CHEAP vs. EXPENSIVE GOLF BALLS: Robot Tested
Are you losing 30+ yards with your golf ball? For years, golfers have spent hundreds of hours researching, demo’d thousands of different clubs and spent millions on drivers just gain a few extra yards. Who would have thought the golf ball was what we should have been paying mind to?
Every golfer uses a ball on every shot. Wouldnt that mean the ball is the single most important item in your bag?
In this video, we’re comparing cheap vs. expensive tour-performing golf balls to see just how much performance is worth in dollars and cents. No matter what ball you play, you’re going to want to watch this.
In the summer of 2021, MyGolfSpy headed to Scottsdale, AZ. to revisit just how much reform had really taken place since our earlier and rather unsettling findings.
Using an industry-approved sophisticated robot, we hit over 4,500 shots with 37 different golf balls to give you the cold, hard data.
We broke down the top performers for each price category by swing speed for any golfer!
- LOW SWING SPEED = 95 AND LOWER
- MID SWING SPEED = 95-105 MPH
- HIGH SWING SPEED = 105 AND ABOVE
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storm319
5 months agoThe launch angle averages were negligible between the two in the 2021 test. A distance difference of this size given nearly identical initial launch conditions points to the effects of aerodynamics and potentially weight distribution (a ball with weight more concentrated at the core may retain more spin throughout its flight which depending on the other conditions could result in longer carry).
Milt
7 months agoWhat are the absolute best shafts for any type of golfer ?
El
7 months agoGenerally like the tests, but agree that 95- is of little use to any 86 SS or below.
Would appreciate more tests and reviews of products targeted to us regular folk.
thx
Colin
7 months agoI love science behind the technology. With my Masters degree in applied exercise science, I am always looking to improve performance and this info will help. Also good to know whats worth the money
Mark
7 months agoI’m going to guess the difference in driver distance is compression.
Inesis Tour 900 – 90 compression.
Snell MTB-X – 96 compression.
Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash – 102 compression.
Critter
7 months agoLooked like a Hit Job on those 2 cheaper brands.. and sure, if you take the longest ball ever tested and put it against the shortest ball ever tested you can show a 30 yard TOTAL distance difference (given a very high swing speed). Quality golf balls hit at average speed never show vast differences in performance in any of the 20+ tests I’ve read in recent years. Golfer can get way to hung-up on stats.. especially when their is rarely more than 2 yards different on the longest shots! The golf media have to keep us viewers interest as that’s how they make thier money. It’s often just HYPE.
Mike Dacey
7 months agoWould like to see a review of the U-Pro urethane ball. Maybe it’s not on your radar yet but I use it and it seems to work for me. I’ m 73 and retired, play about 2 rounds a week and the ball is about $15 to $20 a dozen.
Vincent
8 months agoThe spin numbers (around 3000 rpm) are pretty suboptimal. Are we really looking at meaningful numbers? What prevented you from making adjustment to the setup to get better numbers?
MGoBlue100
8 months agoNice as always, JB! I’m sure this one was a labor of love for you. I’ll be rooting for Danny; seems like an awesome cat.
Tim
8 months agoI am interested in the opinion of your testing/analysis team on how to gauge the swing speed black hole. You are proving that swing speed is a significant determining factor in the performance of a given ball. Not surprising, the left dash is form fit for those 105+ speeds…. which, to many of us, is just an interesting side note that doesn’t really relate to our own games.
For the mortals among us…. would it be better to target the performance of a ball tested in a range above our speed, or below our speed. Or… said a different way… if I am a LPGA tour average driver of the ball, and my swing speed is 93 MPH. Should I be looking at the 95 and below ball (which the data results might include speeds as low as 75 mph… who knows… well – you do – but we don’t). — or the 95-105 ball (which might actually be a smaller deviation of swing speed assuming 100 mph is the average)? Where will that average LPGA player see the best performance?
Realizing that this may not be exactly tested here, and some subjectivity is expected… but would be interested to hear your thoughts..
Jon
8 months agoI have a question in regards to the 95 and lower reveal. Titleist 236.5 yds, 126.1 mph, 2858 rpm; Snell 226.4 yds, 126 mph, 2850 rpm. How does Titleist end up 10.1 yds longer than Snell with nearly identical mph and rpm? Does launch angle come into the equation? Inquiring minds with lackluster clubhead speed would like know. Thank you for your testing!