Equipment
The truth: scuffed golf balls
It may seem like you’d need to do a fair bit of damage to a golf ball to have an impact on how it flies, but the slightest blemish can actually have a big impact on how they perform.
The same can be said for other fast-moving objects, consider a race car. If a rally car suffers noticeable damage, it can massively affect the speed, control, and overall performance the car has going around a track.
We’ve all no doubt found balls on the course and added them to our bags, but if we asked you to go and have a look in your ball pocket now, what would you find? Do you regularly play with fresh balls or do they tend to be on the scuffed side?
Today we want to remind you of how wear and tear directly affects ball performance as well as the differences between and purposes of firm and soft golf balls.
The impact of scuff marks
Scuffing a golf ball is one of the easiest things in the world to do. You are striking it with a metal club after all, so it’s only inevitable that a golf ball’s condition is going to deteriorate the more you use it.
Studies have shown that scuff marks can affect a ball’s performance in a number of ways, most noticeably the ball flight. If a section of the ball’s surface is scuffed, the ball is more likely to fly lower and have less carry distance when compared to a fresh golf ball.
We’d certainly recommend always heading out on the course with plenty of backup balls in your back to avoid having your score impacted by damaged balls.
The impact of mud
If you ever hit your shot away from the pristinely cut fairway, there’s a good chance you’re going to end up with mud on the ball. Wet conditions churn up the ground, and you can certainly expect to be cleaning your ball regularly if there’s recently been a spell of rain.
As you can expect, having mud on the ball automatically adds mass to it, and interferes with the ball’s aerodynamics. Mud tilts the ball off its axis while it’s flying through the air, and directly impacts certain factors including ball speed, launch angle, and spin. It’s therefore best to clean your ball should you land in any thick mud.
The impact of cracks
Having a crack in your ball, even a little one, is a sure sign that it’s time to throw that ball away and a grab a new one. Even if it’s not a deep one, a crack completely disrupts a balls exterior dimple pattern, ruining the airflow and flight efficiency.
A cracked ball will have an unpredictable ball flight, short travel distance, and be hard to control. So overall, we’d sum up that you should clean your ball if it’s dirty and bin if it it’s damaged.
We have a huge range of golf balls available in the pro shop that will have you boosting your confidence and playing better golf, but which kind do you go for? We now want to give you our recommendation of the best Callaway golf balls you can find in the shop.
Callaway's latest golf balls
Just as clubs have different models to suit golfers of varying abilities, so too do golf balls, and the latest balls from Callaway are a real joy to play with.
If you’re a high-handicap player, you’ll feel at home playing with the Supersoft golf balls. As the name implies, Callaway has created this ball to offer a reassuring feel on impact, and the HyperElastic SoftFast core helps you gain distance even on off-center strikes. The cover has also been engineered to give you more control on your approach shots and touches around the green.
Another fantastic game-improvement golf ball is the new ERC. This ball features the same core type as the Supersoft to retain that delicately soft feel, but the GRIP urethane coating gives you greater spin control on your wedge shots. This is a really solid all-round golf ball that will serve you well from tee to green.
If you’re a skilled player, you’ll be looking for a ball that will give you as much control over your shot as possible, and you’ll get that with the Chrome Tour range of golf balls. Each ball in the range features a seamless Tour Aero design that an ultra-consistent, predictable ball flight on every shot. The standard Chrome Tour model gives you a balance of feel, distance, and spin.
Favoured by the big hitters, if you’re seeking distance above all else, you’ll be attracted to the Chrome Tour X golf balls. This ball offers plenty of workability while retaining a firm sense of feel, allowing you to better shape your shots off the tee. If you can perform a fade or draw depending on the layout of the hole ahead, this ball is for you.
Offering both incredible feel with long distance, the Chrome Tour Triple Diamond ball is perfect for elite players that want to get the most out of their equipment. Callaway has given this ball an endearingly pleasant urethane cover that enables players to achieve a higher launch with lower spin on full shots, resulting in punchy distance with demonstrable greenside control.
We understand golf ball knowledge may not be your forte, but that’s where we come in. We’re always available in the pro shop if you’d like to seek out our professional advice.
