Its Not You - It’s Your Ball

In the last edition of my ramblings, or as I like to call it, a newsletter, someone submitted a great question:

"Does the type of ball make a difference for the average golfer’s results?"

Now this is a topic I love to crap on about—and if you’re one of my regulars, you already know exactly where this is going.

Short answer: Yes. Long answer: Absolutely yes.

The type of ball you use has a massive impact on your results—even for the so-called “average” golfer.

That’s not to say that if a 20-handicapper suddenly switches to a Pro V1 or Bridgestone Tour BX, they’ll magically drop to a 15. Nor am I here to tell you that you have to play the hardest ball on the market to pick up distance, or the softest one because your swing speed is on the sleepy side.

What really matters is this use the same ball every single round.

Why? Consistency.

Its what we are all after, right? I hear it all the time: “I don’t want to get better, I just want to get more consistent.” Well, believe it or not, those are the same thing. Getting more consistent is getting better. And the only way to get more consistent is by doing the same damn thing every time.

Let’s look at distance control.

In robot testing from a 2023 test, the difference between the longest and shortest balls on the market with a 7-iron was over 22 metres. And that’s using brand new balls. We’re not even talking about the ones you’ve fished out of creeks or dug out of the bushes—the ones that have been sitting there since before I was born.

Now, I hear what you're saying:

"Yeah, but that’s robot testing—I don’t hit it out of the middle often enough for it to matter."

Fair point, but let me ask you: How far do you reckon you hit your 7-iron?

Most people answer with, “Oh, if I really catch it, I can get it out to 180.” After I politely ask them to wake up from dreamland, they usually revise that down to about 120 metres.

Heres a scenario for you then. You’re in the middle of the fairway on the 4th at Heretaunga. Front-left pin. You’ve got 116m to the flag, so you pull your 120-metre club—your trusty 7-iron—planning to fly it safely past the pin.

You make a great swing. Absolute peach. Baby draw. Right out of the screws.
It’s all over the flag… until it drops from the sky and lands splash—in the pond, 20 metres short.

"But I had heaps of club! What happened?"

Well, that ball you pulled out of the creek on the previous hole, and put in play on this hole shortly after your first tee shot found the motorway (impressive strike, by the way), happens to be one of the shortest balls on the market. Or at least it was, back when it was still on the market 20 years ago. And it’s been soaking in that creek ever since.

Annoyed, you tee up again. This time with a pristine Pinnacle Gold — one of the longest balls from around 2016. You pure it again (two in a row? You’re on fire).
It’s all over the flag… Now its way above the flag... Now its way past the flag... Why wont it just come down?!?!?!?! This ball flies 150m, hits the cart path, and takes off, coming to rest halfway down the 14th fairway.

You look at me and say, “See? Told you I could hit my 7-iron 180 when I really catch it.”

Anyway, scenario over. My point is that It doesn’t matter which ball you use, just that you use the same one. Not just the same brand (like Titleist or Bridgestone), but the exact model.

I personally play the Bridgestone Tour BX. This is not a paid ad — I buy my balls like everyone else. But I’ve used it for years, and I’ll keep using it until something beats it in some rigorous testing.

Here’s why:

• I know my yardages with this ball. If I switch, even for one round, I’d have no idea—and I’d probably shoot 100.

• I know how it reacts around the greens—when it’ll spin, when it’ll release, how far it’ll run out.
  Ever wonder why some chips stop dead and others roll out 40 feet into a bunker? Could be the ball.

• I know how it feels with the putter. That means consistent speed control. Doesn’t mean I drain every 2-footer, but at least I give myself a chance.
  You know how one day every putt comes up short, and the next they race 10 feet past the hole? Could be the ball.

• I know how it spins with each club. Which means I know how much it’s going to curve. Spinnier balls curve more, and much more than you think. One day you’re hitting it long and straight with a baby fade, next day it’s a 90-metre slice into the wrong fairway. Could be me, but could well be the ball too.

In short, the best players in the world are the most consistent players in the world. And that consistency comes from being creatures of habit — especially when it comes to their gear. I think your average 20 handicapper could probably drop 3 shots over a few months just by using the same ball, and getting used to it. If you can buy those three shots, its a lot easier than having to work hard for them!

So find one you like, and stockpile it like a squirrel hoarding nuts for winter. That way, if you do chunk one 30 metres short into the drink, you’ll know it wasn’t the ball.

And if you've still got issues after that, then you know where to find that smart ass of a coach who can help figure you out what else went wrong.