What is the Best Golf Ball for You? Take the Golf Digest Quiz

 

For each A, assign yourself 1 point, B two points, C three points and D four points. Your total will direct you to one of five groups of balls from the Golf Digest Hot List.

1. What shot gives you the most pleasure? -reminder, we are talking about golf!

a. Booming tee shot
b. Staked approach shot
c. Short-game shot knocked close
d. I like hitting all the shots I need to score

2. What is your 7-iron distance?

a. Less than 140 yards
b. 140-150
c. 155-165
d. More than 165 yards

3. How many different kinds of shots (standard chip, standard pitch, chip and run, flop, low checker, etc.) do you confidently play around the green?

a. 0-1
b. 1-2
c. 2-3
d. More than 3

4. Describe your typical trajectory on a full-swing shot:

a. Low, less carry, more roll. If I hit it high, it’s usually a slice.
b. High, but usually shorter than my playing partners
c. I can work it high or low and can play a draw or fade for certain approach shots
d. I fully subscribe to the high launch low spin distance mantra. Could probably do with a little less spin, but I don’t want to sacrifice any spin around the green.

5. What do you want your preferred golf ball to feel like?

a. Soft, like the ball is lighter
b. Kind of somewhere in the middle but energetic off the clubface.
c. Soft but substantial, like a perfect office chair
d. Firm but not clacky. Fast off the face, but still plenty of connection on a chip or putt.

6. How important to you is it to play a ball that is specifically played by the pros?

a. I don’t know what models are played by the pros
b. I don’t think I’m good enough to know the difference
c. I know the type of ball so I’m looking for something similar but I’m not adamant about it
d. I only play balls played by the pros. Even if I’m not at their level, it’s the best way to play to my potential.

Results:

6-8: Bridgestone E6, Bridgestone E9, Callaway Supersoft, Maxfli Softfli, Srixon Soft Feel, Titleist TruFeel, Titleist Velocity, Wilson Duo Soft

9-13: Bridgestone E12 Contact, Callaway ERC Soft, Maxfli TriFli, Srixon Q-Star, TaylorMade Soft Response, Titleist Tour Soft, XXIO Rebound Drive

14-18: Bridgestone Tour B RX, Bridgestone Tour B RXS, Maxfli Tour S, Srixon Q-Star Tour, TaylorMade Tour Response, Titleist Tour Speed, Vice Pro Soft, Volvik XT Soft

19-21: Bridgestone Tour B XS, Callaway Chrome Soft, Maxfli Tour, Mizuno RB Tour, Seed SD-01, Srixon Z-Star, Sugar Pure, TaylorMade TP5, Titleist AVX, Titleist Pro V1, Vice Pro

22-24: Bridgestone Tour B X, Callaway Chrome Soft X, Callaway Chrome Soft X LS, Maxfli Tour X, Mizuno RB Tour X, PXG Xtreme, Srixon Z-Star Diamond, Srixon Z-Star XV, TaylorMade TP5x, Titleist Pro V1x, Titleist —Pro V1x, Vice Pro Plus

The next step is for you to do all the field testing to get you closer to that ideal choice. We recommend starting with the shortest shots for a number of reasons.First, they are the easiest to hit for all players, and so if there are differences in feel or height or spin, they should be easiest to see. You then might want to then move to an iron shot you’re most comfortable hitting consistently. You might want to look at things like how a prospective choice matches up with your preferred trajectory, or how certain approach shots hold the green. You could even step back to the tee box and see if you notice differences off the driver, but unless you are highly skilled, be advised that those differences might be more related to your own variability than the differences in golf balls.

Read the full Golf Digest post here.

Excerpt from Extraordinary Golf: The Art of the Possible by Fred and Pete Shoemaker

 

Dear Younger Me,

I can’t play anymore.  I tried to swing the club the other day but my body wouldn’t cooperate.  The best I can do now is sometimes take walks on the course, but my eyes aren’t as good as they user to be so I don’t see much.  I have a lot of time to sit and think now, and I often think about the game.

It was my favorite game.  I played most of my adult life.  Thousands of rounds, thousands of hours practicing.  As I look back, I guess I had a pretty good time at it.  But now that I can’t do it anymore, I wish I’d done if differently.

It’s funny, but with all the time I spent playing golf, I never thought that I was a real golfer, I never felt that I was good enough to really belong out there.  It doesn’t make much sense, since I scored better than average and a lot of people envied my game, but I always felt that if I was just a little better or a little more consistent then I’d really feel good.  I’d be satisfied with my game.  But I never was.  It was always “one of these days I’ll get it” or “one day I’ll get there” and now here I am.  I can’t play anymore, and I never got there.

I met a whole lot of different people out on the course.  That was one of the best things about the game.  But aside from my regular partners and a few others, I don’t feel like I got to know many of those people very well.  I know they didn’t really get to know me.  At times they probably didn’t want to. I was pretty occupied with my own game most of the time and didn’t have much time for anyone else, especially if I wasn’t playing well.

So why am I writing you this letter anyway, just to complain?  Not really.  Like I said, my golfing experience wasn’t that bad.  But it could have been so much better, and I see that so clearly now.  I want to tell you, so you can learn from it.  I don’t want you getting to my age and feeling the same regrets I’m feeling now.

I wish, I wish.  Sad words, I suppose, but necessary.  I wish I could have played the game with more joy, more freedom.  I was always so concerned with “doing it right” that I never seemed to be able to just enjoy doing it at all.  I was so hard on myself, never satisfied, always expecting more.  Who was I trying to please?  Certainly not myself, because I never did.  If there were people whose opinions were important enough to justify all that self-criticism, I never met them.

I wish I could have been a better playing partner.  I wasn’t a bad person to be with, really, but I wish I had been friendlier and gotten to know people better.  I wish I could have laughed and joked more, and given people more encouragement.  I probably would have gotten more from them, and I would have loved that.  There were a few bad apples over the years, but most of the people I played with were friendly, polite and sincere.  They really just wanted to make friends and have a good time.  I wish I could have made more friends and had a better time.

I’m inside a lot now, and I miss the beauty of the outdoors.  For years when I was golfing I walked through some of the most beautiful places on earth, and yet I don’t feel as if I really saw them.  Beautiful landscapes, trees, flowers, animals, the sky, the ocean—how could I have missed so much?  What else was I thinking of that was so important—my grip, my backswing, my stance?  Sure, I needed to think about those sometimes, but so often as to be oblivious to so much beauty?  And all the green—the wonderful, deep, lush color of green!  My eyes are starting to fail.  I wish I had used them better so I would have more vivid memories now.

So what is it that I’m trying to say?  I played the type of game that I thought I should play, to please the type of people that I thought I should please.  But it didn’t work.  My game was mine to play, but I gave it away.  It’s a wonderful game.  Please, don’t lose yours.  Play a game that you want to play.  Play a game that gives you joy and satisfaction and makes you a better person to your family and friends.  Play with enthusiasm, play with freedom.  Appreciate the beauty of nature and the people around you.  Realize how lucky you are to be able to do it.  All too soon your time will be up, and you won’t be able to play anymore.  Play a game that enriches your life.

That’s all I have to say.  I don’ really know just how this letter will get to you, but I hope that it reaches you in time.  Take care.

Love, Older Me

Tame Your Golf Expectations

 Arccos has captured over 700 millions shots, 15 million rounds and 1 trillion data points to give an inside look at amateur golfers.  Here are some stats that may tame your golf expectations:

#1.  Driver - distances vary according to age and handicap.  You may be surprised how well you hit your drives, given your age and handicap.

#2.  Approach - from 100 yards the average 10 handicap golfer takes an average of 3.38 strokes from the fairway and 3.5 strokes from the rough to hole out.  So if you walk away with a Par from 100 yards out, give yourself a pat on the back.

#3.  Short Game - the same 10 handicap takes as many strokes to hole out from 12 yards in the rough as they would from 81 feet on the green.  A putter in hand is worth more than a ball in the rough.  Try to aim for the safest part of the green.

#4.  Putting - 3 putts are more common than you think.

#5.  Penalty Shots - a 10 handicap has 3 or more penalty shots on about 25% of their rounds.  Avoid penalty shots, avoid the big scores.

Solution to all the golfing woes, play No Stress Golf!

• There's always the forward tees.
  
• Rough?  What rough?
• Gimmies are the solution to avoiding 3 putts.
• What's a penalty shot?