Golf Balls
For
beginners, ball selection is primarily a matter of
durability and cost containment.
Balls come in as
many varieties as clubs, but the choice of balls is less important
than the choice of clubs. For beginners, ball selection is primarily
a matter of durability and cost containment. Beginners run the risk
of hitting balls off center and damaging them. they also frequently
lose balls, which can be quite expensive. Therefore, inexpensive,
durable balls are recommended for beginners. For the advanced
player, however, ball selection might be a somewhat more important
consideration, although probably not nearly as import ants as the
golf ball industry would have golfers think. the main issues for
advanced players involve differences in distance, spin, and feel
among the various brands and models of golf balls.
Balls vary in terms
of compression value and the types of cover they have, which
respectively determine how far the ball will travel and how much
spin is imparted for stopping the ball on the green.
compression refers to how much the ball is squashed by the impact of
the clubhead. The ball has to compress to a certain degree in order
to spring off the clubface. When an optimal amount of compression is
achieved, maximal distance will be obtained.
The compression
indexes used by the golf ball industry are 100, 90, and 80. Balls of
100-compression value are for stronger golfers who hit the ball very
hard. They can get optimal compression out of this ball and
therefore more distance than they might form a ball of lower
compression. The average golfer is likely to get the best
performance from a 90-compresion ball. Weaker golfers may want to
try 80-compression balls. In colder weather, all golfers can benefit
from moving down one level in compression value because the ball
does not compress as easily in lower temperatures.
As far as the cover
goes, balata-covered balls are slightly softer than other balls,
which may translate into softer feel when the clubface makes contact
with the ball. Balata balls also generate more spin for stopping the
ball more quickly on the green. Balata balls tend to travel a little
less far than other balls, and they also become damaged more quickly
because of the softer cover.
Surlyn-covered balls
are harder and tougher, providing more distance and greater
durability. But the soft feel at impact and the greater spin when
the ball hits the green may be sacrificed when using the surlyn
ball.
AS with rubber grips
with leather feel, there are now surlyn, distance-generating balls
purported to have balata feel and action. Golfers should ultimately
read the manufacturers labels, try a few different varieties of
balls, and see which ones feel comfortable and encourage confidence.
Conveniently, golfers find a lot of lost balls, which provide ample
opportunity to try a vast variety of brands and types at no cost. It
may take years to settle on a preferred type of ball.
Although the choice
of a particular ball may not be that critical, it is important to
switch to a new ball every once in while, whatever the brand or
model might be. any ball will lose its liveliness after many holes
of play, giving a new ball a distinct advantage over an old ball, A
psychological lift may also result from looking down at a bright new
ball and imagining all that stored-up energy about to explode off of
the clubface.
