Can you tell the difference?

[Bakemono36]

I cant really tell a difference from one brand of premium ball to another, but I can definetly tell a difference from a premium ball to a cheap ball.
Premium balls feel like they compress and spring off of the clubface a lot more than do the cheap balls.

 

[Youngun5]

for some reason I think I could.

I'm willing to try it if there's a way it can be done objectively. only problem is, I could probably tell you which was which based on the dimple pattern..even without seeing a logo...so I don't know how that would go..because I need to be able to see to hit....

if you guys can come up with a way, i'll try it, and I can try and get MGP to make sure I do everything by the books.

 

[Augster]

I could definitely tell the difference. Maybe not between balls, say a URC vs. an HX Tour, balls that I don't play.

I COULD tell the difference between ANY premium ball and the V1x, the best ball there is. Both around the green and off the tee and off of irons.

All I'd have to do is hit one, see it went nowhere, and say, "That's not a V1x." Hit another have it hook well off-line and say, "That's not a V1x". Hit into the wind, watch it balloon and say, "That's not a V1x".

You can definitely say "Is there a difference between premium balls around the green?" and really, there isn't much. A soft-covered ball is a soft-covered ball when you aren't hitting it with any swingspeed. I can chip and putt all the premium balls equally well.

It is off the driver that the V1x is different and I could instantly tell if the "blind taste test" ball was better (not likely) or worse (most definitely) than the V1x.

 

[mont86]

I think I can sometimes then I hit a slice and I stop thinking.

 

[zaphod]

For big swings the Nike Platinum one goes nowhere for me but checks great with a wedge. Most other premium balls I've tried are about same.
I choose the ball to play based on a serviceable distance plus 50 yard in control.

Hard balls such as distance anything just does not cut it around the greens for me. Just too hard to control release distance around greens.

If I was pressed to pick my fav---Pro V1x---good compromise.

 

[dave.]

Callaway HX and Pro V are so different I'm astonished that anyone can't tell the difference, they are night and day.

Give me a blindfold and I will tell the difference between a Pro V1, a Callaway and a Bridgestone, each one will feel differently, massively so. Nike Plat v Pro V, can't tell though, feel the same

 

[Eracer]

No one can know whther they could tell the difference unless they did a controlled double-blind test.

Proof? Look no further than the test where folks hit cast clubs and forged clubs, and were asked to identify which was which. When they had earplugs in they couldn't feel any difference. None. Turns out sound plays a huge role in feel, even beteen cast clubs and forged clubs. You think the subtle differences in balls would be noticeable? Uh uh.

 

[rubber314chicken]

it also comes down to can you label each one, or can you feel a difference and choose which one you like more.

I play topflite D2's currently, and I'm thinking of switching to some Pinnacle gold softs or Maxfli tour fires... all are nice, its just a matter of how to play off the longer clubs- the topflites are a bargain, but I annot hit a 3 or 4 iron with them. I have not mishit my long irons with the Pinnacle gold softs.

 

[dave.]

No one can know whther they could tell the difference unless they did a controlled double-blind test.

Proof? Look no further than the test where folks hit cast clubs and forged clubs, and were asked to identify which was which. When they had earplugs in they couldn't feel any difference. None. Turns out sound plays a huge role in feel, even beteen cast clubs and forged clubs. You think the subtle differences in balls would be noticeable? Uh uh.

Its not subtle at all, a Callaway is massively different in feel to a Pro V, as is even the X to the non-X. The differences between some balls are huge, and with others they are minor so as to be indistinguisable.

 

[Eracer]

Its not subtle at all, a Callaway is massively different in feel to a Pro V, as is even the X to the non-X. The differences between some balls are huge, and with others they are minor so as to be indistinguisable.

My point is that people claim to buy forged clubs because they "feel" so much better than cast. Which proves to be a case of wishful thinking. I haven't seen any rigorous testing to prove that people can tell the difference in the "feel" of golf balls. Thus, claiming that they feel different is anectodal.

BTW - how do the J33's feel? Have you been able to swing a club yet?

 

[Pa Jayhawk]

I haven't seen any rigorous testing to prove that people can tell the difference in the "feel" of golf balls. Thus, claiming that they feel different is anectodal.

For what I look for in the "Feel" a golf ball, I usually find that coincides with Compression Testing. Which I believe is based around fairly diverse and scientific type of testing. I would tend to think there is some merit to these ratings and likely initially came about as a result of fairly rigorous testing by golfers.

It seems to be no really coincidence that the balls that I tend to flock towards, and that feel good, usually have a lower compression rating and for which I was not initially aware prior to using the ball. Also probably no coincidence that while I like the performance of the PRO-V1, it is not necessarily the one that feels the best but simply the one that performs the best and still is close enough to the feel of the others I like. Similar with the Noodle, where I love the ball but notice performance issues that I find hard to overlook. Just a matter of weighing performance and feel, but as far as "feel", I do believe there is much merit in compression testing to narrow down what you are looking for if feel is important.

Just as in the fact that it comes as no surprise to me that the Pro-v1 has a lower compression rating than the Pro-v1x because I always felt the Pro-V1x to be a rock hard ball compared to the Pro-v1. BTW, I had to do a quick search just now to find that out, as it was just assumed on my part up till now based on the way it feels as I have always felt I have had a pretty good sense of how a ball compresses just by simply playing one. Probably because that has always been my top consideration in a ball, in that it feels really soft around the greens so I have consistency in the better part of my game, which is my short game.

 

[ualtim]

I think you would be able to tell the difference between premium balls if you consistently play one type of premium ball and try another. I have played Stratas for several years now, and when I hit a Pro V1 there is definitely a sound difference between the two. The Pro V1 sounds softer off the club face than the Stratas.

If you were to hand me a bucket of unmarked premium balls from several different manufactures, I may be able to pick out a Strata after a few hits as I am used to playing them, and a Callaway due to its Hex dimples, but I would not be able to tell you which ball is which.

As has already been mentioned, the real difference in a premium ball is around the greens. I find chipping to be one of the true tests (for me) of a ball. I recently switch over to a softer 2 Piece ball from my Stratas, but before I did I ran a series of tests on the chipping green to see if I could play the new ball around the greens without giving up control. The balls used in the test were: Strata Pro Tour, Pro V1, Precept SV3, D2 Feel, and a Top Flite XL. The Strata and Pro V1 had the most spin (sometimes too much spin) and were pretty even in the tests. The SV3 and D2 were very controllable for 2 piece balls and very comparable to each other. They did not spin as much as the 3 piece balls, but I could definitely control the distance on chips with the amount of spin they provide and had a very predictable roll out. The Top Flite XL lost. It is what we though it was.

Long story short, I am now playing Precept SV3 (Orange). I still have at least 11 dozen of my Stratas left, but until I can gain some consistency in my game, the Orange SV3 is in my bag.

 

[Eracer]

I think I can tell the difference. But it's purely perceptual. Here's an interesting test. Pay close attention to the passes between the players in the white shirts.

YouTube - Perception Blindness

 

[sssmokin]

I love the Bridgestone B330, but hate to shell out that much money. I've been buying the used ones, but they just aren't the same. Still looking, like everyone else, for a cheaper ball I like. Has anyone tried the Bridgestone Treosoft balls?

 

[ualtim]

I think I can tell the difference. But it's purely perceptual. Here's an interesting test. Pay close attention to the passes between the players in the white shirts.

YouTube - Perception Blindness

I got it right on the first run through. It was a bit tricky, but I ended up with the correct answer.