at Carnoustie, which takes place July 19-22. Keep watching the bi-weekly golf page and the Mirror Facebook page for instructions on how to enter that contest, because it’s going to be a doozy.
A doozie for Carnoustie. Get it?