I think almost everyone plays the wrong ball...

[bluedot]

10 hours ago, Nessism said:

Maybe just me, but I don't like getting ripped off.  And $55/dozen for balls is a rip-off when there are various other balls that perform great, but for way cheaper.  Maxfli is one of the obvious options.  And for me, it's Kirkland.  I realize that a dyed in the wool $55/dozen guy won't play Kirkland, in fact, many won't even try them.  And then we have the new Sam's ball, that seems on par with Kirkland.  At this point in my aging golf career, bad back, can't practice, life, what ball I play truly doesn't matter.  I do still like a urethane ball, though.  I can still spin a wedge just fine.  

 

I suppose for the guys playing big buck courses, or are part of a private club, guys with low handicaps that don't lose balls often, then $55 doesn't matter in their life.  Trust me, I can afford them too, but I just don't think the value is there.

 

A few years back, ball companies used to liquidate their excess stock to places like RockBottom, Budget Golf, and the like, and I picked up tons of Z Stars, Bridgestone BX, Wilson Staff Duos, ball like these for $25/dozen.  Those were the good old days.  I still have some of these.  When they are gone, though, I'm all in on Kirkland and the like.  They are dirt cheap, with virtually no downside.

I have been using the ProV1x for a long time now, and I’ve NEVER paid $55/doz, or whatever full retail was/is.  There are so many ways to bring that price down that I won’t bother to list them again.  I use them because they are available EVERYWHERE, which ties into how I avoid full retail.  I get a lot of them with pro shop credit at my club, so a double benefit; I’m supporting my club’s shop, and staying supplied with good golf balls.  

 

That said, there are a LOT of great options available now for a LOT less money than the upper price tier for urethane, including, of course, the ProV1’s.  

 

I’ll add only this, which every now and then gets mentioned here.  In my annual golf budget (dues, entry fees, equipment, travel, clothes, etc) differences in the prices of various golf balls doesn’t even make the radar.  If I used a $20/doz ball vs a $50/doz ball, I’d save a couple of hundred bucks a year.  That’s less than a half of the monthly dues I pay, and way less than my annual bar bill! And I don’t even drink much!

[North Butte]

1 hour ago, bluedot said:

I’ll add only this, which every now and then gets mentioned here.  In my annual golf budget (dues, entry fees, equipment, travel, clothes, etc) differences in the prices of various golf balls doesn’t even make the radar.  If I used a $20/doz ball vs a $50/doz ball, I’d save a couple of hundred bucks a year.  That’s less than a half of the monthly dues I pay, and way less than my annual bar bill! And I don’t even drink much!

If we want to talk about nominal "ripoffs", the prices for drinks and snacks at most golf courses and especially most private clubs are usurious You could pack a couple beers and some chips and pretzels in your golf bag when you leave home and save far more money than you will by playing a $2 golf ball, just in case you lose one or two during the round!

 

I'm fine with just waltzing into the clubhouse for a Gatorade and crackers when I feel the urge, even if they charge 7 bucks. But I do know people who balk at that sort of thing. And I've recently quit my long-time habit of buying golf balls in large quantities whenever I find a "deal". I just but a box of whatever I like every couple months when I'm running low. I do admit that kind of cringing when I have those occasional disaster rounds where I'm down three balls before I'm done the front nine. But in the bigger scheme of things, that sort of horror show happens a few times a year, if that. I actually hate the bad shots much more than I hate the fact it's a $10-$15 sleeve of balls.

[Kmac]

On 7/3/2025 at 4:25 PM, itsdannyv said:

Which Maxfli are you gaming?

The Maxfli Tour, great ball and they have a max align version as well if you like alignment lines. So far I can honestly see little to no difference from a Prov1 or Chrome Tour. 

[SollyinGA]

I’m coming back after 1.5 years away from the game. I’ve been using cheaper balls instead of losing expensive balls (proV1x user for years) while I get my game back in shape. I’ve found that I’m in play much more often with the cheap 2 piece balls. The low compression balls feels better on full shots too.

 

i have struggled a bit around the greens and putting due to the lack of feel and spin, but I think I could adjust over time.

Edited July 7 by SollyinGA

[Pepperturbo]

On 7/4/2025 at 7:02 AM, Old Tom Morris said:

EVERY player can benefit from more short iron spin.  It's a matter of whether the player is willing to pay for it by purchasing higher priced urethane covered ball.

I've proven this outright by giving a 13 handi buddy a sleeve of new ProV1x.  Even though the ball is maybe a bit too hard for him, the ball performs better around the greens than his $25 balls.

[Oscar]

On 7/2/2025 at 3:48 PM, coops said:

I don't think you can get Decathlon golf balls in the USA yet - they're a large French sports company, mostly selling their own brand goods for a bargain in Europe / UK and also here in Thailand.

...

They also do 2 piece 'soft' balls for cheaper and a 2 piece distance ball for peanuts..

 

 

I need to try their more expensive balls. Their cheapest distance ball, the model 100, makes the old Top Flites feel like marshmallows in comparison. The thing is rock hard. The cover is not the usual Surlyn but made from some recycled material; I assume granite. 😳

Edited July 7 by Oscar

[Nessism]

5 hours ago, Pepperturbo said:

I've proven this outright by giving a 13 handi buddy a sleeve of new ProV1x.  Even though the ball is maybe a bit too hard for him, the ball performs better around the greens than his $25 balls.

 

Until the latest red stripe Kirkland, everyone complained that they spun too much.  $28/2 dozen balls.  

[NursingZombie]

I use nitro balls to drive with. At $29.99 for 45 on sale, probably best deal ever! (sub 60 cents a ball).  
I’m just starting out- so hitting concrete hard balls and losing them means more to me at my skill level than $2 ball loss.

 

I DO however- like srixon z-star balls; and will swap on fairway/putter (faux pau, i know) as they feel better. 
 

I have found the bounce of concrete when comparing balls seems to give good feedback- on drop energy to bounce, clunk sound, and that harder bounce equates to harder whacking.  
 

Composite/ wraps/ plastic nickel cadmium dingle cringe means more cool factor, i am sure; but, probably more cost to play an already expensive game also.

[bluedot]

8 hours ago, NursingZombie said:

I use nitro balls to drive with. At $29.99 for 45 on sale, probably best deal ever! (sub 60 cents a ball).  
I’m just starting out- so hitting concrete hard balls and losing them means more to me at my skill level than $2 ball loss.

 

I DO however- like srixon z-star balls; and will swap on fairway/putter (faux pau, i know) as they feel better. 
 

I have found the bounce of concrete when comparing balls seems to give good feedback- on drop energy to bounce, clunk sound, and that harder bounce equates to harder whacking.  
 

Composite/ wraps/ plastic nickel cadmium dingle cringe means more cool factor, i am sure; but, probably more cost to play an already expensive game also.

Free advice:

 

Learn to play with one ball.  Not only will you be playing by the Rules of Golf, but you’ll learn what that ball will do with different clubs and lies, etc.  You’ll become a better player that way.

 

You’ve already figured out two things that are a big deal; a harder ball goes farther, and a ball that spins more is valuable in the short game.  Now spend just a LITTLE bit more and get a ball that does both.  There are a lot of them, and you don’t have to pay a fortune for them.

[A.Princey]

I wish I had a dollar for every time a guy hits a chip and either says, “whoa that checked up too much” or “man, that didn’t spin right” or “that one really ‘released’….”.  As if their shoddy ball striking could recreate each specific scenario anyway. 🙄 

Edited July 8 by A.Princey

[coops]

On 7/8/2025 at 3:19 AM, Oscar said:

I need to try their more expensive balls. Their cheapest distance ball, the model 100, makes the old Top Flites feel like marshmallows in comparison. The thing is rock hard. The cover is not the usual Surlyn but made from some recycled material; I assume granite. 😳

 

on he other hand… those Inesis 100 balls are 100bht/dozen = $3 for the dozen 😉 and i may not have tried them, but i’m confident they’re less unpleasant than the old Titleist HVC solid balls from when Titleist only really knew how to make the best wound balls - thonk those hvc were about 120 compression.

 

But back to their 900 top of the line model: played first round with this newest model and they’re great.

Previous model (maybe two years ago?) did spin too much with irons, enough that i did notice being about a club shorter with iron shots comapred to my preferred Bridgestone BX.

Current model has fixed that - pleant6 of spin for short stuff, driver is no meaninful difference for me it seems so far, and now they’re entirely ‘normal’ with irons.

Feel is ok - they’re firmish which i like as i prefer bx. Maybe the Bridgestone could be said to feel better, but that might be placebo as i know they’re the ‘proper’ expensive stuff (and the reactive cover is a real thing, some kind of special non newtonian material that becomes firmer the more impact is applied to it).

 

Oh, and here in Thailand Bstone don’t distribute the yellow BX, so that’s another plus for Decathlon for me as well as the price.

 

If you have them available, i’d definitely give them a try ( and if you like softer balls, their soft ball the 500 is half the price again from the 900.

[leftyb]

A benefit of playing with not so great golfers is I'm always helping them hunt for balls in the woods or tall grass. I laugh when I find Pro V1s 90 yards off the tee in the tall stuff all the time. I mean I get people have disposable income and it's their money, but if you are losing Pro V1s in the places I find them a lot...well enough said about that.

 

And I also find a wide variety of balls as well that I can sample them. That's how I got turned on to the Vice balls. Would have never bought them on my own but found a few and they just work for me. 

[bluedot]

7 hours ago, leftyb said:

A benefit of playing with not so great golfers is I'm always helping them hunt for balls in the woods or tall grass. I laugh when I find Pro V1s 90 yards off the tee in the tall stuff all the time. I mean I get people have disposable income and it's their money, but if you are losing Pro V1s in the places I find them a lot...well enough said about that.

 

And I also find a wide variety of balls as well that I can sample them. That's how I got turned on to the Vice balls. Would have never bought them on my own but found a few and they just work for me. 

It’s great that you’re only helping others look for their balls, and never having to look for your own! 😁

[mvhoffman]

8 hours ago, leftyb said:

A benefit of playing with not so great golfers is I'm always helping them hunt for balls in the woods or tall grass. I laugh when I find Pro V1s 90 yards off the tee in the tall stuff all the time. I mean I get people have disposable income and it's their money, but if you are losing Pro V1s in the places I find them a lot...well enough said about that.

 

And I also find a wide variety of balls as well that I can sample them. That's how I got turned on to the Vice balls. Would have never bought them on my own but found a few and they just work for me. 

My local Muni (5 mins from my house) where I walk 9 before work a few times a week (515am-ish) I literally find 1-2 balls on each hole, sometimes more.  There are leagues there every night and I think half the people just leave their balls if they don't see them driving by.

[leftyb]

2 hours ago, bluedot said:

It’s great that you’re only helping others look for their balls, and never having to look for your own! 😁

 

Well when you only hit it 215 off the tee that helps a lot 🤣 I've learned to stop trying to keep up with the younger guys who swing two thousand percent with their driver. Both my back and my golf ball budget appreciate it. 

 

I usually only lose a ball once every 2-3 rounds. In a scramble more if I'm taking aggressive lines or trying to carry a hazard that I normally wouldn't in stroke play. 

[Kevil]

On 7/1/2025 at 4:50 PM, mvhoffman said:

I say this after years of trying all the 3, 4, 5 piece balls.  After having multiple ball fittings and being fit into almost every premium/expensive ball on the market. 

 

Recently decided I was going to just grab a couple boxes of cheap 2 piece Wilson Duo soft from Rockbottom.  I could tool around with them and my 5 year old could use them too and it served a dual purpose.  That was the mindset until this morning when I was playing 9 before work and grabbed one out of the bag.  The ball flew great off the driver, great trajectory off the irons, backed up off the wedges and was as soft as could be off the putter.  I had a WONDERFUL round using a $10 a dozen golf ball (Sale price when purchased). 

 

Everytime any fitting happens... use this ball for your best results... $50 a dozen

 

There was a phrase that was said years ago when starting the game, "swing and let the club do the work."  I am a better than average player and decided that I was going to use a low compression ball that you can just take a normal swing at and get results as opposed to having to muscle results out of it.  No thanks. 

 

Has anyone taken the step back from $$$$ balls to $ even $$ and had the results that I have had?

 

 

[phizzy30]

I'm ball agnostic as I have tested many brands over the years, BUT I always find that I do better with urethane tour balls.  However, I do love the 1st gen MTB-X and previous gen Pro Plus and think they are every bit as good as their higher priced counterparts and have played them for the better part of the last 5 years.  With that being said, I've moved onto major OEM urethane balls because the MTB-X is no longer in production and the latest gen Pro Plus is meh.  However, if Vice produces a future gen Pro Plus and makes it play similar to previous gen, I will be more than happy to switch back.  As far as golfers in general, I find most of them don't really care what ball they play and a lot of them will just play the ones that they find out on the course which is perfectly fine.  

Edited July 11 by phizzy30

[Doaner84]

I stopped caring about playing top tier $$$ balls after playing with a tour caliber player and he spun his wife's maxfli softfli( teaching his wife how to hit) back 5 ft to couple inches from the hole.  He said just pick a ball that you like the feel of and don't switch work on ball strike.