Now that Nike is no longer selling balls, what should I get?

[ill]

Yes, backspin counters side spin, which is why you get less slice effects with the shorter irons and progressively more with the longer, more flat-faced clubs.

You can also just use your 3-wood on tee when you're slicing you driver badly.

I could, and I crush my 3W.

But I want to be able to hit my driver. I don't like the idea of just keeping it in my bag when I would rather make it my bitch.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Perhaps those were the best "models" Though I would think with technology as advanced as it is now that's a little hard to believe

My general feeling is ball technology has peaked. I'm not real sure many tangible advancements have been made recently...say last 5 yrs. Assuming they were new, I would be perfectly okay with a 2015 golf ball...even a 2013 ball.

The mid tier balls (E6, Super Soft, NXT) especially are all better than they were maybe 10 yrs ago.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I usually sky my drives.. Granted I stupidly use a 10.5 degree loft

If you're hitting it straight and really high...maybe a lower lofted driver is an option, but I would be leery going to less loft if you don't play a lot.

Impact tape...see where the ball is contacting the club face. Could be a simple fix...ball position, teeing it lower, etc.

 

[redseat]

If you're hitting it straight and really high...maybe a lower lofted driver is an option, but I would be leery going to less loft if you don't play a lot.

Impact tape...see where the ball is contacting the club face. Could be a simple fix...ball position, teeing it lower, etc.

Yeah I play about 4 rounds a year... But I do usually hit it 275-280 (even though it does failry high).. I have a bad left to right though so I don't think it's really that much with the loft, just me coming in too steep as I am 6'5"

 

[redseat]

I use a lot of loft on my drivers because I have a slower swing speed. Been a while since I've had it measured but I'm positive it is well below 100

I have a feeling my swing speed is slightly higher than normal as I am so tall. I think its above 100 but I haven't been tested

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Yeah I play about 4 rounds a year... But I do usually hit it 275-280 (even though it does failry high).. I have a bad left to right though so I don't think it's really that much with the loft, just me coming in too steep as I am 6'5"

4 rds...yeah, definitely don't go to a lower lofted driver...it might not sound like much going to a 9 or 8.5 deg driver, but with your clubhead speed you're going to generate a lot more side spin.

I'm not that great (12 index), but I play quite a bit. (50-55+ times a year). I played with a CLE 10.5 deg, 2 deg closed face Hibore driver for about 4 yrs...the design of that driver was to hit it high and I hit it really high, but mostly a draw, 270-280....I'm 6'3" with a fairly steep swing as well...In the wind, tight courses, and hard dogleg right holes I struggled to keep this club in play. As a result I didn't hit it that much...maybe 5 times a round.

I switched to a Titleist 9.5 driver about 3 years ago. It's one of these adjustable drivers...I play it mostly in the neutral position and 9.5 deg....not nearly as high, maybe not as long as the Hibore, but a lot more control. I don't draw as well in the neutral position, but I can hit it fairly straight and I can fade it.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I have a feeling my swing speed is slightly higher than normal as I am so tall. I think its above 100 but I haven't been tested

Hitting 260-280...I'm not a hard swinger and I'm 103-104 on average...I would think you're at least that on the low end probably.

 

[redseat]

Hitting 260-280...I'm not a hard swinger and I'm 103-104 on average...I would think you're at least that on the low end probably.

Yeah most likely. I did it once when I went to Golf Galaxy but can't remember what they said my swing speed was

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Yeah most likely. I did it once when I went to Golf Galaxy but can't remember what they said my swing speed was

There's a guy we play with sometimes about your height, at least a couple inches taller than me...idk what his club head speed is, but when he's hitting it on the screws...he's carrying the ball 270-280 sometimes and it's not like he's really going at it hard...he has a good swing, but that huge swing arc makes a big difference.

Too bad he doesn't play enough to get his scores down under 90...gets out about once a month so his wedge game, chipping and putting not equal to his driving.

 

[redseat]

There's a guy we play with sometimes about your height, at least a couple inches taller than me...idk what his club head speed is, but when he's hitting it on the screws...he's carrying the ball 270-280 sometimes and it's not like he's really going at it hard...he has a good swing, but that huge swing arc makes a big difference.

Too bad he doesn't play enough to get his scores down under 90...gets out about once a month so his wedge game, chipping and putting not equal to his driving.

I'm fairly consistant with my distance, I just need to work on the slice... I have to keep my body still until my hands come through which is almost impossible for me

 

[Cobrabit]

I started buying the super softs last year and really enjoy them. I wasn't too concerned about losing a lot of distance since I'm normally hitting a wedge into most par 4s that are 400 yards or so and like the feel of contact I get with them. I used to play with a Titleist balata years ago and these remind me of them.

I've picked up a couple hundred balls that other's have lost the last couple years and that's mainly where I'll play a Pro V, but the Bridgestone e6 seems to be another commonly used ball that isn't bad.

I do have a box of Pro Vs that I'm waiting to play while down in Disney, or if I play in a captain's choice tournament, but they're just not worth it to me full time. I may try out the Chrome Softs next when these get depleted.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I'm fairly consistant with my distance, I just need to work on the slice... I have to keep my body still until my hands come through which is almost impossible for me

Like a lot of us weekend hacks...I starting out slicing. As far as the slice goes, for a RH player, if the ball is starting left and cutting hard right, you likely have swing path issues and club face issues...some work involved to fix it. If the ball starts right and tails off right (a push fade some people call it), the path is not bad, much easier fix.

Playing as infrequently as you do, and with your length...I'm not sure I would ever pull a driver out the bag unless it's just wide open to be honest.

 

[redseat]

Like a lot of us weekend hacks...I starting out slicing. As far as the slice goes, for a RH player, if the ball is starting left and cutting hard right, you likely have swing path issues and club face issues...some work involved to fix it. If the ball starts right and tails off right (a push fade some people call it), the path is not bad, much easier fix.

Playing as infrequently as you do, and with your length...I'm not sure I would ever pull a driver out the bag unless it's just wide open to be honest.

it actually has (most times) a professional left to right... Every once and a while When I "play it" it goes dead straight.. Most of the times it ends up in the very edge of the fairway or slightly in the rough..

 

[ATL96Steeler]

it actually has (most times) a professional left to right... Every once and a while When I "play it" it goes dead straight.. Most of the times it ends up in the very edge of the fairway or slightly in the rough..

If you can aim down the left FW or rough and the ball stays on the right side of the course, in play...I wouldn't call that a slice...yeah, the pros call it a power fade.

I was a little longer when I was turning it over, right to left, but I took a year or so off playing regularly and it turned into a nasty hook that I still fear today. I actually prefer a fade...on hard dogleg left holes, I hit 3w or my 2 hybrid.

 

[redseat]

If you can aim down the left FW or rough and the ball stays on the right side of the course, in play...I wouldn't call that a slice...yeah, the pros call it a power fade.

I was a little longer when I was turning it over, right to left, but I took a year or so off playing regularly and it turned into a nasty hook that I still fear today. I actually prefer a fade...on hard dogleg left holes, I hit 3w or my 2 hybrid.

Most of the time i'm ok, but probably 3 times it goes into the woods... if it does 90% of the time I can't find it

 

[SU Nittany Tide]

Hey SUNT

Howdy quaid.

 

[SU Nittany Tide]

Hitting 260-280...I'm not a hard swinger and I'm 103-104 on average...I would think you're at least that on the low end probably.

Well the cut off for going to an extra stiff shaft is 105 so that isn't exactly a slow swing.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Most of the time i'm ok, but probably 3 times it goes into the woods... if it does 90% of the time I can't find it

If it's lateral, you can still scratch out a bogey if your iron/short game is decent...otherwise it's double or worse...hard to recover from 6 & > scores on par 4s.

At my home course (which I'm not overly fond of because it's so exacting on your drive) it's a par 71, with 13 driving holes...I hit driver about 7 times. It has some long par 4s, but many are 370 or less, but if you miss the FW by much, you're in a hazard or trees.

One of my favorite tracks is much further out from the house...a lot longer course, it's tree lined too, but wider landing areas...you're trying to avoid bunkers and rough more than trees. I tell people that haven't played it that are normally shooting in the 80s...you can play here with 1 ball and struggle to break 90 and that normally holds true with a lot of them.

 

[redseat]

If it's lateral, you can still scratch out a bogey if your iron/short game is decent...otherwise it's double or worse...hard to recover from 6 & > scores on par 4s.

At my home course (which I'm not overly fond of because it's so exacting on your drive) it's a par 71, with 13 driving holes...I hit driver about 7 times. It has some long par 4s, but many are 370 or less, but if you miss the FW by much, you're in a hazard or trees.

One of my favorite tracks is much further out from the house...a lot longer course, it's tree lined too, but wider landing areas...you're trying to avoid bunkers and rough more than trees. I tell people that haven't played it that are normally shooting in the 80s...you can play here with 1 ball and struggle to break 90 and that normally holds true with a lot of them.

my short game kills me and I'm not the greatest putter so yeah, I usually and a bogie/double bogie player. But I really shouldn't say anything or expect anything else since I don't play nearly enough.. Doesn't stop me from getting pissed at myself. lol

 

[ATL96Steeler]

my short game kills me and I'm not the greatest putter so yeah, I usually and a bogie/double bogie player. But I really shouldn't say anything or expect anything else since I don't play nearly enough.. Doesn't stop me from getting pissed at myself. lol

Just have fun. I know a steady diet of dbl bogey golf can take the fun out of it for any level of player. Mix in a few pars here and there with bogey golf, an occasional dbl and you can have a good time and feel pretty good about being out there.

Short game can make up for a lot of bad golf shots...especially those that don't find a hazard or OB. My goal from the tee, get the ball around the green in regulation...if it's on, that's great, if not I should get a decent par putt.