Retail vs. Practice balls

[SplooGe]

Is there any difference between retail and practice balls? The reason I am asking is that golfsmith has Maxfli Black Max practice balls for $14/dz.

[Rockford35]

Those balls are just factory blems. They have paint issues. Nothing different about them.

R35

[Sean]

I never understood the difference. If you're playing a practice round, wouldn't you still want to use your regular ball?

I recently put up a hitting net in my backyard and picked up 2 dozen Top Flite's on sale. To me, those are practice balls. I really don't care how far they fly or how well they roll or how much spin can get put on them. They travel 5 feet and hit a net. I think I paid about $15 for the two dozen.

If I'm going out on a course I bring my better balls.

[ualtim]

Originally Posted by Sean

I never understood the difference. If you're playing a practice round, wouldn't you still want to use your regular ball?

I recently put up a hitting net in my backyard and picked up 2 dozen Top Flite's on sale. To me, those are practice balls. I really don't care how far they fly or how well they roll or how much spin can get put on them. They travel 5 feet and hit a net. I think I paid about $15 for the two dozen.

If I'm going out on a course I bring my better balls.

If you plan on entering a tournement, just make sure the "practice" ball is on the USGA/R&A list of approved balls. Sometimes the manufacturers do not submit theiy "practice" or "x-out" balls to the associations to include on the list. If it is not on the list, you can not play it in a tournement. (Greg Norman once got disqualified due to non standard manufacturer markings on a ball he was playing. The ball met all of the USGA/R&A standards but was not submitted for approval with the markings he had on his ball.)

[Rockford35]

I think he meant for practicing around the house. It's always best to use what you pull out on the course for consistency's sake.

R35

[Sean]

Exactly Rockford.

I use the cheapies to hit in the net and chip around my yard, let those get chewed up, etc.

Then I use the nicer stuff, Srixon and Warbirds right now, on the course. The point I was making was consistency. Makes no sense to use a different ball for practice rounds when you're just gonna change when you play for 'real'

I guess the above explanation that they're merely blemishes kinda ruins my theory. I had thought they were actually made different/cheaply so you could mess em up and lose and not care much.

[SplooGe]

I just miss the BlackMax's. Should have loaded up when I heard they were being Discontinued. I think I'm gonna order a few dozen since they are so cheap.

[Sandpiper3]

They are not noticeably different to a normal person, they play exactly the same as the same type of ball from GolfTown from the sleeve.

The only thing is NO ball period, x-out or practise typed on them from the manufacturer is allowed to be played in any USGA, R&A, or RCGA event PERIOD.

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by SplooGe

I just miss the BlackMax's. Should have loaded up when I heard they were being Discontinued. I think I'm gonna order a few dozen since they are so cheap.

I bought five dozen retail balls at $19.95 per on eBay. I think I'll buy five dozen more of the practice balls from Golfsmith...