By Murray White
It truly amazes me how certain golfers are so sure about their ball choice. Yet in the very same breath, they have not afforded themselves a thorough ball test and comparison. With today’s technology, it’s a missing link in the custom fit process.
If you could hit a sleeve of every ball that suited your clubhead speed and have access to all the data like, carry; ball speed; spin ratios and launch angles. Pound for pound you could actually see the numbers and what is really happening with each and on the basis of that make your decision. The two key selection aspects being distance and spin.
A random story that I read about Bryson DeChambeau (love him or otherwise) is that he uses both Trackman and Flightscope as part of his data setup. Testament to his foresight and scientific methods, “If you can’t measure it, you certainly can’t improve it.”
Compression 101!
A golf ball is compressed or flattened by the force of the club through impact. Compression creates density in a golf ball and this affects your distance and loft. Different compression rates are used by different levels of golfers for the best performance.
Click here to see the video of a slow-motion golf ball hitting a steel plate at 150 mph.
Bryson’s personal best was recently 211mph at the Sentry Tournament of Champions but his normal speed is around 200 mph at the moment. In college, it was around 117-118 mph. The point being that the junior golfer’s ball speed will only get faster with time and it is certainly something to be aware of.
Is the ball too soft or too hard?
A Low compression ball is rated between 70 and 80. Intended for a player with a slower swing speed like a junior golfer, older golfer or ladies. Low compression balls create more distance. A 90 or higher compression is a harder ball used for a lower handicap golfer with a faster swing speed for distance. Higher compression balls offer better control. I love the philosophy of Srixon where they have gone for the “ball for every player” approach.
UltiSoft
Super Low Compression (42), lowest available in the range. Features: soft feel; higher launch angle, lower spin, resulting in longer, straighter distance; speed dimples that reduce drag at launch and increase lift during descent; highly resilient and durable.
Soft Feel
A low compression (60) soft feeling ball designed for high launch, low spin and impressive distance. Features: clubhead speed 65mph to 75mph; FastLayer Core gives you that soft feel and added distance; better distance overall and performance in the wind with the 338 dimpled pattern; thin cover for spin; cool colour options – white, pink, yellow, red, orange and green.
AD333
Low compression 77 Features: two piece; FastLayer behaves like a core with thousands of layers, giving you distance and soft feel without compromise; SeRM (Slide Ring Material) molecular bonds that stretch but don’t break, SeRM provides a softer cover that actually digs into your club grooves at impact.
QStar Tour
Features: 3 Piece; 338 speed dimple pattern; SeRM spin Revolutionised; FastLayer provides distance along with soft feel at impact
ZStar
Compression 102
Features: soft feel; FastLayer Core; slide-ring material; long distance; mid-flight; 3PC Urethane construction; high greenside spin; low driver spin ZStar XV Compression 90. Features: soft feel; longer distance; mid-high flight; 4PC Urethane construction; high greenside spin; low driver spin.