This is a re-visit of an article I posted almost two years ago, and after revisiting it, I found some old nuggets that I need to consider in my own game. With all the new equipment to try (especially irons), is it time to re-confirm my relationship with CSX (sometimes LS) or start new with another model?
I am definitely a ball-first, clubs-second kind of guy. It’s been said a million times but begs repeating. The ball is involved in EVERYTHING you do on the golf course. Not your driver, irons, wedges, or even putter. The golf ball is the KING.
I have shot GREAT scores with the wrong ball a bunch of times; I know it can be done, but at what cost? In my younger days, I had very little idea what it looked like when something was wrong because if it were, I would always start remodeling my bag and make it work…in hindsight, I could have made my life a touch easier if I prioritized my ball. Oh Well. Live and learn.
HOW DO I KNOW WHEN THE BALL AIN’T WORKING?
Here is my answer to this one:
- If you hit one solid and it doesn’t stay in the air (not enough spin), NEED CSX
- If you hit one solid and it spins so much, you hope it falls out of the air…quickly (too much spin), NEED CSX LS.
- Around the greens: If you clip one nicely and usually it hops and stops..but it doesn’t (not enough spin) NEED CSX
- Around the greens: If you clip one nicely and expect it to hop and run out a few feet…and it doesn’t (too much spin) NEED CSX LS
- The ball in the air is just unstable (IE, it has a mind of its own) NEED A CALLAWAY CHROME SOFT BALL 🙂
What does it look like if the ball is proper?
- The central part is control. Your misses are tighter. The windows are familiar day in and day out, and you have a level of dependability. It just kind of works with you and for you.
- Around the greens, predictability. It’s pretty self-explanatory: if you hit a shot the way you want to, the ball reacts the way you want it to.
- YES, distance efficiency matches your swing speed, AOA, and ball-striking abilities. A good ball will protect you if it’s proper. What that means is the right ball will mitigate a miss (along with properly fit clubs) and give the player a buffer depending on their particular profile (IE Launch, spin, AOA, etc.)
ALWAYS TEST THE BALL FROM THE HOLE BACK TO THE TEE. Hit Putts for sound and feel, short game shots, wedges, short irons, mid-irons, long irons, hybrids, etc. In the modern game, if it checks off all those boxes, a good fitter can dial in your woods to match the rest.
The right golf ball is an extension of you. A well-struck shot should have a flight that matches your intention (all things being equal). If you are over the ball, pull it back, make the swing you want, strike it as you want, and the ball flies out of some weird window and goes awry; it’s the ball, not you. ALL players have the right shot in their head, and YES, it’s possible to find a ball that will narrow the gap between your imagination and your reality.
Happy Hunting:)
JDub
