Golf Ball questions?

Question

First, any recommendations on good golf balls?

Second, what does the number like.."Callaway 4," for example refer to?

And if you could, 1-x, show the characteristics of those balls.

like..

pinnacle 1 - blah blah, does this, and that

pinnacle 2 - blah blah, does this, and that

Answer 1

Rather than looking at specific brand names, I suggest you consider the ball construction.

Golf balls today, are made and constructed by layers or as the industry calls it "pieces", beginning with a 2-piece ball (standard and cheapest) up to a 4-piece ball (like Pro V-1, usually more expensive).

The main difference is control.  The better golfers (11 handicap and under) usually prefer the 3-piece or 4-piece balls as they have multi-layers, can put more spin, and are generally softer balls.

Higher handicappers cannot take advantage of those balls and will likely slice, hook, top, the ball and get NO BENEFIT from these more expensive balls.  Also, at $45 per box...water hazards end up costing you a lot of money.

Consumer's Digest, a couple of yrs ago, rated the Nike Power Distance balls (green box) over the Titlest Pro V-1 balls ($45/box) in their testing!  And at $16/box...I've found they play great.

Since you're asking, I'll presume you're NOT a low handicapper; so I would suggest a 2-piece ball.  Here are a few golfball links:

Titlest:

http://www.titleist.com/golfballs/nxttou...

Golf ball FAQ:

http://www.indygolf.com/Articles/ballfaq...

Answer 2

If you are a beginner golfer, the kind of ball you play is of little consequence. You are still learning how to hit the ball at this stage. Do not spend a lot of money on balls because you are just going to lose them. They will disappear just as quick at $12 per dozen as $50 per dozen.

Once you get some control on the ball then spend the money on more expensive balls. Don't go overboard though.

As someone else stated, the numbers on the balls are for identification. You might hear players telling each other they are using Calloway 4 so that opponents will know who's ball is who's.

Answer 3

I like using Noodle Ices. They are soft and cut down on my slice. The number refers to which ball it is in the pack. It helps to distinguish whos ball it is.

Answer 4

Excellent article on golf ball selection based on handicap:

http://www.golf.com/golf/search/results?...

Answer 5

Nike One Black or Platinum.  If you have a slower swing, go with the Black.  It is longer off the tee than the Platinum.  The Platinum is made for Tiger Woods or someone with a similar swing speed who can compress the ball enough to hit it far off the tee.  The Platinum has the highest spin rate of any ball on the market.  That means you want to use this ball for short game purposes(chipping and shots from 100 yards and closer).  The Black has the 3rd highest spin rate of any ball on the market.  The spin rate means you can get these balls to check and stop close to the hole.  When Tiger yells, "BITE" when he hits a shot, that is what he wants the ball to do.  He wants it to stop.  Short game saves me plenty of strokes more times than not.  These balls are one of the two reasons.  The numbers on the ball are there in case you are playing with someone else using a Callaway ball so the balls can be distinguished.

Answer 6

There are balls for beginners and advanced player, and there are balls for hard hitter or softies. Only slight difference there is. Some will not even notice it. Try the low compression ball (loco) if you're a soft hitter and a compressed ball if you're a hard hitter.

Answer 7

Nobody answered all of his question:

The numbers (1-4, etc) are only for identification. This way you and another person in your group could both be playing a Titleist NXT but yours is a 1 his is a 3. No difference in characteristics, just easier to determine which ball is yours.

P.S. NXT balls are really good for all average players, try the NXT distance first & then the NXT Tour.

Answer 8

Nike 1 is a really good golf ball...